The Los Angeles Dodgers fought back on Tuesday against Major League Baseball’s (MLB) attempt to wrest control of the bankrupt baseball team from Frank McCourt, asking a US federal court to delay considering the league’s requests to sell the team and throw out their lawyers.
The team, who filed for bankruptcy in June, want to move forward with their own plans to hold an auction of their broadcast rights next month. The auction is expected to help refinance the team and allow McCourt to hold on to it after bankruptcy.
MLB has disputed the Dodgers’ need for bankruptcy and questioned McCourt’s personal interests and spending. The league filed documents with the court last week asking to present its own plan for the team, most likely a quick sale.
MLB followed that up on Monday with a second request, this time seeking to disqualify the team’s attorneys on the basis that they work for McCourt’s interests, not the team’s.
At the heart of the legal tussle is MLB’s contention that its baseball contract rules the team; the Dodgers say bankruptcy law trumps the contract.
In the documents filed on Tuesday, the Dodgers said the team needs more time to respond to the MLB requests, including the proposed disqualification of Dodgers co-attorneys Dewey & LeBoeuf and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor.
The team asked for a further delay between a hearing on the disqualification of the attorneys and a hearing on MLB’s attempt to terminate the Dodgers’ right to present the team’s own reorganization plan. The team said it would need time to hire new attorneys if the court agreed with MLB’s request to disqualify present counsel.
The Dodgers requested that the bankruptcy court hold an emergency hearing on the team’s request by yesterday evening in order to decide whether these issues will be part of a bankruptcy hearing scheduled for Oct. 12.
The Dodgers expect the court to address their motion on the broadcast rights sale during that Oct. 12 hearing. The team argued in the court documents that the auction process should continue despite these motions because it will help determine the valuation of the Dodgers, which would be needed whether the broadcast rights or the Dodgers themselves are sold.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and