Stan's the Man Column

Word is out that AOL/Time Warner is looking to sell the Atlanta Braves. Who should the new owner be? The three early favorites…past owner Ted Turner, Falcons owner/Home Depot co-founder Authur Blank, and former Braves/Hawks/Thrashers exectutive Stan Kasten…all would be good choices. They're committed to winning, know how to build a successful organization, and how to balance the delicate art of leading out front versus staying out of the way. They also know you can’t build a winning team on the cheap, and losing is no fun for owners or fans.

But there’s only one great choice.

These days Turner stays busy, doing what he likes, sitting on corporate boards, tending his herds of bison, expanding his Ted’s Montana Grill chain, playing the wise old wizard role. Blank sits back, enjoys his Falcons, and lets his wife run the philontropic arm. But the younger Kasten is still in the empire building stage, a shark on the prowl, organizing a group to purchase the Washington Nationals. Stan’s the man.

Kasten put the Braves in position to start the most successful roll of any team in history. He is focused on being the best, though he was never able to make the Hawks a winner (bad GM and coaching choices?). Many don't like Stan because he doesn't detail to the press negative organizational situations, instead remaining positive. Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr is the same way, and he's pretty popular. It's not their job to inform the outside world of all the particulars of bad things going on with the team, contract negotiations, and potential free agents.

Now that he’s out from the umbrella, Kasten articulates his opinions freely…except on the status of the purchase of the Nationals. Politically correct because he wants to return to the fray, there’s much more under that dome than what he lets out. Mentioned as a successor to MLB commissioner Bud Selig, he’d much rather own a team and win World Series.

One similarity of Turner, Blank, and Kasten is how they became successful…they worked their way up. Turner built his father’s small billboard business into an empire, expanded a tiny cable channel, bought the Braves, and created a worldwide broadcasting network. Blank had an idea, opened a store, and expanded it worldwide. Out of college, Kasten wrote letters to all the MLB teams, offering to work for free. Approached Turner at a game in St. Louis, and worked his way up the ranks, eventually running three major sports franchises. Either would make a much better owner than some huge corporation.

AOL/Time Warner views the Braves like any other division of their empire. Are they making us money? Are they an asset? After cutting payroll twenty million and still losing money, AOL/Time Warner wants to get rid of it’s unprofitable division. Reasonable decision for a corporation in business to make a profit, to satisfy shareholders. When Turner sold his broadcasting empire to Time Warner, the Braves were one piece of the pie. Typical example of how sports franchises are acquired by corporations…part of the deal. Individuals buy teams for love, power, ego…not to make money.

Look how the Hawks Joe Johnson trade played out. When the other Hawks owners wanted to trade two number one draft picks plus the little-used Boris Diaw to the Suns for Johnson and his $70 million contract, owner Steve Belken took his ball and went home. Sold his share to the others. When Johnson didn’t turn the team into a winner in the first ten games, Belkin played the “I told you so” line. After that quote the Hawks have won three of four, including a decisive victory in Cleveland. Way too early to make such judgements.

The perfect owner? Open the checkbook, provide an attractive facility, AND avoid national embarrassment. Sail an impressive ship regularly deep into the playoffs, annually competing for titles. Ted donned fake stirrups one fateful night in Pittsburgh and rode an ostrich. Arthur pushed Michael Vick’s wheelchair, but for the most part they’ve been well above reproach. Now it's Kasten's time to take the Braves even higher.