You're one heartbeat away from being head owner of the most storied franchise in sports history ... the New York Yankees.
A team whose estimated net worth is over 1 billion dollars ....
and all you have to do ...
is keep the Boss' daughter happy and you BLOW IT????????
Divorce filing clouds Steinbrenner son-in-law's business dealings
March 29, 2007
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- George Steinbrenner's daughter is asking a divorce court judge to separate her interests in the family's business empire from her estranged husband, who until their Valentine's Day breakup seemed on track to take charge of the New York Yankees.
Divorce papers filed by Jennifer Lynn Steinbrenner Swindal in Hillsborough County Circuit Court this week also caused concern about Steve Swindal's group bid to operate thoroughbred racing in New York, which relies heavily on the Yankees' championship cache.
"I'm not commenting on anything," said Swindal, who was at Legends Field on Thursday.
James Hisiger, spokesman for Swindal's bidding group, Excelsior Racing Associates, also wouldn't comment on whether the split would affect their bid. The group's ads, which included images of the Yankees and Excelsior, said it would continue the Yankees' tradition of winning if it won the franchise to operate the Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks.
Swindal currently is a Yankees general partner and chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises LLC. Steinbrenner spokesman Howard Rubenstein said Thursday the Yankees had no additional comment on Swindal's standing. "Don't presume anything," Rubenstein said.
"I have no intention of retiring, and my family runs the Yankees with me," Steinbrenner said in a Wednesday statement that seemed to cast doubt on Swindal's future.
In June 2005, Steinbrenner said Swindal eventually would succeed him as head of the Yankees.
In Tuesday's divorce filing, Jennifer Swindal asks to keep the couple's $2.3 million home in Tampa's upscale Davis Island neighborhood. She asked for detailed records of her husband's finances but requested her own parts of the Steinbrenner empire "be protected and set aside."
Her attorney, Ann Loughridge Kerr, did not immediately return phone calls Thursday.
The divorce papers said the Swindal's marriage of 23 years is "irretrievably broken."
The couple, who have two grown children, separated on Feb. 14.
The 52-year-old was arrested by St. Petersburg police early on Feb. 15 and charged with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor. Police said he was weaving and driving 61 mph in a 35 mph zone when he was pulled over.
Swindal pleaded not guilty, and a pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 5.
On April 10-11, Swindal's Excelsior Racing Associates and other groups will present their proposals to run New York's thoroughbred racing operations at a public hearing.
A state committee charged with assessing franchise proposals has recommended Excelsior, which is also headed by casino developer Richard Fields. But Gov. Eliot Spitzer has said he will review all proposals before a franchise is awarded.
The field now includes: Empire Racing; a Saratoga Springs group that includes Churchill Downs of Louisville, Ky.; the New York Racing Association, holder of the franchise since 1955; Excelsior Racing Associates; and Capital Play, an Australian consortium now based in New York City. The next franchise holder could run New York racing for up to 20 years.
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