Deadspin
So, you know Lenny Dykstra is supposed to be some kind of financial genius even though, uh, he kind of looks like he'd have a difficult time tying his shoes? Bewildering, right? Well, his magazine for the rich athlete, The Players Club, put out its first issue but has struggled with its second, to the point that Dykstra's partner has sued him. And why? Well, Dykstra.
It appears Dykstra might not necessarily be all the way there, sometimes.
Over a relatively short period of time, Dykstra proved himself to be a mercurial, difficult client whose many idiosyncrasies and demanding personality imposed substantial costs on the planned publications and created excessive burdens for Doubledown," reads the suit. "At the same time, Dykstra began shirking his financial obligations to Doubledown beginning in late 2007 and continuing into 2008, repeatedly driving up expenses and increasing the overall costs of the publications at a time when he, on information and belief, lacked the cash to pay for such expenses."
Those expenses included a $400,000 launch party and the hiring of a Time magazine art director Arthur Hochstein. Dykstra also argued in favor of launching the title as a monthly rather than at a more inexpensive bimonthly frequency.
But we thought he was a financial genius! Also, apparently Dykstra presented at the Ellies last night, which are like the Oscars for magazines. (And, just to blow your mind, Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro. He did not win.) From several accounts, Dykstra was ... a little out of it. This is not going to end well.
Lenny Dykstra Sued By Publishing Partner [Portfolio]
Comments
um, dick joke?
My story about Barbaro was vastly superior to your fucking clever commentary on this site.
I begrudgingly thank you for the acknowledement.
Does he still own that car wash? I might be in the market for another.
/Charles Oakley'd
That puff under his eye socket? The only spot where his snuff still gives him a buzz.
And, just to blow your mind, Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro.
I was not even close to ready for that.
The Dude abides. And then goes batshit crazy.
Then, presenting the award for personal service, he boasted, "Next year, I'll be back up here, winning this award, because Nails never fails!"
Except when driving home from John Kruk's bachelor party.
What's that Lenny? You want to buy a rabbit farm?
Who the Hell would give that roid-addled douche a buck for a coffee, much less go in "bidness" with him?
On the bright side, he does make Kruk feel like a super-genius by comparsion.
He did not win?
I think you're full of shit!!!
Once you've wowed your audience with the old "trust me with your money and don't worry about me soaking you with exorbinent and unnecessary fees" issue. Where do you go next?
"So where can the public get their hands on this amazing new magazine, Lenny?"
"They can't. It's for athletes."
"But I'm sure a few will want to see what's inside."
"They can't. It's just for athletes."
Nails= marketing genius.
(and Shouldn't Daulerio have done this post?)
Lenny have you ever even READ the Wall Street Journal?! Oh, umm, you have, ahh, ok... well you're like Warren Buffet on Xanax!
On information and belief, Buzz Bissinger fucks horses.
Between Dykstra and Daulton, what the hell was going on with that early 90's Phillies team?
I knew that magazine was in trouble when Dykstra said it would be "like Fortune on 'roids, brah!".
The Players Club has nothing on The Player With Yourselves Club.
I'm talkin' two-ply baby!
Nice to see the doctors finally got Charlie Weis' stomach stapled properly
He should stop looking for miss new boody and spend more time on his magazine.
No mention of ESPN The Magazine winning the "Most Now" award?
See kids? This is what happens when you hang out with John Kruk too often.
He should've known something was bound to go wrong when he reached an agreement with Mitch Williams' publishing company.
Darren Daulton was the only subscriber.
@TattooedMess(iah): Mitch Williams may have been the normal one. Scary!
And, just to blow your mind, Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro. He did not win.
And by the way, that wasn't fair, Leitch.
-It's made by athletes for athletes.
-Oh, well then it's going to fucking fail miserably.
I think the real source of Buzz's anger at Deadspin, Will, etc. is the entire treatment of Barbaro. It all makes sense now.
Buzz, care to print this out, then comment?
Roger Clemens is pissed that The Players Club isn't a source of 15 year old booty for him during his retirement years.
I have Juan Samuel handle my money.
Lenny Dykstra: a modern-day Rube Waddell
@Jefferson Short Bus: Aaaand...match.
"Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro"
This is why Will "pisses the shit" out Buzz. Buzz enjoys being able to sit back and shovel shit to the dumbed down masses and still get a nice paycheck.
@ghostsoftheSCupcountry: You obviously have not heard him describe his investment strategy. He invests in real estate "because it's real."
Who wouldn't give him all of their money?
@TattooedMess(iah): I see you type faster than my eight words per minute. (I will not finish typing this post until 4:27 pm today.)
at this point, I'm guessing Telly Savalas is pretty glad he gave up endorsing the Player's Club.
This leaves "The Players Club," starring Ice Cube, Bernie Mac, Jamie Foxx, and Terrence Howard, as the most successful "The Players Club" in entertainment history.
@amorphous: And unfortunately, Dalton was worried about the prospects of the magazine past 2012. It's all in his book If They Only Knew.
Dykstra wanted Canseco to write a column on negotiating skills, but Jose demanded twice the salary Lenny offered.
@amorphous: he has already traveled ahead in time and read the next 58 issues.
Is that the bimonthly that means once every 2 months, or twice a month?
I hate that word.
@TattooedMess(iah): Those mullets screwed with their minds
Great. Now Howard Johnson will never be able to get funding for his monthly aimed at motel managers.
@Slothrop: If Telly Savalas is happy about anything now, it's being able to know who Lenny Dykstra is despite being dead for 14 years.
I can't wait for Bernard Goldberg's follow-up.
This is sad news. I was really looking forward to next month's issue featuring Kyle Orton's Whiskey selections for any occasion.
"Personally, I think the magazine is well-written, thoughtful and (fuck! shit! piss! bitch!) entertaining. Piss!"
--Jim Eisenreich
@TattooedMess(iah): Don't forget they had Dale Murphy as well.
Poor Dale must have spent the whole year praying for Kruk.
Darren Daulton confirms this will not end well. And play 6, 4, 7 in the pick three.
"Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro"
My brain is no officially inoperable for the rest of the day.
"And the Ellie goes to...(opens envelope)...Buh...Buh...that fuggin' guy who wrote the horse article. I gotta say, not to be mushy or a gay faggot, but I liked the article. Even though it was all gay and had all that stuff, what's it called? Written words?"
@preciousroy: My brain is no officially inoperable for the rest of the day.
Affirmed.
@Stev D: When you say soak you with exorbinent and unnecessary fees, does come with the complementary Skoal spittoon?
@preciousroy: I'd correct my grammatical mistake if it didn't undermine that fact that it proved the point I was trying to make.
From Wikipedia:
Billy Beane was interviewed and said that Dykstra was "perfectly designed, emotionally" to play baseball and that he had "no concept of failure."
Apparently he does, Billy.