Bob Iger

[overseascardfan]

Disney's Iger rumored to be interested in Suns if team were available

While there have not been any formal conversations, Disney Exec Chair Bob Iger has told at least a couple friends that he’d love to front a bid for the Phoenix Suns if the team were to become available.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Please Bobby consider selling.

 

[Cheesebeef]

SOMEONE UP THERE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

 

[Mainstreet]

An article was put up by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic right before the game.

Report: Ex-Disney CEO Bob Iger interested in purchasing Phoenix Suns

As the NBA is investigating Suns team owner Robert Sarver allegations, Front Office Sports is reporting former Disney CEO Bob Iger is interested in buying the team.

www.azcentral.com

 

[jf-08]

Yes, please

 

[Raindog]

Pretty please... anybody but the current doofus. We have a chance to be relevant for many years going forward. But I have no doubt Sarver will run it into the ground within 2 years if he stays in charge.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Again. ESPN owned by Disney does a hit piece on Sarver. Then the Chairman of the Board of Disney says he would be interested in buying the team. That is not coincidental, it certainly looks like a conspiracy. While I would thinka guy like Iger would be great to have as an owner, there is a sense of justice and fair play in me that would balk at this.

I could see a scenario where Iger says "I want to buy an NBA team, but no one wants to sell. Find an owner that is vulnerable, that we could put some pressure on." Not hard to see this happening between the lines.

 

[Covert Rain]

Again. ESPN owned by Disney does a hit piece on Sarver. Then the Chairman of the Board of Disney says he would be interested in buying the team. That is not coincidental, it certainly looks like a conspiracy. While I would thinka guy like Iger would be great to have as an owner, there is a sense of justice and fair play in me that would balk at this.

Conspiracy garbage. Iger doesn't run day to day in any of his divisions. Each division has its own head making day to day decisions. We don't even know how the story started. Typically, reporters don't come up with things on whim. Someone usually approaches them and they investigate. If they did their job and have a ton of corroboration it doesn't matter where it started anyway.

I would have zero hesitation. Everybody should be praying to the basketball gods right now to make this happen.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Conspiracy garbage. Iger doesn't run day to day in any of his divisions. Each division has its own head making day to day decisions. We don't even know how the story started. Typically, reporters don't come up with things on whim. Someone usually approaches them and they investigate. If they did their job and have a ton of corroboration it doesn't matter where it started anyway.

I would have zero hesitation. Everybody should be praying to the basketball gods right now to make this happen.

He owns the company. Sorry. He might not normally run the divisions, but they answer to him. Not garbage.

 

[Covert Rain]

He owns the company. Sorry. He might not normally run the divisions, but they answer to him. Not garbage.

No he doesn't. He doesn't own the company at all. He is hired to run the overall company and not the seperate divisions even though the division heads report to him.

Think about how crazy this sounds. Bob decides one day...hey I want to own a team. Instead of looking to buy a piece of a team which he could do easily....he hatches a plot. First out of all the teams in the NBA he then chooses the Suns. Lottery! Then he calls up the head of EPSN, says hey do a hit piece on their owner Sarver. The head knowing that it could put ESPN in legal jeopardy says...."no problem". "Let's do this". Then knowing that the NBA will eventually investigate and either corroborate or confirm the allegations.....which then could kill any potential opportunity to purchase the team......Iger says...."true.....let's do it anyway".

So Bog Iger is going to risk his reputation, legally jeopardize the company, not to mention the ESPN head has to go along with this and jeopardize his job as well......all for the CHANCE to buy the team? The owners would still have to vote him out which is not even certain. The NBA investigation would have to fall his way and that's not certain. Again....risk all that for a CHANCE?!?!?

Complete conspiracy garbage.

 

[Krangodnzr]

He owns the company. Sorry. He might not normally run the divisions, but they answer to him. Not garbage.

LOL at him owning the company.

 

[JCSunsfan]

LOL at him owning the company.

Yes. That was incorrect. He is the Chairman of the Board and Executive Chairman. It is a publicly-traded company. It might be just as CR said, that he had nothing to do with the story whatsoever, but the conflict of interest is real.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Again. ESPN owned by Disney does a hit piece on Sarver. Then the Chairman of the Board of Disney says he would be interested in buying the team. That is not coincidental, it certainly looks like a conspiracy. While I would thinka guy like Iger would be great to have as an owner, there is a sense of justice and fair play in me that would balk at this.

I could see a scenario where Iger says "I want to buy an NBA team, but no one wants to sell. Find an owner that is vulnerable, that we could put some pressure on." Not hard to see this happening between the lines.

Iger is a freaking master of the universe. He wouldn’t need to dig up dirt on anyone to buy a team. He’d just back up the brinks truck to get one.

The above is flat out ignorant of who and how powerful a guy like Iger is.

And even if this crazy theory is true? WHO CARES? It would be an amazing step up in ownership from every angle possible.

 

[Dback Jon]

That would be interesting on how ESPN would cover the Suns...

 

[Covert Rain]

Yes. That was incorrect. He is the Chairman of the Board and Executive Chairman. It is a publicly-traded company. It might be just as CR said, that he had nothing to do with the story whatsoever, but the conflict of interest is real.

The fact that ESPN is part of Disney doesn't make it a conflict of interest. He is just saying should the opportunity present itself he would be interested. If the NBA investigation backs the allegations and the ownership group votes him out (which is not a certainty even if the NBA backs the allegations) he is just putting his name out there. Assuming all that falls into place, the ownership group will be looking for a new majority partner.

It probably wasn't smart to throw his own name out there at this time to avoid any perception but it's still a giant leap to believe any kind of conspiracy.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Sounds like a good match for fans players media hope it occurs

 

[Mainstreet]

There is not a lot of meat on the bone with those linked articles.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The fact that ESPN is part of Disney doesn't make it a conflict of interest. He is just saying should the opportunity present itself he would be interested. If the NBA investigation backs the allegations and the ownership group votes him out (which is not a certainty even if the NBA backs the allegations) he is just putting his name out there. Assuming all that falls into place, the ownership group will be looking for a new majority partner.

It probably wasn't smart to throw his own name out there at this time to avoid any perception but it's still a giant leap to believe any kind of conspiracy.

Just to be clear, I do not BELIEVE a conspiracy exists, it is just a conflict of interest. That is what I believe-- that the connection constitutes a conflict of interest. I am alone in this clearly, so I will drop it.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Iger, IMO, is almost a best case scenario IMO.

Can you imagine how many national games we get on ESPN & ABC? haha

 

[95pro]

Iger, IMO, is almost a best case scenario IMO.

Can you imagine how many national games we get on ESPN & ABC? haha

Maybe they can stream on Disney+ LOL

 

[Covert Rain]

Maybe they can stream on Disney+ LOL

That would be better than dealing Bally Sports.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Maybe they can stream on Disney+ LOL

I am an annual passholder in WDW and used to be so jealous of the Orlando Magic.

As a passholder, if you renewed your annual pass at a Magic game, you got a custom Magic jersey. I would RUN to that option if it happened for the Suns. haha

Walt Disney World Annual Pass Jersey Offer

*/

www.nba.com

 

[AzStevenCal]

Just to be clear, I do not BELIEVE a conspiracy exists, it is just a conflict of interest. That is what I believe-- that the connection constitutes a conflict of interest. I am alone in this clearly, so I will drop it.

I understand what you're saying and I sort of agree it doesn't look great on the surface but having lived through a billion years of the embarrassment of Robert Sarver, I'm willing to look past something like this.

I believe in fair play too but I just can't see Sarver as the victim here.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I understand what you're saying and I sort of agree it doesn't look great on the surface but having lived through a billion years of the embarrassment of Robert Sarver, I'm willing to look past something like this.

I believe in fair play too but I just can't see Sarver as the victim here.

To me it boils down to this: if sarver headed up awfulness that’s is alleged it doesn’t matter (a) where the information came from; or (b) what the motivation behind the article was. Business people act on opportunity all the time. In the insanely ridiculous case where Iger did order the “hit piece” there’d be no piece if there weren’t bad actions by sarver. It’s as simple as that.