A transparent Frank McCourt needs to clear some things up
An NFL spokesman said our very own poor guy, who owns the Dodgers, was given the chance to buy four tickets to the Super Bowl in Dallas. And Frank McCourt did so.
No word if Fox advanced him the money.
A friend on his way back from Dallas says he saw McCourt in the terminal for private planes. He thought it surprising McCourt was still running a G4 Net Jets private plane through the Dodgers as a business expense.
As expensive as it might be, that would explain why he can’t have both a private plane and a quality left fielder.
Jamie McCourt, meanwhile, speaking through a spokesman, said “even as a 50% owner she has zero access to the Dodgers Net Jets.” And she never had the chance to buy Super Bowl tickets.
A Dodgers spokesman later took issue with reports McCourt flew privately from Dallas, saying McCourt flew commercially.
I wanted to ask what boarding number he received for his Southwest flight, but the Dodgers spokesman replied later, “McCourt flew American there and back.”
I’m trying to picture McCourt in a middle seat and flanked by two diehard Dodgers fans. But I’m guessing they don’t have middle seats in first class.
The Dodgers spokesman went on to say the Dodgers “have not had a contract with Net Jets since Sept. 2009.” He didn’t say anything about why the Dodgers haven’t had a quality left fielder since Brian Jordan in 2002.
I also asked, but no explanation was offered by the Dodgers why McCourt was hanging around the terminal for private planes.
I have no idea if he was looking to hitch a free ride home, trying to sell Dodgers tickets or looking for handouts.
The spokesman, of course, has no idea whether McCourt flew privately or commercially, only what McCourt or one of his VPs told him to tell everyone.
That’s the thing, we just don’t know about McCourt these days. And that’s odd. He promised us from the day he took over he was going to be transparent. But that has proved to be a lie.
We learned a lot through court documents, things transparent Frank never mentioned previously. But we still have no idea if he has the money to run the Dodgers in first-class fashion. We have no idea if he spends his days filling out loan documents. Or resting in bed curled in a ball. We have no idea.
Now we hear from transparent Frank only through a spokesman.
This got me thinking. One year ago this month Joe Torre and Sandy Koufax took the stage in Nokia Theatre LA Live. Koufax, famous for not speaking, agreed to answer all questions and knowingly be teased. He did so because he knew it would help abused youngsters.
A little more than two years ago a 97-year-old John Wooden and a very private Vin Scully took the same stage to raise money for sick kids. They agreed to answer all questions and knowingly be teased, the last glimpse many had of Wooden that of a feisty wit.
The four men raised around $1.5 million to benefit kids.
Obviously the Parking Lot Attendant doesn’t belong in such illustrious company. Maybe a duo from a pool of possibilities such as Phil Jackson, Al Michaels, Billie Jean King and Jack Nicholson would be more appealing.
But what if Frank McCourt and Donald Sterling took the stage together, everything that is bad about L.A. sports resulting in something good for sick kids?
Jerry West spoke at a sponsors’ dinner before Scully & Wooden and Billy Crystal did the same before Koufax & Torre. How about Al Davis speaking before McCourt & Sterling? Or Ralph Lawler and Scully? A touch of class would help.
What if everything was fair game — no question off limits for McCourt & Sterling? What if folks were free to heckle, so that Sterling might feel at home? Or boo, because I don’t think McCourt has any idea how fans feel about him.
Would such an event work if both men weren’t hooked to polygraphs? Could they allow themselves to be human? Why wouldn’t they jump at the chance to raise money for kids and let everyone know that’s what they’re doing?
Sterling runs ads all the time promoting his interest in helping others. He’d be a hypocrite to turn this down.
The Dodgers have a Dream Foundation, and while the California attorney general is investigating, McCourt still has Think Cure. If McCourt is really thinking cure, he steps up.
We’ll learn a lot about them should they reject the chance to help others for fear of being put on the spot.
A better question — would anyone buy a ticket to attend such a roast? As miserable as Clippers and Dodgers fans have been, why would anyone pass on a chance to make these two feel the same way?
Last year the Dodgers raised the price of dugout seats. To appease unhappy VIP customers each received hundreds and hundreds of free tickets elsewhere in the stadium to pass along to their favorite charities.
Some customers, though, sold those free tickets to help recoup the increase in dugout club seats.
Whatever the reason, the Dodgers like giving away tickets. The Clippers do the same in the name of charity.
Why not give those attending McCourt & Sterling two free Dodgers tickets and another pair for a Clippers’ game? To stomach such an event, they’d have to be high-end tickets.
Here’s the whole thing: If everyone came together just to help kids, the night could be a complete disaster and still be a success. It’s not like McCourt & Sterling can damage their images further. Maybe they’re just misunderstood.
I’ll let you know how McCourt & Sterling respond.
By the way, for those concerned, the house lights will be dimmed to guarantee anonymity for those in the audience.
This will also allow Jamie the chance to slip in.
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