The Great Confusion

Wayne Gretzky has left quite a few folks rather confused.

Two days ago, he seemed quite clear, apparently confirming to Sportsnet that he had been approached by "multiple" groups about being involved in a bid for the 79 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund.

He didn't say he was interested, he didn't say he wasn't. He certainly didn't say he had agreed to anything with anybody.

But the indication was he had been contacted, specifically by the Providence Equity Group, among others.

 "Yes, I've been approached by multiple firms considering the purchase of MLSE," was the direct quote reported on Sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos said today he got that quote and permission to attribute it to Gretzky from a member of Gretzky's inner circle, but was then subsequently told there was a miscommunication and asked that it be pulled from the Sportsnet web site.

Kypreos, however, said he remains convinced Gretzky was contacted about his possible interest.

Sportsnet's John Shannon, a longtime hockey television executive and former NHL executive, cited two other "impeccable" hockey sources confirming that Gretzky had been contacted and reported the story for Sportsnet.

"Wayne may be backtracking, but I stand by my sources and the story," Shannon said today.  "I believe in them and what they told me."

But on Friday night in an interview with Fox Sports Tonight, Gretzky told a very different story. In fact, he suggested the total opposite.

"I can tell you unequivocably I don't even know who is in the running to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs," he said. "I have not talked to anyone who has the possibility of buying the Toronto Maple Leafs."

Gretzky told the radio interviewers he was golfing on Thursday with pro golfer Rickie Fowler, "minding my own business," when his phone "started blowing up" with calls about his possible involvement with an MLSE bid. "It was news to me," he said.

He said the Leafs are an "unreal franchise" and Toronto is a "special place."

"But I don't have $1.7 billion sitting around," he joked.

When the interviewers tried to pin him down as to whether he would have interest, Gretzky responded with quips and jokes, evading the questions. He also didn't say whether his business representatives had been contacted by possible MLSE suitors. And wasn't it a little odd he could rattle off "$1.7 billion" when he has no knowledge of the sale?

So where does this leave us? Totally confused.

No media outlet has reported that Gretzky is actually buying into a group looking at purchasing MLSE. But was he contacted? One major news outlet reports yes, one reports no. Conflicting reports, and a sense that someone's playing games with semantics, here.

As always, The Great One can create news.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[abecedario]

What an odd thing for Gretzky to say that he doesn't have "$1.7 billion sitting around." Where did he get that figure from? Most people, including Tannenbaum, peg the possible sales figure at about 1.5B. For Gretzky to come up with such a specific number, I think he knows more about a possible sale than he is letting on.

[Dave Houston]

who cares? gretzky has moved on from hockey and canada. he has a son who is a major league baseball players his last interest would be buying a hockey team in canada. he hasn't lived here in many years and likely has no desire to return

[TheJuice]

Gretzky's ability to deny fact demonstrates he has the right mentality to join the misinformation tandem of Burke and Wilson.

[Alan]

Until it happens...the great one is not serious about MLSE. Stay with the facts...and this is typical media to stir up something like "The Great One is pondering the bid of MLSE".....NOT! Doesn't make sense when Gretzky lives in California/Arizona. I rather see Gretzky go behind a bench of a farm team before hitting the big leagues like Patrick Roy. Coaching players in development is different than the NHL where it is a numbers game of W-L.

Not more false claims.

[Don]

Let's dissect the two parts of what Gretzky said. "I can tell you unequivocably I don't even know who is in the running to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs," Meaning only the pension fund knows this. Part 2 "I have not talked to anyone who has the possibility of buying the Toronto Maple Leafs." Who has the "possibility of buying the Toronto Maple Leafs."? Larry Tanenbaum. He never says that they didn't contact him. Those were very carefully chosen, or probably scripted, words.

[Geoff Read]

I can't think of a sports story I care less about than the sale of MLSE. Oh wait, there's the NBA lockout and all things related to golf.

[Rob]

I actually think that a $1.7 billion figure is proof Gretzky's just making stuff up off the top of his head. $1.7 billion would value the Leafs as the third-most valuable franchise in the entire world, behind Manchester United and the Dallas Cowboys, and tied with the New York Yankees. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2011/07/12/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams/)

I mean, the Leafs are a money maker, but come on, equal in value to the Yankees? More valuable than either Real Madrid or Barcelona? That's completely insane. The Cubs and the Dodgers, two of baseball's most storied/valuable franchises, sold/will sell in the $1 billion range recently.

Meanwhile, the Leafs, you'll notice, weren't even on the list of that Forbes article I linked. Sorry, but $1.7 billion for the Leafs is completely and utterly insane.

[Luke Joseph Menkes]

I don't think it's odd that he could rattle off $1.7 billion. He said that his phone was blowing up with people informing him about the story.

Someone, somewhere wants this story kept in the news. It definitely affects the price of the asset in play.