http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=132138&ran=83411 Thats totally and utterly pathetic. Wow, that stinks.
unfortunately that's the reality of USL1. It's essentially an AMWAY type thing where Marcos goes around trying to get as many people as possible to pay the entry fee. If you pay this fee you get the chance to sell this product!!! But you have to pay these dues each year, etc...
In this case, the guy never paid anything to anyone. I think thats the entertainment of reading this story. Think of all the havoc we can cause in USL!
But in this case it was the sale of an existing franchise to a new owner. So no franchise fee to the league. Also, shouldn't we also hold the previous owner also responsible. They agreed to the sale before taking it to the owner.
Seems like Wachovia should have checked into Sidebottom's financial status as well. It seems like a lot of people dropped the ball. As the article stated, Sidebottom must be pretty convincing.
I got in trouble for telling people to "watch out" over this guy when his name was announced (USL Discussions.)... I knew who this guy was. The guy who is wrote the story says no one can find him.... give me a pint and a handshake and I'll give you his address.
So contact the writter and give him the address. I'm sure he would buy you a pint, a hand shake as well as a free meal on him as well.
This story reminds me of a former broke person who sweet talked his way to purchase a professional sports club and when they found out he was full of it and had certain priors on him for jail time due to financial trouble that certain pro sports team really felt embarrassed, before they found a new owner. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE NY ISLANDERS OF THE NHL PEOPLE! Mr. Spano was his name and he pulled the rug or the wool under the eyes of the NY Islanders of the NHL. And since this Charles Wang character purchased the other 50% of the Islanders from his former partner Sanji Kumar who ownes or owned Computer Associates or C.A. Kumar is in jail for fraud. Man I feel bad about those Mariners fans in Va. Beach. But now there are two pro clubs that got swindled.
I'm sure that if one looks hard enough they can find many cases of this happening. Heck, the now defunct Richmond Riverdogs hockey team went from Shady Owner #1 in its first year of of existence, to selling it to Shady Owner #2 (though I honestly don't know remember if he was shady as much as a very very bad owner) in its 2nd year, to the league forcing owner #2 to sell the team back to Shady Owner #1 for the 3rd year. Lots of lawsuits were involved in all of that one too
This is just embarrasing for everyone involved. It doesn't really make sense considering a bank wants to know where I took a **** last year before they'll give me a loan for a house, yet they do nothing for the sale of a professional sports team? It's just hard to believe. I guess, in truth though, it didn't really matter, because this deal was just between the owners. #1 A-hole bought the team and all that came with it for $1.00. It doesn't take a bank to get involved to finance that. It's just plain ugly business. Fortunately, I moved here after this all went down, so I wasn't real attached to the M's but I was excited about having a team, until I didn't, but then the Piranhas stepped up and at least picked up the PDL boys. That was a huge blessing. I hope the Piranhas franchise continues to grow and succeed and I hope the broke d**khead never comes back to VB again.