Do the right thing, Atlanta Spirit…for once

They are not capable of doing a “decent, honorable and upright thing”

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Third!! Screw ASG!!

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This has all been orchestrated. The plan is to use Saturday for the Spirit, Waddell, and the NHL to say “see, no one showed up, that’s why we’re moving the team”.

Please save your and our dignity, you’re playing into their hands if all 55 or 79 or you go down to the gulch . . . no one should show up Saturday, instead we need to organize a bigger and better event to call for boycotts of the Hawks, all events at Philips, and the NHL. Do it in Centennial Olympic Park and we need a media leader on this (not Kincade, what little credibility he ever had is far gone). 10,000 show up at Centennial Olympic Park and call for boycotts of Philips and the Hawks and also the NHL going forward, and let’s hit these guys back where it hurts. It’ll kill their chances of selling Philips and the Hawks, or at least greatly reduce the sales price they get.

You want war, Spirit Squad? You got it. Hell hath no fury like a hockey fan scorned.

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Ah well. RH you ruined the Knights thread I was trying to start. Trying to remember a better day. There are so many rumors, innuendo, etc. floating around one doesn’t what to believe – except that the ASG are scum and none of these rumors would surprise me if proven true. Just going to wait this out and hope for the best.

Think my SAS time is 1:30 or so, but, we have no intention of putting up money until this is resolved. Don’t trust them to refund my money.

Anyone remember the Milwuakee Admirals once had a goalie by the name of Dufus (or very similar spelling). Was the best goalie chant ever! Whole areana yelling DUFUS, DUFUS. Think Gearon stood up and took a bow.

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Here here – Ice Man,

Let this cruel game be over with and let WPG choke on the feathers of our birds. I wish all the players all the best and may they all add thier names to the CUP. Just do it in any other city then WPG.

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It’s been a good ride and I’ll miss the Thrashers. Here’s a funny thought: How do you become a millionaire hockey owner in Winnipeg? Start off as a billionaire. You reap what you sow, and the NHL is making a knee jerk reaction to help offset the underhanded dealings of Jim Balsillie that drug the fragile NHL in to a situation it was not prepared for in Phoenix. The biggest shame of all is the fact that the NHL does not have the class to just own up and say it’s over. They have failed us all along. Why should they stop now? I guess that is asking too much. It’s hilarious that they seem to believe that they can grow the sport by making a move that equates to contraction. Why peddle the product to the sheep in a small pasture like Winnipeg? How does that grow the sport or make it more viable over all? It doesn’t. Of course, it’s too late for the league to open it’s eyes for Atlanta. And in 7 years when Winnipeg is tired of propping up the team after he new wears off, and the reality of 70+ million dollar salary caps sink in, the NHL had better not come begging us to take them back. Fool us once…

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From a post by the Nashville blogger on hockeybuzz:

Comments from Commissioner Bettman, on his show last night, included a comment that has to fire up the Thrasher fan base. “It will be interesting to see how many people show up at the rally on Saturday,” That’s a strong message to Atlanta hockey fans. Get your butt out to the rally in the Gulch on Saturday if you want to save your team. I can speak from experience… the summer rally in 2007 here in Nashville was a turning point that built momentum to keep the Preds in Nashville, much to Ken Campbell’s displeasure.

Atlanta fans, you have an opportunity… I’ve seen a few battles break out in the comment section of the AJC blogs that indicate a rift between fan groups… put aside your differences and get out there in numbers. It may be your last and only chance to show potential local buyers what your fans base looks like and how powerful it can be.

I am torn…part of me agrees with Joe Friday, part of me wants to do whatever it takes to keep the Thrash here.

I guess we should have realized we were in BIG trouble if Don Waddell was charged to find a local buyer….the last and greatest of his failures.

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Select-a-seat, a comfortable one at that, in front of your own HDTV at 1:30 and watch Game 4 of the Bruins and Lightning series. The town hall meetings, rallies, select-a-seat events, draft parties and mock outrages have been a complete failure at every turn. People talk about boycotts, holding up signs chastising Waddell and the ownership group and I know of just a few willing to do it on a regular basis, one in particular is R. Stroz.

Save your time, your energy and your passion for your children, your families and your friends. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if they tried to charge you for parking too. Lastly, the AHL isn’t coming here either. Reports suggest the Moose will relocate to Thunder Bay or St. John, Newfoundland. Better than select a seat in Gwinnett than to waste your time this weekend.

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Should have been: Better to select a seat in Gwinnett than to waste your time this weekend.

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Don’t the right thing and DON’T LET THE TEAM MOVE!

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“If it’s war they want, it’s war they shall get.”

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Hey R/L since you’re paying attention what do you think about an A League team about three/four years down the line? Know it’s silly to think it would happen right now, but, what about in a few years?

As for wasting time – few beers in the Gulch never hurts. Maybe someone will show up with a TV.

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I just hope getting my money back for season tickets isn’t an act of Congress. We’ll miss you Thrashers, but I hope you lose in Winnipeg….

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What? I fully expect A$G to hold the select-a-seat, rake in Thrasher money, pocket said Thrasher money, & then give all the fans rainchecks to a Hawks game.

Oh wait, Hawks will be locked out next season! (Rain checks will expire before 2012-2013 Hawks season).

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Rawhide>>>>>>>>>>>>Chris Viv

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Can’t believe they’re putting a team in a city the size of Macon with a highschool arena.

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NHL = No Honor Left

Bettman, the ASG, the Board of Governors are all exactly the same. No wonder they approved the ASG initially. Nice fit for the good old boys club…..

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I am w/out words about this whole situation….no, wait a minute, here are the words: lying, manipulative, conniving, duplicitous, cold-hearted, greedy, self-centered, egotistical, $#@%….and those are only the PG versions. Yes, Bettman and the ASG, you’ve earned yourself a new low in this Thrashers fan’s estimation. Play-offs? Who give a flying leap at this point?

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I hear Levenson and Gearon are going to be at the Select-a-Seat so they can tell children the Thrashers are moving, it makes them laugh.

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I’ll add my name to those thanking BlogMaster for his efforts here over the years. Truly a lobor of love it most have been.

Don’t look for the AS(s) Clowns to “do the right thing” here. They will lie right to the end. It is what thay do it is what they are. They can all burn in hell.

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For what it’s worth, if you need a ride to the event Saturday, give me a shout.

Also, while I understand the betrayal and constant disparagement from ownership has caused the general feeling of apathy-I say let’s show up and just raise hell-what’s the worst that happens? Cops tell us to calm down (which being smart people you should-they can be REALLY persuasive), we wait 20min then raise more hell, cameras record it, and maybe it puts just a little bit of the giant ostrich-sized egg Betteman and the FUBAS boys deserve on their faces.

We got shammed. I had sneaking suspiscion when #17 left and right about that same time we start hearing that WPG is eyeing moving the Thrashers “if they cannot get their dear, old franchise (Coyotes) back”….My cousin oipined that maybe once the NHL gets done paying for the ‘Yotes payroll with the $60M re-lo fee from true north that they may move to ATL-somehow I don’t see it, but man, that’d be delicious irony.

I’ve met a lot of you guys at the games, at the GIANT BEER corner, and at viewing parties and even once at the mall-truly great group of folks on this blog, and I would like to thank you all for your passion & comradeship. Truly, I know we held up our end of the “covenant” that Betteman mentioned a little while ago. I know I wasn’t the only working stiff who bought tickets, merchandise, brought n00bs to their first game & created fans, wore my throat out cheering our guys on. It’s a rotten shame that the ends justified the means for the league and FUBAS. We deserved better.

Oh, one more thing Mr. T I still have that “mailing list”-your call on if that’s made available on the blog or via email.

Hope the improbable happens and we have an NHL team in November 2015-if not, I say in not more than 5 years Kaner is lifting The Cup up yonder in tundra-ville.

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Obviously.

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That is a great point – Atlanta just got bumped below Raleigh NC as far as a thriving metropolitan city. Thanks ASG… and thanks to the Atlanta mayor for making it clear that he could care less about the Thrashers. Good job making our city a joke.

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Awesome

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They are going to hide behind the thought that “well, until every last paper was signed and made official, we had to continue on as usual in case it fell through in the end. And woe be to us if we cancelled the Select-a-Seat event and the Thrashers stayed in Atlanta. We just couldn’t do that to the fans we love so much and have done so much for over the years.”

Sorry… I think I just threw up in my mouth a little trying to type that last sentence.

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3 words CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT we should do it for the lies told to us.

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Did you all read the new Jeff S. article? Interesting.

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Notwithstanding the ownership gong show, the root of the problem lies with Bettman. His grand scheme of putting NHL franchises in the southern states was a strategic disaster that he still will not admit. The U.S. is renowned for its world class sports. NBA, NFL, MLB, and NASCAR are well in front of the NHL when it comes to filling the stands with paying fans! Sorry Gary, but when you’re fifth in line for the hard earned dollars of sports fans, there ain’t much left. High school football pulls a bigger crowd than some NHL teams in the south. Canada may have some smaller market risk, but what it does have is that hockey is more than a sport, it’s part of who and what we are. The Leafs, who haven’t won in over 40 years still fill the stands.

To those in Atlanta mourning the imminent departure of your team, you are a special few, who’ve embraced hockey for what everything the game offers…….you should have been born in Canada.

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Class Action Suit against NHL for “Conflict of Interest” this is totally opposite for what the league did for the Coyotes.

Bettman is just trying to make up for his losses in PHX with the money for relocation fees.

The NHL knew for years there was terrible management and did nothing. Given another year they could find a buyer for the team. They (the NHL) have been hands off for a reason. Can you say 60 million dollars.

Wonder if there is any way some tyoe of injuction could be filed to stop the process? Give us one full year…we will find an owner.

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Dan Bouchard states the ASG doesn’t even want the Thrashers in the arena.

Also take note as to one of the reasons the Flames left town, Tom Cousins wouldn’t go along with the other NHL owners who were pilfering the player’s pension money.

http://www.tsn.ca/window/podcastcentre.aspx?xmlURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.tsn.ca%2Fpodcasts%2Ftsnpodcast.xml&mp3URL=http%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.tsn.ca%2Ftsnradio%2Fbouchard_051611.mp3

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There’s another potential wrench in the gears for Jets fans: ticket and luxury box sales.

TNSE would be outright stupid to not seek long term commitments from the big money guys for boxes and methinks this is an avenue they’ll explore. One thing that has not been answered: how deep are the pockets in Winnipeg?

While I suspect this is a moot point and will be proven quite trivial it still must weigh on the minds of the big heads at TNSE. However, one could argue that they’d be stupid to even enter negotiations with Atlanta without some form of confidence.

Thrasherdawg: sorry, mate, I just don’t see it happening. The only other thing I can see (besides that 11th hour charitable buyer scenario) is what was laid out in the other blog – that the Spirit Group will just say the hell with it and stay on one more year to seek an alternative buyer (IF the NHL is really trying to screw them out of cash)…but I believe this theory to be a little bit heavy on the tinfoil…

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Let’s spend a couple of minutes reviewing the short history of the Thrashers, shall we?
* Patrick Stefan, the 1st pick of the organization
* Dany Heatley, poised to partner with Ilya Kovalchuk and Kari Lehotenen to be the face of an up and coming franchise, wrecks his car and kills his good friend.
* Marian Hossa signs a multi-year contract with the Senators, and then gets told he’s traded to Atlanta?
* “Franchise” goalie Kari plays exactly one year healthy, the year the Thrashers make the playoffs.
* What’s that? The Thrashers get swept in the playoffs and start off the next year 0-6?
* Hartley gets fired and Waddell take over and doesn’t hire a new coach to save $$ for the ASG.
* Hossa wants out when his contract ends because he didn’t want to be here in the 1st place.
* Waddell trades Hossa on trade day – we have 2 minor leaguers left from that deal (Esposito, O’ Dell)
* ASG decides to keep payroll the last few years around the floor.
* Ilya Kovalchuk decides he doesn’t want to stay with a franchise with poor ownership. Trade value too confusing to analyze at this point due to trade picks used to pick up guys from Hawks.
* The last 2 years, the Thrashers are in the playoff picture in December, only to falter terribly during the 2nd half (and more) of the season.

Yea, it’s been a great ride [sarcasm dripping]. I am terribly disappointed to know I won’t be able to take my daughters to a game. The 1st day I met my wife, it was with friends at a Thrashers game on Thanksgiving night. My first date with my wife was at a Thrashers game. This team is about to turn around and be solid for years to come with Dudley at the helm and some young talent in tow and we won’t get a chance to enjoy it.

I truly believe if a new singular owner came in, season tickets would spike up dramatically knowing a serious owner was committed to winning. It’s truly a sad day for this fan.

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Call me crazy, but something tells me that the select a seat event could turn ugly.

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Here’s a pretty decent article, one I happen to agree with even if it is from Toronto Centric Global Fail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/thrashers-failure-rests-with-owners-and-the-nhl/article2029445/

Balsille is a bad fit for the NHL, full stop.

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For those who suggest that we should give up, and stay at home tomorrow, I think this quote by Lloyd Jones speaks volumes:

“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.”

Think about that. And then I’ll see you tomorrow in the Gulch.

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A few things
1.) I can’t thank 99% of you fellow posters enough for your grace, dignity and sportsmanship in sharing the love of the Thrashers and Hockey in general. While the antics of the A$G, NHL and various Canucklehead Trolls who seem to take joy in our pain have been a real pain in the arse to deal with, I’m not done with the game. Its too fun. I almost want to learn to play street hockey and try to get into playing with some of you in the future. If anyone is interested in still hanging out or puck talk please look me up on Twitter (same name) or ask Bill for my email. Its cool with me.
2.) I’m sure that 95% of the people in Winnipeg awful for the minority of “Fans” in their town that are taking supreme joy in our pain. They felt shafted by losing the Jets yet feel no pain in us fans in Atlanta losing a SECOND franchise. Since they don’t know just how awful the A$G was they will relentlessly mock us. If they only knew things like the only advertising the Thrashers had was DURING Thrashers games they would know part of the problem. The A$G took a steaming dump on our dinner plates and we are called horrible fans because we refuse to eat it. How fair is that? Mark our words Winnipeg, if you end up with a cursed franchise they will be leaving within a decade. What happened to Winnipeg in the 90’s was not fair. What is happening to Atlanta for a second time is downright criminal.
3.) Bill, thank you for all you have done. For the first time in my life I actually felt like a part of something and your blog here on the AJC was a big part of that.If this is indeed the end of Thrasherville I seriously doubt the AJC will cover the Glads at all. If you choose to keep writing on hockey (or anything in general) please let your dedicated followers know. It has been a joy to know you and to finally be able to say I got to shake your hand this past season.
4.) Finally, if this is the end of the line for the Thrashers, I want to end it with this – Sage I am so grateful that I will NEVER have to read your broken record thoughts ever again. Losing the Thrashers will hurt, never having to subsidize your arrogance and outright hatred for anyone and everyone that disagrees with you is the one extremely bright ray of sunshine throughout all of this. Hopefully you decide to start your next one man army campaign against whatever subdivision let D-Wad in. It should give your life more purpose. If you were ever truly a fan of Atlanta Hockey this should be a bad day for you but youre still here, calling everyone names and wishing Winnipeg well is the lowest thing I have ever seen you do. Do yourself and all of us a favor, relocate with the Thrashers to Winnipeg or start insulting hawks fans. They may not take as kindly to someone repeatedly disrespecting them.

I will see you all tomorrow at the gulch.

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ASG = Ass Sucking Group

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SomAtl95, as someone who was in Winnipeg when the Jets left, I (and probably a vast majority of fans there) do NOT “take joy in (Atlanta’s)pain”. Believe me. We know what it’s like. Bad owners, an indifferent league executive… ya, we have been there and own the t-shirts.

Far from dissing Atlanta fans, We are just excited to see another NHL team in Canada. The wrong of 1996 righted, sort of. And yes the new MTS Center is a beautiful facility. And yes the last time I checked Winnipeg’s population is a whole lot larger than Macon’s. And finally, with winter around here for 8 months of the year, we love hockey. I mean, we REALLY REALLY love hockey. So… If that excitement and joy we have at the thought of an NHL team in Winnipeg is a pain in your ass, you’ll just have to get past it. Just don’t confuse it with disrespect for your loss. We have none of that.

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Bettman should come out right now and clear this mess up, if he can. If the deal was not done months ago, he needs to make that clear. If the Board of Governors did not previously approve this, he needs to clear that up as well. Otherwise, the league looks just as bad as these dirty owners. And, maybe they actually are. I only hope they sue each other endlessly over the whole deal and that the ASG takes it in the shorts eventually.

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ViewfromtheNorth – We’ve all been supportive of expansion to 32, giving the Peg and QC teams back. It just sucks for years to be treated like second class citizens. We love the game in Atlanta, we do. Years of being told we don’t “deserve” a team because we are in the south really makes a person trigger happy with the insults. Canada is a great country, I have loved my brief visits in the past. When it comes to Hockey though we have always been treated with extreme disrespect. Its like starting a baseball game with 2 strikes already against you before going to bat, it sucks.
To be thrown under the Zamboni a second time by the league is downright criminal. The Flames would have prospered here, as would the Thrashers had, if ownership had actually cared about Hockey.
We here feel like “Major League” is a metaphor for all pro teams in Atlanta. It took 40 years before idiot ownership sold the Falcons to someone who cared. Nobody enjoys being a laughing stock or easy target.

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SomaAtl95- Fair comments. I’m with you on the “thrown under the Zamboni a second time ” thing– it absolutely sucks. And truly the disrespect never came from anyone I know. If you’re a fan it doesn’t matter where you’re a fan.

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[...] runs a regular “Ice Man” column that provides a fan’s perspective via Ben Tiller, who wrote this about the team continuing to run their regular “Select-a-Seat” promotion …. Finally, to the members of the AS, LLC I make this challenge. If the reports are true and you have [...]

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Right on Soma. I hope that Sage finds a new team or group to repeat the same hatefull sentences to over and over and over again. Dude hasn’t stated a new thought in four years. I guess he wins… he stopped subsidizing and now they are leaving… hope this finally makes him shut up. He is a miserable guy – and he and his lapdog LAC should go far, far away together… Maybe they can ride one of LAC’s trains?

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I still do not see how Winnipeg can support this team. Doing some research, I see that your biggest companies are Shaw Cablesystems, Manitoba Telecom Services, Ipsos Reid, Palliser Furniture, Great-West Life Assurance, Motor Coach Industries, New Flyer Industries, Boeing Canada Technology, Bristol Aerospace, Nygård International, Canad Inns and Investors Group.

Other than Boeing, who are any of these companies? Are they going to be able to buy out your luxury suites for the next 20 years (there are 46 of them + 2 party suites)? How about provide major corporate sponsorships for the team?

The average player salary has increase over 3 times since the last time you all had an NHL team up to $2 million a player from just below $600k. That’s significantly more. I don’t see the increase in attendance from the old building to the new covering for the huge uptick in salary nor the revenue sharing making up enough of the difference. There are franchises that struggle to turn profits now (a good example would be the Minnesota Wild in a STRONG hockey market).

What happens when the revenue dollar comes back down. I’m not saying that it’ll go back to 67 cents per dollar again but it could. You never know. Would you all be able to survive those heavy losses?

I also see that Winnipeg is growing at a 2.2% population rate vs. the rest of Canada at a 5.6% population rate. That’s showing me that Winnipeg is NOT a destination that people are rushing out to move to. Not to mention why would NHL players want to live there where they will be scrutinized for every move.

I realize your fans are passionate. The games will sell out in the seats, but besides the owner (who will get tired of taking losses – they all do), is there anyone else out there that can significantly support this team? Revenue from concessions and profit sharing do help but probably won’t make your balance sheets come out in the black.

I see very little chance for this franchise to survive past 5 -10 years. Good luck though!

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Bettman should come out right now and clear this mess up, if he can. If the deal was not done months ago, he needs to make that clear. If the Board of Governors did not previously approve this, he needs to clear that up as well.

At this point, who’s going to believe a word Bettman says?

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“Select-a-seat, a comfortable one at that, in front of your own HDTV at 1:30 and watch Game 4 of the Bruins and Lightning series.”

You’re still going to support this league, after what they did to us? You’re a lot more forgiving, or addicted to hockey, than I. I. Am. Done.

“the AHL isn’t coming here either. Reports suggest the Moose will relocate to Thunder Bay or St. John, Newfoundland. Better than select a seat in Gwinnett than to waste your time this weekend.”

AHL won’t be here next year, but they will, there’s going to be a huge void here and a smart businessman will take advantage, the AHL is a very sustainable and profitable model.

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“And people wonder why the NHL is the biggest joke in North American professional sports. We had a good thing going with the Atlanta Knights…not sure why we had to sully ourselves with these buffoons.”

Amen, brother. True words. It’s a Mickey Mouse League, has been for a long time.

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Seriously, if Winnipeg wouldn’t of had a WHL team that merged with the NHL way back when, would they even be in the discussion for an NHL team right now?

Any sane person outside of Winnipeg would say no. Even in Canada.

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Winnipeg won’t survive long with what is financially demanded of each ownership, they will soon come cup in hand to other real NHL teams in real cities looking for welfare to prop up this incredible silly idea of NHL hockey returning to very poor Winnipeg. This may just another long line of NHL mistakes when it comes to ownerships like the criminals who they actually negotiated with to purchase past clubs such as in Long Island and Nashville.

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sage….so angry and so misguided….I know what we should do…..let’s boycott all Atlanta pro sports and send owners a message that we just don’t care about having a pro team in this town…..yeah…that’ll show ‘em….it worked REALLY well with the Thrashers…..oh wait….

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MASHA, unfortunately we’re seeing some hateful posts coming from the Thrashers end now.

I won’t get into a history lesson, nor will I fire back. I’ll just say again that I sympathize and give my word that I’ll always show respect to the team and the fans – no matter the city

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“Not sure what “reputation” you’re talking about Joe Friday…..a poor showing at the Gulch will just add fuel to the fire that Atlanta is not a pro sports team town and not a hockey town.”

I really don’t want you guys to go down and make fools out of yourselves. Really, I am not being mean, I truly want you to save your dignity. This is a fait accompli, it’s done. There is nothing to be accomplished other than to be fodder for what they want, they want to show the pics of the 79 of you in that big empty parking lot, they’ll take the pics from the top deck and the image will last forever. Read Bettman’s comments “we’ll see how many show up”. I can see the sneer on his face when he said that. They truly believe that there’s not fans here to support the NHL, when the truth is that the ownership, or more importantly, Don Waddell failed here. Not the fans.

If you are intent on going tomorrow then get 1000 to show up and get rowdy and go in and make a scene or you are going to have your pics plastered all over Canadian papers on Sunday for ridicule as the reason hockey failed here if there’s 79, 100, 150 of you and 12 of you go select seats. Don’t you see that?

No one should show up. Not one. That would speak volumes.

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@Alan R. – I don’t believe a word he says. I am officially labeling this Grand Theft Zamboni.

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I have read these blogs to get a sense of how Thrasher fans feel about the probable relocation.

I’ve kept my mouth shut because Atlanta is not my city.

As a Winnipeger, I’m ashamed of the handful of rude, thoughtless, ignorant louts from Canada that have posted here.

I’ve wanted a return of NHL Hockey since Winnipeg was screwed out of it’s team. Now I’m watching it happened to Atlanta and I’m thrown back to those heart breaking days.

You don’t deserve this. I don’t personally know anyone who takes joy in your pain.

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@SkepticalJetsFan – thank you for your kind words. I know you know how it feels, and you know the pain we feel. I love Thrashy almost as much as I love the Avs. And if the Avs left town I might just boycott the NHL (probably not, but I would be p!ssed for a long time).

I lived in Atl for 5 years, shared some beers with some of the posters here and I can tell you that the Atl fans KNOW their hockey just as well as anybody from the Great North. It is a wonderful sport and am grateful to Canada for developing it as I love playing it and watching it. What happened here is not the fault of the fans, I know you realize that, but rather the ownership.

GB has messed up badly. And he will find that out – in the means of trying to find another job. I don’t bash on Canada, never have and in fact have lauded it as a beautiful place with very nice people. I say the same thing about the South as well. The vast majority of Americans love the Canadians and vise-versa. It is just a bummer to me, and many others, to lose a hockey team. I have felt it before when Colorado lost the Rockies to NJ. It sucks. I am sure the good folks in Kansas City felt the same way when they lost the Scouts to CO (insert moved team here).

I like y’all and hope it works, if indeed it comes to fruition as the proliferation of hockey is good for me. You deserve a team and I just wish it wasn’t ours. Cheers and best of luck. No hard feeling here as you are just a fan hoping for a team. GB = A$$G-Hole

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LAC – that last post may be the first time I agree with you. But I don’t want anybody muerto.

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Will be going tomorrow to have a few beers with friends – nothing more. Might wear a shirt with something uncouth so no media will take my picture

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Great article.

I’m afraid that it does look like there have been months of “behind the scenes” negotiating – probably much of it to do with the Coyotes as the Trashers.

Similar thing happened here in Vancouver when the Grizzlies were sold. Fanbase lied to over and over again and when the fans refused to believe and stopped coming the ownership could go “see, you don’t come, we’re out of town”. It’s BS and unfair.

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See ya there DWTOO – for the same reson

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I really don’t understand why the Winnipeg people are here anyway! Don’t they have their own blog somewhere? It’s kind of like a Jap bomber pilot attending the wreath laying at the USS Arizona or something! Jeez! Some people just have no class!

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RF – Yes they are and I’m COUNTING on it.

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Wonder if King & Spalding would want to help with a lawsuit…

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EA – consider the source. Eager may well become the most hated player in San Jose…

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ThrashDawg,

I posted here because I wanted to clear some things up and to give my thoughts to Thrashers fans, whom I feel for.

Posts like yours make me wish I had come to troll.

And for someone who wishes to talk about class, perhaps you shouldn’t label Japanese people as “Japs”, eh? Pot, this is kettle…

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To Atlanta hockey fans….It’s wrong the way you are being screwed around and we feel your pain. Sucks that you will probably lose the team and it sucks that we (WPG) have to get a team back in this way. We come to this site because of the incredible interest in hockey up here and just want to see what the reaction is….not to be negative. Unfortunately there are doofus’s everwhere and we have our share. That is NOT the majority of us by any means. I guess the truth is that while the diehards will definitely miss the game….losing the Thrashers will not effect the landscape of Atlanta or it’s heart and soul the way it did Winnipeg. When we were losing them there was a rally and 35,000 showed up. $11,000,000.00 was raised from donations that included kids piggy bank money. Jets sweaters are STILL are the hottest selling item here after 17 years. And just to add a few facts for those that don’t know…Winnipegs economy is in excellent shape, far better than many North American cities. Recession here was a blp on the radar screen….New stadium being built, new arena, new airport…When the Jets left there was a 62 cent Canadian dollar, no arena, no salary cap and no revenue sharing. It is a different world now and with the fans support that they ALWAYS had…..They’ll be here forever….. or at least til the big asteroid hits.

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ThrashDawg, there are lots of commonly used terms from 70 years ago that aren’t considered classy today, that should have been an easy one.

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@Wpg13 Still in denial about how poor Winnipeg is huh? Saying Winnipeg is too poor for the NHL isn’t silly but the truth.

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You guys migt have some hope left yet. Read towards the bottom of this article…

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Am I the only one who saw the irony in the ASG name? Many were not from Atlanta. They had no spirit and they did not act like a group working together. I literally cried when the Flames moved to Calgary. I tried hard to be a Thrashers fan, but for some reason the only time the ownership/management group passed the smell test was when Hartley was the coach. I freely admit that the NHL is my 4th sport to watch and I am still very ignorant over the finer details of the game, but it still hurts to watch Atlanta and Georgia lose another franchise. To the gracious Winnipeg fans- Thank you. If the Thrashers do move to Winnipeg; I will still root for the players I have followed here.

To Thrashdawg; Bro, Jap has been socially unacceptable since the 1960s. It is generally only permissible to be used by those who were alive in WWII,. So it is time to drop the vernacular (and I don’t mean a hat) and move on. I find the term especially offensive given the triple tragedy that hit Japan back in March. So I am asking politely that you use Japanese instead. Okay? Thank you in advance.

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bravesfansince1961 – Bro? Way too politically correct these days I guess and do you really need to bring up the tragedy in Japan.. for crying out loud!

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Ok, I will admit you are a decent Winnipeg guy SkepticalJetsFan! bravesfansince1961 is right I should show some Southern politeness…just hard to do right now because I am hurting! My son was the kid who one the contest to name the Thrashers mascot back when the team first was awarded to Atlanta and we are both hurting today and have a hard time seeing or hearing anything to do with Winnipeg!

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SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

SPIRIT GROUP SUCKS!

*clap, clap, clapclapclap*

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I maybe late in posting this from Pierre Lebrun, but here it is any way.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/8276/players-support-winnipeg-getting-thrashers

Excerpt…

Sharks winger Dany Heatley feels bad for fans in Atlanta, where he began his career.

“I don’t know why it’s happening,” Heatley said Friday. “All I can say is that there are a lot of great fans in Atlanta. A lot of great people that work for that organization, and if they move it, it’s going to be tough for a lot of people.”

And he doesn’t understand why it hasn’t worked in Atlanta.

“I don’t know. You look at the city, I think there’s 5 million people that live there. You think they could find some fans. I don’t know. All I know is that the fans that are there, the season-ticket holders when I was there, they were big hockey fans.”

Former NHL center Ray Ferraro played in Atlanta in the early days of the franchise. He has an idea why it hasn’t worked.

“I think with the nontraditional markets, there’s two constant themes that you’ve got to battle: One is that it’s a market that may not understand the game as well. And two, it’s that they’ve had zero success,” said Ferraro, now a hockey analyst for TSN in Canada. “Atlanta has had some really good players, they’ve hung on to none of them. … In Atlanta, we had real good support early. But they’ve played four playoff games in 10 years. Who’s going to go to games?”

Bowness echoed that comment.

“In a nontraditional hockey market … you’ve got to win, or show some continued signs of improvement,” the Canucks assistant coach said. “They never showed those signs. They made the playoffs once, and to go get Keith Tkachuk [for that 2007 playoff run], they gave up a lot of their future. And they didn’t win a game.

“It’s not the big names that will sell in those markets. Winning will sell. You win, and they’ll come. Like in Nashville.”

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SkepticalJetsFan – I do think you are decent and thank you for your compassion. We (even though I don’t live in Atl anymore) are passionate fans. I am glad you didn’t turn into an Uncle Milty and troll uselessly around the boards. See you in another life brutha.

Tonight’s game:
If SJ loses, everybody start queuing up the swan song – they are done with. Before the 2nd round I recall posting that after making it to the conference finals Vancouver was looking like they did all year. They had some stumbling blocks along the way but good lord is this team scary. I am still a bit surprised with the Tampa Boston series – but that one is going long so we will see.

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“Why are they saying there is still one local group interested?”

To keep up the charade until they’re ready to announce the Winnipeg ticket drive on Tuesday.

Some Canadians get it but I need to quit hearing about non-traditional hockey market when it comes to Atlanta. There’s millions of people that moved here in the last 20 years from Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, and yes, even Canada, then any other southern or western city. This city has more traditional hockey fans in than half the clubs in the league.

That’s the crux though, we all came here with our original alliance to the Hawks, Wings, Swords, BlueSkirts, Flyers, Pens, etc. and the Thrashers were our “2nd team” and we knew hockey. We wanted to support it, but we knew that Waddell was incompetent and we quit spending our hard earned money in a tough economy until we got real ownership. We never had real ownership, if we had, it would have worked here, and the NHL knows that, which is why this charade they’ve been pulling and will pull about “we’ve been working for years to find a local buyer” is pure unadulterated bs. No one could buy that club or would even seriously look at it until the Belkin lawsuit was finished and that was less than 6 months ago.

The NHL screwed us here, fellas, just as badly as Waddell and the Spirit Squad did.

Thems the facts.

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Well, gotta face reality a second time now. The team has already started “clearing out all things hockey”, so I might as well too. For the past year the wallpaper on my work and home computer was the awesome shot of Kane connecting on Cooke’s jaw……gone. On the car was a Thrashers rear license plate holder…..gone. On the truck was a Thrashers tag on the front…..gone. Just have to start clearing out the clothing items now…..

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Wanted to chime in. Been following this story for sometime as I left the city about 3 years ago. It’s a shame what has happened to this franchise. I feel for the hockey fans, but mostly I feel for the young fans who grew up with the Thrashers always believing this team would someday make the city proud by winning The Cup. Hockey is a tough sell in the South. We all know that. It’s really the only sport in Atlanta that’s not only disliked, but somewhat reviled for no reason other than Southerners are still skeptical of that Northern Aggression. At any rate, it was a good run but any team with this much going against it (bad ownership, loss of 3 franchise players, zero playoff wins, etc) is bound to fail. Heck, I grew up in Toronto and lived through the Ballard years. Fans, even in the center of the hockey universe, were malcontent so much so that the Blue Jays were by far the number one draw. In terms of the rally, if I were in Atlanta I would go just to show my support for Thrashers. However, show up is all I would do. I think it should be treated less as a rally and more like a funeral. Because unfortunately, first class professional hockey in Atlanta has just died without a hope of resurrection. Thank you ASG and thank you NHL.

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I’d like to personally take this time and space to thank Rawhide, my fellow regular posters, and silent readers, for sharing their love of hockey, and the Thrashers. It has been a lot of fun spending time with you, here and at the arena. I take many pleasant memories away from this team, and my experiences with it. I will cherish my commemorative Opening Night ticket, preserved in its ticket box, with the seat # and section, from our 1st ever game vs. the New Jersey Devils, in October of 1999. (We lost, 4-1.) I recorded the game, in hopes of one day playing it during a Stanley Cup celebration, to laugh at how bad our initial roster really was, and to see just how far we’d come, as a franchise. Sadly, I know that day cannot come, now.

Looking back, I do wonder what this city ever did to so upset and anger the hockey gods, such that they sent us Time/Warner and the Octocluster as stewards of the franchise. Needless to say, they treated the Thrashers like a hot house flower, never watering it, or planting it in fresh soil. The results were that the flower wilted, uncared for, and untended. Never forget … that Atlanta, GA set an NHL attendance record in 1999-2000, when we believed that ownership was trying to win a Cup. When that belief dissipated, so did support for the product.

Octocluster, you alone are responsible for this. Your restaurant served lousy food, that sickened the patrons. They naturally stopped coming. No chefs got fired, however. Just a couple of waiters and busboys. You trotted out the same ol’ slop, time after time, hoping people would turn out, in spite of your product. Great strategy, guys. Your legacy is no playoff wins, one playoff appearance, one division championship, and a firm “blueprint” about how NOT TO RUN an expansion franchise.

In closing, I sincerely hope that nothing you care about ever gets neglected and abused in the same fashion in which you did to the Thrashers and the NHL. Gary Bettman is right to attempt to punish you, financially. You deserve that. You seven guys … DRAINED the NHL’s revenue-sharing program, when you should have been a REVENUE PRODUCER, by icing a solid product the people could support. Bygones.

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Brendan – if you are on FB, please let me know so that I can friend you. Always enjoyed talking hockey with you these past 4 years

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I’d prefer the “give Levenson a wedgie” attraction. I’d pay $100 to do that!

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Glovesave29, at that price, we’d raise enough revenue to buy the Thrashers out from under True North! We’d get even more than 300,000 fans to show up for “wedgies.”

How ’bout to “pie throwing” exhibit? Take your choice. Dan Marr, head of scouting. Don Waddell, ex-GM and Team President. Levenson, part-owner. Shoot, I might even hurl a blueberry cobbler at Beau Turner!!

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Ahhhh….Beau Turner. I will never forget him sitting at home plate crying like a baby when he got hit by a pitch in my NYO days.

Wasting a perfectly good piece of cobbler on Beau? Why?

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I will play taps on my vuvuzela……..

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Glovesave29, Why not? Doesn’t someone with the ‘Turner’ name … deserve some hot load on his face? Remember, it was “billionaire Ted’s” idea to bring the NHL back to Atlanta. Then, he promptly abandoned it, without a fight. I remember he said, “to right the wrong he did, by not buying the Flames for $15 million.” Ahhh, to get a quote from him now.

He’d probably say something like, “Can’t you see … I’m trying to save the world. I don’t have time for faltering hockey teams. I didn’t make them suck.”

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Rawhide, I’m demanding a hockey blog from the AJC.com next season. With or without the Thrashers!

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Another classic entry by Brendan; I will miss his nice combination of humor, knowledge, and style….The professor of these blogs. If only the ownership cared a fraction of what he does, we wouldn’t be here today.

As opposed to the those who couldn’t or refused to see, it’s been an honor, Brendan.

Sincere thanks to the blog-writer, Mr. Tiller, as well. The same goes–if only your efforts were a reflection of the stewards. If only.

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I know this a small consolation, but the AA Minor team Awaits for next season. Hope to see plenty of Thrashers fans carry the torch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlLK_zvMDuA

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“I know this a small consolation, but the AA Minor team Awaits for next season.”

We know the Wolves were a crappy AHL feeder club for us, no cohesion, not interested in developing our prospects, etc. If the Glads owners have a lick of sense about them, they’re already on the phone with True North and the AHL league office trying to figure out how they can be the new Winnepeg Jets farm club.

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First of all, i know that alot of people is upset about “that ownership that we dont deal say their names” and believe me, DASF cred is almost good as gone but one request, please dont not put your blame upon the Atlanta Hawks/staff of Phillips Arena. Hawks might have alot worst with our very poor leadership from top to bottom. Hawks will be sold after this, I hope

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A$G. Because $$$ is all that matters.

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Let’s hope the Jets name their MVP after Mr. Bennett since the classless ASG couldnt

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Benning, that is….

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Thanks Stroz for the nice comments !!!!

I grew up in Charlotte,N.C. Attended my first Checkers game in 1960, yeah I’m old… When we moved to Atlanta, Dad and I would drive up I-85 on weekends to go to games, then get back to Dunwoody about 3am, After a stop at The firebird !

Then the Flames came, 10/6/72 Atlanta 1 Buffalo 1. Remember the fights with the Flyers and the Painted Lady and Goal judge/announcer Neil Boortz, when he almost got into it with Schultz, That was priceless !!!!!!! Then they left, I was stunned and did not follow hockey for a long long time.

I was excited to see a new team in Town, but again the SAME issues pleagued this team as it did the Flames, Ownership, OR lack of it.

This town deserves NHL hockey, I bet $1,000 cold hard cash, if the hawks, who are worthless in my eyes, were trying to leave the mayor here would be having a fit ot tizzy to do EVERYTHING to save them, including MONEY… But color speaks loudly here.

The NHL needs to expand. Two new teams, including Atlanta and say Kansas City. Would be a nice fit, esp with a NEW OWNER !

But I have grown tired of hearing all this “non hockey” market. BS. Hockey has been played in the South for over 50 years !!! The Charlotte Checkers are an example… Nashville once had the
Dixie Flyers, Knowxille Knights, Greensboro Generals, Jacksonville Rockets…. To name a few.

I am a southern hockey fan, and I want hockey here in Atlanta, if the team does in fact depart, I expect the NHL to expand and we get another team and start over… With a good owner and
an commitment from the NHL, it Will work here, just a damn shame we have been LIED to by asg, WORTHLESS waddell, The Worst Hockey has to offer, and chrisv… At least we will be ride of all that scum !

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Hockey has no business being in the South. The South is occupied by real men. Unlike Boston whose woman have mustaches.

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The mayor of Winnipeg announced the deal was done two months ago. Based on that information, the deal was done in March.

I would like to congratulate Waddell, Levenson, Gearon Jr., and Bettman for being incessantly disingenuous for months.

Aren’t deceptive sales practices also considered fraud? Could the ASG and Waddell end up being defendants in the future?

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It’s 12:46 pm and I am listening to a variety of music on my computer some songs are mellow and some put my mind in deep thoughts. I read all the blogs and stories on both sides of the boder. I see a video of fans in Winnipeg cheering with the news that is not set in stone that the Thrashers are moving there and they are cheering with excitment. I see the pain on the faces of Atlanta Thrashers fans of the possible loss of this team. Tears start to rolling down my eyes and then I get angry the music has an effect because of what’s happening. Then I start feel a sense of hope after all we got bin ladden and we thought we never we did and when we did America can alive again. Atlanta we can’t give up we have to pursue and one rally may not do it but its a start we have to make a lot of noise everyday. We should have showed up at the games more often than we did but we can’t undo what we did. The owners claim they have lost $130 million since 2006, if there are 30,000-50,000 people or so and we all pitched in any amount of money perhaps we can raise what they claim they lost and give it to them then maybe we can save this team and start over again. Hey we got Osama Bin ladden and if we can do that then we can save the Thrashers we are Americans and when we are united than all is possible. The music is motivating me now and I see hope and the saddness is going away.

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A few comments, and I’ll shoot straight from the hip:

First, and foremost: this is NOT a done deal yet and I cannot find font big enough to emphasize the IF on this deal…actually, it’s a whole big bunch of if’s – plural. There are gazoodles of things that could sink this deal and Jets fans are well used to seeing things go boofta at the last minute.

I’ll say this with somplete honesty: I want the Jets back, hell, you should see the outpouring of joy coming across the wires from Canada – people are elated, but I don’t like that we “may” be getting this team under these circumstances. If stable local ownership can be found, ownership that will use their cap space to ice a great team and build for an indefinite future, then the team belongs to Atlanta, not some backroom and shady dealings. I am not one of those sorts that thinks hockey belongs to Canada forst or that it does not belong in “non-traditional” markets. If the Thrashers can be saved then I am all for it. And to be honest, I’d far rather, business dealings aside, have the Coyotes – that would be the sweetest form of justice – but Jets fans cannot be greedy.

Re: hockey in a non-traditional market: it DOES work…but normally it works best when the team wins, sadly. I disagree with a fellow Canuck who stated that the Jays were a bigger draw than the Leafs during the Ballard years. It’s a commonly held belief (or opinion, as it were) that Harold Ballard could have iced a team of Tim-Bits coached by someone from South Africa and still put arses in the seats. But then again, T.O. is much different market than Atlanta, as far as hockey goes.

We heard from Vancouver’s Green Men when they visited Nashville – the place is now nuts for hockey. And if they can keep up their play I do not see any reason that will change. Carolina and Tampa both won the Cup within the last few years and so I do not believe they have lost too too much of their lustre as of yet

I’ve seen enough moves for a lifetime: Winnipeg, Quebec, my grandmother was in tears when the Expos left, The Baby Leafs, St John’s Fog Devil’s, among a few others. And that brings me to a point: Thrashers fans: don’t quit if this all goes badly for you. Get yourselves stable ownership and go after an AHL franchaise, don’t let hockey die. I am one of those Canucks who wants to see the game spread like wildfire, no matter where. I spent a few years in Halifax where we had the Voyageurs, The Citadels and a few other move/bust teams…but then the market seemed to correct itself and we got the Mooseheads of the QMJHL (Major Junior) – and it’s been, for the very most part, gangbusters ever since – complete with further expansion of the league into Atlantic Canada. So you can have life after the Thrashers (if they do leave).

Mr. Bill, I agree with you in that you cannot undo what has been done. If there had have been more arses in seats, giving the owners more gate and concession money, then perhaps you would not be where you are right now. But bad ownership is going to screw it up no matter what and when someone doesn’t want something they’ll do what they can to rid themselves of it – we saw it in Winnipeg, as has been pointed out before. To sum up, Winnipeg never quit after losing the Jets. Fans never stopped attending “other” hockey games and they were consistent in letting the league know that they wanted hockey back in the ‘Peg. The new rink, new CBA and Canadian dollar have helped loads – but that emotional outpouring from Jets fans all across Canada hasn’t hurt, either.

Happy Saturday, uys, I’ll be looking forward to seeing news of the rally.

Cheers

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Thank GS29 – possibly my last post and I screw it up – not unike the ASG – Thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Benning.

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I still can’t believe these scum are still going to hold this ticket event today.

They should all rot in hell for what they have done to the fans of this team.

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This is truly very, very bad for Atlanta, hockey and all of the fans of the greatest sport. This town wont ever get a team back. If this impending sale does happen, I will never watch, attend or support in any way the Hawks. This cities elected officilas have done nothing to try and keep this team here. Its too bad that they are not smart enough to understand the impact this has. Other than an occasional falcons or braves game I have no reason to go down town again.

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I too am disappointed that the mayor, governor and other elected officials haven’t done more to staunch this situation. Although, I’m sure after the official announcement comes we’ll hear how they moved quietly in the background to make something happen, and I’ll call BS on that! There are plenty of deep-pockets in this city to buy this team, but the Octocluster have so poisoned the well of fan support over the years that most of these potential buyers probably have a hard time remembering the early years when we filled the Bulb. They just remember the last few years of a half-filled arena, with filthy bathrooms with most concession stands shuttered and must wonder why waste money on this? Add in having to negotiate with a clearly dishonest and disreputable group that is the Octocluster and I can see why wallets have stayed shut here.

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Satan has standards to, I’m sure Satan finds the ASG to be beneath him.

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Right on Stroz – I couldn’t agree more.

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The article is no different than the Globe and Mail. I would be glad if it is done to put us all of our misery sooner than later. I just hope this silly Select-A-Seat is not another CYA for the Atlanta Spirit while they hold up the deal to get the most money and drag us all into a lame duck season.

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Bettman must have told NHL.com to take down there announcement that the Thrashers are Moving. It is gone. Not that it changes anything.

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I meant Dreger–I need coffee!

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Guess what though, it doesn’t matter as the Mayans say the world will end today. No Team For You!

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Most successful franchise appears to have a big corporation behind it–Comast, Verizon, Bridgestone. That is what we needed. There are few individuals like the guy in Tampa or the guy that wants to buy the Thrashers. God knows we don’t need another group of business people (I use the term loosely in the case of the ASG) with conflicting interests.

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I realize that this is a long shot, but if these clowns at the ASG have known for months now just what they were going to do, would they not be committing a FRAUD by continuing to sell season tickets? I do realize that you will supposed ly get your money back, but technically if this has been done for months? I’m just saying.

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EA,
Actually Winnipeg is the coldest major city in the world (i.e. a city with a population > 500,000), not the coldest of all cities. But it’s still darn chilly in the winter, I’m sure.

Anyway, I’m disgusted that the charade of the “select a seat” is still going forward. If ASG had any class, it would issue a statement saying that they’ve decided to postpone the event until the ownership issues are resolved (knowing, of course, that the sale is imminent). But, alas, they have no decency.

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Nice piece by James Mirtle. Scroll to the bottom is you wish…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/thrashers-failure-rests-with-owners-and-the-nhl/article2029445/

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Here’s an idea to get a last minute hail mary. What if the 5 large sponsors that are headquarters in the ATL and already sponsor the Thrashers stepped forward now and said (a) each will provide $4M in funding to the owners this year, in addition to what they currently fund, to offset potential loses while they search for a new owner and the (b) also commit to any new owner that they would do the same for at least the first five year. I am sure if a new ownership group knew they could count on $20M to offset start up loses they would come.

I am a STH since day one and believe there are at least 15000 core fans that would become brand loyal for life and spread the word to family and friends. It would be a great PR tool for them, the league and the team. It would allow us to show the league and others that with a fresh start this town would support the team and turn out with more that 15,500 fans on an average night.

Also, for their sponsorship, each company could also get 100 upper/100 lower bowl season tickets to use fro employees, clients and customers or give to local youth charities. Plus some sort of added season discount (5-10%) for their employees.

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Today’s game:

I expect Tampa to come back and tie the series after the loss the other night. I am going for a score of 2-1, but it could easily be 6-2. The goalies will decide this series and it doesn’t look good for Tampa as Thomas is playing lights-out. Fantastic TV today with the game and the Preakness.

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Sure would give these jerks $4M. The PR alone, not only locally but on ESPN, VERSUS, NBS during the playoffs would be priceless.

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RL – do you have any resources to find out just how much the companies advertising at the game profit from the advertisements or how much they spend on the advertisements?

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if this were the hawks you can bet kasim and his buddies would be making calls amd doing all he could. screw atlanta sports period. as a native of 55yrs and an avid sports fan, if the thrashers leave none of them will ever see a nickel from me and i will root against them whole-heartedly…especially the hawks. i am in the process of moving to huntsville and am looking forward to supporting the predators…this is hockey team #2 for me..it is a said day

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I was going to the Thrashers select a seat today, but I have to be in Montreal for the Expos select a seat event.

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@ Relocationist You can wait for the future Winnipeg NHL select a seat and the Winnipeg city rally to keep the franchise alive in 2016.

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Unbelievable! At least I have family near the Peg so I can have somewhere to send my box of Thrashers jerseys, hats, Tshirts, bobbleheads and pucks. I will seek all you fine fans out at the Glads games – the only thing sweetening this bitter day is remembering how much my family enjoyed Glads games during the strike season and knowing how many great fans and friends there are out there ready to rally around ECHL/AHL or any other form of hockey not tied to the Absolutely Sinister Gang.

Survival of a team in Winnipeg is not much different than survival here – if it has success on ice, it will do fine financially. If it falters like the Sens and Oilers, then Mr. Thompson will be in serious subsidizing mode. Enjoy what Mr. Dudley has managed to built, Jets fans. And never forget your hatred of Bettman.

Kuos to all the classy and insightful posts – JF, Brendan, RL and others – and a huge thanks to our blogmaster, the best in ATL sports and possibly the best in hockey.

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Badger Bob,

My clipped comment on the story was not in any way indicative of my views on the passion of Atlanta fans. And any idiot can tell you that they might be scared of getting winged with a puck or that a rink might be cold – biased reporting on the behalf of the CBC is nothing new to me.

When franchaises first started being awarded to more sunny climes there were quite a few fabricated news pieces akin to Rick Mercer’s “Talking to Americans” that tried to show how ignorant “fans” in those locales were. I only need to go to my Mom’s place to get the same sort of answers to the same questions – she’s just not a hockey person and would likely tell you that her two greatest fears would be getting nailed with a puck and freezing her bum.

Not a slight in any way towards you folks – or my Mom.

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Interesting comment by relocationist, I love The Kemper Arena, Great location, but what puzzles
me is they have The Sprint Center, they keep claiming they are “looking” for an anchor
team. Basketball would NOT work in KC, because, The Sprint Center should be called The Big 12 Arena… KU and MU would kill nba stuff.

But they had mario lemeuix come to KC a few years back, he looked at the arena and said the Pens might move there, ploy only. But the ownwers of The Sprint Center have called for an NHL team… Where are THEY NOW ? I would MUCH RATHER see the Thrashers go to KC, than worthless canada… But not one peep about the Thrashers nothing. Even the Esteemed Jack Harry on KSHB 41, who knows everything about KC sports happenings, has said nothing.

There is the Missouri Mavericks who play at The Independence Events Center, in Independence.
They are a Central Hockey League team. They sellout EVERY GAME at 6,500 people, I mean EVERY GAME, snow cost a few this past season. But where are people who would at the very least keep the team in The States, rather than a wasteland like winnipeg ? Just amazing !

Remember asg, you will ALL be in HELL one day for your lies, including you too waddell !

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No way will I be able to pull for the Hawks again….from now on it’s Braves, Falcons and CELTICS.

Thrashers: Terrible name, uniforms, broadcasters (remember Scott Farrell?), management, ownership…you name it, they screwed it up.

How did the NHL manage to blow it here twice?

Winnpeg, you are about to recieve the worst possible foundation for a franchise. Good luck. If I lived in your city, I wouldn’t buy a tickety unless they change the team’s name and allow the THRASHERS brand to perpetually symbolize utter failure.

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90 degree heat and we all went there with our sweaters on! Now I am sunburnt to a crisp!

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Does the hate for Wienerpeg bother you? Go to your own blogs then. What do you expect on an Atlanta blog, considering the situation?

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Winnipeg = Poverty

Hey thanks for giving us until 2016, damn nice of you. But Atlanta’s average annual salary is only 45 thou and Winnipeg’s is 70 thou – you remember, Les Habitant mentioned that to you and backed it up with facts. So because of this I think you should change your name to a more accurate reflection of this whole situation… hmm, what could the new name be – hey I know how about ATLANTA=POVERTY=AND IS FULL OF CRIME=AND LOST 2 NHL TEAMS=CAN’T FACE THE TRUTH THAT THEY SUCK=NO CITY PRO OR OTHERWISE ON PLANET EARTH HAS LOST 2 TEAMS=THEY ONLY MAKE 45 grand= ………………. Thanks for playing and Thanks for the team – they will be enjoyed very much by all of Canada where they belong not in the Southern US of all places. Have fun with your crime riddled city. You can always catch the Winnipeg Jets on TV, just get Center Ice.

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R. Stroz

See if you have time to read this
What do mean other teams pages – its not your team its our team – your idiot owners sold it to us – instead of calling us pricks, get real and stop crying. We lost our team to Phoenix, another hockey hotbed, nobody hear cried about them. Thats the difference between most Americans and Canadians. We knew it was business, it hurt – but we certainly didn’t cry and whine like you babies. And we did not blame Phoenix. So maybe take a look in the mirror, read some of the Atlanta posts like Winnipeg =jPoverty. Your the ones that lost 2 NHL teams, and all your fans blame everybody and everything except the one thing that would have save this team from moving REAL FAN SUPPORT. Maybe you’ll get a 3rd try and blow that to. But in reality, Atlanta will never see NHL hockey again. And don’t give me this Troll crap, Atlanta posts our all over our pages and so were Phoenix.

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EA

Thanks for the compliment and thanks for the team. You should read some of your own post from ATL, talk about ignorant. And if you don’t like my comments tough – nobody puts my city down, especially hicks like you who know nothing about the outside world. Frozen tundra – who’s ignorant, thin skinned, uninformed, uneducated and lives in a city where the average wage is 45,000 a yr, yet slams my city, where our citizens make 70,000. Just remember, your city lost 2 teams. You know nothing about Canada or Winnipeg – so again, look in the mirror and read some of your own post from ATL.

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JfromWPG, CALM DOWN!! My posts have not slammed in Winnipeg in any way. Perhaps they have taken a pot shot at the belief that you all own hockey. You have no idea what you are talking about. $45 grand is what people who live around me pay for private education for 2 kids. You are right, I don’t know much about Winnipeg just as you don’t know much about Atlanta. If you want to take the average income of someone living in the City of Atlanta-go ahead. Most of our suburbs are incorporated and have their own stats. Stroz and I are both season ticket holders so we have shown fan support and it does not come cheap. Not knowing anything about the outside world? Are you kidding me? You have a chip on your shoulder for some reason. I had nothing to do with you “taking” my team so thanks is not in order.

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GOING CRAZY

Why, because you can’t refute anything I say so you insult me? I’m just responding to all the crap on here blaming Winnipeg because you guys can’t hold on to a NHL franchise. Before you judge me, why don’t you read the posts from Winnipeg=Poverty. You guys in ATL just can’t face the truth, hockey doesn’t belong in your city, your poor, you have alot of crime like the rest of your country, on and on, face it your a 2 time poor loser.

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I am so angry, I am going crazy. Too much time and effort on hockey. DONE

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Relocationist

Thanks for being so cool when I’ve been ripping Atlanta pretty good. My apologies to you my friend, I am without a doubt a proud Winnipeger, and when you put in like that I feel pretty crappy. I shouldn’t slam the city because somebody slams mine. I really didn’t things were so bleak for you guys, please accept my sincere apology. 10% unemployment, I don’t what to say but your powers that be should start there as that is going affect everything. I’m out, no more insults – take care and good luck, things will turn around.

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Anger and frustration are to be expected. The passion we feel for our sports is what makes it great. The good people of Atlanta do not deserve to be insulted because they happen to like hockey. Having the team ripped out of from underneath us feels pretty rotten.

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Well if the team goes I hope some of you guys will become Gladiator season ticket holders. Just hope they don’t continue to be a feeder for “our” team.

I’ll go to one or two….it’s way too far to go often. If the Glads sell out most games they will look more attractive to the AHL.

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Whoever is blaming the city or people of Winnipeg is bat#$@% crazy….but, then again, after seeing that embarrassing banner-burning, I’m embarrassed for the city of Atlanta.

I was feeling pretty bad about losing the team…but watching that disgusting show actually calms me down a little bit.

Not a single person from ownership to management to players was present. How ironic. Yet a bunch of sheep were there….The truth was there and evident to see all along. The most unloved (by ownership) franchise from the very start. I have eaten my last meal at Ted’s–as that is where it started.

The league office needs to completely revamp it’s ownership-vetting procedures. This has been a disgrace and an incompetence of epic proportions. I hope someone actually can get access to some of the records in which to see how long this deal has been in the works….This is the ultimate case-study in how NOT to run a franchise.

And, to think, so many sheep kept making excuses for Don Waddell for so long…I almost laugh thinking of even Joe-Bob-Friday-Revisionist-Historian and how he waffled back and forth, only to proclaim he knew “all along”….Yeah, that and Sara’s spweadsheets…

Best of luck, Winnipeg. I have come to enjoy the game of hockey and will look forward to seeing how the team does over the coming years. I can only hope you have ownership which will hold its managers accountable for never-ending bad decisions and will provide the necessary resources to properly grow (talent) and flourish.

I dare say Don Waddell will not be taking the trip north….It’s a shame on that, as I don’t want him in this city any longer. Granted, he was a symptom of a much bigger problem–but his continued employment was nothing but an insult to our intelligence.

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Thornburn is not happy with the ASG

http://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5#!/video/video.php?v=1909852558023&oid=153339061394465&comments

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Hey Jag off from WPG. ESAD.

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Try this link instead

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1909852558023&oid=153339061394465&comments

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PLEASE, put us out of our misery!

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I really like Chris Thorburn. The players are getting the same treatment as we are. What a shame.

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Vancouver wins today ZAvs!

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I don’t know RL, the Sharks have shown some resilience. Had they been in the NW division instead of Vancouver they very well may have been the President’s Trophy winners. Four teams from the Pacific division, 3 of which the Sharks played against more than in any other division, made the playoffs. Only one from the NW division made it, Vancouver. Does that mean that Vancouver isn’t that good, you could argue that it means they are better as they prevented the other teams in their division from making the playoffs. The stats can be spun in any way – but the Sharks are good and I think they will win today.

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ZAv, check my posts, that last one was the first time I really spoke out againts some of the ‘Peg bashing going on here.

I’ve never spoken much about figures and couldn’t care less what you, or your wife, make for money.

In fact, I’ve hardly been anything but supportive and understanding of Thrasher’s fans plight – only to see Winnipeg and Canadians continually bashed here.

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Well I guess we know that SkepticalJetsFan is also JFromWpeg. You were the one who posted that Atl’s median income is nearly half of ‘Pegs median income. And what I did was suggest you do a bit more research and provide an example. You sure are a testy bunch.

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ZAv, I suggest, again, that you do some research of your own. I have not posted about incomes. Seems you need to dust the bifocals. I’ve posted under one monniker here only.

And labeling me as testy, when you are the one with your feathers ruffled, is hardly a new ruse.

*yawn*

Cheers

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Good on ya for the Derek Boogaard thoughts, RL. Here’s wishing that all NHL players and owners would embrace the opportunities they have to help their community the way Derek did. RIP.

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JfromWPG – you aren’t going to do your research so I will do it for you.

Median income from:
Winnipeg = $70,500
Alpharetta = $184,000
Marietta = $50,000
Decatur = $72,000
Dunwoody = $83,000
Vinings = $89,000

So yeah, not poor. Are there areas with financially strapped people, yes. The GDP numbers state that Georgia has GDP of $404 billion where as Manitoba has a GDP of $50 billion. So again, not poor. I am not, and have never, said that the ‘Peg is a bad place as I won’t comment on a place I have never been to. So in all due respect, retract your comment and we can get back to talking hockey.

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The income of Alpharetta is irrelevant. If the arena was up here, the team would not be moving.

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I feel bad for Atlanta fans if they lose their team.
I think we lost ours up here in Leaf land years ago when the ownership realized they could still fill the building and have a 20 year waiting list for season tickets no matter what they put on the ice.

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RL, you were right, I was wrong.

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LAC – right on! I am starting to dig your comments more.

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There maybe a little hope because True North is planning to due a test for season tickets, fans must prove they can purchase three years of season tickets so they can see if they can support an NHL team. After all they would need to see if they will recoup their investment. Fans in Winnipeg have been buying minor league tickets for a good while so if this test fails then the deal will fall apart we may have a chance after all and time is getting short.

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I heard word that came from a source within the Thrashers organization that stated a 3rd group was still in the mix and submitted their terms late last week. This group aims at keeping them here.

Might be too little too late at this point; but I believe this is what has stalled the True Spirit go ahead.

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Ladies, Gentlemen, Canadians, Americans, et al.

The deal has not been signed or even agreed to for all we know. All we have is guesswork. So, if the Thrashers do move to Winnipeg, which in my mind is still in doubt for a variety of reasons, then good for them bad for us. We got dealt a bad hand from the start, ownership and management tried to draw several times into a possible inside straight and was left with a Jack high hand.

This isn’t Winnipeg’s fault, Thrashers fans’ fault, the NHL’s fault (even though some believe they have been complicit in it and share in a lot of the blame and I won’t argue that at this point) or the economy’s fault. But lets face facts…this isn’t about rednecks from Georgia or prairie chickens from Manitoba, we’re all hockey fans (some socialists, some capitalists, some brilliant, some not so bright, and both eager to see hockey in their respective towns for 2011-12). On the surface, Winnipeg seems to be holding the best cards right now, but that can change. I have heard rumblings to something similar that Zombie Steve alluded to, and if true, that’s good for Atlanta. Who the heck knows right now? Sure as heck not me. But, the great thing about hockey is that most people enjoy talking about the game, aren’t not prone to childish tantrums, like to poke fun at opposing fans and understand that this isn’t life or death, it’s sport that is sadly wrapped in business clothing.

Point all the fingers you want, but grow up, enjoy the game and remember every time you insult an American or Canadian here, you are insulting someone that you will end up cheering for someday, like Chris Thorburn from Sault Ste. Marie or Dustin Byfuglien from Minnesota. Badger Bob is from Canada and he is a prince. Others are too, and they are all welcome here. And, if you’re not a regular, have the decency to act like one.

We don’t agree with everyone’s opinion, but this is no place for gloating, saying I told you so, denigrating someone’s opinion no matter how much it bothers you. You want to cast aspersions? Do so and move on.

I could post my opinions elsewhere, but I do it here because there are great people to share viewpoints with on this blog, and a darn fine blog master too.

I’ve said my peace, hold out hope for some good news for Atlanta fans, but don’t begrudge Winnipeg if they wind up with this or any other team. I like smart-alecs and cynics, and Lord knows I’ve posted plenty sarcastic things in the past, but there is no reason for being downright hateful on a hockey board. Leave that to knuckleheads like Ben Eager.

Goodnight all!

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Well done Red Light

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Nicely said RL. SJ missed a huge opportunity yesterday and now their captain is hurt – to what extent we don’t know. I picked Vancouver, but was hoping for a bit more fight from SJ.

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Lew 39 is correct. To lay all of this at the fans’ feet is abominable. Kincade was doing it Friday afternoon and a few called in to call attention to the bigger problem, to which he conveniently dismissed all and stated he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Bettman and Kincade: two cowards in a pod.

The league office has known of the uncaring attitude of the ownership for years–and did nothing.

Ask yourself this of a well-run organization, such as Chik-Fil-A, for example. If one of the franchise-store owners was acting like the ASG has for so long, do you think Cathey’s internal squad would sit idly by…and then have the nerve to blame the customers?

You know the answer to that.

It’s just a shame that the NHL is not run like some local enterprises….which may explain why such local enterprises want nothing to do with it…

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Well said, RL and Lew.

What is the minimum required income to be a hockey fan? What does your birth certificate need to read in order to love the game?

I have a cousin born and raised in Yuma, Arizona. No family heritage of hockeylove, no backyard rinks growing up, and at least a 4 hour drive to an AHL or NHL arena. Yet he has a room in his home that is a shrine to Wayne Gretzky. Yotes flags fly at his house and he makes that 4 hour trek to Phoenix as often as possible to see the game he loves played at the highest level.

Canadians, please embrace those who love hockey as brothers, even if you believe they have no “birthright” to that brotherhood. If hockey fails in Atlanta it is a sad day for hockey. Cheer the return of hockey to Winnipeg – I for one believe you should have a team if for no other reason than to honor the home of so many NHLers – but to ridicule Atlanta’s fan base is to ridicule the game itself.

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Not hockey related – My heart goes out to my brothers and sisters in Joplin. That twister was brutal. We bicker about sports and then something way more serious comes along. I feel for the families who lost homes, jobs and most importantly – loved ones. So sad.

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Parlez vous hockey?
Hell yes!!!
C’mon somebody, step up and make it happen here……in the city too busy to Save The Thrashers….

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I’ll wager Buff and Stuart knew, not Thorburn

I’d also wager Kovy knew.

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Even at just 2.5 times current prices for Moose hockey games, #Winnipeg fans will be asked to commit $4,520.25 per seat for the worst of them to $13,407 per seat for the best of them over 3-year period. Want to buy four of them: $18,081 to $53,628.

Parking, according to http://www.mtscentre.ca:
You can purchase pre-paid MTS Centre Parking at any of four designated lots (Portage Place, City Place, Millennium Library or Winnipeg Square). The parking tickets have a barcode that is scanned at the parking lot. The system allows patrons to pre-purchase parking over the internet (including “print-at-home”), at ticket outlets, or at the MTS Centre box offices. MTS Centre is the first venue in Canada to pre-sell parking in this manner. Parking prices for all events is $3.00, $5.00 or $7.00 (plus service charge) depending on the lot location and the event.

You think the parking prices are going to stay level?

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Winnipeg is pretty close to Buf’s hometown (about 2 to 2.5 hours I understand) and he’s got his Stanley Cup. He got a pay day he could live with and I’m pretty sure he was aware via his agent that the team had a very realistic chance of moving. Stuart is a 3rd pair d-man and as such he is looking for security, which he got with a 3 year contract. I think he probably also knew there was some chance the team would move but he wasn’t real likely to get a 3 year deal on the open market. Throbs – totally out of the blue on him. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got told not to worry about it if he asked about the possibility.

Yeah, in hindsight I’m pretty sure that Kovy knew this would be the end result and that is the main reason he left.

I think Kincade is just trying to make people angry to cover up for the fact that he blew it by pimping a pretender (The Balkan) who was never going to save the day.

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CBA Bylaw 13.7 Expansion Draft, Team Relocation

Any player forced to move as a result of being claimed in an expansion draft, or as a result of a team relocation shall be paid $6,000. (This payment shall not affect or be credited against “moving expenses” to which the player might otherwise be entitled). $138,000 for 23 players.

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Kovy knew for sure. Does it excuse him for leading the fans on? I have mixed feelings on that one. Maybe he had no loyalty to the ASG and Don Waddell so he decided to wait and see if they would eventually trade him.

What’s going to happen to Dan Kamal, Matt McConnell and Darren Elliot?

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how odd that we have parsed legalese and financial news. my recollection is that we spent many years wanted the team to move or calling for Waddell’s firing. we wanted a good team, and not just, well, a team. Well, the team is moving, to winnipeg. and the internet means we can still keep up with it. and when they move again, as they surely will, we’ll just keep right on following them. and when another team is placed here, because we have 6 million now and more are on they way, when the Winnipeg / Hamilton / Las Vegas / Greater Toronto Whatevers come to call I’ll be wearing my #17 shirt.

I was a fan of this team from the moment I read about it in the Henderson High School library in 1995 or 94. Well Henderson High became a Middle School, and I went off to college. At one time I had to go to a good deal of trouble just to follow my team. I remember when I had to convince my roommate and good friend to drive down from way north Ga because I wanted to see Dominik Hasek tend the net. He rested against a truly bad expansion team. Through the years we only had 1 really good team, and that happened almost by accident. If we’d gotten a pre-existing team, would it still be here? Would those transplanted fans assist us in rooting for “our” team? If McDavid had bought the team or Brian Burke been hired over Waddell, or fans not stayed away in anger over lack of success, or if Jim Ballsillee hadn’t grown into a rich man, or if the Yotes had been sold to True North, or if the ASG hadn’t ever sued each other would the team still be here?

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John Anderson saw the writing on the wall

http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-thrashers/2011/5/23/2185871/atlanta-thrashers-coach-move-john-anderson

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You gotta feel for Bobby Stewart, the equipment manager… He has done this before.

He was the equipment manager for the Flames when they were sold out from under us by a lyingowner, and now over thirty years later, the same DAMN is happening to Bobby again.

He must be ready to throw in the towel, for sure. Just like a lot of Flames fans, twice is enough.

I hope and PREY TO GOD, that LIAR tom cousins, don waddell and ALL asg owners, have their sould sent to HELL on judgement day, That Will happen, at this point it is the ONLY thing we
can count on. I would love to see the Devil punish geron and levenson with thing that would make your blood curddle… They deserve every thing they get !

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Thanks Brendan!

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A Stanley Cup ring and then 12 years of bad luck. A nice man who always greets you with a smile and a hello. He should have a banner somewhere someday. T’would be nice if it hung in Philips Arena after a man riding a white horse rescues this franchise from the clutches of ineptness.

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Thrashers suck. US economy sucks. CDN economy the only economy in the G8 to thrive after the global collapse. The times they are a changing. Even if the Jets sold out every game back in 96 they STILL would have moved given the .60 CDN dollar vs the US and skyrocketing salaries. Now the CDN economy vs the US is very strong; the US dollar sucks; the Thrashers suck; Thrashers owners suck; Winnipeg has the money and the motivation for a team.

Over the long term, forget about the Atlanta economy or how many hockey fans it has – the US economy will continue to slide and our dollar will remain higher. Combine that with Winnipeg ownership that not only owns the team but owns the arena as well as plenty of real estate around the arena and you have the Jets in Winnipeg for a very long time.

Go cheer for your pathetic Braves and Hawks. Leave us alone.

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Something needs to be good news for either city real soon. Rawhides blog is kind’ve a sacred place for us Thrashers fans and we are all guilty of feeding the trolls and attacking ourselves.
Trolls – If you get the team then congrats. Your joy is at our expense, I’m sure it didn’t feel good to lose your team but I seriously doubt Phoenix danced in the streets and insulted your team, city and fans. Some of you have been civil and some have been outright the doucheiest of douchebags. It was been to a point where we are snapping at you for nothing because nobody wants to feel what you felt when you lost the Jets. Take a moment to remember how crushed you were.
Fellow Posters – The trolls are going to be here no matter what – it does give me insight as to why TSN has moderators as some things that are posted constitute terroristic threats. All I can say about us attacking and/or disagreeing with each other is that we all came here because we love the Thrashers (or at least did at one time) and we have always had fun and interesting conversations – the Trolls can’t take that away.
Whatever is meant to happen will happen. If by some shot Atlanta keeps the Thrashers I wonder how the citizens of Winnipeg will react. I’m sure either way we will find out.

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You just KNOW the Atlanta Spirit brain trust will screw up the deal.

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Atlanta Spirit Ass Clowns bio will read: Most influential person, John Gacy.

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You must understand the demographics of the City of Atlanta. They are Hawks fans and could care less about hockey. You would think for a city so badly run and in bad financial shape would do everthing to keep a major league team and support and build the fan base. But NO. Except for for some loyal hockey fans in the city and around, most of the hockey fans are on the north side where the Thrashers should have been playing all along. If Gwinnett arena had been just a little bit larger, it would have been sold out every night. I hope that all hockey fans come out and sellout the Gladiators game this year and show the idiots Bettman and the NHL that it was not the fault of the fans that the thrashers are leaving, but the location and the idiots of Atlanta None Spirit.

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“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”

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http://scotthoughts1.blogspot.com/2011/05/thrashers-likely-heading-north-this.html I feel terrible for all the fans going through this. Stay strong

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