RealGM

One ownership issue with the Hawks and Thrashers has just ended.

Another one is just beginning.

The first case came to a head in Fulton County Superior Court last December. A jury said Turner Broadcasting System should pay Texas businessman David McDavid $281 million for breaking a deal to sell him the teams five years ago. Atlanta-based Turner has asked a judge to overturn that ruling.

The second case starts Feb. 17 in Montgomery County, Md. But this one doesn’t involve Turner. It is about a group of eight owners, known as the Atlanta Spirit, who have been fighting almost since they bought the teams in 2004. Seven of the partners want to buy out the eighth, but the contract that spells out that process is so vague that they haven’t been able to agree on a process or a price.

The buyout was supposed to take 125 days. It has been drawn out in a high-profile legal battle to more than three years — forcing the owners to spend time and money fighting instead of focusing solely on the teams’ operations.

Meanwhile, seven of the owners continue to shovel cash into the teams, which are far from making a profit, according to court records.

“I think the biggest issue is just the financial drain on the owners,” said Bob Hope, a long-time public relations executive who at one time worked for the Hawks and Braves. “That takes away from your momentum of enthusiasm of running a business. That’s a headache that [you] don’t need.”

The war started in July 2005 when Boston-based co-owner Steve Belkin tried to block a trade of then-Phoenix Suns guard Joe Johnson. The seven other owners — who live in Atlanta and Washington — tried to remove Belkin as NBA governor, triggering a lawsuit.

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/bus ... spute.html