Bad Bob wrote:I see the hysteria has reached preposterous levels following today's turn of events. I'm well disappointed that DIC pulled out of the deal but I think the rubbish being spouted about Gillett on here is well OTT. I don't know that much about the guy and I certainly have no crystal ball to predict how'd he'd run the club if he takes over but, here's a few things to bear in mind, just for the record like...
1) He has nothing to do with Gillette razors. His money's mostly been made in Colorado ski resorts, television stations and a meat-packing company
2) He went bankrupt once--not twice--in 1992 (not the only person to lose a wedge on junk bonds)
3) Since then he's rebuilt his fortune in a quite savvy way and is well diversified
4) He's not yet 70 and 3 of his 4 sons are involved in his companies
5) From what I've read in various press reports, he's quashed the idea of a groundshare and is behind a new stadium exclusively for LFC
6) He is well respected in Montreal for his ownership of the Canadiens and this matters more than you might think because...
Arguably, the Canadiens are the Liverpool FC of the NHL--the league's most storied franchise (with a league topping 24 Stanley Cups) but a club whose last title was 14 years ago.
When Gillett took over in 2001, the Canadiens (aka "Les Habs") were struggling: they had become a mediocre team on the ice and a directionless club off it. Gillett injected the money, brought in very smart hockey people and the team has once again started to challenge for honours (have made the playoffs ever since and have progressed deep into the playoffs on a couple of occasions).
Now, I promise you, as much as you all despise "the Yanks," most Canadians (not me) hate them more and that goes double in Montreal, where the french-speaking Quebecois hold them in great contempt. As such, Gillett's arrival was not warmly received and he's had a huge task of winning them over. He seems to have won the fans trust and respect, though, by turning the club around on the ice, by bolstering its finances, and by reinstituting the 'family feel' that had evaporated under the prior corporate owners, Molson Breweries.
Now, I'm not saying he's perfect and he may not be right for Liverpool. Nor is it certain that he'll take over given how all of these takeovers seem to fall through. But, I think it is important to be a little open-minded about him as a potential owner and perhaps to have a little faith that David Moores is looking carefully at his bid because it is a bid worth looking at.
, So D.I.C are well and trully fecked off with the way its been handled by the club and board and pulled the plug on a deal. Now we are in shittte street. Well done the Board you have trully screwed this one up. This gillete should ave been told to go and do one. The deal ia 99% done so what we were led to believe. Now this!! D.I.C have had enough and who can blame them.
