Two former teammates will now be competing to buy a piece of the team for which they played.
Sportico reports that Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan plans to make a bid for the 10-percent stake that the Giants are looking to sell. Strahan will partner with billionaire Marc Lasry in the effort to come up with the $750 million (or more) needed to buy one tenth of the team.
Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who inevitably will join Strahan in Canton, has a separate bid in the works. He reportedly had “preliminary conversations” about joining Strahan’s group, but Eli ultimately decided to go it alone.
The Strahan-Lasry combo is the latest example of the newest dynamic when it comes to minority NFL ownership, sparked by the ever-skyrocket value of teams. A rich guy with significant name recognition in league circles combines with a really rich guy with no existing pro football footprint to come up with the cash necessary to do the deal.
Presumably, the Giants are looking for market value for the interest they’re selling. Raiders owner Mark Davis opted to give Tom Brady a steep discount for the value of his involvement in football operations. Most owners won’t leave that many millions on the table, when they can hire proven football executives for far, far less than that. Especially not for a player who never played for the team.
In New York, where both Strahan and Manning have their numbers retired (unless and until the Giants draft a player who asks to wear it), the Giants likely won’t be retiring the age-old habit of seeking the best deal possible for what they are selling.
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