Karen Davidson putting the Pistons up for sale? (confirmed)

[Kstat]

Illitch seems to hate the Pistons. He'd only buy them to move them out of the state and get more local revenue for the Wings.

I remember when the Wings and Pistons were both making playoff runs in 2002-2003, the Palace would give score updates during Pistons games and have the Wings games on the various local TVs. Meanwhile, Joe Louis refused to even give jumbo-tron updates until enough negative press was made on the issue that they gave in.

Illitch has mostly seen the Pistons and the NBA as competition and a hindrance to him making money and growing his team. I think he'd see the Pistons fold as a franchise than buy them.

[WTFchris]

Yeah, they compete with each other for audiences to a large degree (people buying tickets and in many cases TV viewing).

[Pharaoh]

But IF he owned them both then all the money would go to the same place - his fucking pocket.

But if he does view the Pistons as the "lesser" franchise in his portfolio then we'd be the Eastern Conference Clippers.

Why would he spend more than he has to on his secondary team?

[Glenn]

You can't own two NBA teams.

[Fool]

The Wings play hockey.

[Uncle Mxy]

This may not be entirely on Karen Davidson. I highighted the important bits:

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012...d-for-donation

The late Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson helped create the Jewish charity Areivim -- a term that means "those who are responsible." In 2006, each of the dozen or so founders pledged to contribute $5 million each to promote Jewish living.

But Davidson died after contributing only $200,000, and now the charity, based in New York, is seeking the rest in a lawsuit filed in Oakland County Probate court. Named in the suit are representatives of the estate who are refusing to pay the charity the remaining $4,800,000 owed.

Bloomfield Hills attorney Henry Baskin, who filed the suit in December on behalf of the charity, and Davidson's widow Karen Davidson, who wants the charity paid, said Davidson was deeply committed to Areivim, which planned to fund, among other things, charter schools in Brooklyn.

"Bill Davidson would honor this clearly unequivocal commitment," Karen Davidson said in a statement. "He was a man of his word."

Two representatives of the estate named as defendants in the suit, Jonathan Aaron and Eric Garber, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But according to their response filed last week, they notified the charity that "your claim is disallowed as there is not supporting documentation to establish the claim." They also pointed out that, according to charity records, the "pledges would not be final until" 20 families had committed to the charity. The representatives estimated that there are currently only 13.

What's been unmentioned in most of the reports is that John Aaron is Bill Davidson's son-in-law (from a daughter by prior marriage) . Going through some of the legal filings, it appears that Aaron is the lead-dog in the trust, and he's a President/heir apparent at Guardian Glass.

I think it's telling that Feldman sold his share of the Pistons months ago. No one mentioned that little tidbit until now, AFAICT.

[Vinny]

Who is Feldman?

[Uncle Mxy]

Davidson's best bud. He'd been a minority owner of the Pistons since 1974. At one point, he was even GM.

[Glenn]

The Wings play hockey.

lol, for some silly reason I thought P was suggesting that Gilbert might own both the Pistons and the Cavs in post #23, my bad.

Also, at least one of those 2 Crain's links that I posted had more info on Feldman and the current PS&E shareholders.

[MikeMyers]

I would not be surprised if someone like Tom Wilson gets a group of investors to buy the complex. He knows more about the operation than anyone out there.