There is some news. You might know who Tim Leiweke is, the fromer MLSE executive has been the CEO of Oak View Group for some time. He is a co-founder of the business that owns or manages a lot of arenas and event spaces all over North America. They also have an international division that builds or manages event spaces in many countries. This is a big-time organization, and they are connected to several NHL rinks. They are the company behind the Hamilton arena said to be the future home of the New York Islanders AHL team. They co-own the Islanders arena.

Well, that was until last night when Leiweke stepped down as CEO.

Former Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president Tim Leiweke indicted by DOJ | TSN
Former Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president Tim Leiweke was indicted by the United States Department of Justice Wednesday on charges of bid-rigging.
TSNTSN.ca Staff

This involves an old deal for the University of Texas. From Wikipedia:

In 2018, it was announced that OVG and the University of Texas at Austin (UT) had agreed to build a new $338 million arena for the Texas Longhorns men's and women's basketball programs to replace the Frank Erwin Center.[13] Under the agreement, UT has exclusive use of the arena for 60 days per year and receives all revenue from Longhorns games, while OVG and its partners Live Nation and C3 Presents have the right to hold events on the other days, receiving the bulk of the revenue from those dates.[14] The arena, ultimately named Moody Center, opened in April 2022.

The DOJ is alleging that OVG paid off a competitor with a promise of subcontracting to get them to not bid on the project.

From the TSN story:

Under a settlement, Oak View will pay a $15 million fine, while Legends will pay $1.5 million. Leiweke denies any wrongdoing.

Tim Leiweke to Step Down as OVG’s CEO After Being Criminally Indicted for Bid-Rigging
Tim Leiweke will step down as Oak View Group’s CEO after he was indicted for bid-rigging related to OVG’s contract to build Austin’s Moody Center.
BillboardDave Brooks
“I have agreed with our Board of Directors that now is the right time to implement the succession plan that was already underway and transition from my role as CEO,” Leiweke continued. “I will continue to serve on our Board of Directors in the role of Vice-Chairman and will remain a shareholder of OVG.”

To be clear, this is an indictment, not a court ruling, and OVG and Leiweke deny all wrongdoing.

By the way, here's an edifying read about the famous line:

The Judge Who Coined “Indict a Ham Sandwich” Was Himself Indicted
In the aftermath of a grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, commentators have noted that such an outcome is quite…
SlateJosh Levin

Sigh:

And that's Thursday.

(Blergh)

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