The San Diego Smash received its rollout to the public via a September post on Instagram. “INTRODUCING TEAM SAN DIEGO SMASH,” said the post.

U-T’s strange volleyball days

There was a time not long ago that the Union-Tribune was the mouthpiece for San Diego professional sports. In those old days, the paper hustled mightily for the Chargers, denying for two decades that the team and its billionaire Spanos family owners (of Stockton) were secretly planning to yank the team out of San Diego in favor of moving to a far more lucrative Los Angeles gig. Critics, including onetime city councilman Bruce Henderson, who dared speak the about the scheme were pilloried in cascades of the paper’s sports columns and editorials. Now comes the San Diego Smash, a pro volleyball team that has been linked to the head of the U-T’s latest owner, Florida-based vulture capital outfit Alden Global Capital. The Smash received its rollout to the public via a September post on Instagram. “INTRODUCING TEAM SAN DIEGO SMASH,” said the post. “Women’s Duo: Toni Rodriguez & Geena Urango Men’s Duo: Chase Budinger & Miles Evans. The San Diego Smash will make their debut on WEEK 1 at The UCLA Tennis Center on September 14th - 15th.” The newspaper puffery role was reserved for Alden’s LA Daily News, which introduced the new team to its readers on September 12, then reported on the Smash’s initial outing versus the newly formed LA Launch at UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center two days later. “The Launch and the Smash gave fans the first three-set match of the AVP league season. It didn’t disappoint as the teams were tied 14-14 in the third set, before Chase Budinger and Miles Evans were able to snag the victory for the Smash, relying on their experience to carry them through the final points.”

Bruce Henderson: pilloried for warning of coming Chargers exodus.

For some reason though, the news failed to make the U-T, which reported nothing about the team’s existence or successful up-the-road debut. Odder still, a full-page September 18 display ad touting an event that is set to be the Smash’s first San Diego appearance doesn’t mention the team at all. Rather, the copy touts something described only as “AVP LEAGUE WEEK 3, SEPT. 28– 29, VIEJAS ARENA, SAN DIEGO, CA,” without once using the word “volleyball.” Reads the ad’s headline: “AVP, SEE YOU ON THE SAND! “ Otherwise the U-T has maintained radio silence. What gives? It could have something to do with avoiding any embarrassing coverage of AVP, otherwise known as the Association of Volleyball Professionals, which has been owned by sports gambling giant Bally’s Corporation, which in 2021 acquired AVP as a way to grow its sports betting platform. But a shakeup could soon be in the works, with the July news of a proposed multi-billion-dollar takeover of Bally’s by global hedge fund Standard General. As a result, insiders speculate that Bally’s may be ready to dump its expansive portfolio of so-called interactive sports assets, including AVP, as is demanded by other hedge funds with holdings in the company.

Enter Alden’s honcho Heath Freeman, who in addition to being a widely vilified staff cutter at Alden’s chain of American newspapers, including the U-T, owns a Pro Bull Riding league team called the Florida Freedom, according to the PBR website. Since that acquisition, reported to have happened in December 2022, the U-T has been running full-color display ads for the PBR similar to those now appearing for the AVP. Freeman has been on a sports spending binge of late, with plans to start a BIG3 professional basketball team in Miami, Florida next year. “BIG3 is a 3-on-3 professional basketball league co-founded by producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz,” per a June 17 online news release by the Sidley law firm. “Freeman will take ownership for the 2025 season.” Continues the release: “He is also executive chairman of the AVP, the premier beach volleyball league in the world.”

Public employees pay for their higher pay

Campaign coffers for Measure E, San Diego mayoral Democrat Todd Gloria’s bid to kick up the city’s sales tax a point, continue to pour in from city hall special interests. Latest big givers include the Building Industry Association of San Diego County PAC, with $10,000 on September 16, and Manpower of San Diego, owned by water board chairman Mel Katz and partner Phil Blair, with $10,000 the same day. The Sycuan casino-and-downtown-hotel-owning tribe came up with $25,000 on September 12. The tribe’s Singing Hills Golf Resort gave $9500 on the same day, as did the Sycuan Tribal Development Corp. 

Mel Katz wants to raise your taxes.

Labor union AFSCME Local 127 Issues PAC gave $5000 September 11. A whopping $500,000 came September 16 from Save Neighborhood Services Now, a political action committee funded by the San Diego Municipal Employees Association, a public employees labor group expected by many to benefit from higher pay if the measure is approved...The Building Industry Association of San Dego County PAC came up with $151,000 for an independent campaign committee backing GOP ex-San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s challenge to incumbent Democratic county supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on September 17...San Diego city council Democrat Marni von Wilpert got $5000 on July 2 from trash service vendor Waste Management of Sun Valley for her favorite charity Equity California, per a July 16 disclosure filing with the city clerk’s office...Looks like Toni Atkins, the San Diego-based state Senate Democrat who is facing off against a formidable list of competitors to get elected as California governor in 2025, will get some big money help from a California construction union. On September 11, a new independent campaign committee calling itself Working Families Support Toni Atkins for Governor 2026, sponsored by Carpenters filed with the California Secretary of State’s office. Principal officer Pete Rodriguez of Los Angeles is Executive Secretary Treasurer/CEO of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters...On September 16, an outfit calling itself San Diegans for Fairness filed a disclosure report revealing it spent $22,000 on “Digital Ads” and $4944 for text messages boosting the reelection bid of San Diego city councilman Steve Whitburn. The money behind the group, per the disclosure, includes wealthy Todd Gloria aide and real estate mogul Steve Cushman ($10,000) on August 24, Sycuan Citizens for Good Government ($5000) on August 4, along with $25,000 from the Downtown Partnership PAC on September 10.

— Matt Potter

(@sdmattpotter)

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