Political pollster finds most Wolves fans are ready for ownership change
Although the majority of those polled haven't been following the sale dispute too closely.
With a potentially important change coming this fall, political pollster Frank Luntz is asking the pressing questions we all want to know: How are Timberwolves fans feeling about the ownership dispute between longtime owner Glen Taylor and the Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore group?
Lore and Rodriguez entered a three-year process to purchase controlling ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx organizations from Taylor back in 2021 and were set to close on March 27 with an additional 40% purchase. They currently own 36% of the franchises.
But Taylor released a surprise statement via the Timberwolves on March 28, saying the duo had missed the deadline and that the Timberwolves and Lynx were no longer for sale.
Rodriguez and Lore have disputed that claim, and now the sale is heading toward a May 1 mediation session, news that was first reported by ESPN.
Luntz set to find out how Timberwolves fans feel about the sale drama, so he found 472 of them and conducted a poll, asking them several questions about the sale. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%, and here are some of the interesting results:
The vast majority — 92% — of those polled believe the Timberwolves are headed in the right direction. Only 17% of those polled have been following the sale dispute “very closely,” while the majority have been following it “just a little” (27%). Twenty-four percent have been following it “somewhat closely” and 22% have “not at all” been following the back and forth.
The majority (28%) also have “absolutely no idea” which ownership group has had a bigger impact on the Timberwolves’ success this season, although 25% believe it’s Taylor, while just 19% believe it’s the Lore and Rodriguez group. But that doesn't line up with what fans want for the long term.
The majority (53%) of those polled believe Lore and Rodriguez would be more successful than Taylor (29%) in signing and recruiting free agents, with 48% also believing that Lore and Rodriguez are more popular among players, compared to Taylor's 30%.
Meanwhile 51% believe Lore and Rodriguez are more likely to do what it takes to keep All-Star Anthony Edwards in Minneapolis.
Similarly, 53% believe the Lore and Rodriguez group is more likely to deliver a championship compared to Taylor (32%). Of who they’d like to own the team next season, 54% hope to see Lore and Rodriguez at the helm, with 34% in favor of Taylor.
