The two hedge funds, Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners, are both commandeered by current NYU prof Scott Galloway, better known to his ZBT frat bros at UCLA as "The Snatch-Buckler," "The Vagilante," and "The Trim Reaper." (A student of his at the Stern Business School knows him simply as "jackass.")
Galloway and three other Harbinger associates are looking to secure seats on the board based on their contention that the Times' bottom line would be better served if the company started investing more in the Internet and selling off smaller assets, which actually seems to make sense. The same can't be said of Galloway's turn down the catwalk in a 2006 fashion show sponsored by Johnnie Walker.
A Times spokeswoman noted that members of the nominating and governance committee have yet to meet with Galloway, but if the phrase "Trim Reaper" ever comes out of a Sulzberger mouth during the screening process, our job here is done.