OT - Tom Wilson to work for Ilitch
So Tom Wilson will be working for Ilitch Holdings. So what happens from here on out? Do the Wings play in Auburn Hills (because Ilitch purchased the palace)? Did Ilitch purchase the Pistons? Will Tom look over the Pistons, Wings, and all entertainment aspects or did Ilitch only purchase the Palace Entertainment, not the Pistons? A lot will be happening in Detroit in the next week....exciting stuff!
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
Eventually, I think Ilitch will by the Pistons (and hopefully the Lions), and will build a new arena downtown that both teams will share. Until that happens, the Pistons will stay at the Palace and the wings will somehow extend the lease on the Joe for a couple more years.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^
Illitch already said he's not an NBA fan and has no interest in buying them.
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:10 PM ^
Illitch has no interest in the NBA. Who can blame him.
Further, don't think they can extend a short term lease on JLA. Supposedly there are some very serious issues with the stadium that have to be addressed if anyone is going to be there next year. Won't be worth it to the City to do repairs if Wings are only short term and the Wings very clearly aren't interested in a long term deal. Seems inevitable they will build a stadium but they are probably waiting until the Pistons thing straightens out to discuss a stadium to house both it would shock me if the Illitchs bought the Pistons or any part of Palace S&E. Wilson is a very experienced man so Illitch probably saw him as a useful asset.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:50 PM ^
Why stop there? He should just go ahead and buy the Flint Tropics, the Big 3, and be principal at Cass Tech.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:23 PM ^
Methinks owning all the Detroit teams would be a bit much.
Do any NFL owners own another sports team?
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^
I could be wrong, but I think the NFL has a rule preventing its owners from owning other teams
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:30 PM ^
I dont think so. Wayne Huizenga Owned the dolphins and marlins at the same time I believe
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:09 PM ^
Huizenga gets around the rule by owning the Magic in Orlando, a "non-NFL city" as the rules say.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 PM ^
I would consider Detroit a "non-NFL city" also.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:59 PM ^
You are correct sir. The NFL has cross-ownership restrictions which would make it much harder to own multiple pro sports teams. The Rams 40 percent owner is Stan Kroenke who many thought would want to buy a majority of the organization. But this ESPN article explains why that might be difficult:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4904863
However, the NFL Cross-Ownership rules read as follows:
"No person who owns a majority interest in, or has direct or indirect operating control of an NFL member club, may own or acquire any interest in a club in another major team sport (baseball, basketball, hockey), except for a club located in: a.) his/her NFL club's home city, or b.) a non-NFL city that is not a potential NFL city."
So Ilitch could, in theory, own both teams.
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:59 AM ^
They don't want an owner having two NFL teams, not any other sports teams.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:18 PM ^
Seahawks owner Paul Allen (Micro$oft) also owns the Portland Trailblazers.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:34 PM ^
You knew he'd land on his feet.
Ilitch buying the Pistons makes too much sense, it's too bad he isn't a fan of the NBA (not that I am either, FWIW.... can't blame him)
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:49 PM ^
There are too many reasons against a Pistons purchase.
1. As several noted, Illitch doesn't like the NBA
2. The Pistons are most valuable as part of Palace Sports and Entertainment. The trustees of of Bill Davidson's estate will try to sell the whole entity first, and they probably will find a buyer for it. Palace Sports and Entertainment is a competitor of Illitch's Olympia Entertainment. I don't think Illitch wants to buy his competitor. It wouldn't make sense to merge the two entertainment companies because, especially with respect to concerts, the Palace and Olympia cater to different markets. If Illitch tried to move all of the Palace's concerts, etc. to his venues downtown, ticket sales would suffer.
3. The Palace is 20 years old. It will need to be replaced in 10-15 years. (Nobody keeps an arean for more than 30 years or so, nowadays). In fact, from what I've read, Palace Sports and Entertainment has started to think about a new arena. That will greatly increase the long-term cost of owning Palace Sports and Entertainment.
If Palace Sports and Entertainment spins off the Pistons in a separate sale, at a below market price, maybe Illitch might think about buying the team and bringing it downtown. I think that's exceptionally unlikely.
By the way, Tom Wilson doesn't work for the Palace anymore. He quit last week. So his employment by Illitch is not the sign of a "merger." It's a sign that the Palace is for sale and that Wilson does not want to wait around and hope that the new ownership wants him.
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:24 PM ^
I disagree with your third point. The Palace is ONLY 20 years old. It is still considered a state-of-the-art facility and I don't see the Pistons moving out of there anytime soon. I am 100% certain that most venues are around for more than 30 years if they are built well to begin with (which The Palace is).
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:56 PM ^
My questions were hypothetical questions based on the assumption that Ilitch would purchase some part of the Palace (which I think he will or already has). It could be only coincidence but that is a pretty big coincidence that Mr. Wilson quit last Wednesday and on Thursday an office was being readied at Ilitch holdings for what I assume would be his arrival.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^
I'm sure Wilson was hired by Ilitch before he left the Pistons, but that in and of itself does not necessarily mean Ilitch has any interest in PSE.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
I probably should have been clearer in my original post. I was working under the assumption that Wilson working under Ilitch was a signal of something bigger