Latest news with #MapleLeafSports
National Post
a day ago
- Business
- National Post
Raptors stay in house, choose Bobby Webster as new president
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment did its legwork before coming around to what was the obvious decision from the beginning: Bobby Webster was the man for the job. Article content And so the long-time Toronto Raptors general manager, who was the first hire, albeit in a lesser role, by Masai Ujiri back in 2013, will take over as president for Ujiri, who was fired by the club in late-June with a year remaining on his contract. Article content Article content Article content The move came Monday, six weeks ahead of the start of training camp. Article content Webster, the 41-year-old Hawaii native who spent years working in the NBA's head office and also interned for the Orlando Magic before joining the Raptors, is extremely well-regarded around the Association. It would have made little sense to hire someone above him given his varied skillset and strong reputation as a basketball mind and dealmaker. Article content Still, MLSE president Keith Pelley had said at a media conference just after Ujiri's departure was announced that CAA had been hired to conduct a search and that while Webster would be considered for the job, the Raptors would be looking for a president who 'will need to be a prominent, successful business leader.' Article content That person, Pelley admitted, would have 'big shoes to fill' given Ujiri's achievements in Toronto. That said, Webster was a major contributor to those feats too, most notably the 2019 NBA title, which was driven by Kawhi Leonard. Webster played a massive role in getting the Leonard trade done with San Antonio, in fact leading those talks. He also, as a salary cap expert given he actually helped write a previous version of the collective bargaining agreement while working in New York, was heavily involved in strategic decisions over the years. Article content Toronto has won 341 games since Webster became GM, ninth-most in the NBA, including franchise-record 59 and 58 win campaigns, along with the championship. Article content
National Post
a day ago
- Business
- National Post
Raptors stay in house, choose Bobby Webster as new team boss
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment did its legwork before coming around to what was the obvious decision from the beginning: Bobby Webster was the man for the job. Article content And so the long-time Toronto Raptors general manager, who was the first hire, albeit in a lesser role, by Masai Ujiri back in 2013, will take over as head of basketball operations for Ujiri, who was fired as president by the club in late-June with a year remaining on his contract. Article content Article content Article content The move came Monday, six weeks ahead of the start of training camp. ESPN reported while Webster would be the head man, he would retain his general manager title. Article content Webster, the 41-year-old Hawaii native who spent years working in the NBA's head office and also interned for the Orlando Magic before joining the Raptors, is extremely well-regarded around the Association. It would have made little sense to hire someone above him given his varied skillset and strong reputation as a basketball mind and dealmaker. Article content Still, MLSE president Keith Pelley had said at a media conference just after Ujiri's departure was announced that CAA had been hired to conduct a search and that while Webster would be considered for the job, the Raptors would be looking for a president who 'will need to be a prominent, successful business leader.' Article content That person, Pelley admitted, would have 'big shoes to fill' given Ujiri's achievements in Toronto. That said, Webster was a major contributor to those feats too, most notably the 2019 NBA title, which was driven by Kawhi Leonard. Webster played a massive role in getting the Leonard trade done with San Antonio, in fact leading those talks. He also, as a salary cap expert given he actually helped write a previous version of the collective bargaining agreement while working in New York, was heavily involved in strategic decisions over the years. Article content Toronto has won 341 games since Webster became GM, ninth-most in the NBA, including franchise-record 59 and 58 win campaigns, along with the championship. Article content
CBC
09-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ex-MLSE boss Tim Leiweke indicted in U.S. arena bid-rigging scheme
Former chief executive officer and president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Tim Leiweke has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas. Leiweke, the co-founder of sports and real estate company Oak View Group (OVG), is charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1-million US fine. According to the DOJ, Leiweke told colleagues a rival company was "bidding against us" and expressed a desire to "get them to back down" — a goal he later achieved through a 2018 agreement under which the competitor didn't submit a bid and instead received subcontracts, leaving OVG as the lone qualified bidder. None of the allegations have been proven in court. OVG and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million in penalties, respectively, related to the conduct outlined in the indictment. In a statement that did not mention Leiweke, OVG said it "co-operated fully with the Antitrust Division's inquiry" and was "pleased to have resolved this matter with no charges filed against OVG and no admission of fault or wrongdoing."
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-MLSE boss Tim Leiweke indicted in U.S. arena bid-rigging scheme
WASHINGTON — Former CEO and president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Tim Leiweke has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas. Leiweke is charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a US$1 million fine. Oak View Group (OVG) and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million in penalties, respectively, related to the conduct outlined in the indictment. Leiweke was head of MLSE from 2013 to 2015 before moving on to Oak View Group. The company operates dozens of venues across North America, including Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena, London, Ont.'s Canada Life Place and Hamilton's recently renovated TD Coliseum. According to the DOJ, Leiweke told colleagues a rival company was 'bidding against us' and expressed a desire to 'get them to back down' — a goal he later achieved through a 2018 agreement under which the competitor didn't submit a bid and instead received subcontracts, leaving OVG as the lone qualified bidder. The project became the Moody Center, home to University of Texas basketball, and opened to the public in April 2022. OVG continues to receive significant revenues from the venue. None of the allegations have been proven in court. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ex-MLSE boss indicted by U.S. grand jury after allegedly rigging bidding process for Texas university arena
FILE - Tim Leiweke, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, prepares for a television interview following a news conference in Toronto on Monday, April 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young The former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Tim Leiweke, has been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury after he allegedly conspired to rig the bidding process for an arena at a Texas university. The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division announced the indictment on Wednesday. Leiweke, who is the CEO of the Oak View Group (OVG), allegedly conspired with the head of a company planning to make a competing bid between Feb. 2018 and June 2024 to tamper with the process for the development, management and use of a multi-purpose arena at a public university in Austin, Texas, the authorities say. Leiweke, who left MLSE in 2015, has been charged with violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and if convicted, could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a US$ 1 million fine. 'As outlined in the indictment, the defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding,' Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the DOJ Antitrust Division said in Wednesday's news release. The indictment alleges that in Sept. 2017 Leiweke informed colleagues that he had learned another company was bidding against Oak View for the arena and that he wanted to 'find a way to get [the competitor] some of the business' and 'get them to back down.' Months later, Leiweke allegedly told others that he was more than happy to talk to the competitor about not bidding and 'receiving certain subcontracts' but had 'no interest in working with them if they intend on putting in a bid.' In Feb. 2018, Leiweke allegedly reached an agreement with the competitor not to submit a bid for the arena and in exchange, he represented that the competitor would receive subcontracts for the project. The DOJ said OVG ultimately submitted the sole bid and won the project. The arena opened in April 2022 and 'OVG continues to receive significant revenues from the project to date,' officials said. 'Timothy Leiweke allegedly led a scheme designed to steer the contract for entertainment services at a public university's arena to his company. Public contracts are subject to laws requiring an open and competitive bid process to ensure a level playing field,' said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. 'The FBI is determined to ensure that those who disregard fair competition principles do not benefit from a rigged bidding process targeting our communities and public institutions.' According to the news release, OVG and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay US$15 million and $1.5 million in penalties in connection with the allegations in the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Tim Leiweke, has been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury after he allegedly conspired to rig the bidding process for an arena at a Texas university. The U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division announced the indictment on Wednesday. Leiweke, who is the CEO of the Oak View Group (OVG), allegedly conspired with the head of a company planning to make a competing bid between Feb. 2018 and June 2024 to tamper with the process for the development, management and use of a multi-purpose arena at a public university in Austin, Texas, the authorities say. Leiweke, who left MLSE in 2015, has been charged with violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act and if convicted, could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a US$ 1 million fine. 'As outlined in the indictment, the defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding,' Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the DOJ Antitrust Division said in Wednesday's news release. The indictment alleges that in Sept. 2017 Leiweke informed colleagues that he had learned another company was bidding against Oak View for the arena and that he wanted to 'find a way to get [the competitor] some of the business' and 'get them to back down.' Months later, Leiweke allegedly told others that he was more than happy to talk to the competitor about not bidding and 'receiving certain subcontracts' but had 'no interest in working with them if they intend on putting in a bid.' In Feb. 2018, Leiweke allegedly reached an agreement with the competitor not to submit a bid for the arena and in exchange, he represented that the competitor would receive subcontracts for the project. The DOJ said OVG ultimately submitted the sole bid and won the project. The arena opened in April 2022 and 'OVG continues to receive significant revenues from the project to date,' officials said. 'Timothy Leiweke allegedly led a scheme designed to steer the contract for entertainment services at a public university's arena to his company. Public contracts are subject to laws requiring an open and competitive bid process to ensure a level playing field,' said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. 'The FBI is determined to ensure that those who disregard fair competition principles do not benefit from a rigged bidding process targeting our communities and public institutions.' According to the news release, OVG and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay US$15 million and $1.5 million in penalties in connection with the allegations in the indictment. CP24 has reached out to OVG for comment about Wednesday's indictment but has not heard back.
