A reprehensible crime?

Just reacting quickly to the big news today — Tom Golisano's bomshell comments to a convention in Rochester. To sum, he said the relationship between the Sabres and the Amerks is more than likely over.

I'm going to reserve some comment until tomorrow, after I take in the various reports on Golisano's speech and ponder everything. However, a few quick thoughts (and a lot of this was spelled out yesterday in a comment to this blog by an anonymous reader):

Consider that Golisano and the Sabres want to buy the Amerks and run Blue Cross Arena. Steve Donner doesn't want to sell to team, insisting instead that he (Donner) has recruited two anonymous, outside investors who can help right the Amerks' financial ship.

But also consider that at this point, given all the legal and fiscal controversy surrounding him and the teams, Donner's word is pretty much worth zilch. Until these two "anonymous investors" come forward, identify themselves and present a clear action plan for the teams, can we believe anything he says? Besides, you have to question the sanity of any such investors, because they'd have to be nuts to consider doing business with a guy with Donner's reputation.

Consider also that, on top of losing the Sabres, the Amerks will also more than likely lose the Panthers, who are itching to get an AHL team all to themselves.

So, let's put all this together ... the Amerks will very soon have no parent teams and, hence, no reason to exist, regardless of whether other investors actually enter the picture.

So what does Donner do then? There's no way the Amerks can succeed as an independent franchise — it just doesn't work that way. That means one of two things: either the Amerks move, or they fold. It would be the death of a 52-year-old Rochester institution.

And that, if Donner allows it to happen, is absolutely unconscionable. If Donner would place his own interests over the welfare of the Amerks and the city of Rochester, it would not only be an unmitigated tragedy, it would be a reprehensible crime.

Unless there actually ARE two trustworthy, rich outside investors as Donner claims (yeah, right), the only viable way to save the Amerks is to sell them to somebody like Golisano. But Donner refuses to do that.

Why? What's in it for him? Frankly, I'm not a financial genius (just look at my checkbook), but it seems to me that Donner would make out like an absolute bandit if Golisano bought the team, especially if the franchise IS worth several million dollars. Donner's cut would go a long way toward settling any debts he might have. (Unless, of course, Randall Latona wins his lawsuits. In that case, Donner is in deep poo-poo regardless of what else happens.)

So it almost seems irrational that he's resisting selling out to Golisano. So is it basic pride on his part at this point?

Oh yeah, and what happens to the Knighthawks with all of this? Would Golisano by them as well? If not, would they go bye-bye, too?

Maybe I'm way off base here. If I am, especially about my financial theories, I welcome any and all comments.