It’s shameful to blame fans if Thrashers move to Winnipeg
The Atlanta Spirit pie chart never worked. The Thrashers' failures are not the fault of fans.
(Updated: 2 p.m.)
Like warped kismet, the Thrashers were scheduled to face the Phoenix Coyotes Thursday night, the same week one of the Atlanta Spirit’s captains of disaster declared a relative state of emergency.
There should have been viewing parties in Winnipeg for this, because there’s a very good chance one of these teams is ending up in Manitoba. These rumors have been circulating for months, and not just from the usual Canadian chamber-of-commerce-type knuckleheads who have a vested interest. The rumors are like dominoes, and they fall like this:
♦ 1) The NHL has assured Winnipeg it is getting a team back.
♦ 2) The Coyotes, who’ve had financial issues since moving from Winnipeg in 1996, went into bankruptcy and now are operated by the league, would move back to Winnipeg if current arena refinancing issues can’t be resolved.
♦ 3) Should Phoenix resolve its problems and not relocate, the Thrashers will move to Winnipeg.
I wish I had a dollar for every time somebody used the term “done deal” with me over the last two months.
Michael Gearon was right about one thing: There is a “sense of urgency.” He just misplaces the blame. For him to suddenly put the onus on the fan base – “The reality is we need fans showing up and we need investors or a primary investor” – for hockey’s lifeline in Atlanta is disingenuous and shameful.
Fans showed up when the product was new and fresh. Fans showed up when the Thrashers won and made the playoffs. But since 1999, the team mostly has been mismanaged and run on the cheap.
Atlanta gets knocked for being “a bad sports town.” Fact is, Atlanta sports fans are smart and discerning consumers because they mandate a reason to spend their money. After being dumped on for most of 11 years since 1999, are Thrashers fans supposed to run through walls for a few good months? Scars take longer to heal.
Gearon, Bruce Levenson, and the rest don’t care. In the past, ownership suggested the $10 million annual Philips Arena naming rights deal was tied to having two tenants. It was a fallback soundbite every time a rumored move came up. Now, Thrashers president Don Waddell claims that’s not the case. If the Thrashers leave, he said, the Spirit merely receives a reduced pro-rated amount. (The Spirit denies an earlier version of the blog that said the naming rights deal was renegotiated six months ago.)
Over a year ago, when the Thrashers sat down to attempt to negotiate a new contract with Ilya Kovalchuk, ownership was apoplectic that Kovalchuk and his agent addressed potential new ownership and the team’s uncertain future in negotiations. Some wanted to cast the failed negotiations as the pro sports cliché of an athlete just asking for too much money. The fact was that Kovalchuk didn’t want to wake up in two years and find out he was moving to . . . Winnipeg.
When he couldn’t get assurances the team would stay in Atlanta, he played his only bargaining chip: He asked for the moon.
This situation is tearing up the insides of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He doesn’t want to be the guy who allowed Atlanta to lose an NHL franchise for the second time. But he knows it’s a horrible situation created by horrible ownership, which he has called on the carpet before. There is no incentive for an outsider to purchase only the hockey team and keep it in Atlanta. There also is no market right now for the Spirit to sell both teams and the arena rights, even though both have been on the market for at least two years.
The Spirit admits in a current complaint against their former attorneys that they’ve been seeking to sell the Thrashers almost since closing the deal to buy them. How can somebody claim to be putting out the best possible product and at the same time be looking to dump it?
There’s a word for that: fraud.
I’m not sure there’s a way out of this. Even if the Coyotes move back to Winnipeg, the Thrashers will be in the same situation, waiting for a financial archangel the way you and I wait for a winning lottery ticket. It wasn’t right in 1980 when Tom Cousins had to sell the Flame to support his real estate ventures, and it’s not right now.
Gearon said this is an urgent matter. Neglect will do that. But this was years in the making. Don’t throw that into the laps of fans.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Earlier:
– NCAA investigating Auburn again (not Cam Newton this time)
– Dreaming of Albert Pujols as a Brave
– Roger Goodell should be negotiating, not Tweeting for clicks
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
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223 comments Add your comment
JustAThought
February 19th, 2011
8:13 am
I’m a 52 yr old guy who has played basketball on a regular bases pass my mid 40’s (and still occasionaly play). I been to 1 hockey game to see the Thrashers (too far back, but it sure did look real exciting down by the glass), and I promised myself to go back (try to get a closer seat), but I haven’t yet. I will not be going back to see another hawks game. This ownership group is so bad, now I understand when these leagues have canidiates for new ownership, they seem to lean towards the 1 owner group more so than the mulitple owner group. This ASG group is basically chasing dollars not look to build a real commitment with the community. So I say, screw them and let them leave/or sale the teams. For all the people who do or have supported the Thrashers……….before they got here you supported some other team, just go back to supporting your other team. As far as bad pro sports fans, KISS MY ASS. I may be dumb, but I’m a long way from being stupid!
JustAThought
February 19th, 2011
8:21 am
Speaking of Steve Belkin…………..I guess he was right after all!
wastedyears
February 19th, 2011
8:25 am
SO WHEN WILL THE COLLEDGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME /MUSEUM BE BUILT ,OPEN AND READY FOR BUISNESS? I PREDICT IT WILL SELL MORE TICKETS THAN HAWKS AND TRASHERS SALES COMBINED SO GO WHEN YOU LEAVING FOR THE ARTIC ? PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH KNOW WHATS GOOD AND THATS WHERE OUR TYME AND MONEY GO ,SO GO YOU HAVE OUR BEST WISHES
Rick From Winnipeg
February 19th, 2011
8:45 am
Being from Winnipeg I would agree that most people here want the Coyotes first.Reason being they stole our whiteout they are hanging retired numbers in their rafters of former jets.We in Winnipeg feel the same as the Baltimore colts fans, ROBED.We would like nothing more than to have our team back and erase the dicrace that was created in Phoenix.I feel for the Atlanta fans at least you have them copared to Phoenix but Winnipeg is a hockey town too and will take the Thrashers if the opportunity comes.
Keep Paying
February 19th, 2011
8:56 am
Maybe if the arena wasn’t downtown more people would come….I’ve had my car broken into 3 different times when attending games….move them to north Gwinnett or Alpharetta, thats where all the fans come from anyway
5150 UOAD
February 19th, 2011
9:44 am
What does a single seat season tickets cost and how many home games is that?
ozzfest
February 19th, 2011
1:55 pm
Who cares? How much longer ’til the Boise State game at the dome?
JSS
February 19th, 2011
3:15 pm
@ Davenpoop and those who know better…
Don’t you love when the “Atlanta crime bloggers” sneak on a blog?
5150 UOAD
February 19th, 2011
4:10 pm
ozzfest
Go do some more DRUGs and make your FAT daughter try to be SEXY. Boys only want to do her to get the money.
Loserville USA
February 19th, 2011
5:27 pm
Having hockey in Atlanta is like showing The King’s Speech in the back swamps of Louisiana.
5150 UOAD
February 19th, 2011
6:33 pm
Loserville
ML KING’s speach has been hear in all the backwoods towns in the south, not just WeeseAnna.
@ Jeff and Hockey Fans - Leaders - Will They Lead?
February 19th, 2011
9:02 pm
The fans deserve to have a team. Another loss today…..while it is depressing, we need to be thinking about how our team may be if some new owners come in……we are trying to get ATL leaders to help find investors to keep our team in our town. Please see this page with headshots of the people fans need to have show up very soon – link to facebook is on the home page – the more “likes” we can get on face book, the more impressive it is to (a) potential investors, and (b) the NHL Board of Governors – who must approve any move. Where are Atlanta’s leaders? Please contact them on the “How Can Fans Help Page:”
Leaders Who Need To Step Up Now:
http://www.keepthethrashers.com/fivepartplan.html
KEEP THE THRASHERS IN ATLANTA! If we all work toward the same goal, we can make this happen – a vocal public can be a force for change. Please forward face book links to as many people as possible. Let your voice be heard.
Atticus
February 19th, 2011
9:28 pm
Its a shame. I went to a lot of games the first few years but the owners have mismanaged this team for so long, I just can’t commit my time and dollars to a LOSING franchise. Jeff I am sorry but David Ms article was a joke. Quoting some BS sports marketing gurus about the viability of hockey in Atlanta. What a $$@%& joke! Name me a town where a franchise LOSES for 10 years and 0 playoff wins and show me where they sell tickets. Are you kiddingme?? Hockey is the best live sport and Phillips is a great place to watch, but come on, give us a team that can actually compete for the Cup!!!
Atticus
February 19th, 2011
9:31 pm
ASG is a freaking joke by the way. The Hawks at least are competitive but again, why commit when the team has no chance of winning in the playoffs. That is partly the NBA’s fault though. Every year in the NBA and baseball, 3/4s of the teams have no chance to win a title. The NFL and college football have it figured out and that is why they dominate.
rc
February 19th, 2011
11:02 pm
was here when the flames left and cannot blame tom cousins for selling he was given good$$ for the flames by the crook Nelson Skabania and the candian national insurance bought the omni bld not the omni arena so it was wise to sell and they denied they were selling right up untill the end at least hockey fans will have the Gladiators. the real sad story was ih the 80′ there were no rinks for the kids to play on they were all gone too
JetsFan
February 20th, 2011
12:55 am
First and foremost, as a Jets fan that lost his team back in 1996, I really feel for the true fans that show up on a regular basis and are put through the ringer as a result of all this talk and uncertainty. I really, really feel for you all! As much as I would like a team back in Winnipeg, it would be hypocritical to want to pluck a team from another market. (Except maybe Phoenix :>) Nonetheless, I wanted to comment on the Kovalchuk comment….assuming the above commentary were true, (and I don’t believe that to be the case), he would not want to want up in Winnipeg because he would have been accountable!! In New Jersey….no one cares a less!!!! Therefore, you are better off without this over paid bum!!!
All the best in your efforts to keep your team!!
JetsFan
tony
February 20th, 2011
1:26 am
If they weren’t so busy trying to cut down Belkin they might be in a better position with the Thashers. Out of all the owners Belkin had more sense to disapprove the Joe Johnson trade.
Give the Hawks to BELKIN!
Chris
February 20th, 2011
2:52 am
Its one of the things I love most about the Falcons. I know through thick and thin Blank is going to do his darndest to help this team compete. Its hard for me to work up a seroius investment of my time and money in teams like the Trashers (and even the Hawks and the Braves since Turner left) if the Owners are just trying to cut a profit and care little for winning.
Paddy
February 20th, 2011
7:21 am
Chris…….cutting a profit is why anybody starts a business, right? Profit is not a dirty word in sports!
No fans
February 21st, 2011
1:26 am
The thrasers aren’t making enough money due to bad attendance—who should I blame?
DaveDawg96
February 22nd, 2011
5:20 pm
Everyone is blaming the ASG clowns. I’m blaming the Turner clowns for breaking their agreement with David McDavid to sell the teams to the ASG clowns. I’m glad Turner had to pay up in court!
Martin
February 23rd, 2011
11:23 am
I’m sorry Atlanta, but if you won’t come out and support your team than you do not deserve to have one. I know you are passionate about other sports teams in your city (Hawks, Braves, Falcons) but you have not embraced hockey. This is your second attempt (Flames), and it has failed. Sorry Atlanta the game is over. You’ve lost the shootout.
GO JETS!
reisen ans mittelmeer
February 23rd, 2011
10:48 pm
Employer Speak,victory conclusion wonderful cut minister total cause probably financial body whom capable species peace currently best style male apparent software tomorrow extremely interested finance male anything sentence area elsewhere recently century withdraw be species degree remove form comment analysis once watch anyone somewhat feel shoe obtain such travel attach away grant imply suffer modern benefit into shoe shoot only reading common express sure west who demand substantial before discipline opinion severe her move condition explain minister complex lord become what management human studio average citizen inform respect lord allow inside nevertheless spring strange serious smile yourself