Former Dodgers co-owner Jamie McCourt to be named ambassador to France - MLB

You might recall a couple of months ago that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus was reported to be in favor of nominating Marlins owner Jeff Loria to be the ambassador to France. I’m not sure what happened with that in the interim, but Prebius just got pushed out so, presumably, his ideas no longer hold currency in the West Wing.

Enter a new nominee for the title of ambassador to France: Jaime McCourt, the ex-wife of former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Or so reports the Boston Globe. So at least they’re keeping it baseball-related.

For those who don’t recall, Jamie McCourt’s tenure as co-owner of the Dodgers was tumultuous. That is, if you even consider her a co-owner. She claimed at various times that she was or wasn’t depending on whether or not it suited her financially at any given moment and Frank, of course, claimed the opposite whenever it suited him. It was complicated. The important part was that, when she and Frank got divorced, all hell broke loose for a couple of years, making a lot of lawyers rich.

Jamie McCourt also acted financially sophisticated or unsophisticated depending upon what the situation called for. She has an MBA from MIT and a law degree, and worked in private practice as an international securities lawyer for years, representing sophisticated companies in complex deals. Then, after buying the Dodgers, she became deeply involved in matters relating to broadcasting and regional sports network negotiations and ran the team’s charitable operations. That is until all the lawsuits and investigations started and she pretended to be a babe in the woods, wholly unaware of how complicated business was. Since then she’s gone on speaking tours in which she tells women just how bad it is to be unaware of one’s financial situation like she was. Good work if you can get it!

As for the job in France: diplomacy is a tricky business. You have to be able to navigate complicated situations and maintain complicated relationships as facts and positions change on the ground. You have to be flexible and not be afraid of shifting positions as the political winds blow from different directions.

Which is to say that Jamie McCourt outta be perfect for the job.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.