Passion For Atlanta’s Hockey History Is Still Aflame – Pt. I
I met up with TJ’s owner Tim Ecclestone last week to discuss some the history of hockey in Atlanta as well as the perceived lack of interaction between the current NHL franchise and those who are affiliated with the old Atlanta Flames.
Ecclestone was drafted by the Rangers in 1967, he was then traded to St. Louis during the ’68 expansion. He played in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Blues before spending time in Detroit and Toronto. Then he came to Atlanta in 1974 where he played for the Flames and also became an assistant coach. When the franchise moved to Calgary in 1980, Tim was offered a chance to move with them… Cliff Fletcher telling him that he would be head coach there, or with some NHL club, within two years.
After much thought and consideration to the idea of relocating his family and leaving the business he had here, he decided to remain in Atlanta and has been here ever since. He’s a member of Atlanta’s chapter of the NHL’s alumni group, along with a handful of other former Flames…Tom Lysiak, Eric Vail, Dan Bouchard, Willi Plett… and players from other teams.
In the late 90’s, Tim and the group were excited to learn that the league had awarded the city of Atlanta with another franchise and they availed themselves to help promote the new team. And in the beginning, that is exactly the relationship shared between the alumni group and the new organization.
“The Thrashers came aboard”, Tim stated, “There was Harvey Schiller and his son Derek, and their marketing team. They called us every week to go out there to different places…promoting the team…signing autographs…and try to drum up season tickets”.
These guys were happy to do it too. The sport does have a rich history, contrary to what some northeast hockey elitists may think, and Ecclestone and his former teammates knew that they could be a big help in marketing the team. After all, as he puts it, the Flames didn’t leave town two decades prior due to a lack of interest in the area.
”This city here has a love affair with the Flames…we put 15,000 down there every night. People think it failed…it didn’t fail. Mr. Cousins had a business decision to make”. Continuing, “We had 18,000 for playoff games and the Omni was rocking…people loved the Flames”!
However…as the inaugural season in 1999 neared, the alumni group suddenly found themselves on the outside looking in.
Ecclestone continued, “They basically brought us in, then kicked us out…I hate to say ‘they used us’, but it was almost like that”.
The purpose was served, so to speak?
“Yeah, you could say it was kinda like that”.
So, what change? Who possibly might have made the decision to place the history of the sport at arms length from the current NHL team?
Ecclestone answered by citing Waddell’s statements during the All Star Game held here two seasons ago. “He said that the gap was far too big between the teams. So we knew we didn’t have his support…Don Waddell has a lot of say-so down there”.
“However”, he added, “It’s really an issue with ownership.”
And a team’s decision to take advantage of the willingness of former players to help…even if they played for a franchise that had been relocated…can be very prudent. Case in point, the Minnesota Wild.
As Tim explains, “The Wild owners embraced the players of the past…North Stars or anyone who played in the league. They brought them in, sat them down and said ‘we want you to be a marketing arm for us. We want you to go out there and be supportive…sign autographs…we want you to be a part of us’”.
“That’s what they did in Minnesota”, he said, “Their alumni is very active in the community”.
Tim says he’s been frustrated with the current ownership’s unwillingness to work with the alumni group though he’s tried to contact them regarding such. Michael Gearon, he says, has been polite enough to return his contacts, but not so Bruce Levenson.
Regardless, Ecclestone and the alumni group continued to support hockey in the community by holding celebrity golf tournaments to raise funds for youth hockey. “We gave money to kids who could make the travel team but didn’t have enough money to go on the travel team…that made us feel good”.
How much money could be raised?
“$15,000 a year…sometimes more. And we gave that to the Cooler…The MIC…minor league hockey…scholarship money…we did this on our own”.
When I asked if he’s still personally active in pursuing any partnership with the Thrashers…to be that link to the city’s hockey roots…he simply said no, and here’s why.
“There was this story in the paper about Darren Eliot taking over promoting youth hockey in the area”. Which was fine and good with Tim and the rest of the guys as they would have been happy to assist him in such endeavors.
“But there was this night down there at Philips Arena when the Calgary Flames were in town playing. There were hundreds of red Flames jerseys, mostly Atlanta Flames jerseys, in the stands…which makes us feel good, we always like to be remembered”. He goes on, “J.P. Dellacamera comments about it and says…’Ya know, I don’t see too many of the old guys around’”.
“Eliot then says, ‘All I know is the Atlanta Spirit and the Atlanta Thrashers down here have done everything they can do to get these guys involved…but they just don’t seem to want to get involved”.
And what was your reaction to that statement, Tim?
“He made that statement”, he replied, “…you’ve got a situation where we’ve busted our butts to raise money in this city for youth hockey…an alumnus in Darren that publicly states we don’t seem to care… and you’ve got a GM that has no interest in us…and an ownership that won’t return our calls. It was disappointing”.
He then stated, “The organization has been very generous to us in regards to providing tickets for alumni, and we are appreciative of that…but I firmly believe that we could be a great service to them in their marketing efforts and promoting the NHL product in the community”.
Ecclestone strongly feels that he and the other members of the alumni group can indeed be a bridge to Atlanta’s hockey past.
“The history of hockey in Atlanta…you can’t just sweep it under the carpet. It’s still there”.
In part two of my discussion with Tim, he shares with us his thoughts on the Thrashers lack of a team “identity” and how it possibly could have been constructed…his attempt to sponsor an Atlanta Hockey History area at Philips Arena…and about two men that were also considered for the GM job eleven years ago, Cliff Fletcher and Brian Burke.
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222 comments Add your comment
Alan
May 12th, 2009
3:03 pm
do you really think people in those other cities don’t claim accountability and just support their team because it is there? Wrong. They demand it and things change there because of other things such as media pressure
Indeed. The lack of fans attending games in the eras where their teams sucked was the point of mentioning those cities! Do you honestly think the ownership didn’t take notice when, say, Ottawa was only drawing an average of 10k fans? Or when the AHL Wolves were out-drawing the NHL-Blackhawks at the gate? Don’t be disingenuous!
Secondly, you also mention media pressure. The lack of fans in conjunction with media pressure helped. Alas, that’s one thing we don’t have here. Therefore, we have to do other things to get the point across. The media here are non-confrontational pansies, so we have to take control and demand accountability in other ways. Simply not showing up helped get the point across to our ownership. Then, those of us still attending did other things to actually display our displeasure.
Now, once more, attendance during bad years doesn’t mean jack squat when it comes to how viable a market is. We haven’t had many good seasons (two of them, actually), so there’s no way to judge the market when there is a consistently good on-ice product. Especially when one of those two good seasons was the first one after the lockout. A lockout which disenchanted many fans both north and south of the Canadian border.
Hockey can and will survive here. If you’re unwilling to give it that opportunity, that’s your prerogative; however, thankfully, you’re not the commissioner or a member of the board of governors.
Toby
May 12th, 2009
3:08 pm
Huh…in 2003, when Bettman seems to be referring to, Buffalo averaged under 14k. Years from now, you can argue attendance is low in Atlanta because of an ownership group who is too busy sueing eachother to run a hockey franchise, so they hired and kept an awful GM.
Doesn’t really matter though…the quote mentions many other northern teams which had to be saved by the NHL.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
3:11 pm
“The media here are non-confrontational pansies, so we have to take control and demand accountability in other ways.”
Alan – that’s because they know only a tiny percentage of their readers actually care about hockey. So they won’t bother to cover it. Are they pansies about the Georgia college football team? Or how about when one of your writers is on tv talking about Michael Vick? They don’t seem to be non-confrontational about other sports. It’s because people in Atlanta care about those sports but they don’t care about hockey. Put the NHL team in a city where people care about it. How are the tv ratings for thrashers games versus other cities?
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
3:12 pm
Toby – I will say this one more time. Your team had poor support when Ted Turner owned it and you had sensational rookies named Ilya and Dany on the team. Stop blaming ownership since you didn’t support Ted & Jane.
The Joker
May 12th, 2009
3:14 pm
Yep, the hosers demand accountability, that’s why Bob Gainey is still the GM of the snowfarmimg frogs.
Yep, hockey is only a Canadian sport, that’s why the Leafs procured a Canadian GM, Brian Burke, OOPS he’s from the U.S.A.
Ti-Cat – Go study for finals.
Toby
May 12th, 2009
3:19 pm
Ti-Cat
Quote from Alan:
“Indeed. The lack of fans attending games in the eras where their teams sucked was the point of mentioning those cities! Do you honestly think the ownership didn’t take notice when, say, Ottawa was only drawing an average of 10k fans? Or when the AHL Wolves were out-drawing the NHL-Blackhawks at the gate? Don’t be disingenuous!”
This.
Eileen
May 12th, 2009
3:19 pm
After reading through the comments again, I have to wonder who why anyone cares about Ti-cat thinks. Another bozo who does not know a thing about Atlanta.
Alan
May 12th, 2009
3:24 pm
They don’t seem to be non-confrontational about other sports. It’s because people in Atlanta care about those sports but they don’t care about hockey.
Do you even live here? Don’t answer. I already know you don’t. How? Let’s just call it a hunch.
Meanwhile, it appears you really enjoy games. I’ve got a neat game for you to play. However, something tells me it’s a game you’ve been playing with us all day long.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
3:29 pm
Joker – Brian Burke was born in the north. Perhaps you didn’t pick up on the debates over cities like Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh. Hockey belongs up there.
Toby – Let me say this one more time. See those other teams have periods in their history where they showed great support for their teams. While it is true that Ottawa had a couple bad years it is also true that this year they didn’t make the playoffs but were 7 out of 30 in league attendance. There is no period in Atlanta history where they were not in the bottom 10 teams in the league and that includes when they had solid ownership. Your attendance is low and I imagine your tv ratings are pitiful. You have no coverage of your team because no one wants to read about them in your town. For the last time, Atlanta has never had a period of solid fan support even when it was under solid ownership.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
3:35 pm
Alan – I’m sorry, I’ve offended you. I won’t point out the obvious anymore that your city is not a hockey town and doesn’t support your team. Forgive me if I stated the obvious that they would receive more support in a northern hockey market. I will try to refrain from posting things like attendance figures or tv ratings to demonstrate what a poor hockey market Atlanta really is. Have fun at the NASCAR track.
World be Free
May 12th, 2009
3:40 pm
Eileen-good call!
Thanks for giving us a break from all this Thrash to Hamilton hooey.
Toby
May 12th, 2009
3:41 pm
Ti-Cat
There has been times when Atlanta supported this team. When then can put a competitive team on the ice. Here is a quote from Craig Custance of the Sporting News that sums up what everyone is saying here…..
“Anyways, this story is a rite of passage for Thrashers beat writers. We all had to deal with stories about the Thrashers leaving. But having lived down there, I know hockey can work in Atlanta. I covered the only two home playoff games in franchise history and, honestly, Philips Arena was one of the loudest playoff venues I’ve ever been in. The atmosphere is great. They just need to win , that market won’t support a loser, but really, not many will. I also know the league is very interested in keeping the Thrashers in Atlanta. And there are a ton of transplanted hockey fans down there. That’s my long way of saying, don’t bet on the Thrashers going anywhere.”
Again….we need a competitive product and fans will have no problem spending $$ or time to see a hockey game.
Hijacker
May 12th, 2009
3:41 pm
@GaVaHokie: It’s not hindsight, if you are following the draft all season long. Kopitar was THE top prospect out of Europe, since the start of the 2004-05 season. He would have been a Top5 selection, if he were a Swede or Finn*!!! What really ticks me off is that Waddell scouted him, when his was still in his native Slovenia (he was drafted out of the Swedish Elite League.) Don was impressed with him and figured that he could be an impact player in the league. Only one other NHL team scouted him in Slovenia. You can take a wild guess. (L.A.)
Waddell made this and countless of other crappy decision at the draft and got away with them (e.g. Valabik, Slater, Leveille…just to name a few.) You had little reaction from the fans. That’s the problem with playing in Southern market. Oilers fans grilled Kevin Lower for wasting away 1st rounders on Plante and Nash in 2007.
BTW, LaVallee was a 04 draftee (not 05.);)
*= Riseborough, MacLean, Waddell and Muckler were proven wrong by Kopitar. –> Sidenote: do you see a pattern here? Everybody but Waddell is out of his job by now.
GaVaHokie
May 12th, 2009
3:41 pm
Well, I’ll lay it on the table… Last time I checked, the average audience on SportsSouth for Thrashers hockey was like 1,200 viewers per game.
Tony C.
May 12th, 2009
3:42 pm
wAAAAAAAAh!
Waaaaah!
Waaaah!
I’m tired of driving two hours to go see an NHL game!
Waaaaaaaah!
Waaaah!
ANyway, I”d like to thank Ti-Cat for driving up Mr. T.’s blog-hits.
P.S.
The second-best player in the league is also Russian.
Tony C.
May 12th, 2009
3:45 pm
Exactly, and who signs Waddell’s checks?
Sure as hell ain’t any Thrashers fan I know of.
The blame for this club’s woes lie squarely at the feet of Don Waddell and The Gang That Couldn’t Sue Straight
GaVaHokie
May 12th, 2009
3:51 pm
Hijacker… oh, I remember it like it was yesterday… they questioned Kopitar because he wasn’t from a hockey-haven.
Someone at the draft table had to have spoken up and said, “Bourret is a Hartley kind of player. I think we can trade down, get a few later picks and get the guy most suited for our system”… maybe even Hartley himself. That’s where a team made a pick based on necessity more than best available player.
That was certainly one of the more baffling moments… I still have the vision of Waddell and Hartley sitting at the table laughing every time they moved down… definitely a WTF moment.
Alan
May 12th, 2009
3:52 pm
Offended me? Doubtful. A witless troll from a dead steel town where the populace can’t even support their AHL team doesn’t offend me. Yeah, I said it. The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators out-drew the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Imagine that. A suburban Atlanta AA minor league team out-drew a AAA minor league team in an “underserved market” in Southern Ontario.
Say, does that mean, by your own standards, that Atlanta is a better hockey market than Hamilton? Fans actually supported the Gladiators, based on your own reasoning!
I understand there’s nothing to do in a dead steel town like Hamilton, but you should really go find something else to do. Just whatever you do, don’t step on anything rusty. Tetanus shots are pretty painful, from what I understand.
To sum this up another way: Begone, foul troll.
GaVaHokie
May 12th, 2009
3:55 pm
Hijacker… Lavallee was in 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_nhl_draft#Round_four
http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=4665
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
3:59 pm
Yes Eileen – Carolina is doing well with those good Canadian boys like Brind’amour, Staal, Whitney, Ward, Eaves, Boychuk, etc. And don’t forget the American boys that come from states like Minnesota (Cullen), Illinois (Corvo), and New York (Cole).
GaVaHokie – I went and looked up your 08-09 Nielsen ratings (at mid-season). You had a .23 which was 3rd worst in the league, only better than the Islanders (which probably compete with the Rangers too much in down years) and the Fla Panthers. The only other teams under a 1 were Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Phoenix and Tampa Bay. I am not sure why Dallas would be so low (New Jersey gets horrible support and couldn’t even hold a ticker tape parade when they won the cup) but clearly you can see a trend among the lower teams in the league.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:03 pm
GaVaHokie – just for the flip side, the top 6 teams in the league (we are only looking at US ratings because Canadian games have too many national broadcasts to compare) are Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Boston.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:07 pm
Ignore me, I’m an annoying moron.
Brendan
May 12th, 2009
4:08 pm
Ya know, when Billionaire Ted owned the team, he did absolutely NOTHING SPECTACULAR with the Thrashers. He didn’t make any kind of big splashes in free agency. He didn’t hog the spotlight. I can’t recall a press conference of his, about the Thrashers, other than the one that announced that Atlanta was getting an NHL team. I can’t even recall Turner putting forth a “timeline” for winning a Cup or even making the playoffs. Which are all things that he did do when he owned the Braves.
Honestly, the only Ted Turner quote I ever remembered from his brief time as owner, was this one: “When you come up with $99 million to buy the team, then YOU can name it.” Gee, that was GREAT PR!
Many fans “questioned” naming the hockey team after a harmless, little brown bird. Might as well have been a sparrow. But the brown Thrasher is the Georgia State bird. Hence, the name. Although, we try to convince people it’s because we “thrash” opponents. As in, to shake them forcefully.
Moving right along … in 2000, Dany Heatley was playing in Wisconsin, I believe. Busy winning a national title or playing for one. Heatley wouldn’t join the Thrashers, as a rookie, until the 2001-02 season. That’s when Ilya showed up, as well. As a “rookie.” Read: Unproven player. Some rookies are amazing. But most take time to develop. Even rookies spawned of the lottery draft.
In the 1999-2002 era, it was all about watching the players leave that should have been kept. (Audette, Brunette, Staios, Slegr, etc.) It screamed of poor management, exacerbated by ownership’s unwillingness to increase the budget for player retention. What “good” was Ted Turner, when he wouldn’t spend the money to make the team better?
I love rookies. I think they’re fun to watch. But I don’t count on them to be saviors in their debut season. It’s about mismanagement of the roster. That’s what kept fans away. Much moreso than any losses. It was, “What in the heck is goin’ on, here? We’re losing players that need to be kept, as we supplement via the lottery draft.” It was “zero sum economics.” In this regard, those who hate Waddell must step back to look at his budget. He wasn’t empowered very much, for player retention. That still doesn’t absolve him from accountability, since he did have two 1st overall and two 2nd overall picks in that era from which to build the team. Theoretically, Kovalchuk and Lehtonen can be lost to free agency in 2010. Again, this speaks to “howwwww” the team is run. Simply put, it must be run better than it is. But no changes are coming. Not even Waddell is being shown the door. Which would be a fairly fundamental change. This is what keeps fans away. It speaks to “intent.”
Hijacker
May 12th, 2009
4:10 pm
GaVaHokie, Ouch….that’s normally not my style. I’ll stand corrected.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:13 pm
“Say, does that mean, by your own standards, that Atlanta is a better hockey market than Hamilton?”
Alan – I completely agree with you. Atlanta is far more deserving of a minor league team. Too bad you don’t support an NHL team like you support a minor league club.
R. Stroz
May 12th, 2009
4:13 pm
Don’t feed the troll.
Rawhide posted an excellent article and this yahoo is just changing the focus. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s none other than an ASG plant.
Return to the subject at hand, hockey history in Atlanta and how the ASG has turned its back on former Flames, living in Atlanta, that could help promote the team.
Besides the Thrashers could use a real goalie coach, and the best Flames goalie, Dan Bouchard, actually lives in Marietta and coaches at Life College.
Toby
May 12th, 2009
4:16 pm
Ti-Cat
Another good Alan quote:
“The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators out-drew the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Imagine that. A suburban Atlanta AA minor league team out-drew a AAA minor league team in an “underserved market” in Southern Ontario.”
GaVaHokie
May 12th, 2009
4:16 pm
Hijacker… no worries… I think somewhere I saw 2004 as well, so I believed you for a second.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:18 pm
I’m the family flower, otherwise known as the blooming idiot.
Toby
May 12th, 2009
4:19 pm
If Hamilton can’t draw at an AHL level, hockey can’t survive there at all. Wikipedia says the 2006 population there was 504,559?!?!? HA! Not a chance.
Atlanta sports fan
May 12th, 2009
4:21 pm
GO FLAMES! I mean it. Go. We can’t support hockey down here. You will do much better in Canada. Go Flames go. Leave. Now. Go.
Smoothie
May 12th, 2009
4:22 pm
@ Tri-Cat:
Dude, we get your point of view so stop beating a dead-horse. The arguments you make are moot because Hamilton at best can support one franchise (hockey or otherwise) AT BEST. Atlanta has a metro population of over 5 million AND A MYRIAD of entertainment options other than hockey.
Not to mention we have an urban population consisting of a large percentage of minorities including one of the largest (percentage-wise) populations of African-Americans in North America. Last time I checked though, the Thrashers have yet to tap into the potential of new fans from the minority populations of this city. However, even when the Thrashers were experiencing a down year, I can honestly say that I saw more black folks attending games this spring than I can ever recall in the other 4 years I’ve been going to games.
The Thrashers don’t have a “hockey interest” problem, they have a marketing and PR problem the size of Hamilton, Ontario. Should that ever get fixed and our mgmnt finally pulls their collective head out of their arse, you may be quite surprised at the attendance numbers coming out of Philips when we start turning this thing around next season.
We may only be another Ilja, a top-flight RW and a healthy groin away from returning to the playoffs next season. So ruminate on that why don’t you? Or simply return to the hole from which you climbed out next to the deserted steel mill down the street. The library wants you off their computer and off the premises NOW!!
GaVaHokie
May 12th, 2009
4:24 pm
Brendan… you hearken a little to the point I was trying to make earlier… Ted I think had the mindset that he could put a hockey team in Atlanta and fill the arena with fans of the other team… that would be his style.
$11 million in salaries during a no salary cap era… it was like watching the Globetrotters versus the Generals.
Even Waddell himself said he “can’t wait to write a book about all of this”.
Still, I agree that it’s no excuse… and there are plenty of them… and I can understand people wanting to see someone else take a stab at it. So be it… I’ll support it. But I really am curious to see what happens with this team if the right pieces are added this summer.
I’m not ready to see someone like Pat Quinn come in at this very moment and blow it up.
Atlanta sports fan
May 12th, 2009
4:28 pm
Toby – the team would be best served in my mind playing right in the ACC with the Maple Leafs. Hamilton is only right around the corner from Toronto. If it is in Hamilton it will draw upon all of the surrounding areas. Put it this way, I saw a baseball game of the Gwinnette Braves coming up. Should Lawrenceville, GA population 28 thousand have a AAA ballteam? Or do they pull on cities from all of Gwinette County and even other surrounding counties?
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:32 pm
Smoothie – It’s not just the Hamilton area that would support the team, but much of Southern Ontario. And if you have a MYRIAD of other things to do and minorities, whatever. That’s just more reasons to get an NHL team out of Atlanta.
Brendan
May 12th, 2009
4:34 pm
I can completely agree with you there, Hokie. Ted wasn’t a hockey enthusiast. I think he saw an investment opportunity. Not visions of a big silver trophy at center ice. $11 million? I shudder to think that was correct. In 2001-2002, teams like the Rangers, Capitals and Flyers had budgets in excess of $75 million. One had a budget of $88 million! Shoot, give me an $88 million budget, and even I could field a pretty good team.
I’m not a big fan of Pat Quinn coming in here. Although, I am encouraged by what I saw in January, when Quin led the Canadians to a World Juniors Championship. It does speak to his ability to handle young players. But I digress. I want to read Waddell’s book. I’ve ALWAYS said, “I’d love to hear Waddell’s side of things.”
And then, I’d like to ask him WHY ON EARTH he stayed, if things were so Gawd aweful? Is he like Lt. John Dunbar, in “Dances with Wolves,” in that Fort Segewick is the best outpost there is, so long as he gets to run it? I don’t know. Something drives Waddell to get up every day.
The Joker
May 12th, 2009
4:40 pm
Hamilton’s population: 504,559.
Pam Anderson has done more Canadians than that.
Go support your minor league hockey team before someone moves them to Birmingham, Alabama due to low attendence.
LAC
May 12th, 2009
4:42 pm
This Stupid-cat is yet another example of a loser who thinks hockey should be played in only ONE country…
He does not look at all the EMPTY seats at New Jersey games or NYI games and so on, he can only pick on Atlanta, not Florida or Tampa,
How about Carolina, more NASCAR, which I thinks SUCKS BTW, there than anywhere close to Atlanta… Why not them move ???
Guess it just show how whiny little crybabies are, go form the canada hockey league and leave the REAL hockey to be played here in the USA,The Greatest Country on Earth!!!!
Like I said before I think Montreal needs to move to Memphis, get out of that minor league city they are in once and for all !!!!!
Then don cherry could get drunk on real whiskey !
Toby
May 12th, 2009
4:45 pm
If Hamilton and Southern Hamilton (or whatever…not many have heard of the city anyway…) doesn’t show for the Bulldogs and has the population of an Atlanta area COUNTY…Hockey won’t survive there.
Smoothie
May 12th, 2009
4:46 pm
“Smoothie – It’s not just the Hamilton area that would support the team, but much of Southern Ontario. And if you have a MYRIAD of other things to do and minorities, whatever. That’s just more reasons to get an NHL team out of Atlanta.”
That’s a real cogent and logically sound argument you make: “Since you have so much to do, then whatever.” What are you?! 9 years old?!
Sure, Ontario may be able to support another franchise, I never said that they couldn’t. But don’t come on here and say that we can do better because we’re Canadian by golly and y’all have plenty to do down there in Atlanta so we should have your team. The business of sports doesn’t work that way. And it is no given that you will automatically do better than the Thrashers because YOU DON’T KNOW THAT! You can’t possibly know how the market will react after the initial excitement wears off. If hockey is so damn viable in Canada, then explain to me why Canada doesn’t have more than 6 teams??
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:49 pm
LAC you need to read my post here: http://blogs.ajc.com/iceman-thrashers-blog/2009/05/11/atlantas-hockey-history-is-still-aflame-pt-i/#comment-3182
I have no problem with hockey in Dallas. They support it well and are behind the sport down there. If Atlanta can do what the Dallas fans do then you wouldn’t have people like me saying things like this. Or you can just keep name-calling.
Alan
May 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
And if you have a MYRIAD of other things to do and minorities, whatever. That’s just more reasons to get an NHL team out of Atlanta.
Can’t support your AHL team.
Can’t support your CFL team.
You’ve got tons of junior hockey programs in the area, and based on the lack of support for the AHL and CFL, I doubt you support those programs either (hey, if you can jump to conclusions, so can I).
So, what makes you think you can support a NHL franchise?
So you want to punish the Atlanta market for having a myriad of entertainment options, do you? Say, let’s also punish Chicago. They’ve got a myriad of other entertainment options. We can move them to Quebec. NY Islanders can move to Winnipeg, since the folks on Long Island can go do other things too. The NY Rangers can go to Moose Jaw, since there’s literally tons of things to do in NYC. The Devils can go to Red Deer — they can be natural rivals of Edmonton and Calgary, since the city is right between the two.
Nope, I’m not stopping. We’re going to move all the teams that are in locations where there are a ton of entertainment options! Los Angeles to St. John! Anaheim to Kamloops! Miami to Whitehorse! Colorado to Moncton! Toronto to Yellowknife!
Does this make you feel better?
World be Free
May 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
Hamilton is not a major league city. It is a toilet with a postal code.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:53 pm
I should really stick my head in the tiolet because I’m a sh!thead.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
4:58 pm
“Hamilton is not a major league city. It is a toilet with a postal code.”
I see that you can’t accept the facts and have turned to name calling and other attacks. The enlightened of Atlanta sure are teaching me. Now that some of you have gotten your comments out of the way why don’t you go buy some tickets to the Thrashers before other northerners come on here wondering when they will steal your team. If you think you can support a team why don’t you go do just that. Or is it easier to yell and name call under an anonymous name while you sit at home instead of going to a Thrashers game?
World be Free
May 12th, 2009
5:07 pm
We just think it is a bit arrogant to have people tell us we don’t deserve to have a team. Ya’ll outta mind your own business.
Get an expansion team and pay the price of building like we did.
And Hamilton is a toilet with a postal code.
Ti-Cat
May 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
My mommy kicked me out of the house and I have nothing else to do until the library closes. There’s nothing else to do in this town.
Thrashers27
May 12th, 2009
5:18 pm
For the love!…Ti-Cat, don’t you have anything better to do than annoy hockey fans? Seriously!?!
There used to be this douche from Detroit (P&S) that would come in here and talk smack and you remind me a bit of him. We’re all true hockey fans here. We love the game!
You don’t live in Atlanta, you’re not a fan of the Thrashers. Why do you care? Why are you wasting your time with us?
Usually, I ignore people like you, but I’m just tired of reading your crap. Sure, it’s a free world, but we’re not here to debate with you whether, or not there should be a hockey team in Atlanta. The fact of the matter is that there is a hockey team here and there are throngs of us who love it.
You have probably never been to Atlanta and have no idea, but we have had seasons where Philips Arena was electric and full of fans in BLUE. So, we had a bit of a downturn over the last couple of years. The die-hard fans are still there and further more it has nothing to do with you. We’re a ten year old team that has had troubles beyond our control and some that were within our control, but I guaranfreakintee you that there will be playoffs in Atlanta next year and that philips will be packed to the gills.
To sum up: Atlanta has a hockey team and great fans. That’s a scenario that has nothing to do with you. Go pay attention to something that does concern you.
Eileen
May 12th, 2009
6:13 pm
Please excuse my poorly constructed comment earlier. I forgot to proof read. However, the thought remains. Atlanta deserves hockey as much as any other city. I keep thinking of Kovy’s remarks. He said the fans in Atlanta deserve a WINNING team. He would like to be a part of the solution. Let’s hope the summer brings some positive news for the Atanta fans.
Tony C.
May 12th, 2009
6:14 pm
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!