Smoking a Cuban: Examining a Potential Change in L.A. Dodgers Ownership

It would have been nice to be the first to report this idea, but they're the LA Times, so whattaya gonna do?

Still, it's nice to examine the possibility, as there are chances The Los Angeles Dodgers and their legion of loyal fans could see the team come under new ownership by a man determined to be a champion.

Looking at the dollar figure Mark Cuban put on the auction table, a cool $598 million (Yes, that's 598 followed by six zeros), Dodgers fans have confidence Cuban has the cash.

That's currently concern No. 1 for the Dodgers organization, as it appears their allowance is tied up in deciding who gets the frequent flyer miles.

In addition to recent reports of how much money Cuban is willing to invest to own an MLB team, there have been reports that the judge hearing Frank and Jamie McCourt's case may force Frank to sell the team if they can't settle their squabble soon.

Thus far, putting the Boys in Blue up for sale seems more and more like a feasible situation.

Other reports have leaked information on the McCourts' spending habits, including therapy sessions and lavish vacations spent apart. The McCourts have even employed a kind of palm reader in efforts to reconcile their differences.  

If Cuban were to enter into the bidding for the Dodgers, it would be the third team in Major League Baseball he has tried to snag.

The tenacious owner of the Dallas Mavericks first tried to buy The Chicago Cubs, but the Ricketts family beat him to the punch.

Recently, it was The Texas Rangers that caught Cuban's eye, and this time he even put in a higher bid, but was foiled by former Ranger Nolan Ryan and business partner Chuck Greenberg.

However, Cuban didn't seem at all distraught about losing out again, which may indicate his plans to keep trying as long as the fish stays on the hook.

Cuban would bring a fiery, winning attitude to Los Angeles, along with guaranteed financial stability, free from drama and angry estranged wives attempting to take him for all he's worth.

Having come in second place for the Rangers, it would appear Cuban no longer has fierce competition. 

So now Dodgers fans play the waiting game while being tortured by one shutout loss after another. General manager Ned Colletti saw his allowance cut significantly, but did what he could before the deadline. The Dodgers remain without a power bat in the lineup, and no money or trade bait to work with.

The certainty: Things won't get better any time soon, but the oasis of a championship run may be a shorter trek across the desert if the Dodgers receive an owner like Mark Cuban.