Bouncing Balsillie

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jan 23, 2012 12:34 PM EST

You rememberJim Balsillie, don't you? The leering Daddy Warbucks look-alike who tried to sell season tickets to the Hamilton, Ontario, Predators and caused Nashvillians to gnash their teeth back in 2007? It was his "damn hands" that the famous placard referred to when it was proudly held aloft by then-Governor Phil Bredeson at an arena rally that summer.

Now Jim Balsillie has stepped down as co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of Research in Motion, Canada's largest company measured in terms of market value. Mike Lazaridis, who founded RIM 20 years ago, is also leaving those posts but will stay on as vice-chairman.

Just five weeks ago Balsilie gave no indication to investment analysts that he would leave despite RIM's plummeting fortunes. RIM's BlackBerry now has about 9% of the wireless market, down from about 50% two years ago. Shareholders have been demanding Balsillie's ouster.

Are these crocodile tears falling on my Android keypad? You'd better believe it.

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maybe he should have been worrying more about his company and less about being a nhl owner. odds are if he had he would still be the former and maybe even the latter.

by predswilrule on Jan 23, 2012 4:15 PM EST reply actions

Balsillie would like to think that he "stepped down"

He was FIRED, even the board of directors that he helped hand-select wanted him out. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, now he’s PNG in the technology market as well as the hockey market.

http://www.drinkatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TEAM-OLBO.jpg

by eamus-catuli on Jan 25, 2012 8:37 AM EST reply actions