The official Why I like Mark Attanasio thread

[brewizard]

I like Attanasio for many many reasons. But I noticed that he is the kind of guy who wears his nametag around his neck even when he owns the team! As a team owner, he could terrorize any employee who fails to recognize him and prevents him from wandering where he will. But he doesn't do that. http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/brew/img/feb08/mark0223.jpg Why do you like Mark Attanasio?

 

 

(added tag --1992)

[TheBwaz]

I like Mark because he sits in the stands a lot, talks to the fans in the concourse, and really seems to love the team.

 

And for you soccer folks, does he look a lot like England Manager Fabio Capello or what?

[bullox]

I think he's a great owner because he is genuinely a fan first, and doesn't let his ego get in the way of his subordinates. This much can't be said for the owner of the other major sports team in town, and we all see how well that is working out.

 

In addition, he recognizes that sometimes money needs to be spent to upgrade your team. Sometimes being key here. He won't spend frivolously just to spend, and that is a great example of how a small market team should be run.

 

Thank you Mr. Attanasio for buying the Milwaukee Brewers. You have made baseball fun again for the fans.

[splitterpfj]

I like him because he openly states that he's ready to pay his players as they work into and out of the arbitration process. He's a man who understands how money works, and isn't trying to keep all of it for himself while crying poor.

[twobrewers]

While dealing with Selig for the Brewers and Kohl for the Bucks...

 

I honestly didn't know any owner could be this great.

 

He is a really straight shooter. And while he is dedicated to winning, he has been 100% focused on providing a great product. (The marketing, game day promotions, and extra events like the arctic tail gate have been great)

 

But he also is very nice. My brother saw him at spring training last year and he sat and talked to him for a few minutes. Definitely a man of the people.

[Bert55]

What I like about the Attanasio's is that Marks' dad belts out the national anthem and Debbie sits next to Mark living on every pitch. How the heck did Milwaukee ever get this lucky? the Selig's picked the right family.

 

This Bud's for you

[GenoSeligPrieb]

Believe it or not, I'll stick to the theme of this thread, and keep it positive, because except for Mark's illogical, unwavering support for Ned, he's done what I've been bit...beefing about in Brewer forums since the 90's. He has invested in the on-field product at the major league level.

 

For decades, we as fans were doomed to failure by an ownership group pocked by nepotism, ineptitude, and of course, rampant cheapness. The on-field product was assigned the lowest priority as long as enough customers kept spinning the turnstiles enough to show a decent profit. And to be fair, yes, Mark has raised ticket prices, but it's not as big an imposition on fans when Mark has invested in good players.

 

However, another thought I've expressed in the past, returned to mind when I read the comments above.

 

Were Brewer fans so beaten down by Wendy's excuses for playing it on-the-cheap, and perhaps conditioned to expect failure by arguably the worst ownership group in the 4 professional sports, that by comparison, Mark is perceived to be that much greater?

 

Maybe a little. Because migod, it was as if Brewer fans were crawling through the desert, gasping for any kind of hydration, and at that point, even a bottle of Kefir would satisfy your thirst.

 

But still, again, Mark has done pretty much what I was clamoring for from the Seligs, for decades, and never got. And now that Mark has invested in talent, the team is experiencing a renaissance. One that was never possible as long as retiring debt, which is of course owner-speak for 'pocketing the profits', came first.

[logan82]

I like how he came in and didn't change anything except payroll. The Brewers were already headed in the right direction and he just enabled Melvin to continue building up the team.

[RickieDROPSbombs]

Mark Attanasio for President.

[bigredrobbo]

Not all of us on this board grew up ingrained in the ways of the Crew and bleeding Brewer Blue - yet are no less passionate about the team.

 

Mark A admits he will always have the Yankees as his upbringing and that which fired his love for the game. However, I never doubt for a second that he cares just as much as any tailgating, Yost-baiting, Sheff-hating Brewerfan. I'm just so thankful we have him, and not, oh,I don't know, Angelos!

[sbrylski]

I like Mark because he's a genuine fan. It seems that he is a businessman for a living, but the Milwaukee Brewers in some respects are not his job, its his hobby. He works hard so he can "play" with his team and spend money on it. Definitely a fan-friendly attitude.

[mothershipconnection]

I always remember the rumors surrounding the sale of the team and how we almost unanimously favored Gilbert over Attanasio. There's a little egg on our collective faces now.

[pitchleague]

was Gilbert the guy who own Quicken or Quickbooks or something?

[mothershipconnection]

Yeah, the Quicken Loans guy.

[TooLiveBrew]

But I noticed that he is the kind of guy who wears his nametag
around his neck even when he owns the team!

As a team owner, he could terrorize any employee who fails to recognize
him and prevents him from wandering where he will. But he doesn't do that.

 

Great point, brewizard! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif Gotta love the guy for that.

 

 

Apologies if this has been posted already... from the Brewers' website:

 

Attanasio sees good things on horizon

 

 

"Then I just [told them] that I always dreamed of owning a baseball team, and then, when I owned a baseball team, I always dreamed of this day," Attanasio said. "Spring Training is always great and full of hope, but we've got the team to this point ... where we've got fans lining up [for tickets]. We were on CNN today because we had fans lining up in zero degree temperatures, camping out since Tuesday. We have a huge amount of emotion in the community. And we have a team that's really good. That's what I always dreamed of happening."

 

It's pretty much been a best-case scenario for all parties since Mark's group took over the Brewers. Don't know if I can come up with a better reason than that!

[saget]

"One of those players is slugger Prince Fielder, whom Attanasio said would be paid whatever it takes to keep him ... I'm rooting for Prince to hit 60 home runs this year," said Attanasio, who gave his annual "state of the team" address to players before the first official full-squad workout at Maryvale Baseball Park.

"We'll figure out a way to pay him."

 

Him saying that about Prince made me go into love-mode.

[olsonnet]

That quote about Prince was referring to his arbitration cost, not so much a new deal. Of course they will find a way to pay him for that year. Not really a surprising thing for him to say.

[BrewCrewForever]

Simply he is a fan and wants to win, and is willing to open his pocket book to do that. Something the Selig's didn't do for years here. Also the fact that he sits in the stands with us the fans and always signs autographs after the games is very nice.

[JJHardy7]

I don't really buy the whole Mark A is a fan first thing. A lot of us are fans, but how much money would we put in the team?

 

I think Mark A is first of all a business guy. He didn't become rich by being an idiot when it comes to making money. He may like baseball, but lots of rich people like things and don't buy a team. I like Mark A because he knows what it takes to run a business -- every sport in every major league is a business -- not a sport. The Brewers made money last year by winning and I'm sure Mark A has his people and his own charts estimating winning vs. total revenue. He isn't in this to lose money. Milwaukee showed last year that if the team is winning they'll sell out games and Mark A knows that. He wants to get to the playoffs because that's more $$$ and there's nothing wrong with having that mind set. Mark A wants to make MORE money and not just cut payroll (i.e. Marlins) and take a small profit.

 

Mark A. is a smart guy and I'm so happy he bought the Brewers. I hope that Brewers fans can show enough support to prove his investments were worth while. It took a lot of guts on his end to buy this team...does Mark A. know any rich friends who want to go into the basketball business?

[bullox]

That quote about Prince was referring to his arbitration cost, not so much a new deal. Of course they will find a way to pay him for that year. Not really a surprising thing for him to say.

Do you have inside info or is that just speculation? It's been documented that ownership is looking in to buying out years of arbitration and free agency for some of the young guns.

 

[bullox]

I don't really buy the whole Mark A is a fan first thing.

 

He may like baseball, but lots of rich people like things and don't buy a team.

Those sentiments are somewhat contradictory.

 

[JJHardy7]

Those sentiments are somewhat contradictory.

 

How? There are lots of rich people who are fans of lots of things -- does this mean they buy them? I like lots of things, but I'm not going to drop a ton of money on something if it doesn't make sense. The entire fan thing could be an entire show -- and to be honest I don't care if it is. Every one of us likes things, but are we going to put our money into something just because we are a fan? That's my entire point. If someone likes where they work, does that make them a fan of it? This is an investment/job/business for Mark A. and he likes doing business. I could care less about him being a "fan" first. It's easy to be a genuine fan of something when you're making money. I'd be a fan of anything like that -- and that's my entire point.

[bullox]

Is there exclusivity in being a fan of something and making money from it?

[JJHardy7]

Is there exclusivity in being a fan of something and making money from it?

 

I'm a fan of making money in whatever I choose. My point is that Mark A. isn't a great owner because he's a baseball fan.

[danzig6767]

I like that he's not one of those owners who buys a sports franchise and then treats it like his own fantasy team. I'm sure he's involved in some decisions, but he's not a Herb Kohl type of owner where the GM has that title in name only. Attanasio lets Melvin do the job he was hired for, make the roster better instead of having Melvin run each move he wants to make through a few of Mark's cronies for their approval first.