Have you wondered what will happen when?...

Phobo_Phile · Post #1 » by **Phobo_Phile** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:40 pm

This thread is not meant to be distasteful in anyway. But let's face facts. Bill Davidson is really really old. So pretty soon he is either...

1)Going to sell the team or

2) Die.

Have you ever wondered what the Pistons are going to be like post-Bill Davidson era?

Dirtgrain · Post #2 » by **Dirtgrain** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:51 pm

Nope.

I have been wishing for a new owner for the Detroit Lions for a long time, though. But I don't want someone to have to die in order for that to happen.

Muzzleshot · Post #3 » by **Muzzleshot** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:09 pm

Dirtgrain wrote:Nope.
I have been wishing for a new owner for the Detroit Lions for a long time, though. But I don't want someone to have to die in order for that to happen.

Unfortunately I just think the team would be handed down to Junior.
The Lions need a new owner to come in and clean house, not the son of a loser.

As far as the Pistons, who knows. There's a group of managing partners headed by Davidson's long time friend/legal council Oscar Feldman. I guess it's possible that Davidson's wife would become the owner, but basketball/business related decisions would be made by Feldman and others.

Shooter1 · Post #4 » by **Shooter1** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:13 pm

Muzzleshot wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Unfortunately I just think the team would be handed down to Junior.
The Lions need a new owner to come in and clean house, not the son of a loser.

As far as the Pistons, who knows. There's a group of managing partners headed by Davidson's long time friend/legal council Oscar Feldman. I guess it's possible that Davidson's wife would become the owner, but basketball/business related decisions would be made by Feldman and others.

To be honest Jr was all against Millen and when they hired Millen Jr said he does not want to do anything with this team.

chrbal · Post #5 » by **chrbal** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:22 pm

I've always wondered what the Lions would be like if they got a top notch GM.

I used to wonder what the Tigers would be like with a good one, then Dombrowski happened.

Never wondered about the Davidson thing.

Uncle Mxy · Post #6 » by **Uncle Mxy** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:32 pm

Note that there are other minority owners of the Pistons. They may have some buyout pact amongst each other in the event of death. Davidson's heirs may get a lot of money as a payoff, but not necessarily the team.

Grey · Post #7 » by **Grey** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:48 pm

Chris McCosky wrote:Feldman, a minority owner of the Pistons and Davidson's top advisor and business partner for more than 60 years, told me that all the paperwork was in order to keep the franchise in the Davidson family.

"It will absolutely stay in the family, you can rest assured of that," Feldman said. "Bill Davidson would never sell the team.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 1127/rss13

Uncle Mxy · Post #8 » by **Uncle Mxy** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:40 pm

Cool, hadn't seen that.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs. ... 7703090331

Muzzleshot · Post #9 » by **Muzzleshot** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:33 pm

Shooter1 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
To be honest Jr was all against Millen and when they hired Millen Jr said he does not want to do anything with this team.

I don't know about that. Two years prior to Millen being hired Jr. wanted to set up a meeting with Millen to talk about the Lions job and Sr. nixed that idea and wanted to stay the course and keep Bobby Ross.
Also just the other day on one of the sports stations they were talking about how Millen was more or less someone who Jr. was pushing hard for.

Jr. is Vice Chairman of the team so he clearly wants something to do with the Lions. He was said to have taken a much more active role in the Lions in the late 90's, but that was lessened when he became the CEO of Ford until a 2006. Much like the above article states that Davidson wants the Pistons to stay in the family, I think Sr. would want the Lions to be owned by a Ford. That team will be handed down from father to son until the end of time.

BadMofoPimp · Post #10 » by **BadMofoPimp** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:57 pm

It was great watching him win Two titles in one year. One with the Pistons and the other with the Devil Rays. Being a Detroiter living in Florida, it was a pretty cool. He accomplished much.

HeroicKennedy · Post #11 » by **HeroicKennedy** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:45 am

BadMofoPimp wrote:It was great watching him win Two titles in one year. One with the Pistons and the other with the Devil Rays. Being a Detroiter living in Florida, it was a pretty cool. He accomplished much.

Holy crap! The D-Rays won a title?

BadMofoPimp · Post #12 » by **BadMofoPimp** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:48 am

I meant the Lightning, I must be drunk. Wait, I am!

RTM · Post #13 » by **RTM** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:13 am

If Davidson were to no longer own the team for whatever reason, my guess is that the new owner would be his close friend, Karen Newman. She used to own much more of the team, but sold it back to Bill.

Besides, she's my old boss's mother. Small world.

Grey · Post #14 » by **Grey** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:18 pm

BadMofoPimp wrote:It was great watching him win Two titles in one year. One with the Pistons and the other with the Devil Rays.

Three titles if you count the Shock.