Earvin Johnson Hopes to Bring Some Magic to the Dodgers

Former owner Frank McCourt has been forced to sell his baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has been on the market for awhile, but McCourt finally agreed to an offer today. The agreed price of $2.15 billion shatters the previous sports franchise purchasing record. The purchasing group is largely funded by Guggenheim Capital chief executive officer Mark Walter and former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The exorbitant price includes the Dodgers team, Dodgers stadium, and half of the parking lots surrounding the ballpark. The other half will remain under the control of McCourt.

The first thing that catch's viewers eyes is the money. To say it is a lot, would be like saying Michael Jordan was a good basketball player. It would be a gross understatement. For this amount of money, the new ownership group has to believe that they can make the Dodgers winners and sell tickets immediately.

When asked about what attracted him to making this purchase, Johnson emphasized a love for baseball and the heritage that comes with the Dodgers. He considers the Dodgers trademark to be one of the greatest and enough to make a considerable difference from the get go. Economists from around the country are harshly criticizing the price paid. One of the main reasons behind the price raise is the television deal for the team. Fox and Time Warner are currently in a bidding war. The Dodgers also have the option of starting their own network, like the New York Yankees have successfully done with the YES Network.

When looking at the deal from an overall standpoint, I think Magic will help revitalize the image of the team because of his deep connect with the fans of Los Angeles. However, there is really no way around the fact that the purchasing group overpaid. It does show that they are willing to spend money, which is good for the team. It is important that they turn around the team's play on the field as quickly as possible. This team needs to get back to playing Dodgers baseball the way it is supposed to be played.