By Scott Myers, Contributor On July 15, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, by a vote of 6 to 1, approved a proposal from the Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) to spend $10.4 million of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act money to implement Corona Virus safety …
By Jim Bleyer Would you reward an employee whose ineptitude cost you well over $100 million? Of course you wouldn’t but that’s precisely what Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik did when he extended coach Jon Cooper’s contract last March. Cooper’s contract with the Lightning was set to …
By Jim Bleyer It may be the prohibitive favorite (again) to win professional hockey’s coveted Stanley Cup but the 2019-20 edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning are set up for more failure and heartbreak when its season kicks off Thursday. Thanks to former General Manager Steve Yzerman, …
By Jim Bleyer Former hedge fund manager turned sports franchise owner Jeff Vinik continues to ply his trade in stocks: laughing ones. Vinik’s Tampa Bay Lightning, overwhelming 9-5 favorites at the outset of the recently-concluded National Hockey League playoffs, continue to be the butt of standup jokes and …
By Jim Bleyer The Florida Department of State has notified Jeff Vinik that his corporation, Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC, may be in non-compliance with state statutes and, therefore, subject to fines. The company has been doing business in Florida since 2010 but never registered as a …
By Jim Bleyer Jeff Vinik selling the Tampa Bay Lightning would never enter the mind of most local hockey fans but the idea is not at all far-fetched. In fact, over the next 15 months it is rated a 50-50 proposition to those paying close attention to the machinations …
By Jim Bleyer A class action lawsuit has been filed against Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment that could conservatively could cost the Jeff Vinik-led company $300 million. The legal action alleges TBSE, owner of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Litigation …
By Tom Rask, from the Tampa Bay Guardian Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik has violated Florida law every year since he purchased the team by not registering the out-of-state corporation that owns the team with the State of Florida. In doing so, Vinik has avoided paying annual fees …
By Jim Bleyer Jeff Vinik, through Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC, owns the major interest in the Tampa Bay Times, according to corporate records obtained by Tampa Bay Beat from Bloomberg, the world’s primary distributor of financial data. It accounts for the Times’ sheer, unfettered promotion …
By Jim Bleyer Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik doubled down on retaining Jon Cooper, his underachieving head coach. The former hedge fund manager and would-be developer supported Cooper in the wake of the most historic collapse in the history of North American professional sports. The Lightning, …
