John Fisher sells San Jose Earthquakes to media mogul Heath Freeman

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes have a new owner, a year and a half after news broke that John Fisher was seeking to sell the team. Private investor Heath Freeman, the president of Alden Global Capital, has agreed to purchase the club. Alden owns MediaNews Group, the parent company of this news organization as well as dozens of newspapers across the U.S. kAm|2;@C {628F6 $@446C’D 3@2C5 @7 8@G6C?@CD F?2?:>@FD=J 2AAC@G65 E96 D2=6 2E 2 G2=F6 @7 Sead >:==:@? 62C=:6C E9:D H66<[ 2?5 E96 EC2?D24E:@? :D 6IA64E65 E@ 4=@D6 :? 2 >2EE6C @7 H666 A=2J@77 82>6 D:?46 @A6?:?8 !2J!2= !2C< :? a_`d] %96 t2CE9BF2<6D[ H9@ =2DE >256 E96 A=2J@77D :? a_a_[ H:== A=2J E96 w@FDE@? sJ?2>@ :? E96 E9C66\82>6 D6C:6D 368:??:?8 }@G] ac]k^Am kAmuC66>2? 92D :?G6DE65 :? DA@CED 367@C6j 96 92D 366? E96 >2?28:?8 A2CE?6C @7 E96 u=@C:52 uC665@>[ 2 !C@76DD:@?2= qF== #:56CD E62>[ D:?46 a_aa 2?5 3642>6 6I64FE:G6 492:C>2? @7 E96 pDD@4:2E:@? @7 '@==6J32== !C@76DD:@?2=D[ E96 =2C86DE 36249 G@==6J32== E@FC :? E96 &]$][ :? a_ac]k^Am kAm%96 "F2<6D C6AC6D6?E 2 D:8?:7:42?E DE6A FA :? G:D:3:=:EJ 7C@> E9@D6 DA@CE:?8 G6?EFC6D[ 9@H6G6C] u@C36D G2=F65 E96> 62C=:6C E9:D J62C 2E Sdd_ >:==:@?[ C2?<:?8 E96> }@] ac :? E96 b_\E62> =628F6]k^Am kAm“~FC G:D:@? :D D:>A=6 — H:??:?8 @? 2?5 @77 E96 7:6=5 7@C $2? y@D6 2?5 E96 6?E:C6 C68:@?[” uC66>2? D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “%96 q2J pC62 :D 9@>6 E@ D@>6 @7 E96 H@C=5’D 8C62E :?DE:EFE:@?D[ DA@CED 7C2?49:D6D 2?5 =6256CD]”k^Am kAm%96 562= 2=D@ :?4=F56D !2J!2= !2C<[ H9:49 :D @H?65 2?5 @A6C2E65 3J E96 "F2<6D 2?5 :D 2=D@ E96 9@>6 G6?F6 7@C q2J ur @7 E96 }2E:@?2= (@>6?’D $@446C {628F6]k^Am kAmu:D96C 92D 72465 4C:E:4:D> 7@C 9:D DE6H2C5D9:A @7 E96 t2CE9BF2<6D 2?5 E96 pE9=6E:4D @7 |2;@C {628F6 q2D632==[ H9@ >@G65 7C@> ~2<=2?5 E@ $24C2>6?E@ :? a_ad @? E96:C H2J E@ {2D '682D]k^Am kAm%96 t2CE9BF2<6D’ 4=F3 A2JC@== 92D C2?<65 :? E96 =628F6’D 3@EE@> `_ 6249 J62C @G6C E96 =2DE 564256[ E9@F89 E96J 5:5 >2<6 E9C66 DA=2D9J 255:E:@?D 367@C6 E96 a_ad D62D@? :? 2==\E:>6 H:??:?86DE |{$ 4@249 qCF46 pC6?2[ 2D H6== 2D DEC:<6CD y@D67 |2CE:?6K 2?5 r9:49@ pC2?8@] }6:E96C DEC:<6C :D H:E9 E96 4=F3 2?J>@C6[ 2D |2CE:?6K =67E :? 7C66 286?4J =2DE @77D62D@? 2?5 pC2?8@ H6?E @? =@2? E@ r@=@>3:2? D:56 pE=éE:4@ }24:@?2=[ 3FE E96 E62> 5:5 3C:?8 :? v6C>2? 7@CH2C5 %:>@ (6C?6C =2DE H:?E6C 2D 2 56D:8?2E65 A=2J6C]k^Am kAm%96 4=F3 @H?D 2?5 @A6C2E6D !2J!2= !2C<[ H9:49 :D 2=D@ E96 9@>6 G6?F6 7@C q2J ur 3FE 92D D6A2C2E6 @H?6CD9:A]k^Am kAm“(6 2C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ :?G6DE:?8 :? E96 E62> 2?5 3F:=5:?8 2 4=F3 E92E 4@?D:DE6?E=J 4@>A6E6D 7@C 492>A:@?D9:AD[” uC66>2? D2:5] “~77 E96 7:6=5[ H6 2C6 6BF2==J 7@4FD65 @? DEC6?8E96?:?8 @FC 4@??64E:@?D H:E9 72?D 2?5 4@>>F?:E:6D :? $2? y@D6 2?5 E9C@F89@FE E96 q2J pC62] (6 36=:6G6 E96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 t2CE9BF2<6D :D :?4C65:3=J 3C:89E]”k^Am kAm%96 4=F3 92D C@@ED 8@:?8 324< E@ `hfc[ H96? E96J H6C6 7@F?565 2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 }@CE9 p>6C:42? $@446C {628F6[ H9:49 7@=565 :? E96 `hg_D] %96J H6C6 C67@C>65 :? `hhc 2D 2 492CE6C >6>36C @7 |{$[ 368:??:?8 4@>A6E:E:@? :? `hhe] %96 "F2<6D H@? EH@ |{$ rFAD :? E96:C 7:CDE `_ J62CD 367@C6 C6=@42E:?8 E@ w@FDE@? 2?5 36:?8 C6?2>65 E96 sJ?2>@ :? a__e]k^Am kAm“|J 72>:=J 2?5 x 92G6 =@G65 @H?:?8 E9:D 4=F3 7@C 2=>@DE a_ J62CD 2?5 H6 2C6 6IEC6>6=J 8C2E67F= 7@C E96 DFAA@CE @7 @FC 2>2K:?8 72?D 2D H6== 2D E96 92C5 H@C< @7 2== @7 @FC 4@2496D[ A=2J6CD 2?5 DE277[” u:D96C D2:5]k^Am kAmu:D96C 2?5 7@C>6C p’D 4@\@H?6C {6H (@=77 A2:5 2 Sa_ >:==:@? 6IA2?D:@? 766 H96? E96J H6C6 2H2C565 E96 4=F3 2 J62C =2E6C] u:D96C 92D 366? E96 E62>’D AC:?4:A2= @H?6C D:?46 a__g[ H96? E96 E62> 3682? A=2J :? :ED ?6H :E6C2E:@? @7 E96 4=F3 E92E 925 366? :? E96 $@FE9 q2J D:?46 `hfc 2?5 H@? |{$ E:E=6D :? a__` 2?5 a__b]k^Am kAm“y@9? 92D 366? 2 8C62E A2CE?6C 2?5 9:D =6256CD9:A 2?5 :?G6DE>6?E 96=A65 3F:=5 2 DEC@?8 7@F?52E:@? 7@C E96 4=F3[” |{$ 4@>>:DD:@?6C s@? v2C36C D2:5] w62E9 uC66>2? :D 2? 2>3:E:@FD @H?6C H:E9 2 DEC@?8 36=:67 :? E96 t2CE9BF2<6D 2?5 E96 q2J pC62 2D @?6 @7 E96 4@F?ECJ’D 8C62E D@446C >2C<6ED]”k^Am