Letters: Magic for McCourt? It's Dodgers' biggest trade

L.A. Times Archives

March 30, 2012 12 AM PT

Brilliant move making Magic Johnson the face of the new Dodgers. He is the one man who can wash away the bad feelings left by the McCourts. Just remember, Magic — when you wear a No. 32 Dodgers jersey, the name on the back had better be “Koufax.”

Maurice Sanchez

Coto de Caza

I think it’s safe to say that no other athlete has had the lasting impact on a city like the one Earvin “Magic” Johnson has had on Los Angeles since the day he arrived here in 1979. And no one ever will. The significance of an African American being part of the ownership of the first major league team to have an African American player is immeasurable in both its reality and symbolism.

Charles L. Freeman

Baldwin Hills

There’s a glaring typo in David Wharton’s article about Frank McCourt on Friday. He quoted economics professor Andrew Zimbalist: “The good news is that Frank McCourt is gone,” he said. “He’s not going to run the Dodgers anymore.”

The word is ruin, not run.

Robert Ostrove

Ventura

Funny. I should be a lot happier than I am. We were promised Frank McCourt would be gone and he’s not. He dragged our team through the slime and he’s walking away not only with a billion dollars or so in profit, but he’s still here. Shame on Bud Selig for allowing this to happen.

I’m sure that Magic and his group will do a good, honest job with the Dodgers and eventually return them to power in the National League. That is indeed enough to celebrate. Long live the King, but not only is the old king not dead, he’s singing and laughing

It’s not enough.

Eric Monson

Temecula

Having known Frank McCourt from Boston it is no surprise that he has confounded his critics, outsmarted Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, induced Guggenheim to overpay for the Dodgers, and then walked away with $1 billion in his pocket while still involved in the deal. His former parking lots in Boston that he used to leverage his Dodgers’ purchase are now the site of a project with an estimated total development cost of $2 billion. I would not be surprised if he is not still somehow involved with this deal. We often forget that Frank McCourt comes from a family construction business that has been a going concern since the 1890s.

Like them or not, the McCourts know how to do business in a hardball fashion and have been doing it a lot longer than their critics, business partners and buyers of their assets.

Philip S. Hart

Los Feliz

However you want to cut it, the fans will end up paying for all of this. If you think McLoser increased prices, wait until the Magic group starts to pay off the ridiculous price of $2.1 billion! Can you say $8 hot dogs? $14 beers? $25 parking? $150 field level seats? Increased cable bills to pay for the bloated future TV contract? Then throw in the fact that McLoser is still part of the package.

Sorry, but I’m out...

Brian K Haueter

Ventura

Though certain to be labeled a killjoy for raining on the City’s “magic” feelings, T.J. Simers seems to be the only guy keeping his head in the wake of the Dodgers’ sale. As the McCourt reign of ownership draws to a close, might I suggest that we fans restrain our giddiness until we find out just what kind of hand we have been dealt.

Bud Chapman

Northridge

Frank McCourt went from bankruptcy to a billion-dollar profit. If anybody should be nicknamed “Magic” it’s him.

Gary H. Miller

Encino

The Dodgers sale, while a great relief to Los Angeles, should be remembered and studied as the largest mob-style bust-out in American corporate history. Frank McCourt bought the team with borrowed money, promised reinvestment, skimmed the revenues for personal gain, defaulted on his debts, declared bankruptcy, and now will walk away with a billion dollars, taking us all for suckers. Move over, Meyer Lansky, you’re just a penny-ante con man now.

Rhys Thomas

Valley Glen

Are we really cheering and jumping for joy at the sale of our beloved Dodgers? Are we really celebrating this total victory for Frank McCourt? Be very scared: He’s hatching a plot to buy the Pacific Ocean, extract and sell off the salt, the fish and the surf and sell the remaining tepid water back to us for four times the price.

Michael Isaac Shokrian

Sherman Oaks

If Magic Johnson is smart, one of the first things he’ll do to restore the Dodgers’ tradition is fire Charley Steiner and bring back Ross Porter.

Craig Clifton

Simi Valley

How much Magic would we need to make Kings owner Phil Anschutz disappear?

Bruce Stevenson

Granada Hills

Two billion dollars for the Dodgers? Is it too late for David Stern to cancel the deal?

Loren Coleman

West Hollywood

I know Magic Johnson is an L.A. sports icon but somebody besides me must have gagged when he was quoted as saying that the new Dodger owners “intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt.”

I can only figure McCourt said somebody has to say this or the price is two billion two and Jamie stays.

Bert Bergen

La Canada

Magic was a great Laker and has done very well off the court since leaving basketball. My problem with Earvin is he seems to get bored rather quickly and is always looking for the next project. How many gigs has Johnson had, then moved on since his playing days? I can think of over a dozen. Magic will be a great owner until the NFL or his next flavor of the month presents itself.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

OK, Magic, time for another great assist. How about lowering the parking prices?

Vincent Martinez

Arcadia

Fans clamor for a change in ownership after watching their team deteriorate, and a wealthy, unknown corporate buyer from out of town takes over promising that no expense will be spared to upgrade the team roster, improve the fan experience and create a winning franchise. Sound familiar? It should, since it happened in 1995 when AEG took over the Kings. Seventeen years later, still no Stanley Cup parades but plenty of broken promises and increased ticket prices. The desired outcome of this transition infuses Dodgers management with baseball-oriented versions of a passionate Jerry Buss and a savvy Jerry West. Kings fans had hoped for the same scenario yet ended up with an invisible Phil Anschutz and an apathetic Tim Leiweke, who sadly still remain in charge.

Bruce Benveniste

Culver City

Woe to the Lakers

Anyone who has played basketball at any level knows that taking bad shots, failing to hustle, or playing bad defense will earn a seat on the bench. Kobe has always felt free to jack up off-balance, double- (or triple-) teamed shots from El Segundo, while his open teammates watched. His defense and general floor play (turnovers!) is often not up to his own old standards.

Kudos to Mike Brown, who recognized that a little time on the bench, even for an all-time great, was appropriate. He knew that he would catch flak for it, but he did it anyway. That’s called coaching. As for Andrew Bynum, Mike will get his attention, but the veteran players need to step up and let Andrew know that it’s past time for him to grow up.

Jerry Walton

Valencia

Props to Lakers Coach Mike Brown for having the guts to bench his two star players in back-to-back games this week. Kobe’s legs were obviously shot at the end of the Memphis game and Bynum’s recurring immaturity surfaced in Golden State. My biggest frustration with Phil Jackson over the years was his lack of in-game adjustments and his unrelenting trust in “the system.”

George Metalsky

Redondo Beach

The Lakers simply don’t have the legs or the depth to compete for a title. What’s more, Magic has left the building.

Mark Foreman

Oak Park

Bill Plaschke needs to get over the loss of Derek Fisher because anybody with an ounce of basketball I.Q. knew this was going to be a transition year for the Lakers. With Phil Jackson gone, the age of the team and Jim Buss’ ascension, changes were bound to happen. The real question is what are they transitioning to?

Rodney K. Boswell

Thousand Oaks

Jim Buss should apologize to Lakers fans, not the other way around. And The Times should apologize for T.J. Simers.

John Purcell

Quartz Hill

He can’t wait

In supporting embattled Coach Vinny Del Negro, Clippers owner Donald Sterling said, “I’m a patient guy.”

Excuse me? Uncle Don, having 17 head coaches in 31 years (less than two years per coach) says many things about your questionable abilities as an owner, but the word “patience” does not come into play.

Jack Wolf

Westwood

Bill comes due

Bill Dwyre, do you realize how hypocritical your recent columns have been? You write so self-righteously about the Angels’ need to eliminate beer in the clubhouse and you rail against the “New Orleans Cheating Saints” and “NFL arrogance,” yet you refer to Tiger Woods’ cheating on his wife with numerous women simply as “marital problems,” and when he wins a tournament, you consider it “great news.”

Your column on the Saints referenced “guilt by association,” implying that Los Angeles is better off without an NFL team. Why wouldn’t we apply the same argument to Tiger — that the golf world would be better off without him winning tournaments? Oh sorry, it’s more about selling newspapers and getting bigger TV audiences.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Dwyre, after all, is the guy who (as editor) gave Plaschke and Simers their own columns.

Mark Edelstein

La Crescenta

Such a deal

In a stunning development, the New York Jets announced they will trade Mark Sanchez to the USC Trojans for Matt Barkley.

Jets Coach Rex Ryan was barefoot and unable to comment, but USC Coach Lane Kiffin responded, “Mark had one year of eligibility left and we felt he gave us the best shot to win the BCS. I told Matt he was ready for the NFL.”

Las Vegas odds makers immediately made the Jets 2-1 favorites for the Super Bowl.

Brent Montgomery

Long Beach

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

202 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fax: (213) 237-4322

Email:

sports@latimes.com