Ways to spend a Billion dollars

Note: This post was originally an email to my friends.

So I'm talking to my girlfriend Rebecca this morning on my way to work, and we stumble across the topic of sports, and specifically the now for sale Chicago Cubs. She then asks me which Sports franchise would I like to own most today. Good question. Verrrrrrry good question. (I think this girl has potential).

Anyway, I've been racking my brain about it for the last hour. Do you go with a profitable football team for 16 games a year, or an enjoyable baseball team for 162? Is loyalty to a franchise important, like my affinity for the Rams, or should I just go for the big money teams with a good location? How important is long term success? These are my questions. Anyway, define it anyway you want, but the following is my list for the top 5 sports franchises I would like to own today, along with a couple reasons why (#1 is team I would like to own most).

5.Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers are the premier franchise in the NBA. They have talent, a good front office, a great location, history and appeal. They have appeal to fans, local Hollywood stars and to player Free Agents. I hate Kobe and I hate that Secker is a Fakers fan, but both of those could be remedied by me trading away Kobe and chilling court side with Jack Nicholson.

4.San Diego Chargers: Kind of a strange pick, but one that I like a lot. They have a good roster today that should be competitive for another 5 years, and a front office that works pretty well now that Shottenheimer is gone. The real appeal of this franchise is the location and the weather. They reside in the most beautiful location in the US AND they have the potential to move to LA now that the talks for a new stadium have gone downhill. At worst, they get a new stadium and a guaranteed bid to host the Superbowl. NOTE: This pick also could have been the San Francisco 49ers for most of the same reasons.

3. New York Yankees: Simply the best baseball franchise on the planet. They are the most well known, have the deepest and richest history and have the capability to be great every year. Put me in charge, beef up their farm system and watch the titles come back to town.

2.Washington Redskins: Money, power, politicians, a huge rabid fan base and a history of incompetence (in the past 10 years) that ensures that I couldn't do any worse. This is practically the dream franchise. They own the local market and don't have any serious competition for most profitable football franchise. They get the players they want, and can bring in the coaches they want. What they lack is discipline, patience and a good scouting department. I think I could give them that. Even if I didn't, I'd make a boatload of money.

1.Dallas Mavericks: Not as profitable as the Skins, not as famous as the Lakers, and not as much beautiful weather as the Chargers. What they do offer is a chance at 41 (!) home games, a rabid fan base, a good interstate rivalry, a fantastic front office and scouting department, a state of the art arena and workout facility, and a chance at a title every year for the next 5 years, maybe longer. Combine that with a history of hands on ownership, a great location (Dallas is an underrated city I've heard) and you've got yourself a sports franchise that would be fun, profitable and win championships. That, is what I want.