Re: [Celtics' Stuff ] No tax for C's.-Herald

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 7/18/03 3:44:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time, JimMetz@xxxxxxx
writes:

> http://www.bostonherald.com/HiasysTools/PrinterFriendly.bg/
> www.bostonherald.com/sport/celtics/cnotes07182003.htm
>
>
> Sources: No luxury tax for Green
>
> Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett
> Friday, July 18, 2003
>
> Sources said yesterday the Celtics are one of 14 NBA teams below the 
> luxury tax level for this past season.
>
> That means the sad Celtics summer of 2002 never had to happen the way 
> it did.
>
> Expecting a luxury tax threshold of $50-51 million (it turned out to be 
> $52.9 million), then-owner Paul Gaston instructed the club to hold the 
> line on salaries.
>
> General manager Chris Wallace thus was prohibited from offering Rodney 
> Rogers more than the veteran minimum, despite the wishes of coach Jim 
> O'Brien to keep together the core of a team that went to the Eastern 
> Conference finals.
>
> Unable to keep Rogers, who ultimately went to the New Jersey Nets for a 
> portion of their mid-level exception, Wallace's choices were to do 
> nothing, trade for Austin Croshere or trade for Vin Baker.
>
> The rest is financial history.
>
> Had the Celts not acquired Baker and Shammond Williams for Kenny 
> Anderson, Vitaly Potapenko and Joseph Forte, Anderson's $9.185 million 
> would have come off the cap this summer (assuming the club chose not to 
> re-sign him).
>
> And while the club still would have been over the cap - Potapenko has 
> $5.72 million coming this season and $6.19 million the year after - the 
> financial constraints would be considerably less cumbersome.
>
> All of this shoots holes in the oft-stated theory that Gaston ordered 
> the Baker deal to make the team more sellable. - Bulpett




As I said a couple of days ago, not having to write a tax check to the league
as was widely anticipated (or should have been by the new ownership group) is
in essence "new found money".

And now getting some amount of tax rebate as part of the tax revenue
sharing/redistribution is definitely "new found money".

The new owners have absolutely NO grounds or basis to tell the fan base and
the media they don't have the money or resources to utilize the MLE and the
$1.5M exception. And they best do it immediately to strike while there are
some
quality players still available.

They raised ticket prices, they talk the talk about being committed to
bringing a championship to the city and organization; now it's time to walk
the
walk.            



CeltsSteve