Sam Zell’s financial troubles may actually move the Cubs sale along:
Why? Several reasons. First, it’s clear that Zell and the Ricketts family have had a difficult negotiation. Removing Zell from the table won’t hurt. But second, the banks that would take the Tribune back from Zell are also the banks that are willing to lend to Ricketts to buy the Cubs.
They would likely be very willing to lend to the Ricketts to diversify their credit risk from $13 billion in Tribune risk to $12.1 billion in Tribune risk and $350 milliin in Cubs/Ricketts risk.
Do Cubs fans think the whole Zell/Ricketts sale difficulties have hurt the club this year?
Unless Ricketts and Zell somehow conspired to dislocate Aramis Ramirez’s shoulder, pushed Geo Soto into a retched sophomore slump, and are threatening to kill Carlos Marmol’s kitten* if his WHIP falls below 1.50, I don’t think the sale of the club is the biggest problem on the Cub’s plate right now.
*I don’t know if Carlos Marmol has a kitten.