MASN dispute update

Didn't see this posted.

The*Nationals*have filed an interesting affidavit in their litigation against the*Orioles*(via*MASN) relating to the arbitration on the value of their television rights fees, as*James Wagner of the Washington Post notes. Seeking to help convince the judge to order the O?s back to a league-run arbitration panel, Washington owner Ed Cohen said of the lack of market-rate revenue:*?[W]ithout this added and steady income, the Nationals cannot bring full economic confidence to investments in multi-year player contracts to keep up with the fierce competition for top players ? especially when such control over finances is in the hands of a neighboring club.?*It?s interesting to see some insight, however vague, into the team?s thinking on the matter, although it?s hard to know just how much impact there?s been in actuality on the team?s willingness and ability to offer contracts to free agents.

That quagmire really needs to go away. They dump that team right next to the Orioles and then let it drag into a multi-decade court battle. Thanks MLB!

Didn't see this posted.

Here's a link to the Post article

Here's a link to the Post article

Thank you Tony.

I hate the Nationals. Angelos made a deal to allow THEM to invade Orioles territory, and they have the gull to complain about the Orioles being in their market?

As a side note, they did a segment on mad dog on MLB Network, stating it would be good for baseball for a team to be in Montreal again. Wish that's where the Gnats would have stayed.

It seems reasonable that if MASN isn't paying the Nationals FMV for broadcast rights, the Orioles are not being paid FMV for their rights. It's seems reasonable that Angelos is sacrificing Orioles success for MASN success.

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Here is what I don't get...if they are so poor why did they give the biggest offers to zobrist and heyward and potentially cespedes?

This is *****ing for the sake of *****ing. Look at their payroll, the insane contract they handed scherzer and huge offers this offseason.

Here is what I don't get...if they are so poor why did they give the biggest offers to zobrist and heyward and potentially cespedes?

This is *****ing for the sake of *****ing. Look at their payroll, the insane contract they handed scherzer and huge offers this offseason.

Apologies didn't realize that word was going to get filtered.

I am confused about the context for this affidavit. Normally no new evidence can be considered on appeal. They must be arguing for expedited consideration or something like that.

Here is what I don't get...if they are so poor why did they give the biggest offers to zobrist and heyward and potentially cespedes?

This is *****ing for the sake of *****ing. Look at their payroll, the insane contract they handed scherzer and huge offers this offseason.

Deferred money.

Deferred money.

Ok but it's still large $. Seems just using their failed pursuits to bring up the masn crap again.

Not that it matters, but we heard cespedes contract had deferred money but not sure if that was the case with heyward and zobrist offers.

I am confused about the context for this affidavit. Normally no new evidence can be considered on appeal. They must be arguing for expedited consideration or something like that.

I'd like to know. Maybe it is just the new attorneys making a filing to make their presence known.

That quagmire really needs to go away. They dump that team right next to the Orioles and then let it drag into a multi-decade court battle. Thanks MLB!

I hate the Nationals. Angelos made a deal to allow THEM to invade Orioles territory, and they have the gull to complain about the Orioles being in their market?

The biggest problem is the concept of a team's territory. It's baseball colonialism. No team should own any territory. It's the root of all baseball evil. If the Yanks and Dodgers and others didn't have control of "their" territory we wouldn't even care that much about revenue sharing and drafts and salary caps and all the rest. Alexandria and Richmond and Ocean City belong to a MLB team just like Persia belongs to Great Britain.

I'd like to know. Maybe it is just the new attorneys making a filing to make their presence known.

OK, I have checked into it. As you will recall, Justice Marks had rejected the RSDC decision on the basis that the Nats had been represented by Proskauer Rose, which has represented MLB and various teams on other issues at other times. Justice Marks decided this was a conflict of interest, and ordered the Nats to obtain new counsel for any renewed proceeding before the RSDC. The Nats have done so, but MASN and the Orioles apparently have refused to participate in a new proceeding before the RSDC, contending that the panel is inherently biased. The Nats have gone back to Justice Marks to seek an order compelling MASN/Orioles to participate in the new RSDC arbitration. The relevance of the Cohen Affidavit is that the Nats are contending that MASN's delay in proceeding is injuring their ability to make budget plans and plan their payroll.

This new motion is scheduled to be briefed over the next few weeks and heard by Justice Marks on February 24. It seems to me highly likely that the Nats will win that motion, since Justice Marks already decided that he had no power to order that the arbitration take place before a "neutral arbitrator." MASN and the Orioles could have asked the Appellate Division to issue a stay of Justice Mark's earlier order while the appeal is pending, but they did not do so, so they have no basis to disobey the earlier order while the appeal is being heard. There is no schedule set for the appeal yet, but it's likely to take more than a year.

One interesting fact mentioned in the Nats' papers is that two of the three RSDC members will have changed by the time the new arbitration occurs. Frank Connelly of the Pirates is the holdover, Tom Ricketts of the Cubs is a new member, and MLB is in the process of filling a vacant seat. So, perhaps it is not a given that the "new" RSDC will slavishly follow the previous opinion. But I still suspect that it will.

This dispute has been going on for four years now, and does not appear to be reaching a resolution at the moment. Estimates suggest that the Nationals have lost more than $100 million in expected revenue, and as a result, they have attempted to be creative in trying to lure free agents. Those attempts have not worked, as players have chosen to sign deals with more upfront money this winter. They are likely to be a competitive team this year, fighting with the Mets again for the division crown. While we do not know everything in the Nationals’ financial records, based on their actions this winter and last, it would appear that the failure to reach a resolution with the Orioles and MASN regarding an appropriate payment for television rights has indeed hurt them in their bid to be as competitive as possible on the field this season.

www.fangraphs.com/blogs/tv-dispute-might-be-hurting-nationals-in-free-agency/