March 2003 Basketball Wiretap
As was reported widely almost a month ago, Dallas businessman David McDavid has reached the point of exclusivity in dealings with AOL/Time Warner for the purpose of purchasing the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers.
RealGM has learned that employees of the Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers were sent an inter-company email from Turner Sports Teams COO Terry McGuirk that spoke to a letter of intent to sell the franchises, as well as operating rights to Philips Arena, and that while the sale is not final; a letter of intent to sell to McDavid has been signed.
Also, later tonight, the Atlanta Journal/Constitution was told by Turner Broadcasting spokesman Greg Hughes the same information regarding the letter of intent.
McDavid himself told the AJC, "I am thrilled about the prospect of owning such an esteemed collection of sports and entertainment properties as the Hawks, Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena. This is one big step in a long process and there still remains a lot of work to do before the deal is completed."
"However, I remain confident that the acquisition will come to fruition. My family has always had a love affair with the city of Atlanta due to the many friends and business associates of ours who live in the area. I have visited the city quite often and am amazed each time at the level of excitement generated by its professional sports teams."
"I plan to build on this excitement and help solidify Atlanta's reputation as the sports capital of the world."
In the late-night hours Monday following Sacramento's defeat of Utah in Game 4 of their Western Conference NBA playoff series, talk turned to tonight's Game 5, when the Kings will try to end the Jazz's season.
An era could end at the same time.
Ernie Hewlett stared solemnly ahead as he held two signs of appreciation within a few feet of the Utah Jazz's bench. The buzzer had sounded on the home team's playoff loss Monday night to Sacramento, signaling time had run out on his team, and perhaps an era.
The longtime Jazz fan feared he had watched Karl Malone and John Stockton play their final home game together.
One of Hewlett's signs read: "Ageless. Priceless."
It seems safe to view tonight's NBA playoff game in Sacramento as the end of an era. Then again, Monday night should have been the end -- yet, true to form, Karl Malone and John Stockton refused to work on anyone's timetable other than their own.
After the first two games of their first-round Western Conference playoff series, the Utah Jazz had the look of a team plunging headlong toward being swept. The expiration date was Monday, Game 4. As usual, they didn't cooperate,
winning Game 3. Greg Ostertag had the big numbers, and previously comatose teammates Calbert Cheaney and Matt Harpring finally awoke, so they got most of the credit.
The Sacramento Kings believe their training for the second round of the playoffs is nearly complete.
Sacramento can advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the third straight season with a victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 5 tonight. If the Kings finish off their third playoff series in five seasons against the Jazz, they'll feel well-prepared to face the tougher tasks ahead.
Scot Pollard had the same number of field-goal attempts during Monday's fourth game as he did throughout April 19th's playoff opener against the Utah Jazz -- zero.
The Kings won both, but Pollard made a much bigger impression Monday as the Kings took a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Jazz. Sacramento can clinch the series and move into the second-round with a win in today's 8 p.m contest at ARCO Arena.
The strange thing is that it could end here, of all places. In a perfect world, John Stockton is on the floor of the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, running that last bruising cut off that last welt-inducing screen, getting down along the right baseline, going up for the classic Stockton jumper in those classic Stockton basketball shorts, the ones that went out of style about the time Bill Clinton blew a saxophone on "The Arsenio Hall Show."
The core of Kings' merry men has been here and done it -- and the group also has failed to do it.
Ending a series is considered the most difficult postseason phase to execute, but it's what lies ahead tonight at Arco Arena for the Kings against the Utah Jazz.