There’s a new sheriff in Seattle.
On Wednesday, the NFL’s owners approved the purchase of the Seahawks by a group led by Vinod Khosla. The vote was unanimous, and the price is a record at $9.612 billion.
The sale comes nearly eight years after the passing of Paul Allen, who bought the team in 1997 for $194 million. His sister, Jody, managed the team on behalf of his estate.
The team went on the market after the Super Bowl. It came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Seahawks had been fined $5 million for noncompliance with ownership requirements. The NFL insisted no fine was imposed.
The truth was that the NFL deferred the fine in exchange for a commitment that the team would be promptly sold after the Super Bowl.
While the deal has not officially closed, it’s just a matter of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.
The Seahawks commence the regular season in two weeks, hosting the Patriots on the night the franchise hangs its second banner.
