Updated: Talks continue with TNSE; no announcement Tuesday
Negotiations between the Atlanta Spirit and True North Sports and Entertainment continued over the weekend as a deal to purchase and relocate the Thrashers to Winnipeg moved closer.
As of Monday, lawyers for Atlanta Spirit, True North and the NHL were still exchanging drafts and deal terms but a deal was not finalized. Monday was Queen Victoria Day in Canada, a bank holiday, which prevented the completion of some details.
The deal could be finalized later this week. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the AJC Monday, via e-mail, that “it’s safe to say there will be no announcement on Tuesday.”
Also, the last remaining hope of a buyer willing to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta appeared to have ended. The final prospective buyer, in negotiations with the Atlanta Spirit, with such an intention is no longer interested in pursuing a sale. According to a person familiar with the negotiations, the potential buyer is “probably, but not completely” out of the picture.
True North is led by Winnipeg businessman Mark Chipman and billionaire David Thomson and owns Winnipeg’s arena, the MTS Centre, and the American Hockey League team that currently plays there, the Manitoba Moose. The group turned its attention to the Thrashers after a deal, with public money, was reached to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona several weeks ago.
Key issues between the Atlanta Spirit and True North, such as price, are believed to be settled. The price is believed to be $170 million, with $110 million going to the seller and $60 million to the league as a relocation fee.
Many issues beyond price are part of such deals, such as financing and the commitments the buyer must make to the league going forward.
Even a signing of a definitive agreement would not be the final step in the process: The deal would have to be approved by the NHL Board of Governors before it could close.
Atlanta Spirit and True North opened negotiations in mid-May, shortly after the city of Glendale, Ariz., committed to cover up to $25 million in next season’s losses of the Coyotes, who otherwise would have likely moved to Winnipeg.
The Coyotes’ surprising one-year reprieve in Arizona made Winnipeg a relocation option for the Thrashers, whose owners had made it clear the franchise was in dire difficulty. The Thrashers’ owners had said they were unwilling to keep funding the team’s operating losses, pegged at around $20 million per year in court documents, and had been unable to find a qualified buyer to assume the losses in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Spirit has been looking for a buyer or investors for the Thrashers for several years, although the group has only had clear ownership since December after officially buying out partner Steve Belkin. Co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. told the AJC in February that there was a ‘sense of urgency’ to find a solution for the financially struggling franchise and that relocation was a possibility.
The NHL Board of Governors, which consists of one representative from each team, would have to vote to ratify a sale and relocation. A 75-percent vote is required to approve a new owner, and a majority vote is required to approve a relocation.
Atlanta would lose its NHL franchise for a second time. The city lost the Flames to Calgary in 1980.
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303 comments Add your comment
OHL
May 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
moriler,
You say that it’s “obvious by now that OHL is just making stuff up to try to get a rise”
I said that Columbus ranks very high in local tv ratings, only beat out by a some northern hockey markets (Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). Atlanta beat Miami. Here is my source – http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2010/01/20100111/This-Weeks-News/NHL-Viewership-Gains-On-Rsns.aspx?hl
What stuff am I making up?
I’m having to post these links separately because when I put them all together it didn’t get through your blog’s spam filter I am guessing. But after these posts one can see that I clearly am not making stuff up to get a rise. My sources prove that. As well one can also see that Atlanta did not perform well as a fanbase like Columbus did.
Also, I am not “Rob” who spammed you guys with that lame post. Come on ‘peggers, you can do better than that.
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
6:24 pm
Y’know qwerty – I’ve always wondered if North American sports leagues would work with relegation / advancement setup. Only problem is the AHL is a feeder league. The contracts for a Calder Cup winning team are owned by an NHL franchise.
I go to Brasil all the time for work. The club my coworkers all cheer for is Vasco. Two seasons ago after over 100+ years at the top division, they were relegated. Fans were distraught…but they won the lower level, and were advanced. It is an interesting idea…
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
6:31 pm
Glove, I think it would take a passionate individual running the NHL to make it happen. As you say, the AHL is a feeder system, but there’s nothing preventing it from happening. As you noticed in Brazil, and I notice in Europe, this model make everyone feel like a part of the whole. Your town’s team is part of the big league system. That creates passion in the sport. My two cents (Canadian or American – I’m a citizen of both
OHL
May 23rd, 2011
6:38 pm
Qwerty/glovesave29,
Interesting concept, but one thing will stop it from ever happening in any of the 4 team sports – revenue sharing. Do you know how much more $$ the lowest NHL team makes compared to the highest AHL from national tv contracts? After seeing the jump in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals ratings (don’t you think Gary just loved having Philly and Chicago in it) do you honestly think there won’t be conspiracty theories when NY or Toronto just barely avoids being bumped down? Even David Starn hates having the Spurs in the NBA finals. No NHL owner is going to want to split his $$ with 20 more teams. And NY is going to be mad when they get bumped for Newfoundland.
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 23rd, 2011
6:42 pm
Time for Operation Paper Shredder.
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
6:44 pm
But there are barriers to making this happen. In Italy – for instance…Palermo is not a feeder team for Inter Milan. But the Hershey Bears ARE a feeder team for the Capitals. If the Bears win the Calder and get advanced – you know WSH takes away all the players they have under contract. You’d hav to forget the AHL. Split the NHL in half. To start the whole thing – playoff teams are in the upper division – non playoffs are relegated. Then each year from then on, the bottom 3-4 move out, and the top 3-4 in the lower division rise up.
Michael Gearon
May 23rd, 2011
6:47 pm
Anybody got a dollar I can borrow?
drmondo
May 23rd, 2011
6:48 pm
Glove, I love the idea. I’m an ATL transplant living in upstate NY in a city with an AHL team. I’ve supported the Flames and Thrashers (until this year when it became clear ASG was never going tofix their problems), but I’ve never been a diehard supporter of the local AHL team because they were the farm team for an NHL team I wasn’t crazy about. If they had the opportunity to move up to the NHL, I’d be out there for a lot more games. As it is, the only time they have a shot at the championship is when the parent team is just mediocre enough to not be any good but not so bad they feel like giving the rookies playing time to see what they’ve got.
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
6:50 pm
Glove, OHL:
Completely agree. There are dozens of barriers, and it will never happen. But, step back a minute, and put aside the obstacles. Wouldn’t that be a better model? Do you agree the sport would be more widespread?
Shutterpups
May 23rd, 2011
6:52 pm
Oh goodness, there’s certainly a lot of misinformed opinions on both sides of this situation. I won’t attempt to clarify facts about Atlanta, because I can admit that I don’t know a thing about living in Atlanta.
I will clarify that TNSE has never once – *never once* – asked the governments of Winnipeg, Manitoba or Canada for assistance in purchasing or operating an NHL franchise. No really… never once. Even the Premier of Manitoba has confirmed that TNSE has never once asked for financial assistance in completing this sale, or operating a team.
2mins has already cleared up the obvious misconception regarding corporate support for hockey in Winnipeg. That’s ok though – it seems as though you couldn’t actually provide any supporting information to back your claim, Petey.
moriler – you ought to do some research on Canada – there are a lot more Internet Service Providers than just Rogers and Qwest. In fact, I’m not sure if Qwest even operates in my province.
NHL Ready
May 23rd, 2011
6:53 pm
I hate to see them go. I will have to remolded my man cave with Devil gear. Kovy was a smart man to get out and so was the rest of the great players we had. What a mangement waste of a great sport.
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
6:56 pm
“will clarify that TNSE has never once – *never once* – asked the governments of Winnipeg, Manitoba or Canada for assistance in purchasing or operating an NHL franchise. No really… never once. Even the Premier of Manitoba has confirmed that TNSE has never once asked for financial assistance in completing this sale, or operating a team.”
Technicality – they did ask for debt relief from the gov’t to build the MTS Centre to NHL standards.
Stu
May 23rd, 2011
6:58 pm
They shouldn’t call the new Wpg team the Moose, even if they change the logo. Jets or Galcons are both good names. The AHL team can stay the Moose when they move to Nfld, lots of Moose there so the name still fits.
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
Drmondo, precisely my point. AHL fans never feel fully vested because they know their top talent will be robbed when success arrives. Now, if you knew your talent was yours, and if you knew you would keep that talent when your team is promoted, that creates passion in you Division II team.
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
Here’s what I’d do – make the NHL a 40 team league. 20 in the upper division and 20 in the lower. The top 10 teams in each division make the playoffs. The bottom 4 teams in the upper division are relegated to the lower division. The four best teams in the lower division advance to the upper division. Players in the lower division take a 15% – 20% hit for being on a relegated team. Lower division ticket prices must also be lower, but by a lesser amount. Players association will hate the lowered salaries – but the concession is there are 8 more teams to staff. This gives lower teams salary relief to attempt to move back up. It’s never gonna happen – but it would be great.
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
Glove, you see, the barriers are already coming down. I like the idea. But, as we agreed, it’s an academic discussion. There is no passion for the sport at NHL HQ – only the need to run a business.
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
Qwerty – but this is the joy of this and rawhide’s blog over the past 5-6 years. We always throw around ideas like this to goad on a discussion.
I’d like to see the NHL set up like the NFL. Where is is geographically split, but that each area had both a NFC and AFC presence. That would make it possible for – let’s say – a NYI vs. NYR Stanley Cup final. Bettman is not a creative thinker…so things like this will never happen.
Steve-o
May 23rd, 2011
7:20 pm
Govesave29,
Re: a NYI vs. NYR Stanely Cup final. Don’t even get me started about metro NYC having three hockey teams. The New York City area only deserves one. The Islanders and Devils both have lackluster fan bases, yet they will still have teams after the Thrashers leave town. Makes me bitter!
deb
May 23rd, 2011
7:25 pm
quick to the soon to be exthrasher owners how much did you sign HAWKS JOHNSON for $$. I Hope all the businesses out there never do business with the two owners ever.
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
7:30 pm
Glove, I see passion in your words and I commend you for that. You’re clearly a hockey fan. I was also when I lived in Winnipeg. Now I live in Boston and I’m more of a hockey consumer. I spend my entertainment dollars only on quality product. Maybe that’s the case for Atlanta – too many consumers, not enough fans. I know in Winnipeg, there are limited consumers. I just hope they have enough fans. Good chatting, Glove. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.
Getthepuckouttahere
May 23rd, 2011
7:30 pm
Fart Wrote…The “front page” of most newspapers would not put sports on there unless it’s a world series or championship of some kind. Again..a lot more things happen in day to day life in Atlanta as opposed to Winnipeg where you people apparently have absolutely nothing to do but try to stay warm and dream of Teemu Selanne
This is true, usually there’s at least 2-3 shootings/homicides that grace the front page. Like 4 shot in Grant Park, and the same day, infant shot. No room for sports talk with all that fun going on daily. Yeah, you have to love the shiny, happy feeling you get when you read the Atlanta headlines.
OHL
May 23rd, 2011
7:52 pm
glovesave29/Qwerty,
One thing that immediately came to mind is what the new guy in Buffalo is doing. They should’ve never broken that agreement and now he is fixing things by buying the Rochester club himself. He has been dynamite from what I hear from folks around there, they are pumped up. But the reason I mentioned it is what if each of the 30 NHL guys bought an AHL club? That would get around the revenue sharing thing. Also, this is nothing against Atlanta, but I think it’s stupid that you guys are with the Phantoms when there is a team in their same town that should have them. I know you originally had a team down south but it went away with the IHL. But still, if teams in the AHL and NHL should align better. The only problem here is when 1 owner gets 2 teams in the upper league and another owner has 2 teams in the bottom league. I also like the idea of NY having multiple teams. Imagine if the Yankees didn’t compete with the Mets, they’d be spending even more. They should have 4 baseball teams just for that reason alone. Here’s a question, would MLB ever do this concept with AAA teams? I say no.
Shutterpups
May 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
“Technicality – they did ask for debt relief from the gov’t to build the MTS Centre to NHL standards.”
Did they ask, or was that speculation? The arena is already up to NHL standards, as has been confirmed by Bettman. Construction on press boxes started a long time ago.
Has the province promised to assist with infrastructure in the area of the MTS Centre, and maintenance of the building itself in the future? Yes, of course they have. The MTS Centre provides a lot of money for the city of Winnipeg and province of Manitoba – it’s a good investment for both city and province as the 3rd busiest venue in the country.
The fact remains that TNSE has *never* asked for assistance of any kind of to bring the NHL here.
Shutterpups
May 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
Sorry that should say “construction on upgrades to press and luxury boxes” – MTSC already had press boxes obviously, lol.
TrueSouth
May 23rd, 2011
8:05 pm
Shoddy journalism. The exclusive agreement was terminated already. Why not update your story with widely known facts?? JB Smith is absolutely moving forward with negotiations to buy all 3 entities. Your statement that he is “probably” out of the picture is just beyond the pale sir. What is your agenda?
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
“JB Smith is absolutely moving forward with negotiations to buy all 3 entities. Your statement that he is “probably” out of the picture is just beyond the pale sir.”
I don’t think the “Balkan” has ever been in serious negotiations and I certainly don’t think he was the last prospective buyer that just dropped out.
Theo
May 23rd, 2011
8:07 pm
timthebrave
If you don’t have a horse in the race its not that interesting. When the Jets left in the 90’s, never watched NHL again. Tried to get into Phoenix, but that just sucked. I’m happy about getting the Jets back, but after reading these comments it really brings back 96 when we lost team to Phoenix. Bettman should be replaced, I wanted our original team back – it doesn’t feel good to take somebody else’s team, just like what happened to us. But Bettman fought tooth and nail to keep the Phoenix team regardless of the millions they lose every single year for the last 15 years.
Thrasher fan
May 23rd, 2011
8:20 pm
Hawks 7 highest payroll. Thrash bottom of the league. ASG made no effort to win. If we were a playoff team like even Tampa our attendance would be top third of league.
Peter
May 23rd, 2011
8:24 pm
Well, Atlanta, you got what you deserved, sorry about that….it happened in the early 80s’ when the Flames bolted for Calgary and it is all but certain and done that the Thrashers will pack up the moving vans and head north to Winnipeg….let us be obvious here for a bit:: Hockey has not worked nor will it ever work in a city like Atlanta, you have your NFL & your NBA & your MLB and of course NCAA & NASCAR, the NHL does not fit in the Peachtree State….I remember seeing highlights from a Thrashers game against Ottawa late in the season and there were thousands of empty seats deep into the final period, not a good sign and then your team fudges the attendance figures, if there were 12,000 plus fans in that or any home game for Atlanta this or any season, then I am the Pope….and when the move is completed later this week, let the True North do the right thing, rename the team the Winnipeg Jets and by the way, this is only the beginning, with unstable siutations in Columbus Ohio, Sunrise/Miami Fla., Dallas, even Phoenix and to an extent, Nashville….this proves once and for all Gary Bettman’s experiment in the US SouthEast has been a huge failure as hockey should return to its roots back to Canada, first Winnipeg, is Quebec City next? as we like to say in the electronic media business, STAY TUNED!
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 23rd, 2011
8:30 pm
“If we were a playoff team like even Tampa our attendance would be top third of league”
Doubt that because for hockey Philips seats what 17,000+?
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 23rd, 2011
8:36 pm
“Nashville….this proves once and for all Gary Bettman’s experiment in the US SouthEast has been a huge failure as hockey should return to its roots back to Canada, first Winnipeg, is Quebec City next?”
Why should hockey only be exclusive to Canada and the northern half of the United States? Especially when more and more rust-belters are moving southward to warmer climates. Also hockey in the south takes to to develop and take root. You can’t crow a crop of corn over night same thing applies to hockey down here. I’ve grown up in the south and i’ve been a fan of hockey since I was like 6 or 7 and how did that happen you ask? My dad got me into the sport by taking me to Atlanta Knights games. Anyone that has been to atleast 1 hockey game is usually hooked after that first game and they become fans for life in most cases.
Thrashers announcement probably won’t come by Tuesday, Hawks exclusivity window closes | ProHockeyTalk
May 23rd, 2011
8:56 pm
[...] Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said it’s “safe to say” that an announcement regarding the deal won’t come by Tue…. True North and the Atlanta Spirit already reportedly agreed to a $170 million price tag (with $60 [...]
Ward
May 23rd, 2011
9:05 pm
Will Thrash become an orphan?
glovesave29
May 23rd, 2011
9:09 pm
Peter – wow, your ignorance just kills me. Let’s take this method of thinking to other parts of our daily lives, shall we…?
The airplane was invented by Ohio brothers and tested in NC. Thats the USA – so clearly we are the only ones who can fly on planes.
Beer was invented (by mistake) by farmers in the Tigris river basin when their grain crops got wet and began to ferment. Only those currently living in Iraq may drink beer.
The car was invented by Daimler in what is now Germany. Sorry only those Bavarians may ride in autos.
Pretty dumb, eh? How bout this novel idea…when you have something great (like hockey) share it with the world. Grow it all over. Novel concept…I know. Canadians love hockey because it is in your blood, part of the national fabric. So how are we supposed to grow it in the south when the markets are abandoned. My grandfather played roller hockey – he passed it along to me, but I moved to the ice – my daughters now play street hockey with me and go to Gladiators / Thrashers games…passing it along as it should be.
Atlantans are just a hard to please bunch. To say we do not like hockey is wrong. Ask Wild color man Mike Greenlay. He was on our IHL Knights championship team. Ask him how loud and passionate Omni fans were. We are losing NHL hockey – life goes on. I am OK with the AHL calling Atlanta home. Decent, affordable hockey. Its easy to sit 1500 miles away in Manitoba and judge us. Wait until your team mires in mediocrity and the bill comes for $9500 for season tickets. Then judge us.
Ndwol
May 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
That rage is the same rage Winnipeg felt for Gary Bettman 15 years ago when he embarked on the Southern expansion odyssey, ripped our hears and stole our Jet’s away. Now they’re the “Disaster in the Desert”.
Take some pride Atlanta, you’re smart enough not to let Bettman suck the taxpayers at $25 million per year into the NHL sinkhole. Glendale will go down in history as the biggest bunch of fools. We will remember you fans in Atlanta. We know your pain.
Qwerty
May 23rd, 2011
10:05 pm
Peter, what Glove said. Please re-think your comments. No hockey fan deserves this. Not Atlanta fans now, and not Winnipeg fans 15 years ago. This came down to purely a business decision. I’m an ex-Pegger, so I’m comfortable telling you this: Don’t think for one moment that this is a triumph for the NHL. Yes, it’s a triumph for Winnipeg, and in a nostalgic way, I’m happy about it. But the NHL is holding it’s noses on this. This is a failure in growth. Yup, they are a business and they want to grow. They will retreat back to Winnipeg where it’s stable, and begin planning the next growth wave. The more stable markets there are in the south, the more stable Winnipeg will be. And regarding Atlanta, I give it 10 years before the NHL is back.
j nes
May 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
“The NHL Board of Governors, which consists of one representative from each team, would have to vote to ratify a sale and relocation. A 75-percent vote is required to approve a new owner, and a majority vote is required to approve a relocation.”
Who are the reps from each team and how can we get them to vote not to move our team?
Time To Sober Up on 'Attendance' Atlanta
May 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
Listen, all the yakking here about attendance requires some sobering stats for so called Thrashers fans.
Your average ticket price is $48.51 and a sellout attendance is 18545 which equals $899617.95 a game in REVENUE. And note – REVENUE, not attendance is the only relevant figure.
The average ticket price in Calgary and Edmonton, comparable markets to Winnipeg are about $60 bucks a seat. So 15,000 seats at $60 a ticket is $900,000 a game. So its a wash – but that assumes that Thrashers sell out every game WHICH THEY DON’T. (averaged 13,469 a game in 2010/11)And excludes all the comp tickets and giveaways that aren’t computed in the average.
Currently, if you accept the BS that average Atlanta attendance is 13,469 a game ( impossible to believe when many games have had 6-7000, but lets take it at face value for now) that equals $653 381.19 a game, which, if the Jets sell 10890 seats on average which is a very conservative estimate, their revenue would equal the Thrashers. So its a no brainer to move the team to Winnipeg when sellouts in Atlanta, which will never happen, would equal revenue in Winnipeg with a smaller arena.
Quit quoting potential attendance. Its irrelevant. By your logic, a 100,000 seat hockey arena in Mexico City would be better than a 17,000 seat arena in Toronto, even if tickets were 3 bucks a piece in Mexico City. Wake up clowns, Jets will sell every seat in a week.
@glovesave
May 23rd, 2011
10:10 pm
9500 bucks for a pair of tix maybe in the endzone. Looking like 7100 A SEAT, or 14,200 a pair for season tix between the blue lines and 10000 a pair in endzones. Jets fans will gobble them all up in under a week. And these are CDN dollars so add about 5% to that to figure out what it would be in US dollars. We got the money and are ready to spend.
j nes
May 23rd, 2011
10:13 pm
Enjoy our team, poachers. But I bet you will have even more trouble than Atlanta when it comes to attracting and retaining free agents in your miserable city. Seriously, what does Winnepeg have to offer for an NHL player besides being swarmed by fans every time they go out to buy groceries?
ATLThrasher
May 23rd, 2011
10:21 pm
I am a transplanted Canucks fan living in the ATL since 1997, and all these snide remarks from the Canadian fans are getting to be a little much. Besides, Canucks fans never like the Jets. In 1990s, the Black-Red-Yellow Canucks, under Pat Quinn, always trashed the inept Jets in the playoffs.
Let’s do some ramp up for the Canadian fans by a Canadian who lives and breathes hockey when growing up in Vancouver:
1) You have to live at least a year in another country to really understand. All those Peg fans that have never even visited the Deep South need to take chill pill and pipe down the noisy arrogance. You are kinda looking bad . . .
2) I hate to break it to you, but the USA has way more world-class sporting options than Canada. There’s NFL (like the Blue Bombers can compete with that), MLB (Expos really worked out in MTL didn’t it?), NBA, MLS, NCAA (most SEC College Football teams like Auburn or the Dawgs would beat the crap out any CFL team), NASCAR, IndyCar, Augusta Golf, etc.
3) Due to Option 2, US sports fans have much more to choose from and can become more savvy Sport Entertainment consumers. This is not Europe where fans are taken advantage of left and right by smug Football(Soccer) owners and it certainly is not Canada where there is only one major league sport league available in most Canadian cities (ie. the NHL). This includes Olympic city Vancouver where fans have to trek down to Seattle to see world-class football. Even if it’s the Seahawnk in the horrible NFC West.
Consequently, there is a higher standard for owners in the US-based sports leagues; otherwise, the fans are actually able to find better options unlike many Canadian sports fans.
So, since the Thrashers had crappy owners and the ATL fans found better options and more things to do. If a new owner comes along with a solid business plan that is high on marketing and investment for good players (like some Billionaire owners do in Europe when buying Soccer teams like ManCity in the EPL), and is willing to take a risk then the NHL will award Atlanta a new franchise. After all, with the NHL, all you need to do is way enough $$$ at them to get a new franchise. It’s not like the NFL where the leagues holds any prospective city gov’t. for ransom to get 70,000+ seater stadium built like what is happening in Minnesota right now.
ATLfan
May 23rd, 2011
10:22 pm
Hey jealous manitobians… where did you see attendance of 6-7000? we had 13,5K attendance with terrible ownership and loosing streak. We will see how many of you will be ready to spend 9,5K. If you consider yourself so capable and way better than we are, why did you lose coyotes? Looks like not everything was perfect in your hockey dreamland.
Even if we will loose the team, that would be fault of ASG and NHL. And wait for few days before sympathizing us…
OHL
May 23rd, 2011
10:33 pm
j nes, people who play a sport on ice can actually handle cold weather. How much trouble did the Flames have resigning Iginla or luring Jay Bouwmeester away from south Florida and into cold Alberta?
luvazhockey
May 23rd, 2011
10:37 pm
The g52 posting here is a dick head that is impersonating a poster on azcentral. As a arizona hockey fan I appoligize for this turd. We all support you and wish we could help. The winnipeg trolls have very very little class and are giving a city a bad name. It is not over yet and I am pulling for you.
@AtlFan
May 23rd, 2011
10:42 pm
Who says you had 13,500 a game in attendance? Your owners? Lol! Everyone knows the owners flooded the market with comp tickets to qualify for revenue sharing. And I’ve heard plenty of players and sportscasters say it SUCKS playing in front of 4-5000 fans, that’s right, I was being generous with 6-7000, the reality is 4-5000. Just because you ’sell’ 13,500 tickets doesn’t mean they all show up.
@AtlThrasher
May 23rd, 2011
10:47 pm
Hey, ex-Vancouverite, whose side are you on? If you’re going to delve into the argument could you at least bring more erudite comments than this?:
“I hate to break it to you, but the USA has way more world-class sporting options than Canada” NO KIDDING IDIOT!!!!!!!!! And I sure as hell hope they do with TEN TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!
Tool. You think you’re ‘breaking it to me’? All the crap you spouted does nothing to negate the fact that the Jets will make more money in Winnipeg than the Thrashers in Atlanta. And who gives a crap about your sporting and cultural ameneties??!! Thrashers LOSE money.
We have the richest owner of any sports team in any league in the world. He’s got his money on the table and he’s willing to take a chance.
This sounds like a joke but its an actual fact: The Thrashers got worse ratings than Mighty Putty infomercials on many weeknights. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
ATLfan
May 23rd, 2011
10:51 pm
This owners were trying to sell the team for several years! Why would they need to increase the numbers? Turn on the common sense – they want NHL to allow them get rid of the team and they had to ruin the attendance.
But you may say only hundred people were there and it would be difficult to change your mind. There is no other official numbers, so you can say whatever you want and it wont change anything. It would be interesting to see how much your owners will increase numbers… more than capacity? xa-xa
http://googlesearchesfromsundayafternoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/thrashers.jpg
May 23rd, 2011
10:54 pm
click here for average attendance to a Thrashers game. Do you see 13, 500 here or 4000?
http://googlesearchesfromsundayafternoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/thrashers.jpg
@AtlFan
May 23rd, 2011
10:56 pm
click here for a picture of ‘average’ Atlanta Thrashers attendance. There could be 12 feet of snow on the ground and -40 weather and there would be more people at the game in Winnipeg than this:
http://googlesearchesfromsundayafternoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/thrashers.jpg
ATLfan
May 23rd, 2011
11:05 pm
Peg! As I said, it doesn’t matter what you’ll say – it’s all bull… Thrashers played Blues twice last year and once on home ice – Dec 21st. And I was on that game and it was a nice crowd that day. Partly because many people were already on Christmas holidays.
And you can see the gallery – http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/gallery.htm?id=19082&location=/photos&pg=6
And make your own judgements on the size of the crowd and make comparison with the bull… you’ve just posted.
Enjoy:) And don’t trust sites like googlesearch… whatever.