July 13, 2026 • 34 mins
In the first hour, Dick Fain and Alyssa Charlston-Smith discuss the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to the family of Vinod Khosla, Neeru Khosla, and Neal Khosla and feelings involved with the move, then midday host Gregg Bell joins the show to talk more about the sale and the new owners of the franchise, then they react to some Fun with Audio.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Alyssa Charleston joining us until seven o'clock to night from
Fox and of course my brand new partner in crime,
color commentator of the Seattle Storm on TV.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
How are you? I'm great. I mean it's been what
twelve hours since we last saw it.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I know, I've seen you all summer, all summer long,
which is which is a great thing. But usually we're
talking about dom and Flage and everything. We've got so
many other things to talk about.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I know, we'll get to jump back into, like I
kind of entered a freelance role with Fox thirteen, so
I've jumped away a little bit from like talking about
scale sports all the time and just into a dark
hole watching the Mariners, just deep.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
A dark hole. It's sure.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Look, I mean it's been a couple of years worth,
I mean, despite the playoff run. But it's good to
be here, good to elevate the show, you know without
Softy and I'm kidding he's great, but it's really.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Pull on an elevation. Yeah, there's no question about it.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
But you know there usually this week is literally like
the number one dead week in sports. Yeah, in the
calendar for the entire year, this usually is the number
one dead week. But now this year has been much
much different, Like we have not had those shows where
are like, ah, what is there to talk about? And
(01:14):
now our football team, I mean we add to the
the World Cup has already like boosted last week, Like
the World Cup was awesome last week. We'll continue to
talk about it today and tomorrow and Wednesday leading into
the final games. But now we've got the Seahawks seal
Seahawks sale. And it's interesting coincidentally enough, because I was
wondering on the whole every is winning, on the pronunciation
(01:34):
and everything. I kid you, not the dad that I
walked with for four hours today. His name is Vic Kosla,
spelled exactly the same way from India. His son has
played with my son for years on the junior tour. Yeah,
and I walked with him. My first question was hey.
I was like, hey, ah, Vicky, you related to this guy.
(01:57):
He was like, no, but he goes because of the
name he goes. I've studied him for years because I
knew he's a minority owner. And I followed him. I'd
kind of like followed him. I was like, so I
just started asking firing away in question. I was like, well,
for most importantly, how do you really pronounce it?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Venode coast La Coaslavode coast La.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Is how you?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
How you?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Because he was he was born in India, went to
school in India, and then and then moved over here
like twenty five years ago or something like that.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
But yeah, did you ask Vic what his net worth
was his network or and now?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Well, yeah, it would be higher if he actually was bred, blood,
relate or related.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That's exactly. But you know the facts of Well, we'll
start with the facts and.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Then we'll go into whatever opinions we can have on this,
which is really really difficult. But the facts are he
purchased a team for nine point six billion. He is
the co founder of Sun Microsystems and Cosla Ventures, which
is I mean the fact that you had two You
had Mattal and you had Coasla. One was a self
made billionaire and that's the one you got. I don't
(03:04):
know if that's important to people. It's important to some
people that Hey, I don't want a kid that just
got daddy's money and bought a football team.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I want somebody that made it on his own with
his on two hands.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
And you got that in Venode Cosla also started an
AI based healthcare company called cure I Health in Palo Alto,
and he's got a net worth of a paltry fifteen
point six billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Poor guy.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yes, I mean, what's interesting and what's got some people
I don't want to say up?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And well, I guess in Twitter anything can get you
up in arms. But has some Seahawk fans concerned.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
He's a lifelong season ticket holder, at least his son
is a lifelong season ticket hole. He's a twenty five
thirty year season ticket holder of the forty nine ers
and became a three point one percent ownership stake of
the Niners, which obviously he needs to divest. So I
put out a poll and I'll give you the results
of the poll, but I want to get you know,
your first impressions did you have a lean one where
(04:01):
or the other of these two groups, and your first
impressions of how you feel about this new ownership group,
which you would think, which you would hope, if all
goes well, should be a quarter of a century plus
marriage here, because that's what Alan was, That's what Nordstrom
was almost you know, not quite a quarter of a century.
But you know, these usually last for twenty five thirty
(04:24):
plus years.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, and it seems like he's got the family behind
him that is interested in that, especially with his son Neil,
who you mentioned is in his mid thirties, was a
football operations intern with the forty nine ers. He's been
published in the Journal of Sports Management. He's got a
Stanford degree. I mean, he's even time one hundred most
(04:47):
influential people in AI. Like, he's got a diverse profile,
does his son. So I think the fact that there's
a family behind it. There's four kids, and Neil is
one of them. I was, I think pleasantly surprised by
one of his first tweets, Venola first tweets after the
sale was announced, saying that like and also great that
this purchase, the sale goes to charities, like the nine
(05:09):
point six billion dollars for the owners. It's a positive
because you up the value of an NFL franchise.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
That's a good thing business wise.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
But the fact that he called that out, that was
one of the first public statements he really made on
X that he cares about that. There's a lot of
parallels that he has with Paul Allen. They're both tech entrepreneurs.
They both care about philanthropy, and obviously when you're making
that kind of money, you have to like tax purposes.
So that that also makes me kind of curious with
(05:36):
all the sale money going to charity, is there any
benefit for the node cos La in purchasing I mean,
just from a tax standpoint, I'm just kind of curious.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But I'm wondering if that money goes to I don't
know if it can it directly go I mean the
Allen that would get the tax right off, right right,
you know, yeah, I don't think I mean, Coastala's money
has to go to the foundation.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, and then the foundation money's got to go, but
who knows it?
Speaker 6 (06:02):
Right?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, But I I mean, I think that kind of
stood out as just like a Okay, this guy could
be a good guy. And the fact that because we
just don't know enough about him, I mean, the fact
that he is self made, I think is really cool.
Moved here in nineteen seventy six, created this empire and
Sun Microsystems co founded it, and wants to be a
football fan. But it is an interest, it is at
(06:24):
least an interesting aspect of this relationship that you know,
raised his son as a forty nine Ers fan. They
grew up in Silicon Valley, and that is who you
root for. If you go to Stanford and you're from
a different country. It's it's hard not to especially in
the seventies, eighties, nineties, forty nine Ers fandom.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I mean that's when they were relevant. They're no longer relevant.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I'm just kidding, kidding, but I do think that we
have absolutely no idea what it's actually going to shake
out to be.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
He's proven that he is vetted.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
He can be vetted by the NFL owners, which will
be officially approved in late August. According to ESPN was
at the date was August twenty sixth four thirty two.
Owners must approve, like you mentioned, and they have familiarity
with him.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
So we have no idea.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I think in the next three, four years, four or
five years out is what we're really gonna learn about
this coast La family and how they want to be involved.
I think hands off, to be honest is the best approach,
because that's how Jody Allen has done it and Paul
Allen before her.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And if you look at you know, cost La versus
mattal I mean obviously that's a big your you're three
percent owner already, you're in the club already, and all
else being equal, that's probably where you're going to lean,
right and and that's probably one of the reasons why
they got invested in the four hundreds. Yes, they were
forty Niner fans, but also I don't think I don't
think they didn't know.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That eventually they wanted to be a majority owner of
an NFL team.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
When they bought that minority stake in the Niners, that
was probably something like, okay, well, let's sort of dip
our toe in the water. I mean, nice to dip
your toe in the water and buy three percent of
a football team. You know, it's a it's just a
small little investment to see if you like it, you know, crazy,
just see how we feel about it. Let's put what
at that time probably was a twenty twenty five ish
million dollars, just just a small drop in the bucket.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Just to see if we like this. Small risk, small
risk for us, exactly, no question.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, it's amazing that you know, these these sports franchises
they increased. You know, this sale went for fifty x
what Paul Allen's went from. Mean think about for a second. Yeah, inflation. Okay,
well think about that. What did a new car costs
when Paul Allen bought the Seahawks. It wasn't fifty times
cheaper than a new car costs now, okay, so it's
(08:32):
just inflation. These sports franchises, you know, Softie said it
all the time. It's like, there is no if you
have that type of money, there is no better investment
than to buy a sports franchise because nothing goes up
fifty x in twenty five.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Years minus Microsoft, which I saw something on x Microsoft
you would have made like fifteen or sixteen billion around that.
I saw a tweet from like more of an economist
kind of person, and it was like, if you would
have put that money strictly into Microsoft at that time,
it would have been fifteen billion total.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
And now this Seahawks are selling for nine point six
so it's.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You know, just a couple bill, but that is wild
the NFL exponentially, it would be NFL and some of
these tech companies, there's nothing better. And my curiosity and
my hope is that this ownership group and this family
and whoever the limited partnership group partners are, they don't
want credit for the success. I think that's one of
the most important characteristics and character traits.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
That you don't want.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
No one is really going to equal to Jerry Jones.
I think he's really set himself on a new pedestal.
But wanting credit for the team's success is going to
be the one thing I'm going to watch for. What
are the words being said after, you know, a great season.
What kind of relationship is there with John Schneider. I
think you really have to be the humble billionaire, which
(09:56):
is a rare breed. I'm sure in this scenario where
if we see any of these family members, even Neil,
who is going to be potentially the son who takes
over in the future, if.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
All goes well, thirty years from now, he's he's still
your owner, right, Neil's your owner.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
In thirty years, he'll play with four more Super Bowls.
At least there you go.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
At least, well, yeah, set the over under it for
but Venoda and his wife Nero, who will be the
controlling owner, the wife will be They're in their seventies,
so it makes sense that Neil will become the future.
It might have the most interest of the four kids
in taking over long term. But I think that's something
that I'll be looking for, is that would be a
worst case scenario if they're trying out to get out.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
There and be very front facing with the media.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I think it was really great that Jody and that
Paul were almost hard to get a hold of sometimes are.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Hard to find in certain scenarios.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
They're there and they're you know, very proud and excited
and they're fans, But in terms of speaking out, that's
just something I'm gonna be watching the next two three
four years.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, And I mean there's a couple of paths you
can take. You can since Seahawk fans are already used
to an owner that we never see, right, Yep, he
could be totally behind the you know, that is one
of the things that I talked to Vic, my friend
Vic Coast today. He said in the in studying him,
he's like, he's very much like Alan in the sense
that he his goal is to hire the right people
(11:17):
to run it. That's awesome, right, which is great hands
off Yeah, you know, hands off type exactly, trust, trust
your higher and so he could totally be hands off
with this thing, hire the right people and be like
a Jody Allen and a Paul Allen. It nothing would
indicate that he's anywhere towards Jerry Jones, like if that's
if if Allen was one side of the equation and
(11:38):
Jerry Jones are the other side of the equation. But
I would be fine with him being more available than
Paul Allen, right, and and being able to answer if
there's you know, holding a press conference every year at
training camp or something like that, or you know that
I would have no problem.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
With that one after every game, though, No, and not
having it and and and you know we don't need
I don't need the Venode COASTLA radio show. Yeah, you know,
we don't need that, like Jerry, like Jerry has in Dallas.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
But I put a pull out on Twitter today just
simply what are your emotions of the Seahawks sale? And
I was trying to think of, Okay, what what categories?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Though?
Speaker 1 (12:16):
What words am I going to put down on this
that that would fit? And I just tried to think
of what I've seen in the media, social media, the
tweets that I've read, and and I came up with
these emotions, Uh, nervous, was one selection, excited, curious or depressed.
So those are those are the four I put out there. Jackson,
(12:36):
how would you, uh, how would you react to that?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Nervous pretty firmly in the nervous can camp? Okay, okay.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
I think for me it's just the question of how
much exactly what you're talking about control do they want
to exert here? Does Neil want to come in and
put his stamp for you know, when he eventually inherits
the team do the Coastal event want to all come
in and you know, change essentially this, have their hands
in the cookie jar and you know, make sure that
they had their stamp is on the organization, the.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Tom Dundon and right now, that's what it's called.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Until we see them not do that, then I just
have no way of believing that they won't because a
lot of times you'll have rich people who come in
and want to put their stamp on an organization. And
that is the only thing right now I have is
fear that that would happen here to an already massively
successful organization.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Did you see, by the way, what Tom Dundon did
with the Stanley Cup. Yeah, it's horrifying.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
The first like twelve to twelve names or something like
that that they etched in the Stanley Cup were him
and his family ahead of.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
All the players and coaches.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Like the family.
Speaker 7 (13:43):
See, they have like twenty lines that they can etch names,
and the first two lines are his entire family on
the Stanley Are you kidding yep?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Like that is a Jerry Jones move. Yes, yeah, that
is me? Me me I I Why wouldn't you put
your captains your coach?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Wow, I find Portland.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
I would also say, like listen, Yeah, the control thing
is obviously a major worry. But the fact that the
future owner of the Seahawks Neil, because when you know,
said they're in their seventies.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Let's all be real here.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Ten.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
So when Neil eventually takes full over, he is a
lifelong season ticket holder of the San Francisco forty nine
Ers who grew up going to Candlestick Park going to
every Niner game at home.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like, so you got shabotage the team as I no,
But like listen, at.
Speaker 7 (14:29):
The same time, like I would, I would ask a
very real question of how much is his heart still there?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
How could you?
Speaker 7 (14:37):
How could you.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Root against the forty nine ers when they come to Luminfield.
Speaker 7 (14:40):
It's not an absurd question to ask how much of
his heart is still with the forty nine ers and
he's going to own the Seahawks.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, a long time though. He'll be so Seahawkified. By
the time he owns the team, he'll be so seawki.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
How could you not though, I mean they just I mean,
he probably got a front row seat to them winning
the Super Bowl at Levi Stadium. That was interesting. I mean,
it's right in their backyard. They got to see the
Seahawks fandom.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
The twelve show up. How many?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I mean, I know it was a very There's always
celebrities and there's always fans from around the world.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But it's just interesting to me. But I voted curious.
I'm curious, Yeahurages, I just found it curious.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Curious was that by far they had the leader at
fifty nine percent. Jackson's was second nervous at twenty six percent.
That's not an insignificant number of people that are nervous
excited thirteen percent and only two percent of de press.
So I guess that's that's good. We'll talk out, we'll
ask what Greg Bell thinks he's coming up next. On
ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 8 (15:36):
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Speaker 1 (15:56):
Hey, welcome back Sports thirty on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Softian Dick about the soft one, but we've got a
massive upgrade with Alyssa Charleston in today until seven o'clock
to day. Speaking of upgrades, we go to the phone
and talk to our friend Greg Bell, who has pretty
much been on all day.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
But that's what happens on k j R.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Alissa, when when there's Seahawk news and I think an
ownership change might be considered major Seahawk news, we go
to our man Greg Bell from the Comen News Tribune
and our host on KJR.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
How are you man?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I'm well, sir, Lissa, Hello, Hello.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Hello Greg. Let's just talk about the is it?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Is it a fool's errand to even guess what the
next few years is going to look like with Vanodekosla
being the owner with his wife and his family being
the owner, or is there something we can read in
the tea leaves to indicate what type of ownership group
we're going to have here in Seattle.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Well, I think there's some suggestions. I mean, first of all,
it's become a parentic and Unlyssa that May and his
son about to three twenty one percent share of the
forty nine ers in the spring of twenty twenty five.
That was a ramp up to being able to do this.
And because when you buy even a minority and even
(17:12):
a three percent share of a sports franchise, you still
have to get approved by the league and the other
league owners. So Roger Goodell and the other NFL team
owners became familiar. But the Kozlas, through that process of
even buying just three percent of the forty nine ers, convercially,
they got familiar with the process of buying an NFL
franchise and what it takes, what the approvals processes, and
(17:34):
all of it. So that certainly helped. They weren't just
coming in blindly off the street in the NFL, and
Roger Goodell and the team owners didn't know who these
people were, they were already in the club, so to speak.
So that's one. Two because of how successful, wildly successful,
the Seahawks have been on and off the field in
the Pacific Northwest for pretty much the last twenty year.
(17:58):
I've really thirty years since Paul Allen bottom, let's face it,
and kept him here because they've been so successful. The
blueprints here and these people that are billionaires didn't get
billionaires because they're dumb. They can see how successful the
franchise has been on the field, obviously by just winning
a Super Bowl. Off the field, and wildly successful it
(18:19):
is across not just the Seattle area and western Washington,
but you can go to Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Oregon.
This is a regional success story out here, and so
they'd be crazy to mess with that, and I think
they're smart to realize that. So we can make some
pretty clear suppositions that one, the football operation is likely
(18:42):
to stay very much the same with John Schnett, the
most successful GM in sixteen years of doing it, him
and Jody Allen deciding to hire Mike McDonald, which was
a master stroke. We it's not like this is a
blank slate and everyone in Seattle has to hold their
breath and say, well, what are they going to do next?
Because there's a lot of a lot of reasons to
suggest they're not going to change the football operation, which
(19:02):
is what the fans care most about.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Greg, I'm curious just with this family.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
I mean, it's it's Vanad, it's Neru, who will be
his already his wife will be the controlling owner, that
was made clear. And then the son, Neil, I mean,
he was an intern for the forty nine ers football operations,
like he's got some football background. How much of this,
with Vanad and Neru being in their seventies, do you
think this leans toward the kids of this family in
(19:29):
the future.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
A lot of it. So that he's in his mid thirties,
he's been a season ticket holder with his dad since
he was five years old for the last twenty five
thirty years. They're seventy one years old. And you don't
spend nine point six billion dollars so on a short
term investment just going around a couple of years. This
is intended to be a generational holding that they have
(19:52):
in their family. The shortest of the three previous ownership
groups we all know was ten bearing and that was
nine years, and we know the reasons why it was
only nine years. He's threatened to move the team and
actually did move some of the team to southern California,
and then Paul Allen stepped in and saved them. So
nine years on the very short and under pressing and
extenuating circumstances, So we can't assume it's going to be
(20:15):
at least ten plus years. They're going to be eighty
one years old in ten years, so suffice to say
that the longer term outlook for the franchise is with
a thirty five or thirty four year old than for
the a seventy one year old.
Speaker 7 (20:27):
Right.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
The fact that he there's a list of mention he's
been in football operations and at least some capacity with
the forty nine ers certainly helps. But they didn't buy
this at their age and their accomplishments in life for
just them to ride out their sunsets. But they've got
a sun in place who could take it. Stewardship of
this of course the unknown, as we don't know what
(20:49):
that looks like. They've never owned a professional franchise, so
we don't know how he run it either. Again, the
blueprint is here, though not to mess with much of
the football operation.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Well, normally when there's an ownship change in the NFL,
all the number one priority is to fix the football team.
Well that's not a problem here. So what is the
number one priority for this ownership group in the near term?
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Continuity and keeping things pretty much as they have operated
so far. You're right, this is unprecedented for a Super
Bowl champion to sell within months of winning it all.
You think recent sale of the Washington Commanders and the
Upheople that the Daniel Snyder here was Dave Tepper taking
over the Fort Carolina Panthers also after being a minority investor,
(21:31):
and that franchises and flux so unusual, almost to the
point of unprecedented, not just in the NFL but in sports,
for a championship team to be on sale within weeks
of winning the title. So the continuity on the football
side is number one. Just I think some of the
statement that Theano Coesla made on Saturday online spoke to that,
(21:55):
saying that he wanted to continue the stewardship that Paul
Allen and his family have led to Seahawk switch, I
think spoke to the continuity piece of stems. I'm looking
for the other thing is Dick. The separator in NFL
ownership in terms of revenue comes in local revenue, and
that's mainly stadiums because the NFL, as we know, shares
(22:17):
all of its revenue, the big chunker revenue with the
national and international media rights and licensing. So the discriminators,
the separators of the haves that really have are in
local revenue, stadium revenue. Jerry Jones and Jerry's World in Hugington,
Texas being a time example of that. I could see
them perhaps upgrading Lumenfield, adding seats and mention just one
(22:41):
I showed it. It may bee perhaps filling in those
north downtown side end gaps corner gaps of the stadium
that they could put permanent seats in those and add
a couple thousand seats to the capacity and get it
above seventy thousand.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
We don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
I don't know if posting the Super Bowl as a
priority for the new ownership group, but that would help.
If it was about seventy thousand seating capacity, I would
bet that they're going to put in more lucrative and
added luxury seats. Maybe more field level seats like the
tunnel suites that they've put in recently for the higher
end ticket prices that could raise revenue even more. That's
(23:18):
probably the business side that fans will notice most. What
are they going to do to try to raise local
revenue beyond what the national sharing already is?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Greg the best advice I've been given when investing is
invest in something you have a ton of interest in.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
And obviously the cost Laft family likes the NFL.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
What do you make of just the fandom of the
forty nine ers that they clearly have, like there's no
denying it, thirty years of season ticket holding members as
season ticket holding membershich is, what do you make of
that dynamic in purchasing their arch rival? I mean I
saw a joke on Twitter that said the Seahawks. The
coast Laft family already owned three point whatever percent of
(23:59):
the forty nine ers. Now they all of them because
they purchased the Seahawks, which clearly have just won the
rivalry over and over again with the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
What do you make of that interesting dynamic?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I mean it it is impossible to deny that, Like
they are clear forty nine ers fans were. You can't
just divest that fandom as much as you can divest
the ownership stake.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
It is definitely odd. And see Seahawks fans notice that
right away. In fact, the headline Saturday Afternoon, what forty
nine or minority owners by Seahawks. Yes, but let me
tell you. If the Silicon Valley was based in Federal Way,
they'd be Seahawks fans. If it was based in Charlotte,
they would be Panthers fans. The Silicon Valley where they've
(24:42):
made their money and become agnors Sun Microsystems co founder.
In the case of another COSLA, it's in the Silicon Valley,
and the team that is in the Bay areas in
the NFL is the San Francisco forty nine Ers. The
Raiders left, so the Niners are the only ones there.
They invested in season Tixo. It's twenty some years ago
because that's where they were in South Bay. I think
(25:05):
it's it's not like they moved from India and got
their five degrees from Stanford, because they would be forty
nine Ers fans right Stanford into Silicon Valley is next
to where the forty nine ers are, and so they
became forty nine Ers fans. I wouldn't read too much
more input than that, And I do think again that
they bought the minority stake three point one percent in
(25:27):
the spring of twenty twenty five, not because they want
to have forty nine er penets in the walls for
the rest of their lives, to be able to get
the entry into the league, to get into the club,
to set themselves up to make this purchase. Whatever team
had ended up being, the fact that ended up being
the forty nine ers chief rival that just won the
Super Bowl even better for them. As far as a
franchise valuation, there is no other team in the league
(25:50):
that would have pushed ten billion dollars at this time,
other than maybe the Cowboys selling and Jerry jamsl wasn't
going to do that.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Greg Bell joining us. Last couple of minutes, you mentioned
the minority ownership out of the forty nine Ers. How
about the minority ownership of the Seahawks. Do we have
any indication at all who's going to partner up with COSLA.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
It could be no, we don't. It could be anybody.
It could be someone with local ties, It could be
someone with more stewardship of professional sports franchises in their background.
We don't know that. We do know the NFL permits
them up to twenty five total owners. So there's three
principal owners in the Coslal family. They could have twenty
two as many as twenty two minority investors. They could
(26:29):
have private equity firms. As of a couple of years ago,
the NFL changed their rule. You can have about the
ten percent of franchise owned by private equity. But the
statement the NFL gave to teams, the memo they put
out Saturday, said there were several minority owners. Several doesn't
suggest twenty two. So you figure a handful more. Nine
(26:51):
point six billion dollars is nothing to sneeze at, though
vane Coozla himself is less made by forbesby worth thirteen
point seven billion, but you figure at that price tag
they're going to take on a few more minority owners
as well. Again, because of how successful the Seahawks have been,
I wouldn't expect fans, other than than learning their names
(27:11):
and having ever it be affected by minority owners of
the Seahawks in this situation, because of how swimmingly the
franchise is operating on and off the field. We'll say
it is a big unknown. It's this is a really
really unprecedented in many ways, including none of us knowing
really anything about the new owners from a different city
who have never owned, primarily owned a sports team before.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Greg excellent job is always all weekend long with the
stories and also on the air today.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Appreciate it, Thank you dig thank you list.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
Thanks Greg.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
You bet that's Greg mel Fun with Audio coming up
next on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 8 (27:49):
It's time for fun with Audio. Brought to you by
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(28:13):
five or bloom tree dot com. Now plun with audio.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Odd time for a little fun with audio audio.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Thanks to my friend KD at bloom a Tree for
bringing this to you on a daily basis. Now Alyssa,
it's a fun with audio as a matter of taste,
not everybody likes all the clips.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
But you know, for example, this this first one. Hey, listen,
did you hear that?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
There you go?
Speaker 8 (28:38):
Was it you did it?
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Yeah? There you go.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It's exactly that's exactly right. Hugh doesn't really like Frank
the Tank. I think he's very funny. Yeah, Jackson thinks
he's very funny. So we're not going to put him
on with you tomorrow. We're gonna put him on with
you today. New York Met's heading into the All Star
break on a three game losing streak. Everything swept by
the Red Sox, and as you would expect, Barstool Sports
resident Met fan, Frank the Tank is not happy.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
This team is a mother disgrace, a mother disgrace.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Game away, and it's always.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
The same with Lindor, It's always the same. It's always smiling,
playing red ass, pinging opposing game.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I am set up his pony.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
This is a joke.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
We got Devil Williams who just blows every game he sucks,
and are treating the worst players ever with seventy I
raise treating people aren't four hundred pounds.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Hey, Frank the body shading Frank just because you're not
four hundred pounds anymore. Frank doesn't mean because he's lost
like three fifty or something like, he was like over
and he was like over, well over five hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, I had no idea. And he does these walks.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Through New York. He's been doing it for two or
three years now. Yeah, daily, long, long, long walks. He
podcasts during his walk and stuff, and he's like down,
he's not like three hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely nuts.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
But he evidently he doesn't like drafting guys with seventy
RRAs and guys are four hundred pounds and the Mets
are doing both.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
That's his qualification.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
And he always gets after Lindor too, because he Lindor
always is like chummy chummy with the ass, chummy chummy
with the opposition.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
And in the infield, like you can't do that evidently.
So when you're here Mets fan, that's hilarious a right.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I mean, they do have the worst record in the
first half, and they're like, for thirty one years, they
haven't been this bad.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Imagine the first half in thirty one years.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Would imagine spending like two hundred million more than the
Mariners doing being that bad and more.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Than the Dodgers. I cannot raise. Yeah, hey, listen, did
you hear that? What's that?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
There you go? Yesterday at the Genesis Scottish Open, Rory
McElroy hit an awful second shot on the sixteenth hole
and then let his frustrations be known to everyone.
Speaker 8 (31:00):
And he's just no good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Oh my god, I'm super a golf I'll swoop you anytime.
A highly relatable sports that changes every day, oh one
of us?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Right, But yeah, Rory not bad at golf. I would
love to be as horrible as Rory McElroy is at
the game.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Give me that skill set every day.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
He's been fun and humble lately, like he's been more so,
like leaning into the personality lately and being more relatable.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
I just think that Masters win last year just lifted
everything off his shoulders. Yeah, pressure off, pressure, pressure off? Absolutely, Hey,
listen to you hear that?
Speaker 2 (31:38):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Tick Husky's head coach Jed Fish joined the Triple Option
podcast last week with Urban Meyer and mark Ingram to
shed more light on what happened in the Demand William's
situation where he nearly left the program.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Demand signed his contract to be a part of our
program for another, you know, year, and everything was great,
and then we all came back for our first team meeting.
And then when the team the ended, he called me
and he said, Coach, I think I think I need
to go. I need to go on the portal. And
I was like, what are you talking about?
Speaker 5 (32:08):
Man.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
What happened was a program told him they'll pay him
an extra two million dollars if he goes in the
port and the kid's nineteen years old. You know, we
were paying him a lot, but you add another two
million onto anything. He was like forced to put something
out there. And then we spent about twenty four to
thirty six hours going back and forth and talking about
(32:28):
this is the right place for you, and you know,
you have a contract and contracts mean something. And in
the end, you know, he came back two days later.
We didn't change anything. We didn't give him any more
money or anything like that. But what we did do
is we talked to him about what a great opportunity
it is to be a three year player in the
same program.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Let's hope he's a three year player. Let's hope he's
a four year player. He's still got lots of time left.
Speaker 7 (32:51):
Do you think.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
I mean, do you think there's an't many fans left
that are still angry at him? Or are they and
they're gonna jump on him at the first sign of
struggles for demand Williams' show.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
I think we'll find out in game one. But there's
too much time. I think too much time has passed
and he's here. He's been here through spring football like
it's it's been.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It was an issue. I feel like it's kind of over.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
I'm glad that Jed is at least giving more information
about it and confirming some information he's beholding some because
it doesn't have to go public with it, but it's
it doesn't I don't think he's going to be people's
favorite Husky quarterback unless they were to go do something
crazy exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
I think.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I think that's right. And the schedule brisk breaks out
so well for him, because he should just put up
video game numbers in September, Yeah, absolute video game numbers,
and then he'll be in the top seven or eight
in the Heisman list. He's already in some top ten, yeah,
in the Heisman list, so it's not a stretch to
say he'd be in the top seven or eight when
he's playing the teams that he's playing in September, and
(33:49):
then they continue in this The schedules, the Big Ten schedules.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Pretty soft through October too.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
It doesn't get the November until the you know what
hits the fan, and that's when all the Husky eyes,
all the klee are gonna be on the Mon Williams, Okay, bro, Yeah,
here's Oregon, here's Indiana.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
What do you got for me?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Because you haven't shown me anything against those type of
teams yet, So it's gonna be a really, really fascinating season.
We'll talk to Speaking of Husky quarterbacks, we'll talk to
a former Husky quarterback, humil In. It's more than four
Next right after the top of the hour Headlines on
ninety three point three k j FM
Alyssa Charleston joining us until seven o'clock to night from
Fox and of course my brand new partner in crime,
color commentator of the Seattle Storm on TV.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
How are you? I'm great. I mean it's been what
twelve hours since we last saw it.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I know, I've seen you all summer, all summer long,
which is which is a great thing. But usually we're
talking about dom and Flage and everything. We've got so
many other things to talk about.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
I know, we'll get to jump back into, like I
kind of entered a freelance role with Fox thirteen, so
I've jumped away a little bit from like talking about
scale sports all the time and just into a dark
hole watching the Mariners, just deep.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
A dark hole. It's sure.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Look, I mean it's been a couple of years worth,
I mean, despite the playoff run. But it's good to
be here, good to elevate the show, you know without
Softy and I'm kidding he's great, but it's really.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Pull on an elevation. Yeah, there's no question about it.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
But you know there usually this week is literally like
the number one dead week in sports. Yeah, in the
calendar for the entire year, this usually is the number
one dead week. But now this year has been much
much different, Like we have not had those shows where
are like, ah, what is there to talk about? And
(01:14):
now our football team, I mean we add to the
the World Cup has already like boosted last week, Like
the World Cup was awesome last week. We'll continue to
talk about it today and tomorrow and Wednesday leading into
the final games. But now we've got the Seahawks seal
Seahawks sale. And it's interesting coincidentally enough, because I was
wondering on the whole every is winning, on the pronunciation
(01:34):
and everything. I kid you, not the dad that I
walked with for four hours today. His name is Vic Kosla,
spelled exactly the same way from India. His son has
played with my son for years on the junior tour. Yeah,
and I walked with him. My first question was hey.
I was like, hey, ah, Vicky, you related to this guy.
(01:57):
He was like, no, but he goes because of the
name he goes. I've studied him for years because I
knew he's a minority owner. And I followed him. I'd
kind of like followed him. I was like, so I
just started asking firing away in question. I was like, well,
for most importantly, how do you really pronounce it?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Venode coast La Coaslavode coast La.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Is how you?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
How you?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Because he was he was born in India, went to
school in India, and then and then moved over here
like twenty five years ago or something like that.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
But yeah, did you ask Vic what his net worth
was his network or and now?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Well, yeah, it would be higher if he actually was bred, blood,
relate or related.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
That's exactly. But you know the facts of Well, we'll
start with the facts and.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Then we'll go into whatever opinions we can have on this,
which is really really difficult. But the facts are he
purchased a team for nine point six billion. He is
the co founder of Sun Microsystems and Cosla Ventures, which
is I mean the fact that you had two You
had Mattal and you had Coasla. One was a self
made billionaire and that's the one you got. I don't
(03:04):
know if that's important to people. It's important to some
people that Hey, I don't want a kid that just
got daddy's money and bought a football team.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I want somebody that made it on his own with
his on two hands.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
And you got that in Venode Cosla also started an
AI based healthcare company called cure I Health in Palo Alto,
and he's got a net worth of a paltry fifteen
point six billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Poor guy.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yes, I mean, what's interesting and what's got some people
I don't want to say up?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And well, I guess in Twitter anything can get you
up in arms. But has some Seahawk fans concerned.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
He's a lifelong season ticket holder, at least his son
is a lifelong season ticket hole. He's a twenty five
thirty year season ticket holder of the forty nine ers
and became a three point one percent ownership stake of
the Niners, which obviously he needs to divest. So I
put out a poll and I'll give you the results
of the poll, but I want to get you know,
your first impressions did you have a lean one where
(04:01):
or the other of these two groups, and your first
impressions of how you feel about this new ownership group,
which you would think, which you would hope, if all
goes well, should be a quarter of a century plus
marriage here, because that's what Alan was, That's what Nordstrom
was almost you know, not quite a quarter of a century.
But you know, these usually last for twenty five thirty
(04:24):
plus years.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, and it seems like he's got the family behind
him that is interested in that, especially with his son Neil,
who you mentioned is in his mid thirties, was a
football operations intern with the forty nine ers. He's been
published in the Journal of Sports Management. He's got a
Stanford degree. I mean, he's even time one hundred most
(04:47):
influential people in AI. Like, he's got a diverse profile,
does his son. So I think the fact that there's
a family behind it. There's four kids, and Neil is
one of them. I was, I think pleasantly surprised by
one of his first tweets, Venola first tweets after the
sale was announced, saying that like and also great that
this purchase, the sale goes to charities, like the nine
(05:09):
point six billion dollars for the owners. It's a positive
because you up the value of an NFL franchise.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
That's a good thing business wise.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
But the fact that he called that out, that was
one of the first public statements he really made on
X that he cares about that. There's a lot of
parallels that he has with Paul Allen. They're both tech entrepreneurs.
They both care about philanthropy, and obviously when you're making
that kind of money, you have to like tax purposes.
So that that also makes me kind of curious with
(05:36):
all the sale money going to charity, is there any
benefit for the node cos La in purchasing I mean,
just from a tax standpoint, I'm just kind of curious.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But I'm wondering if that money goes to I don't
know if it can it directly go I mean the
Allen that would get the tax right off, right right,
you know, yeah, I don't think I mean, Coastala's money
has to go to the foundation.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, and then the foundation money's got to go, but
who knows it?
Speaker 6 (06:02):
Right?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, But I I mean, I think that kind of
stood out as just like a Okay, this guy could
be a good guy. And the fact that because we
just don't know enough about him, I mean, the fact
that he is self made, I think is really cool.
Moved here in nineteen seventy six, created this empire and
Sun Microsystems co founded it, and wants to be a
football fan. But it is an interest, it is at
(06:24):
least an interesting aspect of this relationship that you know,
raised his son as a forty nine Ers fan. They
grew up in Silicon Valley, and that is who you
root for. If you go to Stanford and you're from
a different country. It's it's hard not to especially in
the seventies, eighties, nineties, forty nine Ers fandom.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I mean that's when they were relevant. They're no longer relevant.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
I'm just kidding, kidding, but I do think that we
have absolutely no idea what it's actually going to shake
out to be.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
He's proven that he is vetted.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
He can be vetted by the NFL owners, which will
be officially approved in late August. According to ESPN was
at the date was August twenty sixth four thirty two.
Owners must approve, like you mentioned, and they have familiarity
with him.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
So we have no idea.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I think in the next three, four years, four or
five years out is what we're really gonna learn about
this coast La family and how they want to be involved.
I think hands off, to be honest is the best approach,
because that's how Jody Allen has done it and Paul
Allen before her.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
And if you look at you know, cost La versus
mattal I mean obviously that's a big your you're three
percent owner already, you're in the club already, and all
else being equal, that's probably where you're going to lean,
right and and that's probably one of the reasons why
they got invested in the four hundreds. Yes, they were
forty Niner fans, but also I don't think I don't
think they didn't know.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That eventually they wanted to be a majority owner of
an NFL team.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
When they bought that minority stake in the Niners, that
was probably something like, okay, well, let's sort of dip
our toe in the water. I mean, nice to dip
your toe in the water and buy three percent of
a football team. You know, it's a it's just a
small little investment to see if you like it, you know, crazy,
just see how we feel about it. Let's put what
at that time probably was a twenty twenty five ish
million dollars, just just a small drop in the bucket.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Just to see if we like this. Small risk, small
risk for us, exactly, no question.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, it's amazing that you know, these these sports franchises
they increased. You know, this sale went for fifty x
what Paul Allen's went from. Mean think about for a second. Yeah, inflation. Okay,
well think about that. What did a new car costs
when Paul Allen bought the Seahawks. It wasn't fifty times
cheaper than a new car costs now, okay, so it's
(08:32):
just inflation. These sports franchises, you know, Softie said it
all the time. It's like, there is no if you
have that type of money, there is no better investment
than to buy a sports franchise because nothing goes up
fifty x in twenty five.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Years minus Microsoft, which I saw something on x Microsoft
you would have made like fifteen or sixteen billion around that.
I saw a tweet from like more of an economist
kind of person, and it was like, if you would
have put that money strictly into Microsoft at that time,
it would have been fifteen billion total.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
And now this Seahawks are selling for nine point six
so it's.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You know, just a couple bill, but that is wild
the NFL exponentially, it would be NFL and some of
these tech companies, there's nothing better. And my curiosity and
my hope is that this ownership group and this family
and whoever the limited partnership group partners are, they don't
want credit for the success. I think that's one of
the most important characteristics and character traits.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
That you don't want.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
No one is really going to equal to Jerry Jones.
I think he's really set himself on a new pedestal.
But wanting credit for the team's success is going to
be the one thing I'm going to watch for. What
are the words being said after, you know, a great season.
What kind of relationship is there with John Schneider. I
think you really have to be the humble billionaire, which
(09:56):
is a rare breed. I'm sure in this scenario where
if we see any of these family members, even Neil,
who is going to be potentially the son who takes
over in the future, if.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
All goes well, thirty years from now, he's he's still
your owner, right, Neil's your owner.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
In thirty years, he'll play with four more Super Bowls.
At least there you go.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
At least, well, yeah, set the over under it for
but Venoda and his wife Nero, who will be the
controlling owner, the wife will be They're in their seventies,
so it makes sense that Neil will become the future.
It might have the most interest of the four kids
in taking over long term. But I think that's something
that I'll be looking for, is that would be a
worst case scenario if they're trying out to get out.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
There and be very front facing with the media.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I think it was really great that Jody and that
Paul were almost hard to get a hold of sometimes are.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Hard to find in certain scenarios.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
They're there and they're you know, very proud and excited
and they're fans, But in terms of speaking out, that's
just something I'm gonna be watching the next two three
four years.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, And I mean there's a couple of paths you
can take. You can since Seahawk fans are already used
to an owner that we never see, right, Yep, he
could be totally behind the you know, that is one
of the things that I talked to Vic, my friend
Vic Coast today. He said in the in studying him,
he's like, he's very much like Alan in the sense
that he his goal is to hire the right people
(11:17):
to run it. That's awesome, right, which is great hands
off Yeah, you know, hands off type exactly, trust, trust
your higher and so he could totally be hands off
with this thing, hire the right people and be like
a Jody Allen and a Paul Allen. It nothing would
indicate that he's anywhere towards Jerry Jones, like if that's
if if Allen was one side of the equation and
(11:38):
Jerry Jones are the other side of the equation. But
I would be fine with him being more available than
Paul Allen, right, and and being able to answer if
there's you know, holding a press conference every year at
training camp or something like that, or you know that
I would have no problem.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
With that one after every game, though, No, and not
having it and and and you know we don't need
I don't need the Venode COASTLA radio show. Yeah, you know,
we don't need that, like Jerry, like Jerry has in Dallas.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
But I put a pull out on Twitter today just
simply what are your emotions of the Seahawks sale? And
I was trying to think of, Okay, what what categories?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Though?
Speaker 1 (12:16):
What words am I going to put down on this
that that would fit? And I just tried to think
of what I've seen in the media, social media, the
tweets that I've read, and and I came up with
these emotions, Uh, nervous, was one selection, excited, curious or depressed.
So those are those are the four I put out there. Jackson,
(12:36):
how would you, uh, how would you react to that?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Nervous pretty firmly in the nervous can camp? Okay, okay.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
I think for me it's just the question of how
much exactly what you're talking about control do they want
to exert here? Does Neil want to come in and
put his stamp for you know, when he eventually inherits
the team do the Coastal event want to all come
in and you know, change essentially this, have their hands
in the cookie jar and you know, make sure that
they had their stamp is on the organization, the.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Tom Dundon and right now, that's what it's called.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Until we see them not do that, then I just
have no way of believing that they won't because a
lot of times you'll have rich people who come in
and want to put their stamp on an organization. And
that is the only thing right now I have is
fear that that would happen here to an already massively
successful organization.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Did you see, by the way, what Tom Dundon did
with the Stanley Cup. Yeah, it's horrifying.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
The first like twelve to twelve names or something like
that that they etched in the Stanley Cup were him
and his family ahead of.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
All the players and coaches.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Like the family.
Speaker 7 (13:43):
See, they have like twenty lines that they can etch names,
and the first two lines are his entire family on
the Stanley Are you kidding yep?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Like that is a Jerry Jones move. Yes, yeah, that
is me? Me me I I Why wouldn't you put
your captains your coach?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Wow, I find Portland.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
I would also say, like listen, Yeah, the control thing
is obviously a major worry. But the fact that the
future owner of the Seahawks Neil, because when you know,
said they're in their seventies.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Let's all be real here.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Ten.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
So when Neil eventually takes full over, he is a
lifelong season ticket holder of the San Francisco forty nine
Ers who grew up going to Candlestick Park going to
every Niner game at home.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like, so you got shabotage the team as I no,
But like listen, at.
Speaker 7 (14:29):
The same time, like I would, I would ask a
very real question of how much is his heart still there?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
How could you?
Speaker 7 (14:37):
How could you.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Root against the forty nine ers when they come to Luminfield.
Speaker 7 (14:40):
It's not an absurd question to ask how much of
his heart is still with the forty nine ers and
he's going to own the Seahawks.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, a long time though. He'll be so Seahawkified. By
the time he owns the team, he'll be so seawki.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
How could you not though, I mean they just I mean,
he probably got a front row seat to them winning
the Super Bowl at Levi Stadium. That was interesting. I mean,
it's right in their backyard. They got to see the
Seahawks fandom.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
The twelve show up. How many?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I mean, I know it was a very There's always
celebrities and there's always fans from around the world.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But it's just interesting to me. But I voted curious.
I'm curious, Yeahurages, I just found it curious.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Curious was that by far they had the leader at
fifty nine percent. Jackson's was second nervous at twenty six percent.
That's not an insignificant number of people that are nervous
excited thirteen percent and only two percent of de press.
So I guess that's that's good. We'll talk out, we'll
ask what Greg Bell thinks he's coming up next. On
ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 8 (15:36):
Now back to Softie and Dick, brought to you by
Emerald Queen Casino, bringing you the best in live music, entertainment, dining,
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Speaker 1 (15:56):
Hey, welcome back Sports thirty on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Softian Dick about the soft one, but we've got a
massive upgrade with Alyssa Charleston in today until seven o'clock
to day. Speaking of upgrades, we go to the phone
and talk to our friend Greg Bell, who has pretty
much been on all day.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
But that's what happens on k j R.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Alissa, when when there's Seahawk news and I think an
ownership change might be considered major Seahawk news, we go
to our man Greg Bell from the Comen News Tribune
and our host on KJR.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
How are you man?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I'm well, sir, Lissa, Hello, Hello.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Hello Greg. Let's just talk about the is it?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Is it a fool's errand to even guess what the
next few years is going to look like with Vanodekosla
being the owner with his wife and his family being
the owner, or is there something we can read in
the tea leaves to indicate what type of ownership group
we're going to have here in Seattle.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Well, I think there's some suggestions. I mean, first of all,
it's become a parentic and Unlyssa that May and his
son about to three twenty one percent share of the
forty nine ers in the spring of twenty twenty five.
That was a ramp up to being able to do this.
And because when you buy even a minority and even
(17:12):
a three percent share of a sports franchise, you still
have to get approved by the league and the other
league owners. So Roger Goodell and the other NFL team
owners became familiar. But the Kozlas, through that process of
even buying just three percent of the forty nine ers, convercially,
they got familiar with the process of buying an NFL
franchise and what it takes, what the approvals processes, and
(17:34):
all of it. So that certainly helped. They weren't just
coming in blindly off the street in the NFL, and
Roger Goodell and the team owners didn't know who these
people were, they were already in the club, so to speak.
So that's one. Two because of how successful, wildly successful,
the Seahawks have been on and off the field in
the Pacific Northwest for pretty much the last twenty year.
(17:58):
I've really thirty years since Paul Allen bottom, let's face it,
and kept him here because they've been so successful. The
blueprints here and these people that are billionaires didn't get
billionaires because they're dumb. They can see how successful the
franchise has been on the field, obviously by just winning
a Super Bowl. Off the field, and wildly successful it
(18:19):
is across not just the Seattle area and western Washington,
but you can go to Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Oregon.
This is a regional success story out here, and so
they'd be crazy to mess with that, and I think
they're smart to realize that. So we can make some
pretty clear suppositions that one, the football operation is likely
(18:42):
to stay very much the same with John Schnett, the
most successful GM in sixteen years of doing it, him
and Jody Allen deciding to hire Mike McDonald, which was
a master stroke. We it's not like this is a
blank slate and everyone in Seattle has to hold their
breath and say, well, what are they going to do next?
Because there's a lot of a lot of reasons to
suggest they're not going to change the football operation, which
(19:02):
is what the fans care most about.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Greg, I'm curious just with this family.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
I mean, it's it's Vanad, it's Neru, who will be
his already his wife will be the controlling owner, that
was made clear. And then the son, Neil, I mean,
he was an intern for the forty nine ers football operations,
like he's got some football background. How much of this,
with Vanad and Neru being in their seventies, do you
think this leans toward the kids of this family in
(19:29):
the future.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
A lot of it. So that he's in his mid thirties,
he's been a season ticket holder with his dad since
he was five years old for the last twenty five
thirty years. They're seventy one years old. And you don't
spend nine point six billion dollars so on a short
term investment just going around a couple of years. This
is intended to be a generational holding that they have
(19:52):
in their family. The shortest of the three previous ownership
groups we all know was ten bearing and that was
nine years, and we know the reasons why it was
only nine years. He's threatened to move the team and
actually did move some of the team to southern California,
and then Paul Allen stepped in and saved them. So
nine years on the very short and under pressing and
extenuating circumstances, So we can't assume it's going to be
(20:15):
at least ten plus years. They're going to be eighty
one years old in ten years, so suffice to say
that the longer term outlook for the franchise is with
a thirty five or thirty four year old than for
the a seventy one year old.
Speaker 7 (20:27):
Right.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
The fact that he there's a list of mention he's
been in football operations and at least some capacity with
the forty nine ers certainly helps. But they didn't buy
this at their age and their accomplishments in life for
just them to ride out their sunsets. But they've got
a sun in place who could take it. Stewardship of
this of course the unknown, as we don't know what
(20:49):
that looks like. They've never owned a professional franchise, so
we don't know how he run it either. Again, the
blueprint is here, though not to mess with much of
the football operation.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Well, normally when there's an ownship change in the NFL,
all the number one priority is to fix the football team.
Well that's not a problem here. So what is the
number one priority for this ownership group in the near term?
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Continuity and keeping things pretty much as they have operated
so far. You're right, this is unprecedented for a Super
Bowl champion to sell within months of winning it all.
You think recent sale of the Washington Commanders and the
Upheople that the Daniel Snyder here was Dave Tepper taking
over the Fort Carolina Panthers also after being a minority investor,
(21:31):
and that franchises and flux so unusual, almost to the
point of unprecedented, not just in the NFL but in sports,
for a championship team to be on sale within weeks
of winning the title. So the continuity on the football
side is number one. Just I think some of the
statement that Theano Coesla made on Saturday online spoke to that,
(21:55):
saying that he wanted to continue the stewardship that Paul
Allen and his family have led to Seahawk switch, I
think spoke to the continuity piece of stems. I'm looking
for the other thing is Dick. The separator in NFL
ownership in terms of revenue comes in local revenue, and
that's mainly stadiums because the NFL, as we know, shares
(22:17):
all of its revenue, the big chunker revenue with the
national and international media rights and licensing. So the discriminators,
the separators of the haves that really have are in
local revenue, stadium revenue. Jerry Jones and Jerry's World in Hugington,
Texas being a time example of that. I could see
them perhaps upgrading Lumenfield, adding seats and mention just one
(22:41):
I showed it. It may bee perhaps filling in those
north downtown side end gaps corner gaps of the stadium
that they could put permanent seats in those and add
a couple thousand seats to the capacity and get it
above seventy thousand.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
We don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
I don't know if posting the Super Bowl as a
priority for the new ownership group, but that would help.
If it was about seventy thousand seating capacity, I would
bet that they're going to put in more lucrative and
added luxury seats. Maybe more field level seats like the
tunnel suites that they've put in recently for the higher
end ticket prices that could raise revenue even more. That's
(23:18):
probably the business side that fans will notice most. What
are they going to do to try to raise local
revenue beyond what the national sharing already is?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Greg the best advice I've been given when investing is
invest in something you have a ton of interest in.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
And obviously the cost Laft family likes the NFL.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
What do you make of just the fandom of the
forty nine ers that they clearly have, like there's no
denying it, thirty years of season ticket holding members as
season ticket holding membershich is, what do you make of
that dynamic in purchasing their arch rival? I mean I
saw a joke on Twitter that said the Seahawks. The
coast Laft family already owned three point whatever percent of
(23:59):
the forty nine ers. Now they all of them because
they purchased the Seahawks, which clearly have just won the
rivalry over and over again with the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
What do you make of that interesting dynamic?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
I mean it it is impossible to deny that, Like
they are clear forty nine ers fans were. You can't
just divest that fandom as much as you can divest
the ownership stake.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
It is definitely odd. And see Seahawks fans notice that
right away. In fact, the headline Saturday Afternoon, what forty
nine or minority owners by Seahawks. Yes, but let me
tell you. If the Silicon Valley was based in Federal Way,
they'd be Seahawks fans. If it was based in Charlotte,
they would be Panthers fans. The Silicon Valley where they've
(24:42):
made their money and become agnors Sun Microsystems co founder.
In the case of another COSLA, it's in the Silicon Valley,
and the team that is in the Bay areas in
the NFL is the San Francisco forty nine Ers. The
Raiders left, so the Niners are the only ones there.
They invested in season Tixo. It's twenty some years ago
because that's where they were in South Bay. I think
(25:05):
it's it's not like they moved from India and got
their five degrees from Stanford, because they would be forty
nine Ers fans right Stanford into Silicon Valley is next
to where the forty nine ers are, and so they
became forty nine Ers fans. I wouldn't read too much
more input than that, And I do think again that
they bought the minority stake three point one percent in
(25:27):
the spring of twenty twenty five, not because they want
to have forty nine er penets in the walls for
the rest of their lives, to be able to get
the entry into the league, to get into the club,
to set themselves up to make this purchase. Whatever team
had ended up being, the fact that ended up being
the forty nine ers chief rival that just won the
Super Bowl even better for them. As far as a
franchise valuation, there is no other team in the league
(25:50):
that would have pushed ten billion dollars at this time,
other than maybe the Cowboys selling and Jerry jamsl wasn't
going to do that.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Greg Bell joining us. Last couple of minutes, you mentioned
the minority ownership out of the forty nine Ers. How
about the minority ownership of the Seahawks. Do we have
any indication at all who's going to partner up with COSLA.
Speaker 5 (26:08):
It could be no, we don't. It could be anybody.
It could be someone with local ties, It could be
someone with more stewardship of professional sports franchises in their background.
We don't know that. We do know the NFL permits
them up to twenty five total owners. So there's three
principal owners in the Coslal family. They could have twenty
two as many as twenty two minority investors. They could
(26:29):
have private equity firms. As of a couple of years ago,
the NFL changed their rule. You can have about the
ten percent of franchise owned by private equity. But the
statement the NFL gave to teams, the memo they put
out Saturday, said there were several minority owners. Several doesn't
suggest twenty two. So you figure a handful more. Nine
(26:51):
point six billion dollars is nothing to sneeze at, though
vane Coozla himself is less made by forbesby worth thirteen
point seven billion, but you figure at that price tag
they're going to take on a few more minority owners
as well. Again, because of how successful the Seahawks have been,
I wouldn't expect fans, other than than learning their names
(27:11):
and having ever it be affected by minority owners of
the Seahawks in this situation, because of how swimmingly the
franchise is operating on and off the field. We'll say
it is a big unknown. It's this is a really
really unprecedented in many ways, including none of us knowing
really anything about the new owners from a different city
who have never owned, primarily owned a sports team before.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Greg excellent job is always all weekend long with the
stories and also on the air today.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Appreciate it, Thank you dig thank you list.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
Thanks Greg.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
You bet that's Greg mel Fun with Audio coming up
next on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 8 (27:49):
It's time for fun with Audio. Brought to you by
Emerald Queen Casino, bet watch and when at the EQUC
Sports Book. Visit Emerald Queen dot com for details. Emerald
Queen is you know, always entertaining, and by bloomlet Tree Experts,
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Contact one of their arborists today at two O six
(28:13):
five or bloom tree dot com. Now plun with audio.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Odd time for a little fun with audio audio.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Thanks to my friend KD at bloom a Tree for
bringing this to you on a daily basis. Now Alyssa,
it's a fun with audio as a matter of taste,
not everybody likes all the clips.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
But you know, for example, this this first one. Hey, listen,
did you hear that?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
There you go?
Speaker 8 (28:38):
Was it you did it?
Speaker 5 (28:39):
Yeah? There you go.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It's exactly that's exactly right. Hugh doesn't really like Frank
the Tank. I think he's very funny. Yeah, Jackson thinks
he's very funny. So we're not going to put him
on with you tomorrow. We're gonna put him on with
you today. New York Met's heading into the All Star
break on a three game losing streak. Everything swept by
the Red Sox, and as you would expect, Barstool Sports
resident Met fan, Frank the Tank is not happy.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
This team is a mother disgrace, a mother disgrace.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Game away, and it's always.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
The same with Lindor, It's always the same. It's always smiling,
playing red ass, pinging opposing game.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I am set up his pony.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
This is a joke.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
We got Devil Williams who just blows every game he sucks,
and are treating the worst players ever with seventy I
raise treating people aren't four hundred pounds.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Hey, Frank the body shading Frank just because you're not
four hundred pounds anymore. Frank doesn't mean because he's lost
like three fifty or something like, he was like over
and he was like over, well over five hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, I had no idea. And he does these walks.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Through New York. He's been doing it for two or
three years now. Yeah, daily, long, long, long walks. He
podcasts during his walk and stuff, and he's like down,
he's not like three hundred pounds.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely nuts.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
But he evidently he doesn't like drafting guys with seventy
RRAs and guys are four hundred pounds and the Mets
are doing both.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
That's his qualification.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
And he always gets after Lindor too, because he Lindor
always is like chummy chummy with the ass, chummy chummy
with the opposition.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
And in the infield, like you can't do that evidently.
So when you're here Mets fan, that's hilarious a right.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I mean, they do have the worst record in the
first half, and they're like, for thirty one years, they
haven't been this bad.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Imagine the first half in thirty one years.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Would imagine spending like two hundred million more than the
Mariners doing being that bad and more.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Than the Dodgers. I cannot raise. Yeah, hey, listen, did
you hear that? What's that?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
There you go? Yesterday at the Genesis Scottish Open, Rory
McElroy hit an awful second shot on the sixteenth hole
and then let his frustrations be known to everyone.
Speaker 8 (31:00):
And he's just no good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Oh my god, I'm super a golf I'll swoop you anytime.
A highly relatable sports that changes every day, oh one
of us?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Right, But yeah, Rory not bad at golf. I would
love to be as horrible as Rory McElroy is at
the game.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Give me that skill set every day.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
He's been fun and humble lately, like he's been more so,
like leaning into the personality lately and being more relatable.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
I just think that Masters win last year just lifted
everything off his shoulders. Yeah, pressure off, pressure, pressure off? Absolutely, Hey,
listen to you hear that?
Speaker 2 (31:38):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Tick Husky's head coach Jed Fish joined the Triple Option
podcast last week with Urban Meyer and mark Ingram to
shed more light on what happened in the Demand William's
situation where he nearly left the program.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Demand signed his contract to be a part of our
program for another, you know, year, and everything was great,
and then we all came back for our first team meeting.
And then when the team the ended, he called me
and he said, Coach, I think I think I need
to go. I need to go on the portal. And
I was like, what are you talking about?
Speaker 5 (32:08):
Man.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
What happened was a program told him they'll pay him
an extra two million dollars if he goes in the
port and the kid's nineteen years old. You know, we
were paying him a lot, but you add another two
million onto anything. He was like forced to put something
out there. And then we spent about twenty four to
thirty six hours going back and forth and talking about
(32:28):
this is the right place for you, and you know,
you have a contract and contracts mean something. And in
the end, you know, he came back two days later.
We didn't change anything. We didn't give him any more
money or anything like that. But what we did do
is we talked to him about what a great opportunity
it is to be a three year player in the
same program.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Let's hope he's a three year player. Let's hope he's
a four year player. He's still got lots of time left.
Speaker 7 (32:51):
Do you think.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
I mean, do you think there's an't many fans left
that are still angry at him? Or are they and
they're gonna jump on him at the first sign of
struggles for demand Williams' show.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
I think we'll find out in game one. But there's
too much time. I think too much time has passed
and he's here. He's been here through spring football like
it's it's been.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It was an issue. I feel like it's kind of over.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
I'm glad that Jed is at least giving more information
about it and confirming some information he's beholding some because
it doesn't have to go public with it, but it's
it doesn't I don't think he's going to be people's
favorite Husky quarterback unless they were to go do something
crazy exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
I think.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I think that's right. And the schedule brisk breaks out
so well for him, because he should just put up
video game numbers in September, Yeah, absolute video game numbers,
and then he'll be in the top seven or eight
in the Heisman list. He's already in some top ten, yeah,
in the Heisman list, so it's not a stretch to
say he'd be in the top seven or eight when
he's playing the teams that he's playing in September, and
(33:49):
then they continue in this The schedules, the Big Ten schedules.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Pretty soft through October too.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
It doesn't get the November until the you know what
hits the fan, and that's when all the Husky eyes,
all the klee are gonna be on the Mon Williams, Okay, bro, Yeah,
here's Oregon, here's Indiana.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
What do you got for me?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Because you haven't shown me anything against those type of
teams yet, So it's gonna be a really, really fascinating season.
We'll talk to Speaking of Husky quarterbacks, we'll talk to
a former Husky quarterback, humil In. It's more than four
Next right after the top of the hour Headlines on
ninety three point three k j FM
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
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