Thrasherville will not soon forget what Atlanta Spirit did here

This is a damn travesty.

Many people will eventually be very, very sorry for this decision.

That is all I have to say.

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And, whether or not they do get rid of this blog, Bill, I want to thank you very much for all the great coverage throughout the years. You’ve been great.

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this saddens me. But I guess when big, greedy corporations get involved, it should be expected. This is just something else to prove what the economists are saying; Atlanta is turning into the next Detroit. At least Detroit businesses cared enough about their city to keep sports alive. I am bummed….

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What a sad day in Thrasherville. I always wondered why the commish got booed in other cities. Now I know. What a pathetic group of individuals that destroyed hockey in our fine city.

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Scumbags!!!!!!!!!!!! Rot in Hell!!!

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Not Happy at all – Thanks to you Bill for this blog. Still a daily read.

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Of course it’s all about money! Whatever made you think otherwise? All you few Thrasher fans just weren ‘t kicking in enough cash. The Winnepegians may do better.
The rest of us taxpayers are still angry about having to subsidize your passion by paying bonds for the next umpteen years.
The next time you try to get a local pro hockey team, remember this debacle and the earlier Flames debacle, and don’t expect any support from the majority of citizens who aren’t pro hockey fans.

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WAY TO GO CITY OF ATLANTA..WAY TO BECOME THE ONLY CITY EVER TO LOSE 2 NHL FRANCHISES!! YOU OUGHT TO THROW YOURSELVES A BIG PARTY DOWN PEACHTREE STREET TONIGHT!! ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC FOR A CITY THE SIZE OF ATLANTA, HAVING NOW 4 AND A HALF MILLION PLUS PEOPLE IN THE METRO AREA, THAT REFUSE TO SUPPORT A 20,000 SEAT PHILLIPS ARENA..I LIVE IN THE CHATTANOOGA AREA AND HAVE BEEN TO MORE THRASHER’S GAMES THAN MOST ATLANTANS HAVE…IF ATLANTA EVER GETS ANOTHER NHL FRANCHISE, I WILL NEVER PAY ONE MORE PENNY TO SEE A GAME CAUSE I ALREADY KNOW THEY’D LOSE THAT TEAM TOO!! SO, GIVE IT UP FOR YET ANOTHER CONFIRMATION THAT ATLANTA IS SIMPLY THE WORST SPORTS CITY EVER!!!!

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ASG is a POS! I encourage all of you to fax and email to the BoG the way you feel about this and ask them to vote no on June 21.

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What’s the over-under on Hawks opening night attendance?

Fcuk asg, the nhl, and everyone rubbing this in our faces.

I’m done watching hockey, and, no, I’m never driving to Gwinnett.

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Sad, sad day.
Listened to some of Kincaid’s interview with Gearon. What a joke!

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I’m trying to be grateful for the fact that we had a team, and not bitter about all of this. I’m trying just as hard as ASG did to keep the team in Atlanta.

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-Georgia/Atlanta-Spirit-Sucks/114671988618038

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Michael Gearon, in his just finished interview with Kincade, may seem contrite but the message that spoke louder than his words are what he didn’t say.

1. He failed to find investors over the past few years….really? Is that surprising? Would you want to join an obviously dysfunctional ownership group and have little say? This team was only going to survive here with fresh new ownership not these idiots.

2. He implied the Spirit Group wasn’t afraid to spend money because the Hawks have one of the highest payrolls in the league.. True, but the hockey team always had one of the lowest in their league. Trade deadline deals for top players were almost never considered. They never put money into their minor league system and player development. Their scouting was basically Don Waddell and NHL central scouting.

Today is a sad day and as much as it’s gutsy for Gearon to speak in public, the last thing I want to hear is someone doing a “mia culpa” personal PR campaign that’s just spinning the story the way he wants us to hear it.

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Even though it was obviously going to happen – this is hitting me really hard…. can’t believe all the lies and deceit from these awful owners and awful league. Never thought much one way or the other about Bettman – know I think he is the lowest of the low. Just took my Thrasher wall calender down at work…. it will be the first year in the last 7 at my job that I don’t have one up front and center. What a terrible thing for us fans and for our city. Maybe Kasim Reed and Bettman can laugh at us over a beer sometime. Good luck keeping Phillips Arena and all the restaurants in the Omni open without 42 nights full of people every season. Way to think this through Kasim.

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Atlanta’s fault, the fans fault?? I don’t think so chief. Go to any college football game and the stadium will be full! Why, because southerns love winners! 4 pro teams in Atlanta and how many championships?? “1″ Thats it, just 1. Yet Atlanta fans sux because they want continue to pay good hard money for a team that goes no where. Please. People will point to the Braves about how Atlanta will barely show up to the playoffs. And that true, why? Because we know they will choke like they did for 15 years in a row. The Falcons, 1 superbowl apperance and they had their feathers handed to them. The Hawks, nothing, not close. Thrashers while fun to watch, the owners didnt support them, you knew they were going no where, so why pay money to see them. No I dont think so. Fool me once “the Flames”, shame on you, fool me twice “the Thrashers” shame on me. Want fool me again. NHL you can take your teams and shove it!

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I will do my best to find out whatever endeavors they invest in, although to hear them tell it they have no money left, and I will NEVER go near said investment. I will NEVER attend a Hawks game, although their ownership of that and Philips is questionable now, and I will NEVER attend another concert in Philips. My measly litttle one or two tickets won’t hurt them, but it certainly will make me feel better.
Wonder how they feel today, knowing they are the most hated men in the South and how the mayor feels now that we know he doesn’t care about hockey and that he is a man of agenda that doesn’t include you and I.

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TNSE calling Levenson “honorable and professional” shows that Bravo Sierra flies all over the continent.

Extremely well said, Bill! We owe you for hosting such a great blog!

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Did anyone else just receive the putrid rantings in an email from Brucie and Mikey thanking us for all our support? It also includes more lies about how hard they tried to find someone to keep the team local. a$g sucks!!! I will never attend another function in Philips Arena as long as those pieces of feces own the arena and the Hawks.

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RIP THRASHERS

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Oh, and one more thing, ASG–LIARS LIARS PANTS ON FIRE! The entire community knows what you all are. Your fake tears are wasted on us. You should be ashamed. I’m sure Ted is.

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Sad day- Just wanted to say thank you to Rawhide. I have always enjoyed your wit and your dead-on anylsis of our Thrashers. You will be missed.

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Now my children are experiencing what I went through as a kid when the Flames left town. Except this time it is a lot different. All three of my children play hockey at the Cooler in Alpharetta. The have all grown up going to Thrashers games and meeting the players. This will be a hard pill to swallow. I really feel betrayed by ASG and the NHL. I just want to cry right now. The NHL felt it was ok to save the Coyotes in Phoenix but not save the Thrashers. I’m trying so hard in my heart not to hate Canadians right now. I know its not there fault but when you see these SOB’s on the blog rubbing this in our faces. You just can’t help it. Bill I would like to personally thank you for the great job you have always done. Some of you know that I personally friends with several of the players on the team. They also feel betrayed by ASG, especially the ones that have just signed contracts with the team. Several of the players are really upset with this move and have called Atlanta home for several years. Nobody wants to move to Winnepeg. Bill thanks again for always speaking on our behalf.

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Thanks Rawhide for all that you have done. Even though I stopped posting the last couple of months, I still read your blogs and clung to hope, that the Thrashers would stay. I hope you continued to keep us updated on things going on with past ownership and players. On another note, youth hockey is going to take a hit in the next couple of years and it is a shame considering how much growth has happened in these 11 years.

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And with that, Beau Turner ruined the sports city his father built. A big Foxtrot Unicorn to all the ASG owners and a heartfelt goodbye to the Thrashers. Gonna miss weekend hockey and tailgating.

When’s the Tailwake?

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Thanks Rawhide for all your hard work. I appreciate it. Its a sad day and I suddenly will have a lot more time on my hands.

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I make an oath right now – I will NEVER give another penny of my money to ASG or the NHL. On the ASG front: I hate the NBA and think it’s a total joke -so that part is easy. But I promise that despite my love of music – I will never attend a single concert or event at Philips so long as ASG owns it.

On the NHL front: Wow, well I had planned on shelling out for Center Ice this next season. Fat chance now Bettman. You even had fans from across the US willing to buy shares in the team, if you’d have bought out ASG. I would have been willing to buy a share on top of season tix. But you wanted your $60mil up front. Good luck with that. I’d call yours a very interesting business strategy… relocating teams constantly, not holding poor ownership accountable, and snubbing your customers (the fans). Winnipeg will last maybe a decade at those prices… and then you’ll move them to pay off more debt.

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Was at the first and last Thrasher game (and many in between).

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This isn’t the time, Sage.

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Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication, BIll.

Best wishes to you and your family in the post Thrashers era.

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ASG=MoFo’s.
To the awesome bloggers and fans who went to the games. I salute you.
Bill, it has been a tremendous pleasure.
Winnipeg, you got a great team on the rise..look after them and be vigilant towards the owners.
Taps playing now…….

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Sage, you look as patethic as the ownership coming on here to gloat. Give it a rest.

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I wish Kincaid would get shown the door as well, he is not Atlanta and is a POS!

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FIRE SALE – Thrashers memorabilia — really, really, really cheap! 11 team signed jerseys, 6 signed sticks, included as 2 season tickerholder of the game, dozens of pucks, two bottles of Ilya Kovalchuk signed wine (Caymus and Dom Perignon), a team signed banner from year one, $80,000 in tickets…and a Caps/Thrashers game ticket signed by Gary Bettman – NHL Commissioner and LIAR OF THE YEAR winner.

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They better sell the HAWKS as well cause otherwise I will boycott them.. Im not a hockey fan but attended a few games..People want to blame Atlanta but if the ownership shows that they dont care about a franchise Why should the fans? But to lie to a city about their hockey team and think you can stick around and own the basketball team too.. Please ATlanta show these crooks the door by not attending Hawks games next season!!!

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Good article Rawhide.

Oh well – “Lets go GLADIATORS !”

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What annoys me, is that We/I are being painted as crappy fans but national media-I wish we could have sent DW and the ASG to Winnipeg as well and let them have 5 years of that craptacular mess. Oh well.

Let’s just send all (ASG) involved a nice big bag of dog poop.

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JC – Go f–k yourself

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I like so many others are very sorry to see the Thrashers leave Atlanta. As a weekend season ticket holder, and long time business consultant, I am disappointed but not surprised. The Thrasher owners lacked the most important element of any successful business owner, PASSION. Without passion for the endeavor, it is almost impossible to achieve long term success.

BUT, I want to THANK RAWHIDE for his passion and creating the BEST BLOG on the internet. I never missed a Rawhide posting because the candor, wit, and hockey knowledge coupled with superb writing style of Rawhide followed by insightful commentary from many other bloggers made Thrasher hockey appealing even in its darker days. AND today, in its darkest day; I can still enjoy the postings on the Rawhide Blog.

GOOD LUCK to you, Rawhide and your family. I hope I can continue to enjoy your talented writing style on some future hockey blog.

Denny
Dedicated Reader – Seldom Blogger

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Sad, sad day on so many levels.

I’m buying Gladiator season tickets.

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Here in Winnipeg we know what it truly feels like to lose an NHL team. Sincere apologies are in order. We will make it our own yet respect the integrity you had for it.

GO JETS GO !!!

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JK sux has it right. I hope that carpetbag POS goes to winnipeg with the whole ASG and they freeze to death in 6 months. What a complete load of horse $@#^. This whole deal stinks to high heaven. I’ve been to a Glads game and it is much more fun than thrashers b/c you can actually afford to sit close. I hope Jets get contracted in two years that’d be justice.

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Thrasher Fans Unite! Refuse to spend a single penny on Hawks tickets or merchandise until those piece of crap owners sell the team. And I hope they lose millions more on that one too.
And Gary Bettman. A pox on you and your family.

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Bill – I can’t thank you enough for the chance you have given me and all of us Thrashers fans to come here and respectfully talk about the game and OUR team. Meeting you at the Rangers game was truly the highlight of this past season, Thank you for everything, kind sir and since I am sure AJC will kill this blog I hope that you continue on at least in some form and hope to see what you do next.

Fellow Posters – 95% of you have been some of the nicest and most knowledgeable folks and I am glad that you let me in on your conversations and musings. Thanks for letting me follow you guys on Twitter and thanks to a few of you for following me as well.

Sage – Go fcuk yourself you miserable miserable person! The only thing worse than a winnipegger coming here to pour extra salt in out wounds is someone who enjoys that extra “I told you so” and still calling us sheep. Since this is my final post here I just want you to know that there is a special place full of brimstone and fire waiting for you for all the joy you have taken in mocking us all. Whenever it is your turn to take the eternal dirt nap I hope that you spend eternity with D-Wad. I actually take joy in the fact that I NEVER HAVE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS EVER AGAIN!

Other “Not as annoying as Sage” Trolls – Get your laughs in. Say things like “Who cares?” and “Good riddance!” Older Winnipeggers actually understand the pain we feel and would not take joy in this. The rest if you get your digs in while you can – when bad things happen to you then Karma will be visiting.

For people (like myself) who only cared about Hockey in Atlanta – I am sure you share the following sentiment -I don’t really care what happens with the Falcons or Braves and I HOPE THAT THE HAWKS BECOME THE CLIPPERS OF THE EAST. I’m done with pro sports in Atlanta.

Today my heart is broken. Not as bad as losing my Father in Law or the 2 miscarriages my wife suffered in the past couple of years, but I still hurt for something that will never be – a future with our Beloved Thrashers – taking my future kids to games – feeling the joy of going to a NHL Game in my hometown… all thoughts of “What could have been”…

In closing I want to share my final thought to Gary Bettman – Its funny how in their press release the Thrashers said that the NHL directed them towards selling to TNSE. What a wonderful covenant you have with fans who have been cursing you for 15 years – it was so wonderful that you screwed Atlanta – How about giving out copies of “Moby Dick” to all people who attend Yotes games next season? You have broken our hearts by chasing your whale in Phoenix. Robbing Peter to pay Paul was not the smartest of ideas but then again Mr Bettman, you aren’t really full of any original or thoughtful ideas in that seashell of a head you have anyways, correct?

I’m out. Was great knowing you all. Hope to still see you on Twitter or Facebook and at Glads games.

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Why all the whining? Hockey can’t be considered a major sport, especially given that the NHL can’t even garner a major television contract. Good riddance to a second rate product…better suited for second rate Canadians!

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As both a Baseball and Hockey fan I cannot express how this makes me feel. No doubt that Hockey is by far the fastest, toughest and purest professional sport to watch. I have been there from beginning and took each loss personally over the years. If we have learned nothing else, we as fans and consumers must be real careful about supporting a team that has incompetent and uncaring owners. This being said I will never support any event that ASG is involved with and maybe the Mayor can keep his “couln’t care less” attitiude when Philips is emptied out and the only professional sport is in Gwinnett or Cobb county. Atlanta gets a bad wrap because the ownership of OUR teams get a free ride. Even as a die hard Braves fan I have to reconsider supporting a team that has the same type of ownership group that will not support the team, but can offer a billion dollars for other companies. Why Mr. Bettman do we decide that Atlanta cannot be carried for a year by the NHL as Phoenix was? If the real intention was to keep the team here, then the NHL and the city could have pulled this off. Somehow the NHL must feel that the future of expanding hockey is with the Canadiens and the consumers in the US are never going to get it.

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Dear ODBAlpha:
Since you weren’t paying attention, NBC-Comcast just agreed to a TEN YEAR deal with the NHL a few weeks back.

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This really really stinks…I’m so frustrated. I will now be boycotting the Spirit group. I will no longer be attending any hawks games or even concerts at phillips arena. I hate liars and therefore I hate the Spirit Group. Good bye Thrashers

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Over the course of approximately the past 9 years, I have had one hobby, one major support pillar, one constant love in the Atlanta Thrashers. I have seen many friends and lovers come and go. This team was the reason for several of the friendships I have seen throughout the years. I was a fan through good times, and bad, and no matter how bad things got in the rest of my life, there was always the team. It was something bigger than me that I could believe in, and be a part of; something that I had hoped was to big to be taken away. All summer long, I would wait for my favourite season, hockey season, and to me that was Thrashers Season.

The Atlanta Spirit, LLC has sold this team, and they sold my heart. NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, who seems intent on destroying the true spirit of this game, is providing almost no push-back compared to what he offered to other towns that were on the verge of losing their teams. The fickle fans of Atlanta didn’t seem interested in showing up for a team that wasn’t winning. I think most of them were transplants who were still sticking by their home-town team until this one gave them something to believe in. However, some of them, like that idiot, sageofbluesland, were even foolish enough to believe that they could have some positive change inacted by boycotting the team.

There were many times where it seemed that the team didn’t have the heart that the fans did. If you blamed that on the players, coaches, or even the front office, though, your blame would be misplaced. The ownership group, who have made a mockery of their namesake were never truly interested in owning a NHL team, or seeing one succeed in Atlanta, and so, once again, we see a NHL team walk away from this city. As before, it wasn’t the city of Atlanta, the fans, or the team that failed in this town. It was the ownership.

P.S. I hate you all. F#$% this now empty town.

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I have a lot to say, but no energy to say it today. I’m sad for the youth of Atlanta and for the Atlanta’s youth hockey programs. I’m sad for all of the people who worked for the Thrashers or at the arena. I’m sad for my family, because we spent a lot of great nights together at Thrashers’ games and that will be no more.

I’m disgusted at Bettman and Co. Covenant with the fans? Hardly. And, I’m thoroughly disgusted with the ASG. All that legal in-fighting is what caused this. Plain and simple. Who would do business with these clowns? No one.

To Bill and all of the regulars on this site, I tip my hat to you all for all of the conversation, debate, and fun. A big void will be left in my sports world by the team’s departure and by losing this blog place which I’ve so enjoyed over the years.

Not a nickel to the ASG – Hawks, Concerts, nothing until they are gone from Atlanta.

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As a long time southern sports fan and a two time NHL fan, I can say that I will never again follow the second rate league that is the NHL. Atlanta is an awesome yet misunderstood sports town. This is the capitol of college football. Pro football is looking pretty good and its hard to argue with our baseball history. (Hey Atlanta Spirit, did you notice I didn’t mention basketball?)

A league that would allow an unorganized and unprofessional ownership group like the Atlanta Spirit to start a new franchise deserves the irrelevance that the NHL has enjoyed for all of these years. Good luck in Winnipeg Losers! I hope you freeze your asses off!

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Pretty much the whole country of Canada is in a state of euphoria right now. I’m in Calgary but at 31 I only remember the Flames ever being here.

A hockey fan is a hockey fan though, my condolences to Atlanta hockey fans on the loss of your team.

At the end of the day people have to show up, whether it’s Atlanta, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hartford etc…

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Read the press release, Gearon and Levenson are trying to deflect the blame and threw the NHL under the bus saying the NHL brought them TNSE.

If you continue to support the NHL after this charade, you need your head examined. Mickey Mouse League, bar none. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but Bettman and the NHL directed this, what a sham. Hockey used to be my favorite sport . . .

And to Levenson, Gearon, Seydel et al? We will not forget. And to my fellow Thrashers’ fans, please do not feel that your one voice, that you’re family’s disposable income that will be withheld from this scum, will not make a difference. Let it be known to all the casual fans (like the ones emailing and calling me today asking for “the real story”), let them know what the truth is about what this scumbags did. Make it known that any dollar spent in support of the Hawks and any dollar spent for a concert at Philips is supporting this dirtballs.

I dare Gearon or Seydel or Turner to show their faces out in public. They are pariahs in Atlanta now and they forever gave up the only thing any one of us have, their dignity, integrity, and their word. They have to live with that. Not us. Keep your dignity, keep your integrity, and pity their poor souls and pity their children for having parents that acted this way. Shame.

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I hereby nominate Jameson’s 2:22 post for Comment of the Year.

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“The Gladiators…have begun the process of securing new NHL and AHL affiliation agreements following the conditional relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba.”

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Rawhide- If that post doesn’t cut it, maybe it can go without the P.S.?

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Bill … any idea if our little corner of the blogosphere will remain here on ajc.com?

Or if not, are you considering setting up shop somewhere else?

With, or without, a local franchise, it’s always a pleasure to talk hockey w/the regulars here, and it’d be a shame for us to lose our “home” …

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To me this feels like a death in the Family.
I got a question,
On June 21st when the boards meets what happens if they do not approve the relocation?

Thanks

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You guys looking for an NHL conspiracy are way off base……

Yeah…I’m sure there weren’t 60 million reasons why the NHL gave so little effort in keeping hockey in Atl

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Chris, Thank you for every blog that you wrote and for infact becoming “THE TRUE VOICE” of the ATlanta Thrasher Fans. I’ve enjoyed reading your postings for all of these years.
I hope that you will find another Atlanta team to write about in the coming months and years.
You always told the TRUTH and never sugar-coated the facts.
Will Done!!!

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Ted

May 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
For both: Rawhide & Chris
Thank you for every blog that you wrote and for infact becoming “THE TRUE VOICE” of the ATlanta Thrasher Fans. I’ve enjoyed reading your postings for all of these years.
Rawhide, I hope that you will find another Atlanta team to write about in the coming months and years.
Both of you have always told the TRUTH and never sugar-coated the facts.

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Is it wrong that I just want to punch “SOB” in the mouth? It’s morons like him that have led to this day. “SOB” you are not worth of calling yourself a Thrasher fan.

Bill, I will miss this blog, if it goes away, and I want to thank you for the years of hard work and all the enjoyment you have given to us.

I’m just crushed today.

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ME…..ANGRY

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G’day, and welcome to the Great White North. Here’s our new fight song, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFPt001PYU

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I mean… Why us… Worst owner group ever… Hockey is lost for me… I hope someone brings us back hockey…

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Tip of the hat to Rawhide for your candor, good humor and overall great efforts. You’ve truly been a bright light.

To the many great friends and fans: it’s been a good ride. Our family takes away many great memories. Hope our paths continue to cross

To the Atlanta Scheitweasel Group and Gary Bettman: a pox on your houses. Didn’t realize the final pathetic game of the season would be the last I’d see.

May all of your teeth fall out except one…..to give you a toothache that never ends

Thinking about all that disposable income we’ll have to go skiing next year

That’s all, y’all

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Hey Winnipeg fans. I hope there is one tradition that doesn’t follow the team up north. The booing of Kovalchuk. I never understood why Trasher fans booed him. He knew what was happening to this franchise (as did other former star players) and that’s why he didn’t want to resign. Please continue to boo Heatley though.

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Joe – You need to get of your mother’s basement more often. When the ownership put a good team on the ice the fans came in droves. The team set the standard for first year attendence. It’s the ASG that failed.

Are you related to Levenson? Gearon? Waddell?

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Thanks for nothing “Atlanta Spirit”…. and while you’re at it, change your name. Atlanta doesn’t need your kind of “Spirit”.

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Rawhide, thank you for the wonderful entertainment over the years. You were great from DAY 1. I was unable to post much as I had too much trouble reading from the posters who always had ‘blinders on’ no matter how bad the team was. I’m a hockey fan first, not a ‘Thrashers only’ fan and I will make the trek to Raleigh or Nashville most likely in the future. It is a great game that no owner would support in Atlanta. So unfortunate. I’ll miss reading you Bill, and I hope you turn up somewhere doing NHL hockey. You are a good one!

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As a Winnipeg hockey fan, I truly feel bad for Atlanta hockey fans. We have felt the same feelings about our beloved team and a comissioner who could not get them out of here fast enough. You deserved better from your owners and they failed you miserably. The new owners are a class act – the heritage of the team will be honored and remembered in some way. We will take great care of this team, and it’s going to a great hockey city.
To Canadians insulting Atlanta fans – you are not real hockey fans, as hockey fans stick together around the world, and can party together after the game. Knock it off.

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Thanks, Bill, for having me spending these years with you and your extremely entertaining blog. It has been pure pleasure to read your blog entries and addressing what this team need better than ownership or DW ever did.

I wonder if Levenson is still repeating his mantra about “going to the right direction”. Hopefully DW will not jump off from band wagon and experience his part of the cold Manitoba weather. Is somebody is not missed in ATL hockey scene, Spirit LLC owners and DW belongs to that category.

Finally there was lot’s of right pieces in right places for successful season with couple of additions when they decided to pull the plug off.

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And how didn’t the brilliant and all-knowing Sage see this day coming? Even when we told him this was a possibility? I will enjoy NOT seeing you at Glads games and NEVER reading another of your meaningless posts.

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The Atlanta Thrashers will always be with me. Long live the Thrashers and the their fans.

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If Bruce Levenson had run his Hockey team the way his Company’s mission statement reads, we would have been watching Atlanta battle the Canucks for the cup.
From his website:

Personal responsibility and ownership
Opportunistic and nimble
Calculated risk-taking
Content is king
A strong bottom line
Fighting to win 
We fight hard. We fight fairly. We beat our competitors
Innovation (and imitation)
We break the mold, but aren’t afraid to adopt others’ great idea
Keep it simple
We focus on the goal, not complicated processes.
Resource-wise
Customer-obsessive
Passion for excellence

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Joining those who want to thank Rawhide for his service. Anything else I’ve got, much of which can’t be printed in a family newspaper anyway, can wait for another day.

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I LOVE THE ATLANTA THRASHERS!!!!!!!!!!

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Just got a mass email from the Atlanta Spirit idiocracy explaining the moving of the team, and there is a grammatical error in the SECOND PARAGRAPH. If that doesn’t symbolize the ineptitude of these morons, I don’t know what does.

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@Fagstaff

Kovalchuk always has nice things to say about Atlanta and Thrasher fans. I believe he truly wanted to stay but given the situation of the owners he had no choice but to move on.

For those that are interested here is what Bobby Holik had to say about the move and ownership.

http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/holik_saddened_by_news_of_thrashers_demise_blames_ownership_and_management/

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I got one to work!! How about this one:

F UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU Atlanta dis-Spirit cluster!!

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As an admitted casual Hockey fan, but an Atlanta native, I hate to see the thrashers go. I put my butt in the seats during their playoff run, and was good for 3-4 games a year. At least my 2 year old boy got to go to his first hockey game in Atlanta. I have the ticket stub and picture to prove it!

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Joe, I suggest you catch up on your reading as to why the Flames left and now the Thrashers.

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Bill – Thank you for providing one of the best hockey blogs on the internet. Your knowledge of the game and Thrashers exceeded that of major market and national media. I’m glad I had the privilege to talk hockey with you here and during a game this last season between my two favorite teams, the Thrashers and the Flyers.

To my fellow commentors and fans – There are no more knowledgeable and passionate hockey fans anywhere. We all know where the true fault of this failure lies and it was not with us. I will miss talking hockey with you.

To the Atlanta Thrashers – I am truly sorry that you were never given a true shot and were literally killed in your infancy without much of a shot to save you. The odds were always against you from the owners, the NHL, and Canadian media. It did not have to be that way. You deserved much better. A legitimate effort from the powers that be is all we ever wanted and asked for and never got.

As for me, I am done with hockey. I got my first pair of skates for Christmas in 1969 and learned to skate on the frozen ponds of Pennsylvania when I was 4. I played organized street and ice hockey throughout my youth. I stopped skating when I was 17 and then did a 5 year stint in the Army and afterwards ended up in Augusta, GA where there was no ice. Then, in 1998, a year before the Thrashers were born, Augusta got its very own ice hockey team, the Augusta Lynx, and not one but two sheets of ice. I played a little roller hockey before but getting back on ice after 15 years was one of the greatest thrills I’ve had. I love skating, especially backwards and that is why I was always a Defenceman. The only thing that beats that sensation for me is snow skiing.

The game was growing back in the mid to late 90’s and I wanted to be a part of that by playing and introducing others who had no clue what a great game hockey was. I attended nearly every Lynx home game and several on the road. I was an ECHL off-ice official for 4 years, played 1-3 days a week for the past 13 years, captained some of my teams, reffed some beer league games, coached youth hockey, bought all 4 of my nephews hockey gear, and donated skates I bought at thrift stores to the local rink. I truly believed the NHL’s mantra that “hockey is for everyone”. But, we all know now that is not the case.

Hockey was growing not only in Atlanta but in places nearby like Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Charlotte, Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston. All have good pro teams and/or youth and adult hockey programs. I had the privilege playing at a high adult level with NHL, AHL, ECHL, SPHL, and Junior/College players and coaches. I was never anywhere near that good but learned a great deal about the game from them. That is what I will miss most about the game, actually lacing them up with others who had a passion for the game and tried to make it grow. But all of that has been sucked out of me by the ASG, Don Waddell, TNSE, NHL, and Canadian media.

I am done with hockey. Done playing the game, going to games, teaching the game, and promoting the game. You NHL have lost not only a fan of the Thrashers, Flyers, and NHL, you’ve lost a fan of the game who has been one for life. I’m an old Caddy at the Augusta National but haven’t played the game in 4 years. I think it’s rather fitting and time to pick up that game again now that I am done with hockey.

Sadly, I know I am not the only one who feels this way.

Peace,
Sam Graci

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Well stated Ice Man. May I add the fact, even before ASG purchased the organization, the Hockey Operations/Management, run by Waddell, did not market the team very well. Any business needs to be marketed properly. You must market to your core base and the initial marketing strategy of “Hockey in the Streets” was idiotic and failed miserably to add season ticket holders. Despite the lack of good marketing, and as you stated, Phillips was still rocking under Hartley. I think the Coburn for Zitnick trade was the beginning of the end.

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screw the Atlanta Spirit. What hubris to even use that name. They put a crappy product on the ice and look what happened? These fools should have taken a page out of Arthur Blanks book to learn how to build a sports franchise. Atlanta is a good sports town. High prices for tix and a lousy product equals the results they got.

Go play in the PEG. The ATL says GOOD BYE.

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We’re all mad and upset today. I’m taking a haitus from hockey (at least the NHL) right now – just too painful. Buttman and his crony Daly will always be on the permanent list. But for all those swearing off hockey forever – DON’T LET THESE DINGLEBERRIES RUIN THE GAME FOR YOU!

There’s always the Gladiators for live hockey. And Center Ice. And even with my advanced age I’ll keep playing until the broken leg lets me know it’s time (very close).

Who knows? Someone may do some research and bring a team to Atlanta again. Never say never.

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as a former employee of the the Flames they (current owners) wanted noting to do with Flames players or staff and only hired 1 person with the old team and later on fired her this was an insult to the old fans who had started hockey in atlanta.I just wished they had hired David Poile(Nashville GM& ex asst GM for the flames he knew the town &hockey.At least they have rinks for the kids to play on when the Flames left kids had to go to Chattanoga&Birmingham to practice& play. The boomer must be furious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Atlanta Spirit LLC’s tactics torpedoed the Thrashers’ chances. Then, when the fans refused to drink the Kool Aid, they claimed they had no choice but to move the team

Rightly so, the Thrashers’ fan base loathes Atlanta Spirit LLC

This is in stark contrast to Braves fans. Bobby Cox consistantly torpedoed the team’s chances for two decades. And yet the fans not only drank the Kool Aid, they demanded to have more. And they loved the idiot.

I understand and respect and feel for Thrashers fans

The Cox-lover fan base – to me it’s like feeling sorry for a masochist

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With any luck, all members of the ASG will contract genital warts.

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And the low life scum bag of the of the day award goes to Joe.

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“The worst ownership group in the history of Atlanta Professional Sports”.

Only a group of idiots could have stopped the momentum of the team and the direction they were going – and as luck would have it – this group found a way to be that group of idiots…

Please, please sell the Hawks and ’soon’ before they find their way back to St. Louis.

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honestly, I cried for three days when Kovy left. The team died with his leaving for me. I’ll never forget while working as a researcher for MARTA a while ago now I sussed out accidentally that they were trying to sell the team by keeping payroll low. In traveling all over America I saw firsthand how hockey is the fourth sport on many even traditional market radars. I loved this godawful wretched team, but I learned. I learned that the NHL’s business model simply doesn’t work. This league and maybe the sport it promotes is in long-term trouble. I’m 33 years old, I bet by 53 Atlanta will have another team. I’ll bet that MLS, or something very like it will surpass the NHL as well as the NBA in popularity, and if the Winnipeg Whatevers are still there they’ll be just another struggling franchise.

I will miss blogging with you all. It seems that none of my friends and family are afflicted with this hockey bug I caught some years back on the same night I had captained my soccer team, as a goalie I might add, to yet another championship.

honestly my favorite Thrashers memory was cheering young Michael Garnett to his shutout.

Sage, you were right to leave when you did. Mr. Tiller, will you blog elsewhere about hockey? In mere days I’m about to become a very busy man again as Grad School starts anew, this may well be my last post. I was one of this paper’s very first posters and now I’ll be one of the last. The original reason for the lowercase “b” in my screename was that uppercase was not an option at the time on that keyboard and it just stuck out of habit / tradition. Brendon, though we might have disagreed at times, I enjoyed reading your posts

No gnashing teeth from me, I had real tragedy happen in my life. Friends and family died way too young. I’m watching my best friend of 29 years go slowly insane from a birth defect. Another friend of mine literally died right in front of me. This is not a tragedy, it’s a business deal. I’ll pipe it in over the internet for $20. As I suspect, will most people who truly loved this team as I still do, despite the fact that they are leaving.

My best friend, in an ever-increasingly rare moment of lucidity said this: “Ben, look on the bright side. Now you can root for the team you want to root for, and not just the one in your hometown.” Now, I’ve passed that advice to you.

Yes my soul has a hockey-shaped hole but it shall be soon filled by another thing, either the renamed Thrashers, another hockey team, or something else entirely.

In the words of Garison Kielor, Be well, do good work, and stay in touch.

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If you have time, go check Scott Burnside’s article on ESPN. He knows the deal and he nailed it. Not that any of us needed to hear it, but lots of these trolls sure do. I hope karma hits hard where it should.

There really isn’t much else to say, but the second time around is no easier. FUASG.

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Gary Bettman is a jerk!!!!! All he cares about is getting 60 million dollars!!!!

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I always thought the movie major league was a fictional movie, i never thought i would see it first hand in the city i live in. Ill let you guys comment on who plays what character, what a sad day.

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Hey hey You did have a ECHL team in Gwinnett remember guess who own them the thrashers and the Three stooges n the Marx brothers….they Move out also to a different city near to them like Russia too.We lost 2 hockey teams now..wait that be sound of 680 the Fan bein remove from Espn list of sports Radio…and where atlanta mayor in all this no chance he rather worry about hawks…Nothin more fun stanley cup the NHL just gloatin Bettman liein and Belkin fake tears!

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Sad, sad day. I’ll chime in with my thanks to Rawhide for a blog I followed religiously, and also my thanks to all of the excellent, knowledgable posters who made reading the blog a treat.

My anger with ASG, Gary Bettman, and a vast majority of the sports media, especially in Canada, will never die. As a Thrashers STH from day 1, I’ve been hung out to dry, and I won’t forget. Or forgive.

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Granted that the owners of the Thrashers were a despicable group of shameless liars who deserve all the criticism and contempt directed their way. But why didn’t some of Atlanta’s wealthiest step up to the plate and buy the Thrashers? .Where were the multi-billionaire owner(s) of this liberal newspaper who I think are easily the wealthiest Atlanta citizens out there? The price to buy the Thrashers would have been chump change to such people. At the end of the day, the reason Atlanta no longer has an NHL team is that there were no ultra wealthy Atlantans who thought it was their civic duty to help keep the Thrashers in Atlanta. I’m not saying they were wrong to not step up to the plate, but I think the city has been greatly damaged by their unwillingness to do so.

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What is it about a thinly capitalized confederacy that we from the South didn’t get. The day these guys started this there was only one hope: they sell to a single owner benevolent well funded Atlanta supporter. Otherwise, this was all doomed. These franchises, except in very unusual situations, just don’t fund well. We are saddened but those of you who thought this would work even in the beginning were delusional dreamers. Sorry to say but these jokers acted as you have expected – as they by design were forced to. Say goodbye to hockey forever in Atlanta not because the town won’t support a team, but because we didn’t find a way to get a solid supporter to own this gig.

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Atlanta is one of the worst sports cities in America. The Hawks or Falcons will be next.

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They should have never allowed another NHL team to come to Atlanta in the first place. The Flames left, that should have been all the proof to put a team in another city.

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Was it just a coindence that I was watching a show of Lee surrending to Grant this morning? I think not. It appears the south has lost yet again.

I will never believe this deal was not put together much earlier this year and they were just waiting for the right time and Phoenix to fall through before it was made public. Those buffons crying on the radios mean nothing to me – my kids can cry on command just as well as they can. Our high school will most likely lose a talented teacher as her husband works for the organization (and for the flames prior to that).

I never thought I would live to see 2 hockey teams (I was 20 when the last one left) leave our town. Did not believe that it was possible.

Rawhide – thank you so much for all you have done to keep us informed and allowing us a place to opine. Hopefully you will continue to write about the sport we all hold near and dear to our hearts.

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Screw you ASG, NHL… I am switching to KHL.

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Tis all.

Rawhide many thanks. You’ve done an exemplary job with this blog.

Now that the glue that this blog is built around is moving it is my hope that the AJC will see it best to have an “NHL blog” or “h

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Actually HookyBob, I think it is taps on bugle…..

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Thanks Bill. I didn’t always comment because I didn’t feel I knew enough to make a meaningful comment to the conversations here. But you made reading it so much fun and I learned an enormous amount from you and the others who did comment. I thought about becoming a Nashville fan, but I can’t bring myself to do it because they’re not MY team. I guess we should still get the crew together every now and then to watch……..well………something. Maybe hockey.

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Lets hope no Thrashers hockey fan ever attenda any event at the Spirit owned Phillips arena. A total boycott would be nice!

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Hey – lay off the Mudbugs. Thank you Bill and Trixie. Darn.

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Dave, go and have yourself… you know nothing about blueland

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If you guys are truly sad about the Thashers leaving, then support local hockey and continue to grow local hockey and someday it will come back. When the Jets left Winnipeg despite a rally of 35,000 to save the team and a season tickets drive that sold over 10,000 season tickets with 3 year commitments, the fans were devastated. However, they overcame their despair and the fan base remained passionate about NHL hockey for 15 years. Websites and blogs devoted to the Jets team were established, merchandise continued to be purchased for defunct franchise and the fans supported the hell out of their AHL team allowing a new arena to be built and setting the stage for the 15th richest man in the world and Winnipeg native to purchase a team from a bumbling ownership group and move the team back. If you guys truly love hockey then continue to support it and i’m sure someday the cards will be in place for another team to come back. Bettman won’t be around forever and 15 years is a long time. The fans of the of the Jets had their mourning period but did not let their love of hockey diminish. Atlanta hockey fans should continue to love the game, support and grow local hockey and i’m know for a fact in 15 years everything will be different and perhaps some 15 year old kid currently playing hockey in Atlanta will be the next dot com billionaire and bring a team back to Atlanta. And while it pains you to see Winnipeg going crazy for your team at least it is going somewhere where it is appreciated. The people of Winnipeg had to see their team moved to Phoenix where the fanbase was almost non existent. If someone is going to steal your team, its nice if they can at least appreciate it.

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Ahh! Big money! *sniffs dollar bills* Sixty million big ones!

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Boo hoo about the uniforms. They were the number one selling jersey in the NHL in the early 80’s. Look that up. I loved the North Stars Jerseys anyways. And at least we will have a team so why the shot there? You must do better than the Timberwolves for fans. They get no fans. I have a friend who bought two season tickets for $400 and included lunch with Kevin Love. I dont care if the Wolves leave. This is not basketball country. We have five division one hockey teams, 240 high schools with hockey. 300 youth hockey associations. 50 AAA hockey teams up here. We are the state of hockey!!! 250 players from Minnesota have played in the NHL. Dustin Byfuglien will be only an hour away from his high school in northern Minnesota so he is happy the team is moving.

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Re. Bettman…. and we thought Kovy was a money-grubbing whore.

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I am sorry about the trolling. If it is the ownership group, someone in your community should have stepped up and took control. The NHL should definately be in Atlanta. Phoenix and Miami should have left before Atlanta!!! Gary Betteman is an idiot also!!!

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Wow, “Dave” way to spread that “Minnesota Nice” around.

Frankly, it’s surprising that the Thrashers had as many fans as they did at the end. This ownership group put some fairly putrid teams on the ice and expected the fans to line up and fork over the money. That’s after 10 seasons of only ONE playoff birth, minimum or near minimum payroll, no marketing, and losing every big name player, Hossa, Kovy, Savard, etc. And believe me, I know putrid hockey when I see it having grown up with the North Stars of the 70’s.

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Thats what I am saying Matt. If the Wild would have had Hossa, Kovalchuk, Savard, or Heatley it would have been great. Except year after year we have to watch defensive hockey. The people down there don’t know what they missed with the talent that they had. I know the ownership was crap for getting rid of Kovalchuk. Why would fans want to go to the games???? The owners probably were in collusion with Winnipeg. Another thing. Why isn’t the Coyotes moving to Winnipeg?? There crowds were even worse than Atlanta and they really don’t have any ownership group there. Isn’t the NHL still running that team? The NHL thinks Phoenix is better than Atlanta. NO WAY ON THAT!!!

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And to the person who says the Wild jerseys suck….Did you ever take a look at that mess they gave you in Atlanta to wear in the bleachers? YUCK!!!

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As a big fan of a team that moved (North Stars), I know your pain. Several of us would take road trips to Chicago (our nearest NHL city) a few times a year to satisfy our NHL fix. Fortunately up here, we have lots of other hockey to satisfy the fix (High School and College Hockey in Minnesota is like football in Texas).

Fortunately you’ll still be able to follow most of the teams games on Center Ice if you wish. Back in 1993 when Norm Green took our team away that was not an option.

As a MN Wild fan, I hope we can move into the Central Division (Norris) when the league realigns.

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Dave from Minnesota. I am Dave from Minnesota too. That is going to happen. I cant wait to hate the Black Hawks again like we did in the 80’s. That was arguably the best rivalry in the NHL. For Betteman to tell people in Minnesota that our rival is Vancouver in another country, 1745 miles away and two time zones apart is a joke. Now we can travel to Chicago, travel to St. Louis and other towns to cheer for the Wild. You can’t load up the car and say we are going to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Denver who are in our division.

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Rawhide-Thanks for all the hard work you put in over the years with the entertaining and insightful stories and blogs. I will truly miss reading and sometimes joining in on some great Thrasher/hockey discussions. Sad, sad day for the loyal fan base……

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Despite the fact that the ASL didn’t like the Thrashers and obviously preferred basketball and made unfulfilled promises and hated each other and shipped off every young talent and made terrible organizational decisions regarding staffing, they weren’t that bad….

Also, “small,” disadvantaged,” or “nontraditional” market teams (Pirates, Lightning, Rays, Arizona Cardinals, etc.) have managed to have success because of good ownership despite struggling with ticket sales, talent or whatever excuse you can come up with. Especially a team like the Pirates ( I know its MLB which is superiorly popular to the NHL). They play in a situation with low ticket sales, no talent, a declining tradition, and a history of getting rid of popular players, and the Pirates still remain out of the red every year. I know its baseball and a completely different situation, but good ownership shows nonetheless.

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If you want to get a good feel for how the Thrashers fans feel and their sentiments about losing yet a 2nd franchise then this is a must read!!!!

http://yougabsports.com/pt/A-Letter-To-Thrasher-Fans/blog.htm

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I’ll go out of my way to be sure I don’t put another dime into the collective pockets of the AS.

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You know “Dave” I lived in Minnesota too and you’re a prick. You don’t know anything about hockey in Atlanta so STFU. I used to go to the old Met too and there were plenty of empty green and gold seats up until the time that the North Stars were moved to Dallas. Even if you were right why would you come here to try and rub this in the face of Atlanta? You’re low class and I would say that you’re typical of Blaine, an ignorant, uninformed farm boy.

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Have been a season ticket holder for several years and a fan for all 11 years. What a sad turn of events. To be stabbed in the back by the NHL & Atlanta Spirit Group. The NHL seems to want hockey to be a Canadian game. Did not lift a finger to help the Thrashers. Bent over backwards to help the Coyotes.

I am so mad & disappointed right now I could care less about the Stanley Cup games (Had watched all the playoff games).

So as a ringing endorsement of the NHL, Bettmann and the ASG All of Thrasherville should NOT WATCH THE STANLEY CUP GAMES EVER AGAIN UNTIL HOCKEY RETURNS TO ATLANTA!!!!

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Dave and others hit the nail on the head. Atlanta is not a hockey town. I was a three year STH and was amazed at the lack of interest. Instead of blaming everyone else the fans need to accept some blame too. During our November/December run we were lucky to have 10k in the seats. Never mind announced crowds..I’m talking butts in the seats. Even during our brief stay in 1st place in the SE no local interst was to be found. So all you sheep just look in the mirror and ask if you did everything possible to keep them here. Keep blaming the owners, the media, and Bettman but the true villians lie in these threads who now have come out of the woodwork.

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I hate to see Dan Kamal go. The voice of the Knights & Thrashers.

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Some random thoughts on a very sad day in what was Thrasherville:
1. Let me join all the other viewers and participants in this blog in thanking you, Rawhide, for a job more than well done. You have been the best hockey writer in Atlanta for that time and treated us all to national caliber writing. Where’d you learn to get so good? I regret never having taken the opportunity at Philips to tell you that one on one. Maybe at Gwinnett?
2. Without singling anyone out, as much as the team, I will miss the community of characters who have frequented this site over the years. I hope we can all find another forum to talk hockey and continue the debates that were a daily delight.
3. Is it time for a few last over:unders? Who will be the last former Thrasher on the Winnipeg roster? Given geography, will place votes for Kane or Buff. When the season ends in April 2012, how many ex-Thrash will still be playing for Winnipeg? 10-12 sounds like a good guess. Will DWads still be with the organization by draft day? Smart money would say no. Open season.
4. Re:attendance and the $20M losses ASG claims…It would take almost 10,000 additional butts in the seats for 41 dates at $50 a head to close the gap. Given attendance of 13,500 at Phillips that’s impossible. It would take 41 Philips sellouts at $100@ (second only to Tronna) to cover the difference. And that’s with the bargain basement team salary. So, what what missing in ASG’s business model? What potential revenue stream could have closed the gap? Or is this a sign that most of the league will go belly up in the near future?
Hope we can keep dialoging somewhere but if not, it’s been a singular pleasure. Y’all be well.

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Let’s lay some of the blame on 680 the Fan. As the flagship station, they did a poor job promoting hockey. No hockey call in show, no update scores during the playoffs, no breaking down the teams like they do for the other sports …….. they didn’t help.

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People like RedHouseCat disgust me. The next Detroit, really? As bad as it is it’s hockey, we didn’t lose the NFL or MLB, in fact they thrive here. It was the worst economic climate in 70 years and Atlanta is STILL GROWING, just slower. Still better than Florida or the rust belt which are both losing people in droves. We have at worst the 3rd best corporate climate in America, and we have a diverse and young economy it would be nearly impossible for us to be Detroit. Nobody is going to say hmm… I was going to move to Atlanta but the hockey team left. If that’s how you make life decisions you have bigger problems. The MLS will be here soon and there will be owners who know how to build a following and the Thrashers will be a distant memory. Let’s not for get the Flames left in a bad economy in the 80s then the rest of the decade all Metro Atlanta did was grow faster than any human settlement in the history of earth, statistically faster than ancient Rome. Your logic is short sided and spiteful, do us a favor and stay OTP.

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Detroit Red Wing fan here, came to some games only to laugh at the putrid display of fan support by Thrasher fans. I can only say that it’s pretty sad that we don’t have an arena like Phillips in Detroit. Why did you people allow this to happen? Very embarrassing Atlantans, very embarrassing. I read all your comments and can’t believe how you blame everyone else but yourselves. Read the Winnipeg Free Press, its all hockey and this won’t even be a story in Atlanta tomorrow. How sad your city is.

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No Joe, we just aren’t a hockey town believe it or not yank, there are other sports. The Braves have time and again shown the ability to energize this city like few teams can and Saturdays in the fall are like holiday. Not liking one sports doesn’t make us a bad sports town, now stay up north please.

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Can we get Tim’s 9:18 spam deleted, please?

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I agree. I used to think that Canadians were polite. I guess they are not.

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Dave….I had a friend who used to live in Pittsburgh who was a North Stars fan. Whenever he would drive through Chicago he would take his North Stars flag off of his car because he didn’t want to get shot…lol. I went to about 200-250 games at the Met and some up in Winnipeg. I have only been to four Wild games. The noise at the Met was deafening. The noise at the Excel Energy Center is not as loud with 4,000 more seats.

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Well, back to the Calgary Flames being my favorite team. At least they had the dignity to use the “A” logo of the Flames on their jersey’s for Alternate Captians. A real sign of class.

Despite being ultra bummed out like everybody else, I am thankful for a few things:
– I got to spend so many nights at the games with my daughter, from age 5 to her current age 12. So many great memories
– Thanks to Stub Hub, I got to go to a game and sit on the glass – something I always wanted to do
– Got to see my then 10 year old ride a Zamboni before the game – those pictures will last a lifetime
– Got to experience Game 1 of the long playoff series against the Rangers. NOTHING beats playoff hockey. The team lost that game (and the rest), but the atmosphere was off the charts
– One of the 10 or so games I went to this year was the shutout of Detroit. As close to a perfect game as any Atlanta hockey team has ever played.
– The last game I ever went to (the one I met you Bill), they won.

Hockey will return to the ATL, but not in my lifetime I’m afraid – a sad departure and I feel the most sorrow for the fathers that won’t be able to take their daughters to a few games a year like I have.

Bill, will miss your writings – enjoyed your columns more than anybody on the AJC sports staff, I can promise you that!

I now look forward to far more bland winters and won’t spend a plug nickle to go to any event in Philips Arena as long as that money would go to anybody in the ASG = they can all up and go to hell.

No more to write about, the final chapter has sadly been written, and in the famed words of Forest Gump – that’s all I have to say about that!

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I went to two games at Chicago Stadium. I saw the North Stars return trip to Chicago which was a few weeks after the big pregame brawl. I think it was in December 1989 or 1990. In the rematch, the tough guys for each team (Basil, Tinordi, etc) stood at the center line the entire warmups to make sure nobody crossed the line. The old stadium was nearly full during the warm ups – lots of electricity in that place.

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dave from andover look me up as i run aaa hockey in the north metro and more at aaahockey.co.

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Dave Richter coached a team at the tournament I ran last week. Best fighter in North Stars history.

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… There are no words.

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Ice & Fire the Flames go higher, 73-74, man were those the days, at the Omni, AND YES, we will miss this club!!!

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After reading all of your thoughts I as a Winnipeger do understand how you feel as it was 15 years ago that we lost our jets. I wonder though is it smart to not support your halks because it is even easier to move an nba team. I am happy to have the thrashers but with all the joy in winnipeg today I did have a bunch of thoughts over the loss to your comunity. Support what you have or it could be gone to.

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Beautifully said, Bill. Thank you for this and for everything. This is the worst thing to ever happen in Atlanta sports history. I am amazed how such a small group of people can scar a city. I’m 17 and have grown up loving the Thrashers like a family member. There is literally a piece of me that is gone. If I see any of these clowns (that’s putting it lightly) have the kahonas to walk the streets of Atlanta, it won’t be a pretty sight…

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I read the owners letter to the fans and it is pure bull—-. What do they mean that a sports team seldon makes money. Have they never heard of the Dallas Cowboys? The atlanta Spirit just murdered the second hocky team in Atlanta because of their own stupidity. With all this crap going on with Steven Belkin, they do not deserve any sports team nor the operating rights to Phillips Arena. I say to the Atlanta Spirit, your name is a misnomer. You are the Atlanta Scumbag. Atlanta deserves better than this. You dont deserve any team in Atlanta. Why dont you get out of town?

CRA

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I could not read the owners letter, Charles Anderson. Pure bull was all it could be.

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As for kracker’s none-too-subtle bleating, it is pure economic reality to analyze this abomination of an organization in the simplest of levels; i.e., supply and demand.

It’s obvious to anyone who is not a biased lambchop that the product supplied by the uncaring ownership and inept management was desired by a population which decreased at an increasing rate.

But, it’s easy to look for scapegoats to assuage the masses like yourself. It’s simplistic and fits your level, much as a Sara-spweadsheet did.

Didn’t you feel it when Brunette was dared to go out on the free-agent market to better the pittance offered up by Don Waddell? When did the excuses grow old for you? When did you realize the initial “Five-Year Plan” was nothing more than a pipe-dream? When did you realize that accountability never existed in this organization?

Too late, apparently. I’m comforted in knowing I was doing the right thing almost all along….The drafting of the glass-groined Euroteen was the moment it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks–and I’ve had to suffer from the sheepset’s excuses ever since…

(well, until recently, that is…Shame so late on that…Oh well)

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Thanks Bill for all your blogs and your friendship & fan-ship! I’m so heartbroken… -_____- I wish I could move to a hockey town…I will NEVER attend a Hawks game or go to Phillips arena as long as ASG are the owners… Atlanta Spirit doesn’t have a soul…So this has happened TWICE in my lifetime in my home town..time to move… :*(

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Loved seeing Junior’s Oscar-worthy performance on TV a few times today. The real hope I have is that when he was crying while talking about his own kid and how difficult this will be for his own family…..I hope against hope that it finally hit him that his own kid knows or will soon enough what the rest of us know about his Dad and his amateur partners. Choke on those millions pretenders.

Rawhide, let me chime in as well about your hosting us all here. I appreciate your enthusiasm, your knowledge of the game, and your grace under fire. I wish our paths had crossed at a game, but your style made the rest of us feel as though we know you anyway. Thank you for that.

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I wish we were rid of ASG, but we have to continue to put up with them as Hawks owners.
They want to blame the FANS for the Thrashers departure?????
If those jerks had not ignored the team and allowed incompetence to manage it…we could have had a winner here.
When managent and ownership is as bad as those guys, do they really expect fans to keep subsidizing their bank accounts?
As much as I want the Hawks to win…they better sell the team quickly because I’m not supporting ANYTHING those jerks do.

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I still don’t understand at all why Bob Hartley who actually tried his best to win was shown the door…. and they kept Don Waddell.

I wouldn’t let Don Waddell bag my freaking groceries.

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Thanks for this article Ice Man, very well done. In the end, they ran the team like the Indians owner from Major League.

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On the bright side, bring on the Knights!

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ASG never spent the damn money, though. Inept and clueless as he is, even Waddell would have done better (a couple more playoff appearances, at least) if he’d had some money to spend.

The buck stops with ASG. They have no clue. None whatsoever.

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For the first five years I had season tickets and went to almost every game. However, after several seasons of woeful hockey exacerbated by the inability to develop the talent that they had and the fact that life went on without hockey, I quit after the strike season when the management had the audacity to raise prices. My decision was confirmed when Waddell traded Heatley the day after the season ticket renewal. I have not been to a game since and have not looked back. My original conviction has been proven by the arrogant and incompetent good old boy ownership that was lying to its customers and partner from day one. They have gotten exactly what they deserved which is a team that has never won a single playoff game and has instead left a legacy of failure and incompetence.

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I cannot believe that the ASG took the great game of Hockey OUT of Atlanta!! The one sport in Atlanta that was a joy to watch…never too hot..never too cold…and ALWAYS exciting !! Atlanta let the Atlanta Knights get out of town to “make way” for an NHL team, and now they’ve sold them right out from under us ! Talk about feeling “cheated” !! And maybe if Atlanta sports didnt charge so freakin much for admission, sell $ 2.00 hot dogs for $ 6.00 and .75 cent cokes for 3.50, MORE people MIGHT come out and enjoy some of the events !! Wish the Thrasher players the BEST of luck, but hope the owners have a MISERABLE year. The fans sure will this fall !!

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Wow how angry are you, I think the businessmen involved did their best to promote a winning team, after all it would only seem beneficial to them, as businessmen, to have a successful team.
I suggest to everyone to do your homework before you start pointing fingers, and maybe, try on their shoes for a while, you might see it in a different light!

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Thrashy Thrashy, I bet you voted for Obama too didn’t you? How’s that working out for you?

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Thrashy … I believe the phrase is “a can or two short of a sixpack” …

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I have just read all the comments from all the contributors…the question I have to all of you is this… outside of the original six teams pre 1967 the vast majority of the new teams that have come into the NHL have had ownership problems… Vancouver had Medicore in 1970…Tom Scallon and Lyman Water were both Americans and Scallon went to jail for 3 years on stock fraud. Winnipeg and Quebec lost its franchises because of economic issues Calgary reclaimed the Flames from Atlanta… but fans forget that the Calgary team in the WHA folded because again it was owned by an American… Montreal has been sold by an American back to the Molson Family so it should be safe…Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal now all have all Canadian ownerships.

The problem all the Canadian teams had was we were paying players in US dollars. Those days are over… with the new player agreements US southern markets do not make sense
The failed US NHL teams include:
Atlanta twice (Flames, Thrashers)
California (Seals)
Cleveland (Barons)
Colorado (Rockies)
Kansas City (Scouts)
Minnesota (North Stars)
Hartford (Whalers)
Current US teams in trouble
Phoenix
Florida
Tampa Bay
Carolina

The American economy is cactus…The NHL should look at further relocation moves to Quebec and move importantly to Europe. Three cities Moscow, St Petersburg’s both the KHL and Stockholm of the Swedish Elite league. The three cities have NHL quality facilities and are hocky areas that have not been tapped yet. Broadcast revenue and sponsorship would flow very easy to the European clubs.
As for Atlanta as a sports town your city held one of the worst Olympics in the history of the games…The OAC got down on their hands and knees and thanked Christ for the 2000 Sydney Games.. Atlanta was bagged by the OAC, the sponsors, your own NBC as well as all of the Olympic broadcasting community as a disaster. Kevin Gospher the vice president of the OAC from Australia commented that Atlanta was a total screw up..
Should Hockey go back to Atlanta the answer is simple no. You basketball fans I would be the next to worry Atlanta Spirit. How long will that franchise last?

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Jan, PLEASE, selling the Thrashers is due to having lousy owners and a lousy team. Maybe Rutherford will give you part of his check as a bonus for defending him. He and his group are a bunch of litigious liars and we, the fans, are the ones who lose out. Put the calls through directly to him. You don’t deserve to listen to them.

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If you would like to express your interest in purchasing a product from Bruce Levenson’s company UCG, give them a call.

UCG Headquarters
Two Washingtonian Center
9737 Washingtonian Blvd., Ste. 100
Gaithersburg, MD 20878-7364
Phone: 301.287.2700

Lets hope he can “deal with” all the interest in his other products.

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Been a while, but I’ve gotta say so long and thanks to the following here at AJC for speaking up…Schultz, Bradley and especially RAWHIDE. The last entries from yo all are spot on and Mr. Tiller again thank you for all of your efforts it was worth it.

That said and it PAINS me to say this, but I’m done with my beloved sport until it gets it’s act together. That starts with the NHL for it’s careless and wanton expansion…uncalculated and blind. Nuff said. You’ve all heard my tirades on the subject, simply put basketball fans shouldn’t have been able to buy this package and put all their efforts into BASKETBALL, that’s Bettman and Co.’s faults for allowing that with this group and even with Time Warner. Destined to fail from the start really.

I took my young son to a couple games this year to see if he liked the game as much as his old man, he did. Sad with the current state of the professional game around here coupled with the healthcare like costs (ever increasing) of playing recreationally at competitive levels. My game has been co-opted, hijacked and sullied on MANY levels and MANY fronts since my playing days. How can I pass it on to my son? It’s heartbreaking enough for me to wash my hands clean of it until it becomes more accessible again, but I won’t hold my breathe. I’ll make up for lost time concentrating on soccer at least I know I have little shot of a local MLS team breaking my heart and I can easily have the boy participate in it at a grassroots level.

Hockey has become another bad b**ch that broke my heart. Hasta la bye bye.

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jan… after reading your post, I can see why you would defend Rutherford. you should be ecstatic that you have any job. please tell us that your job does not include having to conduct written correspondence.

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Columbus Cottonmouths has my support!

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Here’s a song for you and Rutherford. The artist appears very level headed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1-Fd3oibc&feature=player_embedded

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These guys are very level headed business men and are where they are in life because of the wise decissions they have made in life.

We are very level headed consumers and realize the Atlanta Spirit has been lying for years. As a result, we have made the level headed choice to boycott the arena in the future. It’s just a business decision, nothing personal.

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typos…sorry now off to work

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If the ticket prices were not so high, More people would have supported them. Between the ticket price, Parking, Consessions, it was a nightmare…You could not bring your family out to the games. I have a family to support…

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Thanks, Ice Man (Bill Tiller), for writing this blog. It embodies the frustration of many Thrashers fans who have really paid attention to the good and bad of the Thrashers. I have tried to remain positive about each of the coaches that came after Hartley, but when you write such a retrospective like you did, I have always thought like you did in the back of my mind, but were afraid to admit.
I always wondered why Don Waddell was still GM after 8 losing seasons and 1 playoff appearance with 4 straight playoff losses. Why was Hartley fired when it was Waddell who should have been fired or players that should have been benched, demoted, or traded because of such poor performances. Why is it that the ASG didn’t COMMIT to icing the best possible teams, build better relationships with former Atlanta Flames players, executives, owners so that they could learn how to run a franchise or work on retaining this franchise in Atlanta? Why did ASG not spend advertising dollars on other media outlets other than the ones that carried Thrashers games such as 680 The Fan, SportsSouth, FoxSportsSouth, etc.? Why? Because they wanted to sell this team from the get go, and didn’t give a rat’s behind about this team. But if they didn’t care about this team why did they buy it in the first place? Or if they knew nothing about hockey, why did they not hire someone who did? If the team was failing why did Turner not buy it back? Instead a read that Turner made comments that pretty much said that he wasn’t going to do anything to help it survive either. As far as I am concerned, I won’t attend any Hawks games or events at Phillips, and I would even extend a boycott to anything that Ted Turner owns too because he could save this team if he wants, but won’t because he is not “committed” to this team or the community of hockey fans that have grown. One cannot say that a hockey community has not grown in Atlanta; look at the number of rinks that have sprouted up for youth hockey- 7 or 8 including the one in Cumming that opened last year. Look at the high school teams that now have ice hockey teams and actually play GHSA sanctioned games. That was not in Atlanta before; now it is. Maybe, if an ownership group presents itself that really gives a sh-t about hockey, and really supports it and either knows about hockey or seeks to hire people that do know about hockey, then maybe, the NHL would truly make history, and let Atlanta really have a 3rd go at an NHL franchise. It is unlikely, but it sure does sound nice.

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Adios Amgigos, its been fun. Thanks for the entertainment over the years, more often than not this blog has been more interesting than the games themselves. Which pretty much says it all.

Sadly, I will be watching this team because I have followed the players for so long. I hope they can finally win but then again kinda hope they fail for 10 years so peg fans get a taste of our struggle.

Hey Zach, post a minus 27 again and these canadian nuts will drag you through the streets behind a snow mobile. Why didn’t we think of that?

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I wonder if Mayor Reed would be more passionate if the Hawks were rumored to be leaving? Seems the politicians and business community saw the Thrashers as a novelity and really didn’t promote them.

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Jan-your boss summed up his stupidity in his last interview with Jeff Hullinger. After blaming the fans for not supporting the Thrashers even though they did nothing to market the team, build the fan base or put a competitive team on the ice, he said GO THRASHERS. He said this knowing that the team would be sold in a few hours. What a loser.

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Well Bill, I must say… WELL DONE, to you for your years doing your blog. You Always provided thought provoking questions to us fans and the Lively discussion was fun and sometimes tense and now sad.

You will be remembered as a GIANT in the Atlanta hockey scene, and for that THANK-YOU !!!

I made a business decision, since the business climate in Atlanta is very poor, to move my operation headquarters to Kansas City, a more central location and I have 100% given up on Atlanta as a business location and for sure as a sports town, Just a Loser in all regards…. This move was the last straw. good Luck in the future to you and your Family !

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I will echo what others have said.

Great blog Rawhide..I’m sure its not going to happen…but I’d love it if the blog could stay and you could cover the Glads….the team I will now be following, the merchandise I will now be buying, etc.

And as others have said…I make this oath…one I will keep. NOT ONE DIME of mine will be spent on attending a Hawks game or buying any Hawks merchandise while the ASG is in control. Nor will I attend anything at Philips. A full boycott. Once they are out…I’m back in…its not personal…but I’m ready to burn down the whole s**thouse to make this point if need be.

And lastly, enjoy the team Winnipeg. You’ll hear no bad words from me. I know exactly how the excitement feels upon hearing that NHL hockey is coming back to your city, so believe me, I understand.

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The NHL is run by a group of rackateers with the clueless and classless Bettman at the helm. The NHL is the red headed step child of professional sports leagues because it continues to be run by these morons like Bettman. Unfortunately, the Thrashers were doomed with this ownership group. They never reached out to the community much less the hockey community including youth hockey were you build your fan base. Coming from Detroit it makes one value even more the integrity and committment of the RW ownership and the organization that is in place there. Yes, they are an original 6 club in a hockey city but they are still fully invested in youth hockey and their fans. If the Thrashers had ownership that coveted the team, understood the game and respected the fan base this would have been a viable hockey town. Sad, my son who I encouraged to adopt the Thrashers as his own team will no longer be able to enjoy the identification with a proud hockey franchise that I had growing up. I guess I can feel free to push him towards the Wings now. Will miss seeing all the other season ticket Thrashers fans at the games. Adios.

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Last

I am amazed that people are still saying that Atlanta Fans should have just given money to the ASG even though the product was inferior and ASG had no love for hockey.

Good bye, Thrashers

May the sun shine on the moving trucks as you leave and drag Don Waddell on the bumper as you go.

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One more note to Jan-several former players and coaches have called out the ASG recently by stating that the ownership group is responsible for the inferior product on the ice as well as stating sentiments like the fans never had a chance. This blog is stating the same. That is hardly too harsh.

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All Gearon had to do to “avoid this day” and dry his tears was treat the Thrashers like an NHL team instead of his red-headed step-child. I feel bad for myself and fellow Thrashers fans, but moving the team to Winnipeg is like taking a child away from a drunken, abusive parent and putting him/her in a loving foster home. I’m guessing that the new owners (who obviously don’t have any budget concerns) will spend the league max and have a Stanley Cup within 3-4 years.

I would suggest Gearon and his partners sell the Hawks immediately and move to Winnipeg. Then renounce their citizenship and run for Premier of Manitoba. They are the only reason that Winnipeg has a team and they should seek their rewards on earth. Lord knows that they are all headed to a very hot place when their time on earth is over, so they should cool off in Canada until then.

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“….but moving the team to Winnipeg is like taking a child away from a drunken, abusive parent and putting him/her in a loving foster home….”

This is well-said and very true. This organization was an abomination from the very beginning, with no real direction, no accountability, no goals….and, thus, abominable results.

This would make for an interesting book, once the truth and the details come out.

I, for one, wish our former team well and am sure they will be loved more in Winnipeg–by ownership. The NHL’s ownership-vetting process is in need of rehaul based on this fiasco of ownership from day-one, with multiple clusters of nameless, faceless, careless conglomerations.

You know what that title of the upcoming book could be? I just thought of one. How about, “How Joe Johnson Killed a Thrasher.” Follow the quick logic here: Hawks GM Billy Knight wants to give the moon and stars for restricted free agent Joe Johnson. As a result, the owner with the deepest pockets, Steve Belkin, who is also the ASG’s NBA “governor”, disagrees and does not endorse the transaction. The other owners combine to overrule Belkin–and then proceed to force him out of the ASG. While the legal process takes its slow turn through the system, Belkin (the owner with, by far, the deepest individual pockets) does NOT have to share in the losses which are being sustained. In the end, Belkin is finally and legally severed from the group–but the group is a shadow, financially, of its former self….thus, the losses continue to mount and are unsustainable.

Thus, in the end, Billy Knight (through Joe Johnson) started a chain-reaction of events which ultimately led to the departure of the Atlanta Thrashers from Atlanta. Unbelievable. I hope a good writer–not a Manasso; his book on Snyder/Heatley was the most boring and superficial I have ever read–pens a story on this one from beginning to end. There is an interesting story to be told……Interviews with former Flames on their dealings with the idiot Don Waddell; interviews with fans; interviews with media personnel; etc.

There is a very interesting story here, folks—one full of deception; buffoonery; miscalculations; tragedy; greed; propaganda; etc. I think the story would also contain redemption for the people of Atlanta…as who could possibly continue to subsidize this utter incompetence…

Oh well, I hope someone does think about writing it….I would buy it….

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Gee…..Not even a few words from Bettman for the Atlanta fans for the support that we DID show for this team even under the OctoCluster ownership group. Not sure why I was on NHL.com but the words of welcome to the ex-Thrashers from various Van. Canuck players.as they head to Winnipeg is enough to make me puke. The worst of the bunch was that they players will be treated like gods in a town where there is passion for the sport of hockey. I’ve been a hockey fan from when the Flames were in town, and there’s one thing about Atlanta fans is that PASSION is not missing towards our teams.
Told my wife that I’m boxing up my NHL brand stuff and it’s going away for a LONG time till the bad taste leaves my mouth concerning the NHL and it’s priorities.

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Last

I will miss the Thrashers but I will not miss the abuse that ASG has inflicted on the loyal fans. Can we press charges for assault?

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You sir, are a fraud,

After extorting $50M from the city of Glendale, you were able to extract another $60M from the citizens of Manitoba. Oh, directly or indirectly they will pay for it. Your league approved the sale of the Thrashers to this abomination of an ownership group. You watched as they let their GM coach for a year – to SAVE money. You watched their payroll decline year after year as they starved the hockey operations to pay for lawsuits and NBA assets. Did you really do all you could to find a new owner? The lease terms being offered by the idiots in Atlantic Spirit were a joke. And the financials were surely cooked. How much of their losses were the result of arena vs Hockey operations accounting? How much of their losses were from lawsuits with each other and their own lawyers? How much of their losses were to cover the cost of keeping the Coyotes operational? Speaking of which, how is it that a team in bankruptcy, being run by the league was able to have a payroll $9-10M higher then the Thrashers the past two years. Seriously? And for you to stand smugly in Manitoba and tell the people there the only way this works is if they sell out every night. You can’t take their $60M, put a club in the smallest NHL market with an unsustainable business model and then just wish the people good luck. You sir, are accountable as well. Just like you are here in Atlanta. You know, for years after poor on ice performances we heard the head coach of the moment tell us the Thrashers just didn’t play with accountability. That accountability started in the locker room. Turns out, it should have started in your office and the offices of the Atlantic Spirit. Because it didn’t, we lost our hockey team today. Shame on all of you.

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Excellent summary Rawhide. I’ll miss the Thrashers, your blog, and the road trips to Raleigh and Nashville. I won’t miss the ASG though.

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Bill, thank you for all the time you’ve spent on this blog. Great job. It’s been a therapeutic place to come and commiserate with other loyal and heartbroken Thrashers fans through this grim saga in recent weeks.

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Joe – Detroit a better pro town than Atlanta, since you brought up the Falcons let’s look at the Lions attendance %
2010 87%
2009 76%
2008 84%
2007 94%
2006 93%
The Falcons were higher in each case – source: http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance/_/year/2010/sort/homePct

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Mr. Rawhide and all,

I am very disappointed with this outcome. Many questions are replayed over and over in my mind. Through out this drama, this tragedy, the tin-foil cup guy has remained silent as if a permanent mask had eclipsed his icy shame. But why ???? This I do not understand. Do any of my brothers or sisters know this answer ?? If you hear my words I plead for you to speak to us all!! In our time of need his silence had spoken more than words could say but we could not hear. The tin-foiled Stanley cup did not protect us like ice melting on a summer day. Was not the cup but a bad dream of an arena of weak willed, ignorant, amateurish fans which could not sustain and support the emptiness of thousands and thousands of vacant seats ? Or was the cup the unseen, silver wind of our destiny that was the foundation of the Thrasher’s wings waiting for the chance to rise above a seventh game storm ?

I wonder about this as I try to make sense of this new world of thinning ice from my loneliness of my failing resolve. Will the tin-foil cup now be pulled apart for the barbecue and smoke of our twice faded and disappearing history ??? I despair from the echoes of the world’s laughter which helps along the thawing of my heart. With all my humility and strength I can only whisper: Vive la feuille d’étain !!!!

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Rawhide, Serious questrion, where has C Viv been throughout this final chapter?

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This story perfectly sums up what happened here.
It was a crime.
Now we, who are left here, pay the price.

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Hey ASG….God forgives………Atlanta Thrashers fans don’t.

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Hey Trolls! The more you come here and pour salt in our collective wounds the more you prove just how small your manhood really is. Either be grown up enough to be respectful of the Atlanta fans in mourning or STFU and get off of the computer in your moms basement… and for god sake if you are going to use all of your moms kleenex, tweezers and lotion while screaming “Go Jets Go!” use some of your allowance money to buy her replacement tissue!
Not if but WHEN the new Winnipeg team fails I hope its just as heartbreaking for you guys when immature children decide to stomp on your emotions. This franchise is cursed and will be out of Winnipeg by the end of the decade.

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I am a dedicated Thrashers fan who moved to non-Thrashers territory, and yet supported the team from afar via CentreIce, seeing them against other teams (including last year’s first post-Kovalchuk Devils matchup), and making a few giant trips down to Atlanta to catch them there. I am very disappointed in this decision, but I can’t say I didn’t see it coming.

Mistakes ASG made along the way:

1. Insider trading. Technically it went to the previous owner, but it certainly took the ASG’s energy.
2. Suspicious bookkeeping, which resulted in a second costly lawsuit.
3. Poor management of delicate flowers and primadonnas. Among these I will count Don Waddell, who was allowed to not perform well for years. Ilya Kovalchuk, who is now the Devils’ problem. And Dany Heatley, who should have been thrown to the legal wolves instead of showered with support, love and affection which did not in any result in his loyalty.
4. A promotional scheme which gave up about midway through the franchise’s existence. Did you guys know that ASG laid off about 2/3rds of its promotional staff about 3-4 years ago? For the last five years those fans of us outside the perimeter have had to beg and plead to get any attention whatsoever.
5. Most importantly, most of the members of the ASG didn’t understand hockey or the startup phase of such an endeavor, and they also didn’t have the assets to sustain it.

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It won’t take five years for Bettman the Moron to be shopping this team for another more lucrative location. No way they last that long in a town with one traffic light and igloos.

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Wow…check out this article at ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=6611534

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Thanks Rawhide it just seemed very strange to not have the Thrashers’ beat writer covering this major story. I don’t know if I should laugh, cry or be happy at his timing.

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Lucky Winnepeg that Waddell , the loser, is not going to Canada. Maybe they can turn it around with a decent GM.

but how about an original name . Winnepeg? ..I heard the new name will be either the Jets or the Falcons..uh. those are taken..how about something original like the Ice Cubes or the Fighting Glaciers? Maybe the Winnepeg Hosers.

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UGA – I know you’re mad, and rightfully so, but there’s no need to be nasty…..Ice Cubes? Fighting Glaciers? “Winnepeg Hosers”? At the very least have enough respect to spell the city’s name properly. It’s Winnipeg!

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“There is no doubt if we had more success, maybe we would have had a better turnout at the gate,” Waddell said. “That’s something we always look back at: If … we could have duplicated the year [2007] we won our division and went to the playoffs, we were set up to try to continue to build the momentum in the marketplace. But that didn’t happen.”

I can’t believe D-Wads actually said this! How can you possibly even come close to duplicating the 2007 playoff season when you “knee-jerk” react and fire the best, by far, coach the franchise ever had after the 6th game! This just shows Waddell’s ignorance! He disgusts me as much as ASG!

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Bill- well said. Thanks for hosting such an interesting blog. Too bad we supported such a group of incompetent liars. And, Bettman was no help at all. He let hockey slip from a major US city to a small, prairie town that will not draw fan or TV interest to the NHL. I for one will never buy a ticket to anything owned by the Atlanta Spirit Scum and I hope that all hockey fans boycot their offerings.

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Jan…do you guys at the office talk about how great it was when RS wandered on stage looking somewhat intoxicated, at the Widespread Panic show and interrupted the show! What a great guy! Please encourage him and other ASG’ers to sell the Hawks too!

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WP…somewhat intoxicated?????

You think he would have been smart enough to tell the band and security what he was going to do instead of making an A out of himself. Oh I forgot this is ASG!

Golmer and Barney would have been better!

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No shock here but very sad for the city to lose yet another team when it could have been so easily avoided with better owners! I’m still going to root for the team in Winnipeg and hope that the new owners simply do all the things the Spirit refused to do, starting with a solid draft and then adding some top talent to the roster to go with guys like Kane, Wheeler, Ladd, Burmi, Stuart, and Big Buff. Getting away from the Spirit will turn out to be the best thing for the team. Just bad for us Georgia fans who have been screaming for new owners for years now, so the team could start winning more consistently and making the playoffs, which we all know is a sure fire way to keep attendance up, and help make sure they stay down south much longer than just over a decade!

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So long, farewell to all of you…its been fun.

I agree with EB…this team will do well with the change. Ownership and management kept them in the basement here. That won’t be the case in Winnipeg.

Our loss, their gain.

Now all I can think about is ways to cause further financial pain to all ASG members.

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Wish we could get a real team in Toronto.
You guys want the leafs? They’re yours.

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I was a fan of hockey before the Thrashers and I’ll be a fan after them. (2 cents)

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Bouchard had some interesting things to say yesterday.

http://podcast.tsn.ca/tsnradio/bouchard_053111.mp3

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It was an interesting interview (with Bouchard). I’m not surprised by any of it–and I believe him, too.

Waddell was a fraud and in so far over his head it wasn’t even funny.

It’s sadder still of how many sheep kept making excuse after excuse for him and his empty bluster. The shame should go around–but some are remarkably absent.

(I don’t blame them; I would have a hard time showing my face, too….spweadsheet anyone?)

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I just had the misfortune of seeing Gearon and his crocodile-tear-laced “interview”. I’m stunned.

Note his demeanor changed immediately when the Hawks were mentioned.

Fraud.

I’m telling you, folks, there is a GREAT book to be written chronicalling the events which have transpired since day-one. I think it would cast a completely different light on many, many things–including the city and fans of Atlanta.

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Let’s hope NBC gets XFL ratings for the Stanley Cup.

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Seriously, was there a hockey game tonight? First time in my life I can ever remember not giving a damn about the stanley cup playoffs.

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thrasherdawg – That would make Bettman “crap in his pants.”

Guess those 16 year old, pimple faced, circle jerk trolls don’t have much discretionary income.

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hockey shall return, this i know. but even the die hards and bitter enders will look at it with jaded eyes. people, this team was flat out horrible and seldom worth the attention we lavished on it. wish not the hawks ill. they, traditionally were a horrible draw. there is no accounting for taste. people like what they like. we can all talk at length on that i have spent some time on the winnipeg paper tonight. man, they are happy. that team will be supported, if only for a while, better than it ever could have been here.

I wish my team success, all the success Mr. Thompson can lavish on them. I shall watch from afar. But I vow to be done with my post mortems and problematizations of this team and exploits in the future. I’m a very busy man and watching hockey is something i do to relax from days and days of describing vast and complex interactions of people and their enviroments. of the many things i have been charged with figuring out running a hockey team in my hometown just isn’t one of them. Thank Gawd!

We are some of the most devoted fans around. We stuck around a team which looked up to being bad. There was no past glory for us to revel in, only a sub-par here-and-now. I went a game against Vancouver late in the year and made the very adult decision that I would not fiscally support this wretched team until it got new owners, and I stick by that choice. What I will misws the most about the team is this blog.

And as sad as that is, I think that’s the truth for us all. We were never destined to root for a champion, be adults and face it.

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It sucks to lose a team. But please realize that 80% of the ownerships in pro sports are terrible.

In the end, the Thrashers could not meet fixed costs with their season ticket base. It really is that simple. Phoenix can’t either but the city they play in is willing to eat the fixed expenses – ATL residents should be very happy that their city isn’t doing such a thing.

Note that even at their worst, Chicago and the Islanders still had/have a large enough season ticket base (10K+) that they can cover fixed expenses in the lean times and can survive. Also note that the NHL insists on getting over 100 million for a franchise sale – local ATL owners would gladly step up to buy the Thrashers but not at that price.

I love hockey, I’m not so enamored with the NHL though. Great players, but a third-rate league business operation. There really isn’t any pride in having a second-rate team in a third-rate league, heck in some ways the AHL is run better. Believe it or not, I think ATL will get another chance in the NHL, but I wouldn’t want it unless the league is healthier and run with more care for the fans.

In a way I think the NHL exploits the Canadian fans – the fans come out no matter how bad the teams are and the league just craps on them year after year. The NHL can’t survive with those business practices in cities with more choices. I don’t mean to denigrate Manitobans, I think the NHL really is undeserving of the support the Canadians give them. With clowns like Bill Wirtz gone and idiots like Bettman soon to follow, maybe the NHL will become a world class pro league. Until that happens, no one should be ashamed to lose a team in that league.

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When will you fools come to grips the reason for the move is ATLANTA DID NOT SUPPORT THE TEAM.

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I don’t blame Sara for dissappearing so long ago from this blog – Sage has mentioned her name in every single post he has made for months and months. Sage – you are a joke. And your constant attacks on Sara are just plain creepy. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that at some point you tried to become friendly with her and she attacked one of your points and made you look a little dumb – and then you just went full-force at her. Too bad, but at least you and LAC found each other! True love found on a hockey message board… just warms the heart.

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“But the more you look at what the NHL has become, it becomes clearer that the league truly gets what it deserves.”

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Winnipeg/2011/05/31/18219941.html

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Cornbread – Right there with you on the game last night .In fact, I quit watching the entire playoffs when it became obvious what was going to happen here.

I can barely get through watching the ASG losers whine on TV, then I get to see Waddell last night saying the criticism of the ownership is “not deserved”. They all deserve every bit of this reaction, and more.

Good luck on those season tickets True North. Hope Bettman is sleeping well these days. Sucker!

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So what happens when they only sell 6k season tickets (at those unbelievably high prices)?

Does Bettman bail out his new franchise before the puck ever gets dropped?

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Just listened to the 2nd Bouchard interview. Like another poster said, more damning than the first. Just kills me that nothing can be done. This also has me thinking, why were none of these guys contacted by our media here? Also, we all knew something was up with the franchise long ago, I wrote to the league on many occassions, as I am sure alot of others did, no response.

I guess the league had set us up as the backup in case Phoenix stepped up. We all know this whole siutation reeks. Wish someone in the sports media with some clout would get the whole story out there. It wont save our team but it may help in getting another if enough pressure is applied. Just a thought.

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It is said that those who refuse to heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. To give credence to this axiom, we need look no further than the short and tragic life of the Atlanta Thrashers.

First, the history lesson. In mid-to-late 1862, just a little better than a year into the Civil War, a number of Republicans in Congress, some weary and others downright disheartened by the lack of prosecution of the war on the part of George B. McClellan, the then commander of the Union’s Army of the Potomoc, paid a visit to President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. Lincoln, normally a most affable and jovial man, listened patiently for a while to the litany of complaints brought forth by his congressional visitors against General McClellan, but after a while, Lincoln’s temper flared. To help bring the long, late night conversation, which was going nowhere, to an end, Lincoln asked one of the assembled lawmakers, “who would you have me replace him with?” “Anybody”, was the response. Without missing a beat, Lincoln retorted, “Anybody will do for you…I must have somebody.”

And it is precisely there, in Lincoln’s measured response, that we reach the heart of the matter as to why the Atlanta Thrashers are no more. In its zeal to bring the National Hockey League back to the Empire City of the South, the league, and its commissioner, Gary Bettman, settled for anybody. Without performing its due diligence as to exactly who and what the Atlanta Spirit Group was, the league handed over a franchise to a foul smelling potpourri that clearly had no plan, no model, no clue as to what commitment to hockey in the south would require. All the NHL could see was an opportunity to return to the social and media center of the Southeast, and in its shortsightedness either failed to see, or chose to ignore, warning signs that were evident from the start.

History will now mark Atlanta as the first city to lose two NHL franchises and largely the impression of the world is that the fans failed in their support of first the Flames and now the Thrashers. While it is undeniable that attendance at Philips Arena wasn’t what it could have been, it is only fair , fitting and proper to say in defense that ownership consistently pieced together an on-ice product whose only true goal was to spend as little as possible. In fact, the ASG wanted to drop the team’s payroll in its last two years even further but were prevented from doing so by the NHL which requires a basement on payroll; failing that mandate by the league, ASG would have found a way to sink even lower. In going that route, it was as if the ASG treated the Thrasher franchise as if it was a bad low budget movie; ownership expected you, the fan, to pay to see their droll film 41 times a season, year after year, whose ending was never going to change.

In the end, it is both the National Hockey League and the Atlanta Spirit Group that has failed. The loss of the Thrashers to Winnipeg cannot and should not be laid at the feet of the fans. The city of Atlanta and its goodly base of hardcore Thrasher fans were given by the league the aforementioned anybody. It deserved somebody. Now we hockey fans in and around Atlanta have nobody. History has repeated

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Regardless of the number of season tickets sold in Winnipeg, the eventual sale is up to the NHL’s Board of Governors. IF they don’t sell close to the number of 13,000 that they hope for, and in my opinion 13,000 was a lofty goal, it only really matters to their ownership group as to whether or not they are willing to take it on the chin. But, I also expect a mixed vote from the Board of Governors as some owners likely understand that history is the best forecast of the future. If Atlanta is 0-for-2, Winnipeg is destined for the same eventuality.

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Damn; I didn’t win the Powerball last night.
I already had my press conference laid out, with me wearing my Thrashers Jersey.

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Thrasher T–that was an excellent read. Thank you.

The NHL’s failure in this concerning ownership-vetting is not to be understated.

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“IF Atlanta was granted a stay of execution, does anyone think WE could sell 13,000 season tickets with True North operating the team in Atlanta with new management?”

Yep, without a doubt. All the people that KNEW the Spirit Squad and Waddell were to blame, would come flocking back with real owners.

“Average ticket price $82 per game, $3,362 per seat per season, parking $410 per season. Who’s in”

I’m in, ain’t gonna happen though, this horse is gone. Bettman promised the billionaire and team and a team he got him, and the guy wants the team up there in his homeland, helping him sell papers, etc.

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Rob S: I disagree about Chicago’s season ticket base. Dollar Bill had the money to throw away as the season ticket base there dwindled due to his not giving a damn.

The season ticket base here dwindled because our ownership wasn’t just inept, it was malicious.

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R/L – what’s the over/under on the BOG? This appeared to be the proverbial slam dunk.

Dave K – spare the Glads, they’re looking for a new partner. As for the others I only attended one Hawks game and no concerts, but, will not darken the doors/floors of the Arena until the ASG is in bankruptcy court.

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Viva la Gladiators

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Bill, at the end of this growing thread you should print this out and send it to the ASG (insert expletive).

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Hey Thrasher diehards…Stop bashing the owners and city that recieved your team. They were offered the chance to buy a team by the NHL and previous team owners, so they did? OOOHH now your bashing the new teams ownership, thier fans, thier city?? Just becuase the new fans are willing to sign up to 3-5 year contracts for over 50,000$ for thier COMMITMENT TO THEIR New team? DID your fans have to commit to 5,000 a yr in 3 weeks? Did the corporations in the city 7x as big as our little town commit.. They have in our little town? Look at your selves..what was a cheap seat going for in the arena?? If you want the trolls to disapear look at your selves. You want me to trash your city? becuase you lost a team I won’t..Unless you continue.

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Since my first drink is free, I’ll see you there Bill!

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Thrashers ?? – Most here are venting frustration at the trolls from up north who felt the need to venture onto an Atlanta fan blog and gloat. Personally, I have never posted one negative thing about your fair city. Never been there, so it’s hard to form an opinion. Like every place else it probably has it’s good points and bad.

However, what do you expect when you come here? Everyone to say nice things. In the future please keep to your Winnipeg Sun blogs and leave us alone.

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Thrashers ?? – Time trolling is time spent not learning how to spell, in your case. Bad enough to be a troll, but illiterate too? Not a good sign…..

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Joe
Since 2000 the Braves have outdrawn the Tigers by 3.5 million fans – We already seen the Falcons outdrew the Lions your o-16 is noted as is our 4-12 season. The Pistons have outdrawn the Hawks (with really bad Hawk teams in the last 10 years) by 2.2 million people. Of course we know the Red Wings out drew the the Thrashers. This whole exercise points to if you win people show up – if you don’t they won’t. Sort of like build a car people want and they buy it – don’t and they won’t.

Good luck with your city in the future. I think mine will be just fine.

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Found out the ASG locked up our Corporate Suite renewal at Philips 3 months ago… the package included non-hockey options with reduced pricing or floor seats for Hawks games. Smart of the ASG to lock up corporate money ahead of the sale, but don’t tell me the move wasn’t premeditated

Also, a smug sabres fan ( I know, that is redundant) here at work wanted to pile on about the thrashers leaving town. I guess he and the other ‘hockey’ fans in town haven’t figured out they have seen their last live Red Wings, Flyers, Rangers, Maple Leaf, Sabres et al game… I will remind him of that first time Buffalo travels to Manitoba

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Sorry you had to lose your NHL franchise. Hopefully one of your city’s leaders in the business community will eventually purchase another of the myriad of NHL problem franchises and that you’ll also relocate the ASG – ASAP. I may hail from Winnipeg but can also state without qualification that Atlanta is without a doubt one of the best cities on the planet and that all of the people that I’ve met there were most welcoming and friendly. Hopefully someone will purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Atlanta. I think I can speak on behalf of most fans here by saying that our NHL would gladly include Atlanta and NOT Phoenix.

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Look at the markets Bettman has created, Nashville, Raleigh, Columbus, Miami…these teams would love to play in Atlanta.

And maybe they will some day…

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Sage – do you have a passion for ANYTHING in life other than being a royal dick bag?? Seriously, if you must come on this here blog to pat yourself on the back for predicting something that came to pass, then you must be very short on reinforcement in your own miserable personal life. Why continue to belittle and taunt the few too many good folks in this town who possessed a passion that was actually worthwhile compared to your lousy ego-stroking, garbage-spewing “crusade of truth” that occurs on a weekly basis in an online forum for a paper with declining readership. Do you pose as someone else on FOX News and bash Republicans over the head with George W’s many failures?? Did you see the Great Recession of 2008 in the deep well of clairvoyance and wisdom in your depraved mind?? Will you please do us all a favor and just make like the Thrashers and go the F$%k away!!

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Dan Bouchard should be our next mayor. He nailed it in every way with his interview with TSN. This is Bettman’s agenda and the deal was “done” as soon as Glendale’s city council pledged $25M to buy him off for the empty promise of a fiscally viable future beyond 2012.

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The Thrashers had a decent fan-base that reached across all lines. Particularly the African-American base…I’m one of them! Of course, let me emphasize strongly my comments aren’t about race per se, but poignant in my comment is – the Thrashers fan base reached across all lines. I will miss them in Atlanta and I feel like something was stolen from me…twice! The Flames as a kid, and now the Thrashers. Yep, I feel like I’ve crossed into the “Blue.”

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Could be that Atlanta will have another NHL team. Phoenix, Columbus, Florida, Nashville. But Bettman has to put a team in Quebec City first.

Let’s just hope that the new owner loves hockey and wants good hockey in Atlanta.

ASG love was basketball, not hockey. The Thrashers were an after thought with the ASG. So they want to sell the team. Tthey break the Thrashers away from the arena and the Hawks, so no one will buy them locally. Any new owner of the Thrashers would have to rent Phillips and split or get no revenue from the arena, parking, advertising, etc….

Hell evan the idiots of ASG would not buy a team under those conditions.

It is as simple as that. Look how hard the NHL worked to keep Nashville from moving to Hamilton. Look how hard they worked to keep Phoenix. And they sell the Thrashers in 3 weeks.

Thrasherville – we were set up by Bettman and the greedy owners who just want the $60 million moving fee.

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Zombie, I’ll give 10 bucks toward the purchase, after its mounted on you car.

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I say to True North…if you don’t reach your goal then delay the move for a year, let us show what we can do with committed owners, then a new owner will arrive in Atlanta, he’ll buy Phoenix and then we’ll trade teams.

I can dream can’t I?

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@Litz,
Where did you get those numbers?

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@ Smoothie – that was one of the funniest first lines I have ever read!

@Uncle Milty – thank you for finally posting something with class. Enjoy your team and see you in the bleachers. Although a lot of people here say they won’t support the NHL, I am in for life and will perhaps make a trip to MB just to see my boys. Do me a favor though, for the first game, hold up a sign saying “Uncle Milty Says Hi to Atlanta”.

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This is a pretty futile effort, we know that, but for those wanting to add their name to a petition advocating voting against the sale and/or relocation, go here:

Petition To The NHL Board of Governor’s
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveourthrashers/

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wow, litz…almost 3 to 1, for upper level!! Those Winnipeggers must be making some big bucks! Lower bowl must cost well into the $4-5-6K range….lots more for near the glass.

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Maybe the Check will bounce or the league of Governors will vote against it, hey anything is possible.

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Thanks Bill and all the regulars (posters and readers) for being great Thrashers fans and great fans of hockey! I hope that we can continue to talk hockey here for many seasons to come.

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looking to buy my first jersey. can someone advise what size will fit best for me – I am 5 feet 10 inch, 170 pound… and I will not any equipment.

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kreedham writes:

Thrasherdawg…the sale for season tickets is only for Manitoba Moose Season ticket holders which goes through Friday. All others get their shot starting Saturday. What happens if they don’t make their goal…do they have to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta as the new owners or is the deal off!

I understand, as of today approx 65 % of the Moose season ticket holders have bought tickets and there are 4100 season tickets sold. If this trend holds true there will be less than 7000 season tickets bought buy the Moose season ticket holders. Folks, let me tell you this leaves 6000 plus season tickets that need to be sold from fans who would not pay much less to see the Moose. Remember, nothing else in Winnipeg but hockey.

So it will be interesting to see if the fans who would not even pay much less $$$$ to go see the Moose, will pay much, much more to go see the NHL team.

I will be shocked if Winnipeg will hit the 10,000 mark. Then what say you NHL?

Bettman should have given a speech to the Atlanta fans sell 13,000 season tickets by June 14th and you can keep the team. Atlanta was never given a chance, and Bettman made sure of it.

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“Hockey’s for Everyone”…………… Unless you live in Atlanta, GA.

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Good point. If G52 ever comes back on here, he can tell us how he caught ASG from a Phoenix hooker.

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Be interesting to see how many season tickets the Gladiators sell the day after the BoG vote, presuming they do what we all expect and vote aye instead of nay …

(Gladiators deposits are nonrefundable .. so if you’re a Thrashers STH, and they end up actually playing next season by some miraculous fluke … you’d end up on the hook for both sets of tickets)

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The NHL ABANDONED Atlanta, Thrasher Fans and Season Tickets Holders. They raised our expectations, and those in the community, then disappeared. The good works of some of those in the organization (Darren Eliot, comes to mind) trying to develop interest in Hockey through Youth Leagues etc. has now been wasted. The hopes and dreams of the Hockey youth in this city has been crushed. I am through with the NHL. This is just an example of what a second rate league the NHL truly is. I have been a season ticket holder for the past six years. I will never support the NHL again, not to mention any enterprise of the ownership group, who’s name shall not be mentioned and ever accursed!

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Just think … the Spirit Boys actually said the following, “The email we’ve received is about 50/50 on keeping Waddell.” I think that quote was from April – June 2010. That was, perhaps, the biggest lie of all. Their failure to fire him led to the ticket sale DISASTER. And the mere fact that they couldn’t identify Waddell as the problem, being owners who allegedly aspired to be in the playoffs, for “pure profit revenues” to at least OFFSET their losses, speaks volumes.

Ya know, I’d like to hear Bernie Mullin’s take on this, now. I really would. I’d like to hear Darren Eliot’s views. And, as I’ve always said, “Don Waddell, I’m willing to keep an open mind about YOUR SIDE of the story.” I truly want to know, back in 2002, if Waddell asked Time/Warner, “Can I spend $8 million to claim Curtis Joseph off waivers?” “Can I go after Hasek, Khabibulin, Kiprusoff, Irbe, Belfour or Nabakov?” And if their answer was “No, Don. You want a goalie, go draft one 2nd overall, 2002,” then I’ll issue a conditional pass on the Kari Lehtonen draft pick. Kari was the top-rated goalie of his draft year. And if he’d taken Cam Ward over what Central Scouting had, we’d have been furious about it, until about 2006. At which time, Waddell and Dan Marr would be called “brilliant” for the Cam Ward selection.

I know I harp on bad Thrashers drafting a lot, and lay blame at the feet of Waddell and Marr alike, but isn’t Stefan, Lehtonen, and Bourret really all about “not getting to the know the player before drafting him?”

Red Light, if True North were to buy the Thrashers and keep them here, I think you’d see 25 pages worth of comments about getting those tickets sold. But, True North would have to pay something more than lip service about keeping the team in Atlanta for more than 5 years, before attempting to relocate to Winnipeg. Any of that sound plausible? No, friends. This was a PERFECT STORM.

The ownership, that never wanted the NHL franchise, secretly renegotiated the naming rights with Philips Electronics, somehow broke the lease that the Thrashers had until 2019, and Mayor of Atlanta, the Governor of Georgia, and the Atlanta Sports Council sat idly by and watched. But, it didn’t end there. The NHL needed an infusion of cash, and with this $60 million relocation fee involved, either as a “new” creation, or embedded within the CBA, and deep pocketed owner, the NHL refused to put up a fight. I suppose … Commissioner Bettman didn’t want to foot the bill for two NHL franchises in bankruptcy. We got sold down the river, plain and simple. There were lots of stumbling blocks to overcome, but credit the Spirit Boys for jumping over each and every one of those hurdles. Mayor of Atlanta placated? Check. Governor of Georgia disinterested in loss of $30 million of state income tax? Check. NHL and its Board of Governors not going to be a problem? Check. Naming rights to the venue renegotiated? Check. Breaking the lease on the arena? Check. Suing Spalding and King over their fatally flawed contract? Still in the works. It really was amazing to see all this come together, to buck all kinds of odds, considering what support the NHL gave to Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Phoenix.

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