It can be tough to track rumors since the Dynamo are covered so poorly but I know a lot of you have connects, so is there any movement on getting an owner who cares? Or, don't laugh, any rumors that Brenner might spend some money?
I now believe that our city's largest school district, HISD @Ethos , will get their shit in order before our owners do. And that is saying something folks!!!
OK who is the ethos bloke - I think he's an FO plant https://www.fox26houston.com/sports...wnership-group-of-houston-dynamo-houston-dash
According to this report he’s buying 5% at a valuation of $475 million. So he’s putting in $25 million, which I would assume the current owners are immediately distributing in cash to themselves. Sports franchise valuation is weird (not all based on returns and multiples) but considering outside of the SUM stake the Dynamo don’t have any other outside income streams (like real estate development projects associated with the stadium) i think this further validates that the current ownership group is all about sucking cash flow out of the team and not about winning http://frntofficesport.com/harden-houston-dynamo/
Lol, well, why I have the power. Are there any rumors that the Dynamo will shock the world, go on an undefeated run and lift the Cup?
So Harden is now an owner? Fine, but that is not the sort of fiscal fire power we need to add to the team. All of the following #s comes straight from the authoritative always reliable interwebs. At least Harden ($135m) is worth more than Ben Guill ($2-3m). I can't find any information on the third guy Silverstein. Interestingly, Brener himself is worth only $350m. These guys don't have the capacity to compete. This ownership group would not meet MLS's standards for ownership for a new expansion franchise.
Harden is joining Lebron James in investing into pro soccer clubs. Lebron went in with Liverpool a few years back. Magic Johnson went in with Will Ferrell and Nomar n Mia with LAFC. Very cool to hear this. At least on a street cred level this transaction by Harden high talks our Dynamo in a terrific way. Perhaps a breath of fresh publicity and hype our staff n players needed all things considered! VAMO' JAMES HARDEN SON!!!
You have me on ignore, but Silverstein is likely mostly from family wealth. Father was in early in cable TV in the south and Midwest I think.
I'm so upset by what is happening with this team I have even been reading some of your posts. Why don't you pay up on the beer you owe me so I can take you off of ignore?
All of those numbers are absurdly low, with perhaps the exception of Harden . . . not even remotely in the ballpark. Does everyone think someone who owns minority stakes in both the Astros and Dynamo is worth $2-3m?!? Ben Guill's Dynamo stake alone is worth $47.5 million, if his rumored 10% ownership is accurate and based on the Harden investment. Our issue is not the deep pockets of our owners, it's their lack of willingness to dip into them . . .
I don't disagree with any of your facts. But do you think this group can invest like Kraft or Blank or the Hunts or the Paulsons or Guber/Nguyen or AEG or Kronke or City Football Group or Red Bulls Drink Company. Honest question -- not rhetorical.
i was thinking about this the other day, that we basically swiped a SJ team struggling financially but strong on the field, got an initial sporting burst, but then restructured the ownership and built a stadium both with presumably borrowed money, and that if you wipe away the trophies, we got a weakened team that then borrowed and it only got worse financially. that while we wouldn't have had initial success like we did, that we might have come out ahead on expansion, new team, fresh finances. fwiw a scenario where the ownership names don't change but we issue stock in exchange for equity capital, sounds like we wanted a cash infusion for some reason. could be financial problems from moderate to terminal-risk. in which case the capital goes to past dues or retiring debt. could be they finally decided they are sick of pinching pennies and losing. in which case, welcome, james. if this is to win we will start signing people. if this is more about internal financing, we will probably file paperwork somewhere about new debt restructuring, or in a few months one of the old owners gets bought out.
A few things: (1) there are a number of folks worth tens of millions but with liquidity and other factors don’t allow them to run excessive cash losses out of their business - or they just can’t stomach them (Drayton McLane); (2) the public would be surprised just how many limited partners or investors are involved owning small stakes in sports teams - usually with very limited rights or influence; (3) I may be totally off but I have long suspected that the Dynamo operated the way they do both to maximize operating cash flow and potentially for financing reasons (willing to pay some transfer cash to acquire players and book it as an asset but not willing to pay large salaries that have to be expensed); (4) I’d like to see verification of the price Harden paid or valuation - would take a lot of cash flow from operations or growth or just pure vanity to get to that figure
i am also curious what is going on where the team just seems out of sorts. do they want rid of cabrera? were they aware of ownership changes and told that personnel would change as well? were they aware of ownership changes and saw a "limnal period" to get a coach canned under changed owners? did people not get paid? you wonder because it's like they came back from gold cup not giving a crap. gold cup itself was going to be a struggle but like now they are literally worse, like frustrated and not fighting and letting people make backdoor runs like schoolkids. or someone makes a gorgeous cross and they like trip over their feet and miss it somehow. this was such a confident team for a couple months.
Also, if I read one more tweet or Reddit post talking about how much the stadium is “worth “ as part of the rumored valuation, my head may explode. The stadium is legally owned by the Sports Authority and that Dynamo own the operating rights. They do not own the land or the building itself - it sits on the books of the sports authority.
"which I would assume the current owners are immediately distributing in cash to themselves" if it gets done that way screw this team.
Haven't seen a lot of detail. Is someone selling down or are they issuing new shares and diluting everybody? Saw an article that said he's buying 5% at a price that values the club at nearly $500 mil. Which in my book makes him stupid. At this point, no way is this club worth nearly $500 mil.