Play Nice The NM Devil's Chessboard Thread - Part II

[Dan]

The most expensive NFL team ever (which is the most expensive sport in the US) was a grand total of... $6.0 billion USD.

Only $38 billion less than Elon paid for Twitter.

Not exactly comparing apples and oranges there, mate.

You've given me 1 example...now ad up all the other multi billion dollar sport organisations in the world and you'll find that most of them have middle east money involved.

Hence the fingers'n'pies.

 

[Dan]

If you don't hate a convicted meth cook and proud bigot, then that says a lot about you.



Haven't posted about him in a long, long time. I'd say well over a year, at a guess. But sure.

Walter White was a North supporter....that's pretty cool.

I don't hate people I've never met.

 

[Chadwiko]

You've given me 1 example...now ad up all the other multi billion dollar sport organisations in the world and you'll find that most of them have middle east money involved.

Well... a few points;

1. There's very few genuine "billion dollar" sport franchises in the world.
   a) According to the always reliable Wikipedia, 40 of the top 49 most valuable sports franchises (ranging from 9.2 billion to 3.7 billion in value) are in the United States. I do not believe the types of "Middle East" owners you are referring to own any of these teams.
2. There's very very few "Middle East" owners of any billion dollar sports franchises anywhere. For example, of the 9 non-American top 49 most valuable franchises, soccer clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, aren't owned by such groups/individuals. As far as I can tell, the only clubs that fit that description are Man City and PSG.
3. If we're trying to make excuses for Elon by comparing him to... Middle East oil oligarchs... I don't think that makes the positive argument you think it does.

 

[Dan]

Well... a few points

1. There's very few genuine "billion dollar" sport franchises in the world.
   a) According to the always reliable Wikipedia, 40 of the top 49 most valuable sports franchises (ranging from 9.2 billion to 3.7 billion in value) are in the United States. I do not believe the types of "Middle East" owners you are referring to own any of these teams.
2. There's very very few "Middle East" owners of any billion dollar sports franchises anywhere. For example, of the 9 non-American top 49 most valuable franchises, soccer clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, aren't owned by such groups/individuals. As far as I can tell, the only clubs that fit that description are Man City and PSG.
3. If we're trying to make excuses for Elon by comparing him to... Middle East oil oligarchs... I don't think that makes the positive argument you think it does.

Owners, investors, share holders and that was just 1 example which i thought was efficient to the claim that uber rich people don't buy silly expensive things. I'm sure there are some that are very frugal with their wealth.

Each to their own.

 

[Dan]

Haven't posted about him in a long, long time. I'd say well over a year, at a guess. But sure.

BTW - Search history suggests otherwise.

Even noticed this

Teffy and Dan seething right now.

Out of curiosity.....what would I be seething about in a B'n'F count thread?

 

[ferball]

If you don't hate a convicted meth cook

He got busted and did his time. No reason to hate him for that after the fact.

and proud bigot, then that says a lot about you.

I think that (with space&time) pity and compassion are better responses to bigots.

Hate expresses itself as bigotry. If you hate someone for their bigotry you're on the same path they are. Frustrating and annoying as he was he was also talented and intelligent and had **** all in the way of deep self worth. If he'd been raised in an environment of care and compassion with the privileges some of us got he'd have done great things. We all lost out because that didn't happen.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Well... a few points;

1. There's very few genuine "billion dollar" sport franchises in the world.
   a) According to the always reliable Wikipedia, 40 of the top 49 most valuable sports franchises (ranging from 9.2 billion to 3.7 billion in value) are in the United States. I do not believe the types of "Middle East" owners you are referring to own any of these teams.
2. There's very very few "Middle East" owners of any billion dollar sports franchises anywhere. For example, of the 9 non-American top 49 most valuable franchises, soccer clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, aren't owned by such groups/individuals. As far as I can tell, the only clubs that fit that description are Man City and PSG.
3. If we're trying to make excuses for Elon by comparing him to... Middle East oil oligarchs... I don't think that makes the positive argument you think it does.

Middle Eastern Sportswashing is commonplace. From FIFA World Cups to F1 to Boxing, NBA, MLS, Tennis, AFL to the current Saudi Pro League, it is everywhere, either directly, through corruption or sponsorship.

Also, Man City are owned by CFG who are UAE. They have 13 clubs around the world. Thankfully the premier league and other leagues have introduced laws to slow down direct investment but haven't stopped it, as seen with the corrupt Newcastle takeover.

 

[Bojan KantKick]

 

[Bojan KantKick]

Democracy

 

[Dan]

If you like roasts….just have a gander at any of the videos on social media of Secret Service Director - Kimberly Cheatle being questioned by members of congress.

Very noncommittal. Makes me wonder if she’s hiding something or that the Trump rally was botched.

Had to happen.

I’m not a tin foil hat kinda guy but the way everything happened at that event. It’s possible that members of the secret service allowed what happened (Because some of them hate Trump)and we’ll act swiftly afterwards making it look like we responded accordingly.

If there’s any truth to ^that^ not only should more people lose their jobs but the likes of Kimberly Cheatle and others should be going to prison.

Make no mistake….there’s a difference between incompetence and deliberately doing nothing. Unfortunately the latter will be hard to prove.

 

[Chadwiko]

 

[The Warlord]

Every day there are Li battery fires in Australia and the use of those batteries will only increase.

They're everywhere.

The fires are sketchy cos they burn hot and generate their own O2. So cooling is the only effective form of extinguishment ... and they burn very hot. They also release some really toxic stuff. Particularly hydroflouric acid which an exposure nightmare. Bad burns mean amputation of the limb above the point where the bone is currently affected and it moves thru bone quickly..

So a small burn on your finger means you need to act quickly or you'll lose your whole hand or potentially your arm. Plus all the other effects of that particular type of poisoning on your heart, lungs and other organs from simple exposure to gas or smoke.

Jesus, yeah horrific.

The bit here about how they get left in the hallway to charge then block the exit.

‘Unexploded bombs’: call for action after 11 deaths in UK due to e-bike fires

Dangerous batteries and conversion kits still being sold online, new safety data reveals

www.theguardian.com

 

[The Warlord]

If as seems extremely likely Trump has a wigout and tried to ditch Vance, it'll get a whole lot worse.

The Silicon Valley types will hedge their bets and abandon him - those with any sense left, so maybe not Musk.

The majority of them just want his tax cuts and help with keeping China from competeing

 

[Chadwiko]

If as seems extremely likely Trump has a wigout and tried to ditch Vance, it'll get a whole lot worse.

Vance was a bad VP pick as soon as it was announced, and has only gotten worse since.

Who does he appeal to? Who does he help swing? What does he lend to the ticket?

Pence provided elder statesmen legitimacy and stability to the 2020 Trump ticket, and Biden did the same for Obama in 08/12. Harris provided more youthful and diverse energy to the Biden 2020 ticket.

Vance offers absolutely nothing, to anyone. Dumb politics.

 

[Chadwiko]

 

[Val Keating]

The same thing he gained from blowing his money on twitter.

In fact this stuff will drive activity on twitter so that failing business will benefit.

I don’t reckon he bought it to make money as a business, he bought it for influence, the same reason Bezos has the Washington post and other billionaires like Bloomberg have news outlets.

 

[Val Keating]

This shit is a prime example ffs. No, let's not have a big anti Semitic horrorshow led by some dickhead thug

He’s one of the people I had to mute because he’s clearly antisemitic.

 

[Chadwiko]

I don’t reckon he bought it to make money as a business, he bought it for influence, the same reason Bezos has the Washington post and other billionaires like Bloomberg have news outlets.

There's certainly an element of truth to this.

However, both Bloomberg and WaPo either make profits now, or have realistic pathways to profitability.

By buying Twitter at a ridiculously inflated purchase price of 44 billion USD, even if everything went perfectly there was never any realistic chance for Musk to recoup his investment.

And in regards to buying it for 'influence', he's botched that too. Twitter used to be the platform of choice for politicians, celebrities, and genuinely important people. But these types have since abandoned the platform in droves, and advertisers have as well.

 

[Val Keating]

There's certainly an element of truth to this.

However, both Bloomberg and WaPo either make profits now, or have realistic pathways to profitability.

By buying Twitter at a ridiculously inflated purchase price of 44 billion USD, even if everything went perfectly there was never any realistic chance for Musk to recoup his investment.

And in regards to buying it for 'influence', he's botched that too. Twitter used to be the platform of choice for politicians, celebrities, and genuinely important people. But these types have since abandoned the platform in droves, and advertisers have as well.

He didn’t buy it as an investment to be recouped. Even if he did spend a third of his wealth on it and loses it, and loses Tesla and was only left with $1 billion, his family would be wealthy for years, but I suppose he’s old money anyway so he’s family will be wealthy no matter what.

Putting a money figure on the value of Twitter is silly. It would have more influence than all the major news agencies combined.

 

[Val Keating]

I wonder if we should have a separate thread for the US election?

 

[ferball]

I wonder if we should have a separate thread for the US election?

Probably.

 

[Val Keating]

Probably.

I think so. It’s going to take over.

 

[Chadwiko]

I wonder if we should have a separate thread for the US election?

There's a main board thread that's useful if you want to contain it, but otherwise I think the Devils Chessboard thread is fine for USPol talk, especially given the current context of how the election will impact Ukraine/Gaza etc.

 

[Val Keating]

So while the thread is derailed. I’m going to post this. I have always suspected that Trump pinches his stuff from comics.

 

[Val Keating]

There's a main board thread that's useful if you want to contain it, but otherwise I think the Devils Chessboard thread is fine for USPol talk, especially given the current context of how the election will impact Ukraine/Gaza etc.

To a point, but it gets a bit over the top when we’re discussing things like the potential vice presidents etc.