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WILMINGTON, Del. Jacoby Jones Jersey . —A judge said
Thursday that he would overrule an objection by Fox Sports and approve a process
for the Los Angeles Dodgers to sell the media rights to future games as part of
the teams plan to exit bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross said at the
end of a two-day hearing that he would approve the Dodgers plan to sell media
rights to games starting in 2014, a key component of a settlement with Major
League Baseball that also calls for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to sell the
team. “I just think its in the debtors best interests,” said Gross, who told
attorneys he would issue a formal written ruling in a few days. Fox Sports
attorney Greg Werkheiser asked Gross to stay his ruling for 14 days so Fox can
file an appeal in U.S. District Court. Gross did not immediately grant the
request but noted that he always includes a “courtesy stay” in his rulings. He
did not offer any other details. Under the proposed sale process, the Dodgers
would receive initial bids by Jan. 13 and complete the sale by April 30. Fox
Sports objected to the proposed sale, saying it would violate its rights under
an existing contract with the Dodgers. That contract gives Fox certain
protections, including an exclusive 45-day period starting in October 2012 to
negotiate a contract extension with the Dodgers. The Dodgers want to move up the
timetable for Foxs exclusive negotiating period, saying a media rights sale now
in conjunction with a sale of the team is the best way to maximize value for
creditors and emerge from bankruptcy. Gross appeared to agree with the Dodgers
that Fox would maintain many of the same rights under the proposed sale process
as it has under its existing contract, including the exclusive negotiating
period. “I am satisfied that the proposed modifications are non-material, and
that to me is the key,” the judge said. The Dodgers contend that because of
discussions with Fox during the bankruptcy, the 45-day negotiating period
started Nov. 30, meaning Fox has less than six weeks to try to renegotiate its
contract with the Dodgers. Werkheiser asked Gross to halt the time clock on the
negotiating period until he issues a formal ruling, but the judge was
noncommittal. Dodgers attorney Bruce Bennett also seemed disinclined to go along
with the request. “Were talking about burning up a couple of days,” said
Bennett, who told Gross he would talk to Fox attorneys and let the judge know by
Friday whether the two sides can agree on how much time is left for the
negotiations. Under the proposed sale process, any buyer of the Dodgers would
have the ability to accept or reject any media rights deal reached between Fox
and the Dodgers existing management. In testimony earlier Thursday, Robert
Thompson, a former Fox Sports executive now working as a consultant for Fox,
said the company has a much greater likelihood of successfully extending its
contract with the Dodgers under the existing agreement than under the bankruptcy
sale process. He also said the loss of the Dodgers could spell the end of Foxs
Prime Ticket regional sports network, which he said will earn about $70 million
for the current fiscal year, thanks in large part to the Dodgers. “Theres no
single other sports team that I would say creates as much value that allows
Prime Ticket to make those profits as the Dodgers do,” Thompson said. Sports
media expert Edwin Desser, also testifying for Fox, said the sale of media
rights could put Fox at an unfair disadvantage to other potential buyers such as
Time Warner by allowing other bidders to see details of Foxs discussions with
the Dodgers during the exclusive negotiating period. “It really eviscerates the
exclusivity and confidentiality of those negotiations,” said Desser, a former
executive vice-president for the NBA and chief negotiator of the basketball
leagues national media agreements. Desser said he expects Time Warner to “bid
vigorously” for the rights to Dodgers games starting in 2014. “I expect that
Time Warner is going to be very interested, and Fox is well aware of that,” said
Desser, who estimated the fair market value of the television rights to be at
least $100 million a year. The Dodgers sought bankruptcy protection in June
after baseball Commissioner Bud Selig rejected a new TV deal with Fox that Frank
McCourt was counting on to keep the franchise solvent. The Dodgers subsequently
argued in bankruptcy court that auctioning off the television rights to future
games was the best way to maximize the value of the bankruptcy estate for the
benefit of all stakeholders. The league joined Fox in opposing such as sale,
saying any plan to sell television rights without MLB approval was “dead on
arrival” and would spell the end of the club. League attorneys argued that such
a sale would breach the Dodgers existing contract with Fox and provide grounds
for termination of the franchise for failure to abide by MLB agreements. But
after battling with the Dodgers over control of the ball club and seeking to
force McCourt to sell the team, MLB reached a settlement last month with the
help of a court-appointed mediator. The settlement calls for the sale of the
team, the future media rights and Dodger Stadium, but not the parking lots and
land surrounding the stadium, which are owned by a separate company that is
controlled by McCourt and not involved in the bankruptcy. The settlement between
the Dodgers and MLB gives McCourt sole discretion to sell the parking lots and
land surrounding the stadium. While decrying the secrecy surrounding the
settlement, Fox attorneys have questioned the proposed sale deadline of April
30, which also happens to be the deadline for McCourt to pay his ex-wife, Jamie,
$131 million as part of their divorce settlement. Haloti Ngata Pink Jersey . Four days after
team owner Jim Irsay ignited speculation about a possible trade with a series of
Twitter posts, the Colts acquired former first-round draft pick Vontae Davis to
solidify their secondary. Haloti Ngata Camo Jersey . The veteran took
it a step farther before Sundays kickoff. He predicted on his Twitter account
the score by which the Giants would win. http://www.shoptheravensjersey.com/cary-williams-jersey
. —Patrick Willis had no chance last December to do his part in stopping
Marshawn Lynch and helping keep San Franciscos impressive streak alive: 36
straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. Bernard Pollard Jersey . The 24-year-old from
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., won a silver medal at the 2011 Canadian
championships, but was forced to withdraw from the world championships that same
year with a knee injury. Joe Flacco Youth Jersey . “Its nice to come
in here with a smile,” the Houston manager said after watching his team break a
season-long nine-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee
Brewers.CARSON, Calif. —Freddy Adu scored his first goal of the season as the
Philadelphia Union handed Chivas USA their fourth straight home loss, 1-0 on
Saturday. The Union struck first in the 40th minute when Philadelphia caught
Chivas on a counter as Michael Farfan went around a Chivas defender firing in a
cross that deflected off of defender Rauwshan McKenzie and onto the back heel of
Adu for the goal. Philadelphia finished the match with niine men as in the 75th
minute when Union attacker Keon Daniel unleashed a hard challenge on Chivas
midfielder Ryan Smith, receiving a straight red. Courtney Upshaw Jersey. Ten minutes later,
Gabriel Farfan earned a red card for a late challenge on defender James Riley
that led to an on the field scuffle. Juan Pablo Angel made only his second
appearance of this season in the 63rd minute after missing five games due to
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