Desperately Seeking ‘Silent Stan’
ByEven though I often complain about some of the uses of our controversial ‘licence fee’ to the BBC, I took a more open minded approach about the fishing expedition that BBC radio 5 were carrying out in Denver. Maybe I’m just used to anti-Arsenal journalism at every available opportunity, and I hoped that whatever Brian Alexander fished out of Denver would highlight some new info about the ever elusive Stan Kroenke.
Based on the promotional headlines, an assumption I made is that after spending all that money sending a crew to Colorado, the least they’ll achieve is manage a cup of tea and a sound bite with Stan the man. But I should have known better I guess, and I only had myself to blame for expecting too much.
You can listen again to the In search of ‘Silent Stan’ documentary by Brian Alexander. It’s a 30 minute piece with some preamble and network news up front and the piece starts about 4 minutes in.
I didn’t learn anything new except for the fact that Stan can’t see the Emirates stadium from his high flying penthouse at the Pepsi Centre in Denver where the Nuggets and Avalanche play – but I guess that’s neither here nor there. I suppose it was useful information to those who had no clue about KSE and their collection of sports franchises. Speculation of course has hit fever pitch in the UK about an imminent takeover of the club by the American billionaire – but let’s face it, none of us have a clue what the dude wants to do and it’ll stay like that.
Kroenke didn’t walk into the world of billionaires barefoot from the central reservation, this is a dude who is used to playing his cards quite close to his chest, some would hazard a guess that he prefers to play them from inside his chest. Trying to figure him out at this stage is an exercise in futility.
What caught my attention though was Brian Alexander’s masked attempt to look for a negative aspect on Kroenke to report on, or more interestingly, start a rumour or seedy story on. There were times he came with an edge in trying to seek out that negativity, but it was clear that those he interviewed had mortgages to pay and kids to feed and they were unlikely to commit professional suicide by unleashing any dark side of Kroenke that is perceived to exist. Nice guys don’t usually make good copy.
Credit to Stan for side stepping this expedition as I suspect anything he says will be chopped up left right and centre and interpreted by any hack or pundit to suit what they want. It doesn’t even matter that Kroenke has an obligation to conduct himself with integrity at a delicate time where a takeover could be an option though not necessarily one he would take.
You can just imagine the question from the journalist: “Mr. Kroenke, can you confirm or deny here and now whether you will take over Arsenal? The Arsenal fans deserve to know what is happening to their club?”
Somehow I don’t think Kroenke is a mug to answer such a question and the endless speculation about his intentions will do just fine. The media would have a better bet going down to Thames House and making a freedom of information request from MI5 to release ’Silent Stan’s’ File from the archives in the basement if they want to find anything seedy to use as fodder for a story to unsettle the Arsenal.
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Tue 13th September 2011; 19:45, Dortmund
Nothing to take too much offence with.
They were certainly looking for negativity, as the BBC seems to do to all topics whether it be Afghanistan, the economy or Arsenal.
The overall feel, they tried to give, was that the Kroenke takeover was a certainty & that we can look forward to Hick & Glazier style financing. I don’t think anyone outside the Arsenal board or Kroenke’s close associates know anything for sure. The comforting (??) thing, that was not stressed on this programme, is that he does appear to be working very closely with the current board with PHW & DF both selling shares to him.
Thank god they didn’t send that imbecile Richardson, who will continuously ask,in many forms, leading questions that no sane person could answer.
Overall it told us nothing we didn’t already know & wasn’t worth Mr Alexander’s fee & expenses.
If Kroenke takes over, it would not be what I would want, but there have been sea changes in our game, especially over the last 10-20 years, that you just get on with it.
Usmanov would be a totally different situation altogether but again I suppose you have to “suck it & see” before making any decisions.
Anyone who expects Stan to come out in public and just state in answer to any hacks questions that he intends to take Arsenal over, or not, is basically a dunce.