There are few beloved owners in pro sports.
Posted on January 5th, 2009 – 11:55 PMBy Howard
It was sport in the media and cyberspace to make fun of Carl Pohlad, with the name calling and calling out serving as shorthand for all of the things people didn’t like about the way he ran the Twins. That’s the way it is in sports. Everyone is smarter than the people making the decisions and signing the paychecks. Even if you’re not, you have the right to think you are.
My perspective goes back to 1983, when I started covering the Twins and the team — then owned by Calvin Griffith — was on the market to be sold and moved. There were groups in Denver and Vancouver making serious overtures, and rival groups in Tampa and St. Petersburg that were battling to get the Twins to move south. There was even a Tampa radio station at the time that regularly gave scores of the “Tampa Bay Twins.” Hrbek and Gaetti and some of the others were finishing their second full season in the majors and it didn’t seem out of the realm that their third one would be played on a home field someplace else.
Pro sports franchise sales move at glacial pace. Nothing happens and then, all of a sudden, a deal is announced and the public gets introduced to the new owners. That’s what happened in July of 1984 when Pohlad became owner of the Twins. It was a giddy time because it looked like baseball had been saved by a Minnesotan coming forward to buy a Minnesota team and keep it here. (While Calvin came to be thought of and remembered fondly, at the time of the sale he was seen as something of an ogre owing to the sale talk and the Twins’ inability/unwillingness to keep their best players.) It was also giddy because the Twins unexpectedly found themselves chasing a division title, a pursuit that fell short in the final week of the season when they choked in Chicago and Cleveland, allowing Kansas City to win the division. (Trust me, there was a time when the Royals were good.)
Some bad stuff happened during the Pohlad years. The ballpark debate was repeatedly bungled, the contraction silliness was embarrassing and the lost seasons of the 1990s — when guys like Scott Stahoviak, Rich Becker and Frankie Rodriguez were being passed off as the future — made it look for a time like the Twins had stopped caring about quality. More recently, the signing and failures of marginal veterans felt like repairs being attempted on the cheap and the Santana situation could have been handled differently.
But Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek stayed with Pohlad’s Twins when there was supposedly more money elsewhere — and the challenge will be for the younger Pohlads, in markedly different times, to get current cornerstones Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau to do the same. There will be rightful pressure to put an even better team on the field when the Twins move into their new ballpark in 2010, and we have every reason to expect the Twins to make moves to contend in ‘09, even if it means stretching a budget that feels like Monopoly money.
Compare Pohlad’s ownership of the Twins with that of other Twin Cities sports owners. There was consternation back in the day that Griffith didn’t sell to Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson, who would later bring the NBA to Minnesota. Harv ‘n’ Marv were much beloved when they bought the expansion franchise, but a few years later they tried to sell the Timberwolves to a group that would have moved them to New Orleans if the deal hadn’t fallen through. So much for love. And there was Norm Green with the North Stars who became the Dallas Stars… and Red McCombs with the Vikings who always seemed headed to San Antonio… and the Glen Taylor/Kevin McHale braintrust that has turned the Wolves into the laughingstock they have become… and from what I can tell Wild fans are starting to get impatient with their team’s problems… and I’m not yet sure what to make of the Wilfs.
When it comes to championships, I believe the quarter-century scoreboard reads Minnesota Twins 2, Others-in-Minnesota 0. I’ll argue that, despite the things that made me crazy, it wouldn’t be that way without Carl Pohlad.
65 Responses to "There are few beloved owners in pro sports."
I will always be grateful for Carl taking over the franchise when he did.
Carl Pohlad - Carl Pohlad - say, wasn’t he the guy who raised his hand when Selig asked for volunteers for contraction?
[…] A Fan’s View – […]
Nicely written, Howard.
good one, howard.
smiling carl’s regime has been frustratingly ugly at times. but i’ve seen six world series games, including two game sevens. the twins won them all.
Classy article, Howard. While the effort to “contract” the Twins soured me on Carl, the Twins do have two championships. Carl had something to do with this.
Great article Howard! For those of us old enough to remember Calvin’s sale of the team to Carl, the relief of knowing the team would remain here was huge. Without Carl stepping in we may have never experienced the jubilation of 2 World Series titles. I still get goosebumps when I watch video of those events. Sure, I got frustrated with Carl’s business approach to running “his” team wondering why he would not spend more of “his” money to better equip the team. At the end of the day, it was “his” team and he brought us to championships! As for this Twins fan since they arrived in 1961, I say thanks Carl and rest in peace!
Yes,it’s a nice piece. And no one likes to lose their dad or see someone else lose theirs. But let’s get real here. Carl Pohlad WAS 93, in very poor health, and DID leave his family billions of dollars as well as a thriving business empire - these factors have to soften the blow at least somewhat. Save your pity for the child dying slowly of a rare disease or the family of one taken by a drunk driver. Carl Pohlad put thousands of prople out of work during his long career. He tried to cheat the people of Minnesota out of a new stadium on several occasions. And, listen closely now, HE ATTEMPTED TO DISBAND THE MINNESOTA TWINS!!! The World Series championships were certainly wonderful and he did own the team at the time - but the magic was brought to you by some very special ballplayers, sound team management, and excellent field generalship. If Smilin’ Carl so loved pennants it is clear that he could have at least taken a run at several more.
I echo werbellik’s thoughts. I will add, however, that the last championship was 17 years ago. The contraction issue et al. ocurred in the recent past. Unfortunately for Mr. Pohlad, this is a “what have you done for me lately” kind of world.
Well written Howard. This is a rough day for the Twins organization, and more importantly, the Pohlad family.
But for all the controversy that may have been on the field, people so often forget what Pohlad accomplished in the community.
[…] Sure, he was frequently charged with being “cheap” but I don’t think that is at all fair. (Howard Sinker wrote that there are few beloved sports owners.) I would say that he didn’t become a multi-billionaire by making bad decisions. He chose to run […]
Ben,
While I agree with 95% percent of your post, it still would be tough to loose a parent rich or not.
Teams have spent a lot more money and have been much less successful. The Pohlad’s did keep the team in Minnesota. However, Carl Pohlad’s legacy will forever be tarnished by his willingness tpo contract the team.
“Carl Pohlad put thousands of prople out of work during his long career. He tried to cheat the people of Minnesota out of a new stadium on several occasions. And, listen closely now, HE ATTEMPTED TO DISBAND THE MINNESOTA TWINS!!!”
I heard he kicked puppies as well.
Geez. Give it a rest. Everyone knows what Carl Pohlad did. Just show a little respect, would ya?
“but the magic was brought to you by some very special ballplayers, sound team management, and excellent field generalship.”
And who do you think paid for all of those ballplayers? Or put the management in place?
Howard: Nice piece. I have been thinking for awhile whether it would have been worth it for Carl to open the wallet during the last couple of years to re-sign Hunter and Santana plus bring in some high priced talent…in effect exchanging some of his fortune for a shinier legacy. From what I have read, though, he was a complex fellow and I think he preferred dying rich over dying popular.
I don’t think there’s anyone here who would like to have all of their business and personal decisions scrutinized by the general populations like the Pohlads have endured. Carl came from nothing and worked hard his whole life to accomplish his goals and provide for his family - all the haters on this blog should think about what they would have done in his shoes and my guess is that you wouldn’t have been as successful as Carl. He saved the Twins from being sold out of Minnesota and I think the whole contraction idea was a tool to use to help secure a new stadium which should have been done 15 years ago. Show Carl’s family some compassion at this time of their sorrow and be grateful to the man who brought us two world series championships that kept us on the edge of our seats for those glorious 7 games in 1987 & 1991.
I’m not going to bash someone who just passed, but I hope that his heirs spend more money than he did! I’m not old enough to remember Andy Griffith running the team but as rich as Pohlad was he should have been spending money Cuban style. Just frustrated that the rays,yanks,redsox,and angels(all the american league teams that were better than the twins last year) have made improvements. We can’t even land Ty Wigginton when he’ll fill the glaring hole at third and add the right handed pop that I hope the Twins don’t get from Cuddy(then DY will be on the bench). How ban cuddy be worth a big contract but Wiggs isn’t? Of course DY isn’t going to buy into Vavra’s hitting style…he want’s to be a superstar…and their not allowed in MN.
No comment…. Rest in Peace, Carl.
Well said Howard I honestly hope all Twins fans realize that as much as we love this team and this game that it is just a game. Best wishes to the Pohlad family on thier loss.
Nice piece Howard. Yes, Carl Pohlad did some good things and he did some bad things as owner of the Twins. But people forget that w/out his purchase of the team back in ‘84, the MN Twins would not have had 2 WS titles as they would have been the Tampa Bay Twins. I am just glad that we no longer have to hear from the yahoos who come on these boards and have nothing more intelligent to say than “cheapskate Carl.” RIP Carl.
Good piece, Howard. Thank you.
I certainly didn’t agree with every move by Mr. Pohlad and he, like the rest of us, was far from a perfect person, I’m sure.
The contraction issue was a painful one, to be sure. Like other Twins fans, I hated the idea of contraction. But I’m not sure how many business people would be willing to keep losing $17mm+ per year when they’ve been presented with an alternative. Regardless, I agree that the situation was poorly handled.
But there can be no arguing about the fact that there would almost certainly be no Minnesota Twins today without Carl Pohlad stepping up when he did. I’ve been around long enough to remember the Calvin Griffith years and the last decade under his ownership were not good times, despite the “fondness” felt toward him more recently.
I suspect time will be kinder to Carl Pohlad’s legacy as well… at least kinder than the poor excuses for human beings who can’t resist using the occasion of his death to take yet another insensitive swipe at the man.
Carl did save the Twins. I suppose most people are too young to remember Calvin Griffith as owner. Look up the differences. You’ll see Carl saved the team from moving and spent millions more on salaries than Griffith ever owned.
” I’m not old enough to remember Andy Griffith running the team”
Now THERE would be a beloved owner!
“I’m not old enough to remember Andy Griffith running the team”
Why does Opie get so much playing time?
Great piece Howard. I, for one, have been a Pohlad apologist. I appreciated his business sense and intelligence. The budget restraints were frustrating, as was the contraction talk, but in the end Mr. Pohlad has been the best sports owner in the Twin Cities. Probably ever. We’ll miss you Carl. Enjoy being reunited with your wife.
I just hope Cooter isn’t Andy’s new manager
I think people are collow when talking about Carl Pohlad. They think that because he has money from other business that he should just fork over many more millions into his baseball team. The Twins payroll has been competive with other teams. In the middle for the least few seasons now. They seem to spend about 48 to 52% on players payroll just llike most other teams. Why do people expect that because one part of the mans business is doing well that he should take away from the employees doing that good work and put it towards the baseball team. I just think that it is a little to easy to spend other peoples money when your sitting and watching the game. We are not talking about a few hundred bucks here we are talking millions and millions of dollars of this guys money that most Twins fans feel entitled do just because. He ran the team like a business if you don’t like the way he ran it start cracking your piggy banks and buy the team.
Pohlad was the first owner to pay $3 million for a player.
I don’t mean to change the subuect– “Pohlad was the first owner to pay $3 million for a player.” <-Kirby Puckett.
How much is Punto making next year?
Please do not tell me you’re claiming Pohlad was one of the “few beloved owners of pro sports.”
Dan,
No, that’s not what I’m claiming at all.
R.I.P Carl.
The man was an brilliant businessman. His Twins investment increased in value 10-fold since he bought the franchise. I do not blame him, or the family, for emphasizing the business of it all.
At the same time, fans reserve the right to criticize the product on the field. We should do so. The Twins have proven they can compete with their budget. That’s great. Then compete. Get better evaluating and retaining talent. Make better trades. It can be done, because the Twins have proven in the last several years that it can be done.
RIP Carl. You’ll be missed.
I think you make some good points rayreiner. You mentioned that they have the ability to and should compete. I agree, and they need to step it up. Ozzie Guillen routinely complements the Twins, saying “they find a way to win every year.”
Win what? I am very, very happy to seem them above .500 and in the hunt for division titles, as I was 7 in 1991 and most of my life has been rooting for the Rich Beckers, Pedro Munoz, Alex Coles, etc. The Twins have reached a level that is great to be at, but they will not stay there. They can improve themselves and find themselves playing in the ALCS & WS, or allow the competition to catch up and fall back. Judging by the way we’re standing pat as the Indians make some good moves this offseason, it looks like we’re doing the latter.
With some trepidation, I would like to introduce some levity here, inspired by the presence of one poster who thinks Andy Griffith once owned the Twins. Here’s my Mayberry batting order:
1. Floyd Lawson, 2B - Not to be confused with Sal Maglie. Constantly fidgeting, Floyd would have to bat first. He’d go out of his mind having to wait. Light-hitting, of course, the scrappy scissors jockey nevertheless had a way of agitating the opposition.
2. Opie Taylor, SS - Just about the time Opie was starting to get interested in girls and rock music (The Sound Committee, anyone?) he also became a helluva glove man with a fast-developing throwing arm. Not so hot with the stick because of his youth, he nevertheless was adept bunting Floyd over to second.
3. Howard Sprague, RF - This was a tough decision. Straight-laced to a fault and a momma’s boy to boot, Sprague was a surprisingly clutch offensive player, as evidenced by his flirting with that 300 game at the bowling alley.
4. Andy Taylor, 3B - No question here, he hit both for power and average and served as a calming influence within an infield that was otherwise beset with garden-variety personality clashes. They routinely spun his cap around at Mount Pilot, but he dealt with it with customary aplomb.
5. Goober Pyle, LF – The grease monkey got to work on his Cary Grant impersonation out there in left. Though an unorthodox hitter, he had a career OBP of .366, largely because his penchant for wearing his pants so high confused the umpires.
6. Otis Campbell, C – Portly in the mold of many catching greats, drunk in the mold of others, Otis was a surprisingly steady backstop. Give him day games off that follow night games and you could write his name on the card 140 times a year. Had a little pop, but no wheels.
7. Aunt Bea, 1B – Her constant fretting over things no one cared about grated on her teammates, but her motherly, protective nature in fielding throws from Opie and Andy overrode any character concerns. Ideally, you’d want a first-sacker with a little more pop, but the ol’ gal could still get around on a fastball if you didn’t dress it up too much.
8. Ernest T. Bass, DH – The mercurial mountain man lacked the attention span to play a position in the field, but had a way of sparking rallies at the bottom of the order. Not the hitter is brother Randy was, but better on the bases.
9. Barney Fife, CF – His battle with nerves gave us no choice but to bat him here. Slight in stature, this emotional tinderbox overcame his lack of comportment to become a solid centerfielder. Offense was another deal entirely. Without the support of that noted Mayberry slump-buster Thelma Lou, One-Bullet Barney would have been relegated to utility detail.
Shazam, Kleiner! MudCat says HEY!
Here is my (very short) tribute to Carl Pohlad:
BTW Kleiner, Otis Campbell is not Major League caliber. He should be in AA.
(al-anon, get it? sorry.)
I gotta say… ask Kleiner, that was funny as hell.
I think ask kleiner just won the Internet… 
Nice, Kleiner… but you left off Starting Pitcher Gomer Pyle. His career got off to a promising start as his raw heat set down hitters time after time. He aggravated them, however by hollaring “SHAZAM!” after every 101mph strike out pitch and “SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!” when the rare change-up sent them back to the bench. His career was cut short when, upon discovering he had a remarkable singing voice, the team allowed him to sing the National Anthem on opening day… only to have him refuse to give up the mic until he had also belted out “Back Home in Indiana”. Upset over his subsequent 5 game suspension by the team, Gomer shocked the baseball world by enlisting in the Marine Corp.
Kleiner,
Great stuff.
I see Barney Fife as an umpire.
He would be enforcing the rules of the game, and ejecting players for trivial offenses, such as spitting on the field and scratching themselves in public.
He has that classic umpire’s self-important attitude, but unbelievably comical to everyone else.
I enjoyed that article, Howard.
The one thing–and I know several 220ers have already covered it–that you kind of swept under the rug was Carl’s role in contraction.
If we are to “celebrate” the Twins when Pohlad dies, we must then do the same when Henn. Co. Dist. Court Judge Harry Crump passes away (hopefully a long time from now). If not for Judge Crump, the Twins would not be in existence right now, thanks to a plan approved by Bud Selig and Carl Pohlad. The Twins did a fine job of convincing their fans that Bud was the bad guy, but we must not forget that Carl signed off on this plan as well.
Having said that, Carl did bring two World Championships to Minnesota and, as Howard pointed out, he’s definitely loyal. That’s why many former superstars, including the late Kirby Puckett, spoke highly of him even as the Twins didn’t exactly have the deepest pockets in baseball (or were not willing to reach down into those pockets).
The other thing Carl and the Pohlads should get credit for is how they have handled the team after contraction was blocked. Instead of allowing the franchise to rot away, they worked hard on improving it, culminating with getting a stadium deal done. In fact, the Twins have never been closer to No. 1 in this market than this decade, when they have been to the playoffs four years (five if you count last year, which needed a quasi-playoff game) while the Vikings have managed just one division title in 8 years–and they play in a 4 team division!
I know a lot of people will be hesitant to honor Carl Pohlad because of one simple fact: he was worth more than $3 billion. I think that’s pretty short-sighted if you ask me. Critize the philosophy on spending if you want, but at the end of the day, Carl Pohlad did a lot for baseball in Minnesota.
And I think Howard’s scoreboard still means a great deal to most of us.
Thanks for pointing that out, Jason. Maybe baseball kept him going for 93 years. Reminds me of a favorite article of mine:
Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly; keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young”. - Roger Angell, Baseball Writer
Are you freaking kidding? Opieterrible at shortstop and batting second? Have you seen his zone ratings? His OBP? His base running? And his attitude is the worst. He must be traded for JJ Hardy this instant. I know everything about baseball and this front office knows nothing!
I, me, me, my, I, me, my and me.
Mudcat:
Great quote from Angell. Do you have the citation? I’d like to track it down if you remember. Mucho gracias,
howard-You must have the magic touch,all the rippers were on LEN3 site.Joe C is on maternity leave so to speak,so we can’t tell if the negative Pohlad crowd would go there!
BC BEN and his band of Pohlad rippers,bring a new meaning to the phrase web virus!
Howard, you’re a good guy. But, it’s really hard for me to feel any sympathy here. The guy was ruthless, and he hurt a lot of people in his lifetime–a LOT of people. His “charitable efforts” were little more than PR moves and tax write-offs.
AND, on top of that, I just realized that while feel as though I’ve been around the block a few times already, Carl Pohlad was my age back in…
1952!!
The guy had his chance. Toss the dirt on the grave and let’s move on already.
Daring to move the topic off of Mr. Pohlad and back to baseball itself…
The column Reusse posted a few minutes ago suggests (ok, more than just suggests) that Smith’s disappearing act this offseason is due to all of the failed moves last year.
Could be a legitimate point.
If so, and assuming (as it is becoming more and more safe to do) that little additional help is forthcoming between now and the start of the season, 2009 will be a critical year for Bill Smith. If the Twins see another season where young players unexpectedly step up and fill needs, leading to a successful season, he’ll undoubtedly be hailed as an astute GM who knows when to have faith in the organization’s player development program.
But if the team falls flat in 2009 because he didn’t add the RH power bat and the bullpen help that virtually every fan and “expert” sees as glaring needs, he should be held accountable. He’s responsible for making roster adjustments to improve the team EVERY year… and if 2009 is an unsuccessful season, his total inactivity this offseason will warrant dismissal.
Still laughing at Ask Kleiner @10:59 PM. I’ll help him out, why should he have all the fun?
The Mayberry Nine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKDr2KUzQFA
RAYREINER:
This Encyclopedia entry quotes Roger Angell in the final sentence.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419200054
Great stuff, Cat. Did you notice that Gomer wears his hat a little like CC Sabathia?
thanks kleiner. nick punto as opie and barney/gomez’ deer in the headlights look cracked me up.
I’m real slow here…didn’t even realize Carl Pohlad had passed away until this morning!!! My attention has been on the state of the world and our economy (way more serious and scarier than anything in sports) as well as the MUCH BETTER sport being provided by our politicos lately (Gov. Bleep, Gov. Bleep’s choice for Jr. Senator from IL, MN’s own Senate race that may never end, NY’s Senate replacement for H. Clinton, etc. etc.). Whatever will be the final scoreboard on all those races???
I have kept up (I thought) with sports via the ESPN ticker, so I’m surprised that Mr. Pohlad’s passing didn’t even make that or if it did that I missed it.
Anyway, even though I have not been kind to Mr. Pohlad in my comments on this and other blogs in the past, I do express my sympathy to the Pohlad family on their loss.
The only other thing I want to add is something I’ve said over and over again in other posts. There’s chatter above and in other blogs about Mr. Pohlad spending or not spending, depending on your point of view, on our beloved Twins, and that was in your opinion either bad or good, again depending on your point of view. Let me add my usual reality check:
That was OUR money that was being spent or not being spent!!!! A seat at the old Met or at the Dome was NOT free. The concessions were NOT free. Watching the Twins locally was “free” only to the extent that you still had to endure commercials. Those of us who live elsewhere have to pay to see those games on a pay for view package.
Mr. Pohlad and the Pohlad family are indeed smart and effective business people interested in turning a profit or at least not losing money in all their ventures including the Twins. Nothing wrong with that.
But why is it over and over again, WE, the customers are forgotten in the rants even by OURSELVES — THE customers???!!! It’s not really the Pohlads or any owner that’s good or bad about spending money or not spending money on the team. Without us, no one, not the Pohlads, not anyone, would be willing and able to field a sports team. The players don’t seem to remember either, still getting these outrageous salaries when so many people have lost their jobs in these United States.
I get really steamed about this because without us fans, there would be no sports. And it would be nice if players, owners, agents, etc. would remember that if they keep this up and if our economy doesn’t come back to life, maybe even they will be affected.
So, fellow fans, please don’t give owners and players too much credit. Pat yourselves on the back for supporting your favorite team even if we are extremely dumb to still be paying these outrageous prices. Oh well, it does make us forget for a few hours the real world!!!
The Pohlad apologists have come out of the woodwork. I’m sorry he died, but being dead doesn’t undo the way he’s used the Twins to turn taxpayer money into personal profit. Pohlad’s kind of ownership and management represents the slimy underbelly of professional sports. It’s funny how quickly being dead can change one’s public image. Hell, we ought to build the Pohlad family another stadium. I guess we owe it to ‘em.
Nobody I’ve ever known was all good or all bad. We all have a bit of both in our histories on earth.
Is it really so amazing that at the time of someone’s death, people would try to remember him for the good, rather than focus on the negative? I guess I would like to think that when my time comes, the people who know me will try to focus on the positive aspects to my life.
Then again, maybe Carl and I both have subscribed to the Bob Knight philosophy concerning our critics (know I do)…
“When my time on Earth is gone, and my activities here are past, I want they bury me upside down and my critics can kiss my a$$.” –March 1994.
The Mayberry Nine with music:
Thank you Carl for financing two World Series championship teams for the Twins. I will always remember the excitement for Twins fans when Carl Pohlad purchased the team from Calvin Griffith. Many of you never got to experience the anxiety of being a Twins fan during the time when free agency stripped the Twins of their good players year after year and never signing any big name talent Free Agents. Those were the tough years to be a Twins fan. RISP Mr. Pohlad and thanks.
Thank you Carl for financing two World Series championship teams for the Twins. I will always remember the excitement for Twins fans when Carl Pohlad purchased the team from Calvin Griffith. Many of you never got to experience the anxiety of being a Twins fan during the time when free agency stripped the Twins of their good players year after year and never signing any big name talent Free Agents. Those were the tough years to be a Twins fan. RIP Mr. Pohlad and thanks.
It’s funny how quickly being dead can change one’s public image.
It’s even more funny how quickly people forget that Pohlad was more than just owner of the Twins.
His “charitable efforts” were little more than PR moves and tax write-offs.
That Pohlad is such a cheapskate that he even went as far as to donate money! What a greedy cheap horrible person!
So much bitterness and hatred over baseball. For serious….
MTRR that this whole Maybury Nine thing is the best gag to come outta the blogs in a while!
Right T. Wayne H. had a nice post about Mr. Pohlad and even corrected the “RISP” part although that was kind of funny.
I have to confess that I, too, make use of the IRS allowances for tax “write-offs” of my charitable contributions.
I know. I’m a horrible, horrible person. I’ll try to do better.
Way to completely miss the point. The sincerity of donating money to a charitable cause is altogether negated when you’re stealing from the public interest with the other hand.
I wonder if the people who benefit from the charitable donations feel those contributions were “negated” by some peoples’ negative opinions concerning the manner in which the money got in to the hands of the contributor in the first place. Somehow, I doubt it.
This “stealing from the public interest” thing is just about the most subjective issue a person could base an opinion on. What exactly IS the “public interest” that was supposedly stolen from?
In our society, businesses benefit from both income generated by their businesses AND the occasional contribution (directly or through tax or other advantages) from local, state and federal governments.
With regard to the former, people like Beisbol can complain all they want about fans being screwed by high prices because of greedy owners, players and agents… but prices reflect the market. If you feel the value you get from the price being asked is insufficient, do not support that business. Each person has that option. If enough people feel that way, it will affect the business model of the organization.
On the latter, I guess all I can say is that whether it’s the Twins, any other professional sports team, or any other privately or publicly held business, governments consisting of popularly elected representatives of the electorate decide which such businesses warrant public financial support/participation. They weigh the costs on the taxpayers against competing uses for that money and the value of having that business retain its local presence… then they make a decision. It’s what they are elected to do. When duly elected and authorized officials make such a decision, the benefiting business is not “stealing” anything. Just because a citizen does not agree with a governmental body’s decision, does not mean that a person or company that benefits from that decision is stealing.
It takes unbelievable arrogance for someone to assume that just because they don’t agree with a company’s business model and/or decisions regarding public support made by the government, anyone who benefits from that model/support is a thief.
“The sincerity of donating money to a charitable cause is altogether negated when you’re stealing from the public interest with the other hand.”
That’s cr-p!
Is it better to spend the money on yourself and your vices than to donate it to charity?
How about the CEO’s and politicians who voted the public money to their own pensions and severerance payouts?
Was that money donated to charity?
Or was it “donated” to drug dealers and hookers?
Any money donated to charity is doing good NOW.
