The Seattle Seahawks flew to San Francisco to prepare to take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 1.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald spoke about preparing his team for the upcoming week. “The days will look a little bit different,” Macdonald told reporters. “It’s really the intent behind what we’re trying to do every day.
“Just staying focused on the things that we can control, because there is so much extra, you know. And that comes with the territory, so it’s exciting. It’s an opportunity to kind of get it right, and I trust our guys. Our guys will be great. They know that we got one goal in mind. Let’s go make it happen.”
While Macdonald and Co. look to defeat the Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, rumors swirling around ownership of the franchise are making headlines. The Seahawks “will go up for sale after Super Bowl LX, league and ownership sources familiar with the arrangement told ESPN.”
GettyMichael Strahan interviews head coach Mike MacDonald and owner Jody Allen of the Seattle Seahawks after they punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX.
Following the death of former owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen in 2018, his sister, Jody Allen, took control of the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. She “controlled the teams as the executor of the trust, with a directive from her brother to eventually sell both and donate the proceeds to charity,” ESPN reported
“Sale discussions have taken place at ownership and league levels for at least the past week.” Should a sale happen, it’s expected to break a new record. However, the delay of the expected cause the team to get hit with a massive fine, per a new report.
The NFL Reportedly Fined the Seahawks $5 Million for Delaying Sale of the Team
GettyThe NFL tried to penalized Seahawks owner Jody Allen, per report.
“Behind the scenes, though, frustration from the league was so high that the NFL went as far as issuing the Seahawks a $5 million fine for being out of compliance with ownership requirements, according to people familiar with the matte,r” The Wall Street Journal reported.
“The league denied that the team had been fined. Jason Hunke, a spokesman for Vulcan, the umbrella organization that oversees Paul Allen’s sports assets, didn’t comment on the fine.”
Hunke, however, made it clear the team was not for sale just yet. “Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl,” Hunke said.
While no timeline specified when the team had to be sold, league rules require that an individual, not an entity like a trust, can act as the controlling owner.
“The 1997 law that funded the team’s stadium came with a provision that stated if the team were sold within a certain period, the state of Washington would receive 10%,” WSJ reported.
“That expired in 2024. And since then, Jody Allen has pushed back against the NFL’s reminders that she was supposed to sell the franchise, the people said. The extended period of noncompliance with league rules resulted in last year’s fine.”
The Seahawks Could Set a Record Sale Price of $7 Billion
Should Allen pull the trigger on selling the Seahawks, it will likely set a new league record with an estimated $7 billion price tag.
However, a spokesman from Paul G. Allen’s estate reiterated that they are not actively selling the team. “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share.
Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.” The Trail Blazers sold for over $4 billion.
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