Might Mike Ashley, in fact, be a genius?

[Patrick Thistle]

This is the thread

It has been going on for years and is shady AF

Shady Arabia?

[ad hoc]

Someone let Bruce know that he should be extremely wary of any invitation to the Saudi embassy

[E10 Rifle]

Absolutely nauseating to see north-east Labour MPs abasing themselves before the Saudi government over all this. But not surprising.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Someone let Bruce know that he should be extremely wary of any invitation to the Saudi embassy

They'll have to catch him first

https://twitter.com/asaintmaximin/status/1442205198768754692

[caja-dglh]

Fog on the Tyne is all mines, all mines
The Fog on the Tyne is all mines

[Hot Pepsi]

It occurred to me to ask why the Big Shady Foreign Money (BSFM) isn't investing more in US sports. It seems like an NBA team or NFL team, even a shitty one, is a better place to park money than a team that may not make the champions league and might even be relegated. And as more and more of these clubs get bought by BSFM, it's harder and harder to be sure of making the CL. US teams don't get relegated. The only way they lose value is there is expansion, for which the existing owners are handsomely compensated.

Obviously, there'd be a massive hypocritical xenophobic backlash if the Saudis wanted to buy a US franchise. Is that what is keeping them away?

[caja-dglh]

Decent US franchises are extremely expensive or have little opportunity for return. $300 million in a league where teams are valued in the billions offers potential for return and growth. Also it seems sportswashers prefer football for its international footprint across Europe, branding opportunities on the shirts and other factors that simply don't exist for US sports.

[ursus arctos]

US sports also are not particularly popular among the Saudi elite and the people they like to hang out with.

[Hot Pepsi]

Yeah, but they have billions to spend.
I see that there's not as much profit potential, but there's less downside risk and the NBA, at least, has under-exploited international potential.
The US offers great potential for free stadiums/arenas from the public. Not sure if that's as readily available in Europe.

I thought the price for Newcastle was $400m. Still, that does seem cheap.

Newcastle's best asset is the shirts they had in the 60s.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Newcastle are a premier league club, which is a tournament that is watched by people all around the world. Baseball, not so much. You get so much more bang for your sportswashing buck in football.

People like the NBA, but not as much as americans do. But that would be the best league for it.

[Hot Pepsi]

Newcastle are a premier league club, which is a tournament that is watched by people all around the world. Baseball, not so much. You get so much more bang for your sportswashing buck in football.

People like the NBA, but not as much as americans do. But that would be the best league for it.

Yeah, I wouldn't suggest MLB or NHL. Their appeal is relatively limited and the valuations might not grow.

But the NBA is a global brand now and I think it would be completely impossible to lose money in the NFL. God knows, a bunch of teams are trying.

I was thinking that, as an investment, US sports are more like New York real estate or gold in their ability to hold value. But I guess the Saudis want more than that.

[Snake Plissken]

I was thinking that, as an investment, US sports are more like New York real estate or gold in their ability to hold value. But I guess the Saudis want more than that.

Winning. Buying a franchise and making it successful takes years and eventually you get penalised for doing so. No such restrictions in football. Pour massive gobfuls of money down Mino Raiola's ever-gaping maw and you can have yourself a superteam in under half a decade.

Also, FFP isn't going to stop you because now you have three countries pouring money into clubs and can vote anything down.

[1974ddr]

Absolutely nauseating to see north-east Labour MPs abasing themselves before the Saudi government over all this. But not surprising.

Misread the word 'abasing' on first reading this post. But it didn't really make much difference to the sentiment.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Would it really be a "hypocritical xenophobic backlash" against a Saudi investment in the US? I mean they are being pursued for compensation by the families of 9/11 victims. I could understand Mohammed bin Salman not getting a wholly rapturous welcome throwing a first pitch at Yankee Stadium after buying the team.

[Sunderporinostesta]

FFS!

[Nocturnal Submission]

So, is the answer to the question that the thread title posed, yes?

[ursus arctos]

Am I wrong in thinking that he has failed to make any money on those club given the losses he claims to have covered?

Over a period when the value of Premier League clubs has appreciated considerably (not to mention the markets in general).

[beak]

Unclear to me, though I don't think he at all plundered the club as some NUFC fans would have you think; his greatest benefit has been the copious amount of free advertising he got for Sports Direct*. The foolishness of Mike Ashley is his focus on penny-ante stufff: hugely reducing commercial revenue while funnelling a greater percentage of it directly to himself, all very short-sighted stuff. A bit more long-term thinking - a coherent senior management structure (in fact, a senior management structure extending beyond the former club secretary, promoted beyond his capabilities), some sort of plan, and yes, investing some money (in coaching, in youth development, in facilities), and he should have been able to sell up for much more than 300m.

For what it's worth, I subscribe to the view that this wasn't his primary motivation to buy the club: he wanted a rich man's toy and only went for miserable austerity when it became rapidly apparent he didn't know what he was doing, and was hugely disliked.

_{* I will be absolutely delighted to see all that shite get torn down and thrown in a skip.}

[Hot Pepsi]

Would it really be a "hypocritical xenophobic backlash" against a Saudi investment in the US? I mean they are being pursued for compensation by the families of 9/11 victims. I could understand Mohammed bin Salman not getting a wholly rapturous welcome throwing a first pitch at Yankee Stadium after buying the team.

Are you saying it wouldn't be hypocritical or that there wouldn't be any backlash?

It's hypocritical because the US continues to support the kingdom and changing that policy doesn't seem to be on anyone's agenda, even though, as you said, lots of people are aware of their crimes. It's also hypocritical because not many fans care much about where any of the other owners' money came from.

The NBA is in most ways the most pro-player/progressive league, but its players aren't allowed to criticize China because it's a big market.

There'd be some backlash against any foreigners owning anything. Muslim foreigners would get a bit more grief.

Shahid Khan is a Muslim, but he's not really a foreigner (came here at 16) and not many people care about the Jaguars anyway, and the few people who do are just glad he hasn't moved them yet.

[ursus arctos]

The US franchise that would be most on brand for Saudi investment is the Washington Football Team

[caja-dglh]

Apparently this is all part of the Saudi's Vision 2030 plan to get the state less dependent on oil.

I guess they will be looking for a way to harness all that hot air at St James' Park.

[ad hoc]

The US franchise that would be most on brand for Saudi investment is the Washington Football Team

The Boise Beheadings
The Atlanta Abayas
The Kansas Khashoggi Killers

[Sheep]

Washington Wahhabists

[Jimski]

*Vomit*

https://twitter.com/nufctrust/status/1446155772388335625

[caja-dglh]

That post led me to the discovery of the drink "black velvet" from a celebrating fan on the thread. Guinness and Champagne.