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Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

lasvegassun.com

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Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#111
post #106
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t “not screaming your executive into quitting” kind of a leaders main job?

Many feel the opposite. How can you ensure people are working, unless they truly fear you? Make a mistake and you are in deep, deep trouble, buddy. Straight to the pit!

History has shown that it's a graceful balancing of carrot and stick that works the best with intelligent biological organisms. The field of psychology generally corroborates this, I think.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#112

It was open for 2 days of the fiscal quarter. The CFO quit after being yelled at by the notoriously combative CEO. The news has been running with this headline because it's drawing clicks but it's not really painting an accurate picture.

> notoriously combative CEO

Understatement of the year. Dolan successfully destroyed 2 major sports franchises (Knicks and Rangers) he spent millions on acquiring and managing.

He is also using facial recognition to ban all employees of law firms suing MSG (his company) from going to any of their properties, and NY State is considering pulling his liquor license as a result.

The only reason he's solvent is because the Madison Square Garden is basically el dorado (financially speaking) and he inherited a bunch of money from his father (the founder of HBO and Cablevision)

Imagine if GOB Bluth became CEO. That's Dolan.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#113

It was open for 2 days of the fiscal quarter. The CFO quit after being yelled at by the notoriously combative CEO. The news has been running with this headline because it's drawing clicks but it's not really painting an accurate picture.

This was my confusion seeing the headline, there is no way the people building this did not realize that this was an "investment" and would take time to make money?!?

Even once it's built you have some logistical things to figure out to start making profit day by day before taking into account the investment.

The real story is apparently the asshole CEO, not the loss.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#114
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many feel the opposite. How can you ensure people are working, unless they truly fear you? Make a mistake and you are in deep, deep trouble, buddy. Straight to the pit!

History has shown that it's a graceful balancing of carrot and stick that works the best with intelligent biological organisms. The field of psychology generally corroborates this, I think.

What were Einstein’s or Newton’s stick?

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#115

It was open for 2 days of the fiscal quarter. The CFO quit after being yelled at by the notoriously combative CEO. The news has been running with this headline because it's drawing clicks but it's not really painting an accurate picture.

> notoriously combative CEO Understatement of the year. Dolan successfully destroyed 2 major sports franchises (Knicks and Rangers) he spent millions on acquiring and managing. He is also using facial recognition to ban all employees of law firms suing MSG (his company) from going to any of their properties, and NY State is considering pulling his liquor license as a result. The only reason he's solvent is because th…

Eh - the Rangers are doing ok this year. There's a question about if they were going in the right direction a few years ago, but they rebounded.

The Knicks are a smoking crater, from what I understand, tho.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#116
From someone who doesn’t have to live there and pay for it, the Sphere felt like something new to the species. Not just as an incredible internal experience, but just this omnipresent goofy thing.

Imagine waking up in your city and looking out the window simultaneously with thousands of others to see what mood your local sphere is in about this darn weather. It feels like it would be very connecting.

At the same time I appreciate it’s hard to opt out, is rather imposing, and will eventually just show ads.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's nearly Ibiza prices.... which is OK if everyone is doing the same thing (well, I say OK, you know what I mean). But if there's any other option, no-one's going there. I've only been once to Vegas, but I don't remember it being pricy.

> I don't remember it being pricy You clearly haven’t been there in the last few years. $16 for a beer is the norm at clubs and bars if you’re not gambling.

The strip is pricey, and has very little variety. The art district a couple of miles away and there are restaurants and bars with normal prices and great selection.

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The inside of The Sphere is so much more impressive than the outside. The resolution/crispness of the “screen” isn’t talked about but it is a unique experience, unlike any venue or film I have ever been to. I went to U2 a few weeks ago and want to go again. The IMAX comparison is not even close, they are calling it 18k and if you can imagine an IMAX screen wrapping all the way over your head you are on the way. I hav…

> if you can imagine an IMAX screen wrapping all the way over your head you are on the way. Those actually do exist! [1] That picture isn't great, but if you search for "Imax Dome" there's some videos and stuff. I still remember watching a movie in one that was kinda like an early racing drone flying through a canyon and being awed as a kid. They're projector based, rather than curved screens. The first one was built…

Wait, I thought the dome style was IMAX? What is a non-dome Imax theater like then?

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> notoriously combative CEO Understatement of the year. Dolan successfully destroyed 2 major sports franchises (Knicks and Rangers) he spent millions on acquiring and managing. He is also using facial recognition to ban all employees of law firms suing MSG (his company) from going to any of their properties, and NY State is considering pulling his liquor license as a result. The only reason he's solvent is because th…

Eh - the Rangers are doing ok this year. There's a question about if they were going in the right direction a few years ago, but they rebounded. The Knicks are a smoking crater, from what I understand, tho.

> the Rangers are doing ok this year

True, but isn't he much more hands-off now compared to a couple years ago?

Re: Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4M loss; CFO quits

#120

Meta: Someone please correct me. The outside of the Sphere is pretty damned awesome, with its interactive elements and novelty. I'd visit Vegas just to watch it, not that they'd make any money off me for that. The inside looks like an IMAX theater combined with a few planetarium features (lazors?). And, well, I have a really nice IMAX theater only an hour away from me. Why would I pay a premium to see the one in Vega…

IMAX digital is a full-FOV 4:3 4K display with 44 speakers. The Sphere interior is a wrap-around 16K display with 168,000 interference-coordinated speakers. It’s like IMAX squared :P

I looked it up as 16k doesn’t sound that much when my 43 inch is 4K. However the sphere seems to impress universally, so it’s clearly not just the pixel count.
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