OT - How the BTN came to be/Jim Delany is a wizard

Submitted by Tacopants on

The Chicago Tribune article talks about how Delany rejected a lowball offer by ESPN for a contract extension, thereby forcing them to consider their own network.  Money Quote:

 

 Delany told the Tribune. "He lowballed us and said: 'Take it or leave it. If you don't take our offer, you are rolling the dice.' I said: 'Consider them rolled.' "

 

Oh Jim Delany, way to be.

Edit: There's also this bit of trolling from Delany

In 2006, Delany went back to the negotiating table with Wildhack and executives George Bodenheimer and John Skipper. They hammered out a 10-year, $1 billion deal for roughly 40 football and 60 men's basketball games. Another 35 to 36 football games and more than 100 men's basketball games went to the BTN, which launched Aug. 30, 2007.

Feeling emboldened, Delany sent a package to Shapiro that included champagne and a note. Shapiro said the note read: "See, I did it."

(via EDSBS)

Zone Left

July 1st, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^

For all his faults, Delany has really done some amazing stuff. Now if he can only get the NCAA to take care of oversigning, we're all good.

RagingBean

July 1st, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^

Yeah, the real lesson here is that Mark Shapiro is an unbelievable idiot and asshole. Delany sending him champagne is pretty priceless though.