Hicks' staff meet with 2nd potential Rangers owner
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks moved closer to selling the Texas Rangers after the baseball team officials met with another potential new owner on Wednesday. Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and his advisers met with club officials and toured Rangers Ballpark. Houston businessman Jim Crane and his advisers did the same thing on Tuesday. Hicks Sports Group said the meetings were "routine and part of the normal due diligence process." The holding company that owns the Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars defaulted on about $525 million in loans this year and Hicks has said he's willing to sell his controlling interest in the MLB team. Hicks is also seeking investors to reduce the debt in English Premier League club Liverpool, which he co-owns with American businessman George Gillett Jr., although he wants to retain his controlling interest. Hicks and Gillett bought Liverpool in 2007 for 174 million pounds (then $343 million), taking on liabilities totaling 44.8 million pounds. The co-owners have been criticized by fans for burdening the club with debt, which currently stands at 245 million pounds, while failing to build a promised new stadium.