Business of Sports: Lakers' Jerry Buss is open to trading Kobe?

Sheldon Liber — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Deals, Rumors, Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Business of Sports, Headline News

Lakers owner Jerry Buss told reporters Thursday that he would consider trading Kobe Bryant and said he must behave in a business-like manner. To Buss, this means being open to all offers and considering anything where he thought he could get equal value - Yeah right!

I'm sure previous owner Jack Kent Cooke was all ears when Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor played out their careers on the Lakers. After Kent Cooke (also an astute business man) did his listening, he also probably laughed so uncontrollably he was not in a condition to answer the owner or general manager that was speaking to him.

Dr. Buss must be consulting with the very young ladies he has been dating, because it is beyond my imagination that trading Kobe is still being discussed. Besides, what equal value (LeBron? Duncan?) could he be talking about?

Players would think twice about joining a mediocre team with a disintegrating management team that let go of Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Derrick Fisher (now back), and traded Caron Butler for disappointing, disappearing center Kwame Brown.

When Jerry West was our GM, you had players that took less pay to come to the southland. Shaquille was right, this owner has lost his touch. Not only would it be silly to trade Kobe for three other players, but I would do the reverse. I actually would trade four for one: our front office, Mr. Buss and kids, plus Mitch Kupchak, to get Jerry West back.

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Business of Sports: Lakers' Jerry Buss is open to trading Kobe? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Home Depot needs schooling -- not summer vacation

Sheldon Liber — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Management, Consumer Experience, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Home Depot (HD), Employees, Columns, Lowe's Cos (LOW), ETF Investing

For the past few weeks I have been targeting The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) with a broad critique that has been echoed by the voices of frustrated readers, investors, customers and former customers. When it comes to analyzing the company's problems, Home Depot customers and employees have plenty to say! They are screaming in anger, offering opinions of the company that are very very low. Lowe's, on the other hand, has received more favorable treatment but has not gone totally unscathed either

Bob Nardelli, the ultra-arrogant ex-CEO has been criticized for a lot of what ails the company. Employees have occasionally felt that some customers are impatient, irrational, and in a few cases dishonest. We heard that stores are dirty, poorly stocked, and not organized as well as Lowe's Cos Inc (NYSE: LOW), which has much newer stores. Complaints also emphasized Home Depot's failure to make delivery commitments on contracts in a timely fashion or not at all. Customers complained often of poor service from undertrained, inexperienced, uncaring employees.

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Home Depot needs schooling -- not summer vacation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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