So, you know Lenny Dykstra is supposed to be some kind of financial genius even though, uh, he kind of looks like he'd have a difficult time tying his shoes? Bewildering, right? Well, his magazine for the rich athlete, The Players Club, put out its first issue but has struggled with its second, to the point that Dykstra's partner has sued him. And why? Well, Dykstra.
It appears Dykstra might not necessarily be all the way there, sometimes.
Over a relatively short period of time, Dykstra proved himself to be a mercurial, difficult client whose many idiosyncrasies and demanding personality imposed substantial costs on the planned publications and created excessive burdens for Doubledown," reads the suit. "At the same time, Dykstra began shirking his financial obligations to Doubledown beginning in late 2007 and continuing into 2008, repeatedly driving up expenses and increasing the overall costs of the publications at a time when he, on information and belief, lacked the cash to pay for such expenses."
Those expenses included a $400,000 launch party and the hiring of a Time magazine art director Arthur Hochstein. Dykstra also argued in favor of launching the title as a monthly rather than at a more inexpensive bimonthly frequency.
But we thought he was a financial genius! Also, apparently Dykstra presented at the Ellies last night, which are like the Oscars for magazines. (And, just to blow your mind, Buzz Bissinger was nominated for a story about Barbaro. He did not win.) From several accounts, Dykstra was ... a little out of it. This is not going to end well.
Lenny Dykstra Sued By Publishing Partner [Portfolio]