In the spring of 2012, he signed a long-term contract, albeit one that included a "release clause, " a fixed price for which the club would have to sell him.
McCaw caved quickly but wrote a protective clause into his deal with Sprint that he would participate in any higher price eventually paid to other shareholders whenever that time came.
Last week, his company submitted a second bid, changing the terms to offer more cash upfront and including a clause that guarantees the value of the deal if Qwest's stock price sinks.