What to do about morally questionable foreign investment in sports?

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

We've seen it in soccer. We're seeing it in golf. Is there a partisan divide on this issue? Do people believe there should be laws limiting foreign companies or wealth funds from investing in sports in the U.S.?

I've never been more than a casual, one-to-two times a year golf watcher, but I'm turned off by the LIV stuff and Saudi involvement. I think if a Russian oligarch involved in bad things, or a Chinese investment fund tied to the Uyghur repression/genocide, or the Saudis bought the Cubs, I'd drop them as a team. But I'm not sure I'd outlaw it. (TikTok is a different issue, in my mind.) Is that irrational?

 

[Univee2]

We've seen it in soccer. We're seeing it in golf. Is there a partisan divide on this issue? Do people believe there should be laws limiting foreign companies or wealth funds from investing in sports in the U.S.?

I've never been more than a casual, one-to-two times a year golf watcher, but I'm turned off by the LIV stuff and Saudi involvement. I think if a Russian oligarch involved in bad things, or a Chinese investment fund tied to the Uyghur repression/genocide, or the Saudis bought the Cubs, I'd drop them as a team. But I'm not sure I'd outlaw it. (TikTok is a different issue, in my mind.) Is that irrational?

Keep worrying about those Cubs. . . .

But hey, wouldn’t Judge and Trout in your outfield look awfully good after all those petrodollars were used?

 

[GiggityGoo]

I guess I wonder why the consternation about sports specifically?

The Saudis have large stakes in Amazon, Google, Visa, Microsoft, Disney, Nintendo, Uber, PayPal and Zoom.
I guess you could boycott all those companies by going up to northern Canada and living in a cabin alone with no devices. You’ll have to pay for your hunting gun with cash though, or use MasterCard or Amex.

People need to stop their bitchy ass hand wringing. Money talks.

The Saudis could/ should be a useful ally if we had a competent foreign policy.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

All nations should boycott the Olympics based on politics.

Isolation is the key to learning and influence.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

Keep worrying about those Cubs. . . .

But hey, wouldn’t Judge and Trout in your outfield look awfully good after all those petrodollars were used?

It would be amazing, but no thanks. I'd settle for just getting Schwarber back.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

I guess I wonder why the consternation about sports specifically?

The Saudis have large stakes in Amazon, Google, Visa, Microsoft, Disney, Nintendo, Uber, PayPal and Zoom.
I guess you could boycott all those companies by going up to northern Canada and living in a cabin alone with no devices. You’ll have to pay for your hunting gun with cash though, or use MasterCard or Amex.

People need to stop their bitchy ass hand wringing. Money talks.

The Saudis could/ should be a useful ally if we had a competent foreign policy.

Good question. I guess because my attachment to a sports team is emotional, not transactional like the companies you mention. (I buy gas that no doubt somehow originates in Saudi Arabia and it doesn't bother me.) I don't "cheer for" those companies.

But I want my sports teams "clean." I wouldn't want IU to hire Bill Self even now, for example.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

It would be amazing, but no thanks. I'd settle for just getting Schwarber back.

You want a guy hitting .171 back?

We don't need that. We need bullpen help.

Come on, Brad.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

You want a guy hitting .171 back?

We don't need that. We need bullpen help.

Come on, Brad.

Emotional attachment.

 

[Univee2]

You want a guy hitting .171 back?

We don't need that. We need bullpen help.

Come on, Brad.

Yeah, but the style with which he strikes out is really cool.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

Yeah, but the style with which he strikes out is really cool.

The last line here is all you need to know:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Series	Opp	Rslt	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	WPA	cWPA
2015	22	CHC	NL	NLWC	PIT	W	1	3	3	1	2	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	.667	.667	1.667	2.333	5	0	0	0	0	0	0.25	3.3%
2015	22	CHC	NL	NLDS	STL	W	4	12	10	3	5	0	0	2	2	0	0	2	3	.500	.583	1.100	1.683	11	0	0	0	0	0	0.32	3.6%
2015	22	CHC	NL	NLCS	NYM	L	4	16	14	2	2	0	0	2	3	0	0	2	5	.143	.250	.571	.821	8	0	0	0	0	0	-0.01	-0.2%
2016	23	CHC	NL	NLDS	SFG	W	Did not play in series
2016	23	CHC	NL	NLCS	LAD	W	Did not play in series
2016	23	CHC	NL	WS	CLE	W	5	20	17	2	7	1	0	0	2	1	0	3	4	.412	.500	.471	.971	8	1	0	0	0	0	0.14	8.3%

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Good question. I guess because my attachment to a sports team is emotional, not transactional like the companies you mention. (I buy gas that no doubt somehow originates in Saudi Arabia and it doesn't bother me.) I don't "cheer for" those companies.

But I want my sports teams "clean." I wouldn't want IU to hire Bill Self even now, for example.

Sports are "fun". Killers buying their way in are not fun. It is different than Amazon.

It is why this forum exists, I decidedly do not want Biden or Trump mentioned in a basketball discussion.

Think of it this way, a lot of people athletes have very similar views to Colin Kaepernick. His mistake was injecting that into fun time.

Also not buying Amazon could be inconvenient. Not watching golf is very easy.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

We've seen it in soccer. We're seeing it in golf. Is there a partisan divide on this issue? Do people believe there should be laws limiting foreign companies or wealth funds from investing in sports in the U.S.?

I've never been more than a casual, one-to-two times a year golf watcher, but I'm turned off by the LIV stuff and Saudi involvement. I think if a Russian oligarch involved in bad things, or a Chinese investment fund tied to the Uyghur repression/genocide, or the Saudis bought the Cubs, I'd drop them as a team. But I'm not sure I'd outlaw it. (TikTok is a different issue, in my mind.) Is that irrational?

We're a forum based on the concept of following college sports. What moral high ground do we think we have to stand on?

 

[UncleMark]

We've seen it in soccer. We're seeing it in golf. Is there a partisan divide on this issue? Do people believe there should be laws limiting foreign companies or wealth funds from investing in sports in the U.S.?

I've never been more than a casual, one-to-two times a year golf watcher, but I'm turned off by the LIV stuff and Saudi involvement. I think if a Russian oligarch involved in bad things, or a Chinese investment fund tied to the Uyghur repression/genocide, or the Saudis bought the Cubs, I'd drop them as a team. But I'm not sure I'd outlaw it. (TikTok is a different issue, in my mind.) Is that irrational?

I have it in my head that there already is some foreign ownership of some NFL, NBA, or MLB teams. BICBW.

 

[larsIU]

What moral high ground do we think we have to stand on?

We’re like the Netherlands of moral high grounds.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

We're a forum based on the concept of following college sports. What moral high ground do we think we have to stand on?

Do you need a moral high ground to not want your team/sport to be funded or run by a murderous regime?

 

[twenty02]

As a huge golf fan, I'm not thrilled whatsoever that the Saudis are now going to have major control over the sport globally.

I don't know how you can counteract what they are doing, however. I think the Tour came to that realization. Money is like water, and can't be stopped.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Every sports team has convicted and unconvicted felons on the roster. Drug users. Drunks. Spouse abusers. Child abusers. Thieves. As with politics, it’s all selective outrage.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

Every sports team has convicted and unconvicted felons on the roster. Drug users. Drunks. Spouse abusers. Child abusers. Thieves. As with politics, it’s all selective outrage.

Maybe that’s why I prefer youth sports at this point.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Maybe that’s why I prefer youth sports at this point.

Adult behavior at Shelby County high school baseball game results in criminal charges

A family dispute on a Shelby County ballfield during a high school baseball game led to something much bigger.

www.wave3.com

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

Adult behavior at Shelby County high school baseball game results in criminal charges

A family dispute on a Shelby County ballfield during a high school baseball game led to something much bigger.

www.wave3.com

Adult behavior at Shelby County high school baseball game results in criminal charges

A family dispute on a Shelby County ballfield during a high school baseball game led to something much bigger.

www.wave3.com

I read that three times. I still can’t figure out what happened.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

I read that three times. I still can’t figure out what happened.

White Trash blew onto the baseball field and delayed a game.

 

[JamieDimonsBalls]

I guess I wonder why the consternation about sports specifically?

The Saudis have large stakes in Amazon, Google, Visa, Microsoft, Disney, Nintendo, Uber, PayPal and Zoom.
I guess you could boycott all those companies by going up to northern Canada and living in a cabin alone with no devices. You’ll have to pay for your hunting gun with cash though, or use MasterCard or Amex.

People need to stop their bitchy ass hand wringing. Money talks.

The Saudis could/ should be a useful ally if we had a competent foreign policy.

No other country is as responsible for global terrorism in the past few decades. The Saudis are scum.

 

[JamieDimonsBalls]

Adult behavior at Shelby County high school baseball game results in criminal charges

A family dispute on a Shelby County ballfield during a high school baseball game led to something much bigger.

www.wave3.com

 

[DANC]

Do you need a moral high ground to not want your team/sport to be funded or run by a murderous regime?

Brad, do you think the US doesn't do targeted assassinations?

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

Brad, do you think the US doesn't do targeted assassinations?

Presently? I don't know.

I probably wouldn't want the U.S. govt. investing in my Cubbies, either, though.

DANC, I take it you don't like Putin. He's probably squirreled away billions. If he wanted to buy your favorite pro sports team, you wouldn't have a problem with it?

 

[DANC]

Presently? I don't know.

I probably wouldn't want the U.S. govt. investing in my Cubbies, either, though.

DANC, I take it you don't like Putin. He's probably squirreled away billions. If he wanted to buy your favorite pro sports team, you wouldn't have a problem with it?

It depends - could he re-sign guys like Mookie Betts, Zander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez?

 

[GiggityGoo]

No other country is as responsible for global terrorism in the past few decades. The Saudis are scum.

Okay. And we have more school shootings than any other country by far.


Is is state sponsored?

 

[JamieDimonsBalls]

Okay. And we have more school shootings than any other country by far.


Is is state sponsored?

You can’t be serious?

 

[JamieDimonsBalls]

Brad, do you think the US doesn't do targeted assassinations?

you mean 9/11 style terrorist attacks? No, I don’t .

 

[Univee2]

Presently? I don't know.

I probably wouldn't want the U.S. govt. investing in my Cubbies, either, though.

DANC, I take it you don't like Putin. He's probably squirreled away billions. If he wanted to buy your favorite pro sports team, you wouldn't have a problem with it?

LOL. The thought of the federal government owning the Cubs is great. Get someone from the EPA to run it, spend four times more for washed-up players and finish 73 games out of first. Good times.

 

[DANC]

you mean 9/11 style terrorist attacks? No, I don’t .

Of course not terrorist attacks.

And neither did the Saudis with Keshogi, which is what the big hubub is about with Biden.