Mason: Ownership not 100 percent behind Thrashers
Chris Mason feels for Thrashers fans. The goaltender – and the rest his teammates – are in the same place.
Limbo.
While the Atlanta Spirit and True North Sports and Entertainment continued negotiations Tuesday on a deal that would sell and relocate the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba, fans and players wait for official word about the team’s future.
“Everybody is feeling different things,” Mason told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday. “Everybody is in limbo. I keep getting phone calls [about various news reports]. It’s unnerving. You don’t know what’s going on and you can only wait and see how it all plays out. … You’ve got guys sitting here not know what is going on.
“The people getting shafted are the fans. No matter how much they want to keep the team, they don’t have a say in it.”
Mason said despite lagging attendance, he felt support from Thrashers fans.
“I definitely felt the support,” Mason said. “At games and especially when we were out talking to fans at events. You know there are die-hard hockey fans in Atlanta. It’s hard to maintain the interest when you don’t have success, especially from the casual fan. … One trip to the playoffs is not enough. If you win more people will come. In my opinion, that has a lot to do with the numbers.”
Mason, a Red Deer, Alberta native, said he would like to experience playing in a Canadian market, but not at the expense of Atlanta.
Mason said he did not feel Thrashers ownership was 100 percent behind the franchise. He cites how the team responded at the trade deadline as it made a push for the playoffs.
“I don’t think we were given a legitimate chance,” Mason said. “We made a couple of good moves for [Radek Dvorak] and [Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart] at the deadline. But it wasn’t enough. We were such a young team. It’s hard to make the playoffs. We believed we could win but sometimes you need someone who can score an extra goal or two or help on the power play. Our management was hampered by budget. It’s still hard to make the playoffs even if you have the money to spend. When you don’t have it, it’s even harder. You see it every year. Good teams don’t make the playoffs. A couple of more pieces and we could have been in.”
Talks between The Atlanta Spirit and True North continued Tuesday but no deal was reached. Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz told the National Post he expects news soon. “We certainly do believe it’s going to happen very shortly within the next couple of days,” Katz said. “We certainly do believe that.”
The two sides opened negotiations this month after Glendale, Ariz., made a commitment to cover up to $25 million in next season’s losses of the Coyotes, who otherwise likely would have moved to Winnipeg. The Atlanta Spirit has been looking for a buyer or investors for the Thrashers for several years. Co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. said in February that there was a sense of urgency to find a solution for the struggling franchise and that relocation was a possibility.
Meanwhile, Thrashers officials continued business as usual Tuesday with scouting meetings held.
Reed: ‘We will get through it’
Mayor Kasim Reed said Tuesday while it will hurt to lose the Thrashers, the city of Atlanta will move on.
Speaking to reporters, Reed said: “I think any time we lose a major sports franchise it is tough. It’s going to hurt the city, but we are going to withstand it just fine. We will get through it. We have a lot of positive things going on in the sports franchise space that I think we will be announcing pretty soon that will offset it a bit.”
Reed said he has tried to help the team find new ownership willing to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta. He has previously stated there would be no public money used in such an effort.
“The Thrashers, as you know, are in an extraordinary position because of the amount of losses that are associated with the team,” Reed said. “So we have not yet seen a path where we can reverse those losses fast enough. If you talk to the Atlanta Spirit ownership, they will share the same thing. It’s not a lack of the city being willing to step up and do something about it. It is a partner with deep enough pockets to be willing to sustain pretty significant losses. We have not yet had any of the individuals in our community who are prepared to take that on. But it has not been for lack of trying, believe you me.”
A plea: Please folks, let’s keep the commenting above board. I have deleted and banned posters for racist and anti-semitic remarks on other blogs. I will do it again to those posters who step over the line. I understand the passion for this issue, but I know you are capable of carrying on civil discussions. Thank you.
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174 comments Add your comment
soonahockeywidow
May 24th, 2011
8:02 pm
ToFrustrated: No one wants a transfer. I am sure the move will be hard on some players. If a team magically dropped out of the sky available to the people of winnipeg great…but not gunna happen. Even If it did, you would still have a team in Atlanta with terrible ownership, no new financial backers on the horizon,and sadly a city mayor who doesn’t seem to care. That’s not Winnipeg’s fault. Direct your anger at the right place!!!
By the way summer temps run 95 degrees
Hey wasn’t that you I saw at the fan rally in ATL?
Astonished
May 24th, 2011
8:06 pm
Has anybody been writing to David McDavid now that he should have his $281 Million settlement from Time Warner over the breach of contract when Spirit bought all the properties? Who could be better to save the Thrashers now that Spirit wants to sell it all? He might even be able to buy at less than the cost in 2003 when you figure in his lawsuit winnings!
Let McDavid know the fans will support him if he buys the Thrash, Hawks and Philips Arena and gets them away from Spirit! Spread the word and email, write and call David McDavid today!!!! It’s late in the game but he’s from Dallas: The Mavs’ cause looked hopeless in OKC Monday night, but they still pulled out a win in overtime!
http://www.mcdavidcompanies.com/contact.php
Mr David McDavid
Chairman/CEO
McDavid Companies
17120 N. Dallas Parkway Suite 235
Dallas, TX 75248
T. 972.716.0300
F. 972.250.1715
Mayor McCheese
May 24th, 2011
8:07 pm
Can somebody please tell me what in the mayor’s powers he has to coerce a private entity on how to act when it comes to their own business matters? There’s no kickbacks, no black mayor doesn’t care about white sports, no he’s on the ASG payroll. He simply realizes that it’s not worth his time to fight it because he know he can’t win.
NoDawgsAllowed
May 24th, 2011
8:22 pm
LOL at the mayor & the offset comment. At least he’s proven good for a laugh once in a while, I was starting to think he was completely useless & wouldn’t even provide unintentional comedy value.
Puck Headlines: Mayor talks losing Thrashers; Red Wings’ D options | | sportsport
May 24th, 2011
8:27 pm
[...] • Atlanta Thrashers goalie Chris Mason on not knowing where the team will play in 2011-12: "It’s unnerving. You don’t know what’s going on and you can only wait and see how it all plays out. … You’ve got guys sitting here not know what is going on. The people getting shafted are the fans. No matter how much they want to keep the team, they don’t have a say in it." [AJC] [...]
MrBill
May 24th, 2011
8:28 pm
Hey don’t give up see a recent poll that the majority of Winnipegers don’t believe a deal will happen right now 27% don’t believe it will happen.
When do you think the announcement of the NHL returning to Winnipeg will happen?
Wednesday 12%
Thursday 18%
Friday 21%
Next week 20%
Never 27%
Total Votes: 607
CanadianCanuck
May 24th, 2011
8:31 pm
How was a team ever going to survive in Atlanta? The town is all black, and the Hawks barely draw decent crowds. No way a hockey team was going to.
Get Out Of Atlanta
May 24th, 2011
8:39 pm
Don’t blame Reed a bit for not wanting to put any backing in the Thrashers……why back a losing deal? So they go away – big freaking deal – the world is not going to end. So Good Riddance….
Pegger8
May 24th, 2011
8:44 pm
Deal is now done! So we can stop the guessing game – Thrashers to the Peg!
Pegger8
May 24th, 2011
8:44 pm
HUGE party at Portage and Main tonight!
Billsen
May 24th, 2011
8:48 pm
Since “only 200″ Islander fans showed up to show support for a new arena on Long Island, I wonder how long it will be before they lose their team to Winnipeg?
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/coliseum-advocates-build-it-now-1.2895712?qr=1
Pegger8
May 24th, 2011
8:49 pm
And “done” for real this time… Sorry to Atlanta, and the true hockey fans in that town, we know the feeling.
FrustratedThrasherFan
May 24th, 2011
8:57 pm
to: soonahockeywidow: I couldn’t agree more with you about the mayor. Apparently he has no concern about the people that will be out of work directly and indirectly. The problem here is ASG.
They disenheartened the fans and the players. I was envious of the Sabres when they were bought by an enthusiastic owner. Hockey can make it here. I’m a transplant from Boston and play in a league that plays on the Thrasher ice. There are a lot of us and a lot of the GA natives have taken the game up. It’s gotten huge with the leagues for children here.
All I can say is the Winnepeg fans better be ready to lay out some cash to go along with the enthusiasm if the Franchise is to succeed there. Good luck with it.
KLS1
May 24th, 2011
9:05 pm
This ASG group is so screwed up that Jesus himself couldn’t rescue this team. They need to leave town immediately.
I don’t blame anyone but them for this issue, just wish the NHL would force them to sell local and not let them profit for running a team into the ground and then selling to the highest bidder.
The precedent has been set…don’t think other owners aren’t watching and thinking relocation could pad their pockets.
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 24th, 2011
9:16 pm
@Pegger
Where you getting your news from?
Dan
May 24th, 2011
9:30 pm
When Winnipeg previously had a hockey team they averaged less people per game than the Thrashers are averaging now. Their entire metro population is only around 700,000 people compared to Atlanta being around 5.3 million people. Also, I bet the Reed will waste millions of dollars on building the Falcons a new stadium that is not even needed. The GA Dome is just fine.
Puck Like A Porn Star
May 24th, 2011
9:38 pm
Chris Mason: http://tinyurl.com/6z7ljer
A Rat's Posterior - From Whom?
May 24th, 2011
9:41 pm
OK – First of all. Why does anyone care about a sport that can only muster enough support to appear on the Outdoor Hunting, Four-Wheeling and Frog Digging Channel! The World’s Womens Ultimate Arm Flabbing Championship would draw more viewers than an Atlanta Thashers game. I was at a bar a few months ago and the bartender turned the channel to the Thrashers. A couple of patrons got irritated and asked the bartender if she could turn the channel back to the informercial for the Dice Em-Slice Em Vegomatic they were watching. They said it was more interesting. I agree.
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
The Dome may be fine but football should be played outside(especially in the south).
Pegger8
May 24th, 2011
10:05 pm
I can’t say where, but people with a connection to Chipman. The Winnipeg Sun also has the story now (Tom Brodbeck – he has the same connection). Not saying it to gloat or rub salt in the wounds, as I said we went through this 15 years ago. Rather just to put an end to the speculation. But I think everyone knew it was close. BoG approval is all that is needed now apparently, but that I don’t know for sure. Take it for what its worth, but I trust this source. Sorry again to Atlanta hockey fans, we are ecstatic in the Peg, but we don’t feel like we “won” by any stretch. Real hockey fans in this town (which is most) won’t forget this teams history and roots.
Red Wings Fan
May 24th, 2011
10:22 pm
Just came to this blog to see what you guys were saying about Bettman. Looks like you guys are seeing what we have felt for years. He sits behind his litle desk and pulls the strings on his little League. This guy is the most arrogant manipulator in sports history. Every Wings fan can’t stand him. Sorry, Atlanta. You deserve better.
Thanks
May 24th, 2011
10:27 pm
@Pegger8 Thanks for stopping by to gloat!!!
Brian powdertown
May 24th, 2011
10:49 pm
Boycott honda first do not buy a honda.
Billsen
May 24th, 2011
10:58 pm
CHRIS!!!! Anson Carter says he had made a $350 Million offer to ASG last spring, and was rejected – why no coverage of this? https://twitter.com/#!/AnsonCarterLA
Anders Hedberg
May 24th, 2011
11:27 pm
@Dan
Yes – Winnipeg is small – Winnipeg and the surrounding area have about 800, 000 and yes the entire Atlanta area is about 5.5 million. What is your point? There are still more hockey fans in Winnipeg. Hockey is what MOST people in Winnipeg talk about. Dan, there are well over 1 billion people in each of China and India. If numbers meant everything, the next expansion teams should be in Beijing and Mumbai.
The NHL has tried to force a square peg into a round hole with markets like Atlanta, Phoenix and Miami. It didn’t really work out the way Bettman thought it would. To make matters worse, in some of these markets, there have been some pretty shady people with very shady financial arrangements. Because the NHL had been in such a rush, motivated by what they saw as the future, they actually did business with guys like Boots Del Biaggio and Bruce McNall without due diligence. This obviously made things even worse. On top of this, the NHL has over the past 15 years, turned its back on its true core fans in Canada and the Northern US. So the push to turn the NHL into another NBA failed and even risked turning away the diehard fans who had played and followed the game all of their lives.
The NHL will never be the NBA or the NFL or MLB. Why? Because the vast majority of what is still the biggest consumer market in the world doesn’t care a lot about hockey. That’s it. So, the NHL will thrive in original six markets and in Canadian markets but it will not in many parts of the US where it is just not part of the culture. Yes, that means it will be perpetually a smaller league than NBA/NFL/MLB and that is life.
This experiment with ice hockey played in places where most people don’t care about hockey hasn’t worked out too well.
thrasherdawg
May 25th, 2011
12:37 am
Kasim Reed is a joke!
If the facts are correct, the Thrashers bring in somewhere between $30 & $40 million dollars in revenue for the city of Atlanta each year. If the mayor thought like a business man instead of a politician, the city could offer a $20 million dollar bond (covering one year of the shorfall / losses) that would keep the Thrashers here one more year. This would give a reasonable time to find an owner ( not 4 weeks). This gives the fans a chance to show up to the games. The $20 million dollar bond would cost the taxpayer less in taxes than the shortfall of the 30 to 40 million dollars the city is no receiving. Thus the taxpayers are actually better off.
I know many will assume it’s not true but if that is your position, you don’t understand finance. Do the math.
You can’t sale a house in a month but you can sell a 110 million dollar NHL franchise in 10 days.
Bettman is pathetic…he is putting a short term fix…MONEY…. ahead of integrity and what is best for the long term success of the sport. Must be the new NHL.
In closing, I’m not saying Winnipeg shouldn’t get a franchise….Just let them pay the 90 million dollars for the franchise fee and everyone is happy.
I can’t wait till the Falcon’s leave the city. Wish they could take the Braves with them.
Les Habitants
May 25th, 2011
12:47 am
Anders,
Spot on. While Atlanta metro has 7 times the population of Winnipeg metro, the product offered by the Thrashers is not necessarily what the market wants. In marketing terms, the product has too many competitors and the market puts it lower in its preference.
Atlanta metro: Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Panthers, Yellow Jackets.
Winnipeg metro: Blue Bombers, Moose, Bisons.
However, Bombers are in a smaller league and CIS is not held in such high profile as NCAA. Moose would likely move when the old Thrashers move in.
Therefore, the market for an NHL team is actually larger in Winnipeg than it is in Atlanta. The fact that current median household income in Winnipeg is higher than it is in Atlanta helps too.
Anders Hedberg
May 25th, 2011
1:45 am
@Les Habitants,
Thanks for your comments. For the reasons outlined in my post above, Quebec City is next. The NHL MUST include Quebec City. Then another team in Southern Ontario. And that is just a start of returning these teams to the cities that love hockey. Where will all these teams come from? I guess we will see over the next few years…
Paddy
May 25th, 2011
6:50 am
For the ASG to admit that it takes additional owners with deeper pockets to continue is not truthful. As reported by the AJC, they have been trying to sell the team as soon as they bought the team. Why would you want the team now, after big loses, and you didn’t want the team when you firtst purchased it? Can’t this group ever tell the truth!
Dingdong
May 25th, 2011
7:09 am
@rats
Imagine Thrashers hockey being so dull and useless to you that you felt compelled to comment a blog about it. That makes a lot of sense. What a good story about the bar also, drunks sure know what is best for them, I actually pictured you all drinking Zima’s, no wonder you were bored.
South_Armagh
May 25th, 2011
7:28 am
Moose Hedberg gets it, thanks to the former Thrasher for the kind words about the situation in Atlanta involving frauds, money and power.
Felonious
May 25th, 2011
8:37 am
If Kazam thinks that Atlanta is going to come out of this unscathed he is sadly mistaken. I feel bad for the fans.
jimcee
May 25th, 2011
9:50 am
Anders is 100% correct.If one googles the world’s most popular team sports, ice hockey is dwarfed by soccer,cricket,rugby,field hockey,basketball,American football,baseball etc.There are 7 billion people on the planet and perhaps 10-20 million play ice hockey…most of them in the Big Seven Hockey Nations of Canada,Russia,USA,Sweden,Finland,Czech Republic,Slovakia and to a much lesser extent Switzerland,Germany,Norway,Denmark and Austria.
Krust
May 25th, 2011
10:17 am
How Can we call the mayors office?
FormerIslesFan
May 25th, 2011
10:23 am
C-Viv,
I saw the same tweet from Anson Carter as well and was wondering the same thing. Would you please put your investigative journalism skills to this rabbit hole (if you have not already) and see what the deal is behind it? My understanding of the NHL bylaws is that a relocation cannot be made if there is a good-faith offer/interest that exists. If this is true, and I would love to know if it is true, this is something that needs to be looked into, no?
http://twitter.com/#!/ansoncarterla Look specifically at the second-to-last tweet from May 23.
Birdman
May 25th, 2011
10:44 am
Sherman, Petrino and now Spirit LLC. Who’s the next person or group to take a dump on Atlanta? I hope these spineless less than human worms get what they deserve.
rob
May 25th, 2011
10:50 am
Atlanta is probably the best southern city where hockey actually could succeed if done right. There is a pretty good interest in the northern burbs, not just for the Thrashers, but for the sport itself. A lot of kids are getting into the sport, which begins to build your base moving into the future. I am from Buffalo originally so understand hockey. My kids (4&6) have gotten hooked and are skating and playing now. Their aunts, uncles, and grandparents, all born/raised here all wanted to go to games next year now that the kids are into it and went regularly. Winnipeg and Quebec are already hockey places. The interest is here, just look at attendance before ASG took over. Taking the team now spoils hockey here for good, which, long term, is bad for the league. There has to be a better way. A solid team here would be a boon for the whole league. A solid team in Winnipeg or Quebec, where hockey is already the holy grail…….not so much. I guess I will just deal with life without hockey, enjoyed all the games, even when the on ice product wasn’t good, it was still better than any other sport on Earth. Sad that the league, the ASG, and the City are so short sighted.
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 25th, 2011
11:12 am
I agree with FormerIslesfan this Anson Carter thing needs to be investigated. If the ASG really did turn down an offer of $350 million i’m sure they could be sued for not acting in good faith.
Stop Embarrassing Us
May 25th, 2011
11:41 am
So this is where the racists come huh? You sound like a bunch of idiot rednecks. It’s one black guys fault? Not the white people who own the team and not the white fans who won’t go and support the team. Nobody in this city has $110 million? You guys want Arthur Blank to do everything, buy every sports team so that you can watch them on TV.
You’re the same people who wanted the Spirit instead of McDavid. The irony… Why isn’t the state stepping in? Face it, if you’re a fan you have to go because if not, THE TEAM MAY LEAVE.
How many of you guys posted that the problem was the AJC? Read the posts here if you want to know why NOBODY in hockey is standing up for Atlanta. Times are too tight to just give ticket money away to guys who don’t care about hockey at all. I understand that but how many excuses can one town have for low attendance for all sporting events?
I have been in that building for hockey when I know that there were fewer than 7,000 people there. Minnesota lost a hockey team and they supported them. Yeah, we got screwed. Grow up, that’s life.
DawgDad
May 25th, 2011
11:57 am
MLS is going to offset the loss of the Thrashers??? HA HA HA HA HA HA . . .
Good riddance. Get them out of here already.
OHL
May 25th, 2011
12:15 pm
This argument of “Atlanta is a big city and Winnipeg is small” has got to stop. Think of it this way. Atlanta has 5+ million people. Calgary has 900+ thousand. But Calgary has been #6 in NHL attendance the last 5 years, had no problem holding onto Jarome Iginla when he was last a free agent, and lured the #1 free agent Jay Bouwmeester out of sunny South Florida and into freezing cold Alberta. Looking at all that, who would believe that the Flames aren’t doing just fine where they are right now?
buckhead resident
May 25th, 2011
12:25 pm
On a good note, the San Jose Sharks and Dany Heatley were eliminated from the playoffs.
Egghead
May 25th, 2011
12:35 pm
Well have to say sorry to all the true fans down there. Been thru this 16 years ago when the Jets split.Yeah sounds like the thrasher owners thru in the towel and Bettman is the biggest worm going. Never trust that guy. Man his mother probaly hates him. It looked like the Coyotes were toast until their stupid mayor ponied up another 25 million to “rent” the team another year. Lets face it, hockey in Arizona is a total disaster. They have tried to sell team, for several years and no ones touching it. Why? because other then the 14 fans they have no one cares to watch hockey and no one is dumb enough to invest their own bread. I imagine they will be toast as soon as Quebec builds an arena. All this rental did was buy the NHL time. If Glendale did not pony up another 25 they would have been gone pronto to Winnipeg.The reason Bettman has put 100 times more effort into the Yotes situation is that the NHL owns that team. Now that their dumb azz mayor ponied up some rental money its all good. If not Yotes to the Peg and Atlanta would continue to be where it is albeit losing money. Bettman took care of the BOG first. He doesn’t give a rats tail if Atlanta owners lose money every year. No concern to him what so ever. I keep hearing from fans how much Bettman cares about them. One word for that midget. WORM Sincerly sorry for you true Thrashers fans.
EA
May 25th, 2011
1:02 pm
ADD Moose Hedberg to the growing list of personnel calling out this ownership group. He tells the NJ Devils Fire and Ice blog that the fans never had a chance with this group. He said Atlanta has strong fans and would be a good hockey city with the right ownership. He also calls the situation SAD.
Jill Mitchell
May 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
I think at least Winnipeg will fill their stands. Is there even snow in Atlanta?
Puckface
May 25th, 2011
1:23 pm
Hockey may have fans in Atlanta but it has as many fans as roller derby or high school girls lacross, whose fans I’m sure are very passionate as are Thrashers fans, but don’t warrant losing millions of dollars nor trying to build a ‘fan base’. Go Thrashers, get the hell outta here. You tried.
JKS
May 25th, 2011
1:58 pm
I thought collusion was against the law….
da' boomer
May 25th, 2011
2:14 pm
Great article from Bleacher Report:
http://tinyurl.com/43qteph
I truly hate each and everyone of those ass clowns
da' boomer
May 25th, 2011
2:17 pm
PuckFace & Jill Mitchell – you both should shut up..that way no one would know how really stupid and ignorant your really are…read the article I just posted…of course I am making a big assumption.
Did the Mayor Really Make an Effort?
May 25th, 2011
2:23 pm
Despite pleas for help over 90 days ago, the Mayor has done next to nothing – we are not asking for public funds – we are asking for leadership to protect a community asset:
http://www.keepthethrashers.com/videokeepthrashersATL.html