Is NHL abandoning Thrashers, Atlanta after rescuing others? (UPDATED with Bill Daly Q-and-A)
Gary Bettman was high profile in Atlanta prior to the NHL All-Star Game but not much since.
(UPDATED at 4:50 p.m. after my Q-and-A with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Full transcript follows the column.)
This isn’t to absolve the Atlanta Spirit of responsibility for all this because, as we’ve come to learn, stability and agenda of ownership almost always dictate whether or not a sports franchise succeeds — and the Spirit has long had different agendas for the Hawks and Thrashers.
This certainly isn’t to absolve Don Waddell, the Thrashers’ former long-time general manager and current team president, of responsibility because as the only executive who has been on campus from day one, he had the biggest hand in putting an inferior product on the ice for too many seasons.
But where is the NHL in all this?
Has Gary Bettman, the commissioner, stood at a pulpit on the corner of Marietta and Centennial Olympic Park Drive the way he did in the desert outpost of Glendale, Ariz., and screamed for hockey’s existence in Atlanta (especially given this is a top 10 TV market and Phoenix isn’t)?
Is the league coming to the rescue of a franchise in a desperate situation, the way it did in Buffalo and Nashville and Ottawa and Pittsburgh and even Tampa (Atlanta also is bigger than all of them)?
Atlanta seemingly is in the midst of being dumped on and abandoned by the NHL. Again. The first time was in 1980 when Atlanta Flames owner Tom Cousins needed money for his other business ventures, so he sold the team to a Canadian who moved them to Calgary. The NHL did nothing.
Now Winnipeg is circling the Thrashers. This comes after Bettman pleaded with Phoenix Coyotes fans and local business people to step up, and Glendale – destined to become the most bankrupt city in the United States – committed $25 million a year for up to 10 years to keep the team.
What do we get in Atlanta? Mostly silence — and what has been said is not comforting.
Asked Thursday if he could guarantee the Thrashers would play in Atlanta next season, deputy commissioner Bill Daly responded: “Nope. I can’t guarantee that.”
Daly denies reports that an announcement about the team being sold and moved is imminent: “There is nothing that has been done, nothing has been planned and nothing has been scheduled. Certainly, no transaction has been agreed to, not that I’m aware of.”
But the mere fact that he left the door open says all you need to know.
Daly says the league is doing all it can to keep the NHL in Atlanta. Sorry. I need evidence stronger than noncommittal soundbites. There’s a big difference between the NHL saying it wants a franchise in Atlanta and doing something about it. The league has the hammer to prevent franchise moves but hasn’t swung it, at least not publicly.
The Thrashers intersect with relocation rumors more than they do playoff races. But when this stuff circulated last year, Bettman put the kibosh on it. He told me that the league was “committed” to Atlanta, and considered the market “very important.” He said he believed the Thrashers could overcome their off-ice issues and “ultimately the franchise can be successful.”
He said he expected that one day “the franchise will be in a better place.” Then he laughed, realizing that was a poor choice of words given rumors of a move. “What I mean is, the franchise will be in a better situation,” he added.
Bettman said everything an Atlanta sports fan wanted to hear. He even took the extremely unusual step for a sports commissioner of criticizing an ownership group. (Excerpt: “It’s difficult to operate a franchise when owners aren’t getting along.”) He addressed how the league has come to the aid of struggling franchises in the past, and last week he circled back to those warm-and-fuzzy themes when asked about the potential relocation of the Coyotes, which the league had been operating.
When asked by Yahoo why the NHL is fighting for Phoenix, Bettman responded, “Because we fight hard for every city. … Because we have a covenant with our fans, and our fans need to know that we will stand by them as long as possible and that we don’t just run out.”
Great speech. Not sure how much it carries in terms of substance. I’m getting a visual of water running through a colander.
I’ve stated this before: If the Thrashers are moved, it won’t be because Atlanta failed as an NHL market, it will be because ownership and management failed. Fans can’t be expected to run back and support a product after feeling burned and relatively abused for several years. When fans stay away from a team that misses the playoffs in 10 out of 11 seasons, that doesn’t make them difficult, it makes them smart.
The NHL appears on the verge of making a huge mistake. If other teams feel bad about the Thrashers possibly moving to Winnipeg, they’re not saying.
Maybe they all like the fact the league would get a $60 million relocation fee out of the deal. For $60 million, you can buy a new conscience.
♦
Here’s my Q-and-A with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Thursday:
Q: Where do we stand with the Thrashers?
A: “That’s more a question for [part-owner] Bruce [Levenson} than it is for me. He’s the one working on trying to find new ownership for the franchise. We’ve been working with him closely for a number of years in efforts to sell the franchise. Those efforts are ongoing. But there is nothing that has made sense to this point.”
Q: Can you guarantee the team will be in Atlanta next season?
A: “Nope. I can’t guarantee that.”
Q: So what are the chances of the Thrashers being relocated?
A: “I’m not into handicapping. I’m usually wrong.”
Q: Can you address rumors that a franchise sale and a move to Winnipeg is pretty much done and that an announcement is imminent?
A: “There is nothing that has been done, nothing has been planned and nothing has been scheduled. Certainly, no transaction has been agreed to, not that I’m aware of.”
Q: Have the Thrashers had negotiations with True North?
A: “I wouldn’t comment on that. That’s something you would have to ask the Thrashers about.”
Q: That’s not exactly a denial.
A: “But I would say the same thing even if I knew for a fact that they had not spoken to somebody. It’s not my role to publicly talk to the media about who Bruce Levenson might or might not be talking to.” [Note: Levenson told the AJC on Wednesday: “We are continuing to seek solutions for the Thrashers. I will not comment on any speculation.”]
Q: You and commissioner Gary Bettman both made frequent trips to Phoenix to speak publicly about the Coyotes staying there, but there has been no similar efforts in Atlanta. Why not?
A: “The situations are very different from a host of perspectives, not the least of which are the bankruptcy issues we had [in Phoenix], the fight in bankruptcy court and the league having to purchase the club. There were a unique set of circumstances that required the league’s presence in Glendale. The bottom line is, we owned that club.”
Q: I understand that. But does that preclude you or Gary from coming to Atlanta to show support for the franchise and help the process?
A: “No, of course not. If there was some reasonable sense that a public appeal would move the process along, then something would be done. But we’re not at that point.”
Q: Can you understand why Atlanta hockey fans might feel like the NHL is abandoning them, especially given the league’s silence?
A: “Again, what that opinion lacks is any real information as to what we have been doing over a number of years. There have been efforts to sell the club. We feel it is best that franchises not be relocated and we’ve made a commitment to keep franchises in the marketplace. Everything we’ve done with the Thrashers is consistent with that.”
Q: But not to the point of guaranteeing that they will remain in Atlanta?
A: “Correct.”
Q: You don’t find that response in conflict with Gary saying that the NHL is committed to cities and has a covenant with fans?
A: “No, because as I just tried to explain, nobody really knows exactly what we’ve been doing. But over a course of years, what we’ve done for the Thrashers franchise has been very consistent with what we’ve done for other franchises.”
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
407 comments Add your comment
Omineca
May 13th, 2011
9:07 pm
As a Canadian fan, it seems clear to me that Atlanta is getting the “Canadian treatment.” No support at all in the crunch. This is what happened to Winnipeg and Quebec. Best of luck to you in keeping your team, but the signs look ominous. Who can figure out why keeping a team in Arizona is so important and keeping a team in Atlanta is not? There’s some algebra there that’s beyond my comprehension….
UGA79
May 13th, 2011
10:01 pm
Funny how all the “hockey fails in American cities” forgets that out of the 8 Canadian franchises (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec and Montreal) they lost two of them.
ATLFlamesFan
May 13th, 2011
11:15 pm
Who’s the bigger liar; ASG or Gary Bettmen. We all know ASG’s lies. Here is Bettmen’s entry from a February interview with Shultz:
But he (Bettmen) did reaffirm that the NHL is “committed” to Atlanta.
“We think it’s very important [for the league] and we believe that whatever issues the franchise has, they can be overcome, and ultimately the franchise can be successful,” he said. “We have a strong track record of addressing franchise problems and not abandoning cities. Look at Phoenix. [The Coyotes went into bankruptcy and were taken over by the league, which is looking for new owners.] I don’t think you need to go much farther down the road than that. But look at Buffalo, Ottawa, Pittsburgh. All three have had problems at some point, but they’ve all been successful.
“When the ownership situation is resolved, we believe the franchise will be able to move forward. We’re committed to the market. Our track record indicates we do everything we can do to avoid relocation.”
ATLFlamesFan
May 13th, 2011
11:16 pm
I cannot believe that no one has posted this gem.
Phoenix Coyotes Vote Passes, But Goldwater Institute Ponders Lawsuit Again
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2011/5/12/2167063/phoenix-coyotes-vote-glendale-goldwater-institute
Keep Pushing Jeff!
May 13th, 2011
11:39 pm
Do not let them walk off with our team and the hefty relocation fee without answering your questions. Here’s a good one:
“If the NHL has been working so hard for ATL, what exactly have they done? If they have been involved for so long, why do they say “you will have to ask the ASG, they are handling that”?
The NHL has not done **** to help Atlanta.
Ask Gary Bettman:
“Is it in the NHL’s best interests and the game best interests to leave the 8th largest TV market? How many transplanted NHL fans in ATL will drift from the game as local coverage drops to near zero levels with no team to cover?”
mirandalambert2012
May 14th, 2011
12:39 am
Well this day was coming. Atlanta just is not a hockey town. The games are tossed to distant cable channels. The regular broadcast channels dont dare show any games like they do in alot of other cities. The number of people wactching Thrasher games has always been pretty low.
Desert Dog
May 14th, 2011
1:34 am
Hello from Phoenix; just stopping by to wish Atlanta hockey fans the best as this ordeal plays out.
I can tell you many Coyote fans do-not want to give the city of winnipeg the satisfaction of receiving an NHL team.
Fortunately for you; you haven’t had to deal with all the negative stuff from pegger fans, canadian media, the winnipuke free press and goldwater that have added to the misery of our situation.
For some strange reason pegger fans and the winnipuke press feel they are “owed” an NHL team.
Here’s to sincerely hoping that somehow yours and our situations can be resolved and no teams are relocated to the frozen tundra! Good luck…
G52PIM228
May 14th, 2011
2:05 am
The NHL is no more interested in actually putting a team in loserpeg than I am, rtelocation to loserpeg is an EMPTY THREAT.. I would not even take it seriously..
Global View
May 14th, 2011
2:30 am
Don’t for ONE SECOND believe the touchy-feely poop from the Winniphlegm (im)posters.
They’ll show you all the Snow Monkey empathy you can take in because they think your team is packing its bags.
As soon as there is some reason (let’s all hope) that it looks as if the Thrashers are staying, these trolls will pounce like Darcy Olsen on an ooey gooey cupcake.
Godspeed to you and fight it every step of the way. Nobody deserves to go to the desolation of the frozen prairie…the land that warmth forgot.
Jake
May 14th, 2011
8:31 am
Lots of talk about Atlanta being the 8th biggest this or 10th biggest that. Y’all don’t support your teams by actually going to games. Almost dead last in the NHL, slightly lower than middle of the pack in baseball and basketball, just above middle in NFL. Altanta doesn’t seem like a big city atmosphere. If you enjoy NASCAR and College football, thats cool, but don’t be surprised when your team leaves.
TheAntiMe
May 14th, 2011
8:49 am
If the ASG causes Atlanta to lose it’s second NHL franchise then every single owner in the ASG ownership needs to be sleeping right next to bin Laden.
TheAntiMe
May 14th, 2011
8:52 am
And, Jake, you just keep playing with those one-eyed snakes since that seems to be the only thing that you have a clue about.
Sage of Bluesland
May 14th, 2011
10:10 am
I love how media blowhards and the organization ‘blames’ the fans for this debacle!
Jeff Schultz is the ONLY media person to attempt to improve the product through the exposure of the incompetence going on–while most everyone else had their head stuck in the sand. Bradley defended Waddell to the end–same as he did with Babcock…so, there was some consideration going on with that.
Same with jokes like John Kincade. He was too busy fighting for the scraps from management’s table to provide honest and credible analysis.
The fans HAVE voted with their wallet–and they made the absolutely correct choice.
I applaud the good people of Atlanta who still have pride and dignity intact…as opposed to the dwindling sheep who defended, pleaded, and lost what little respect they had….Instead of accountability, YOU subsidized the incompetence and did NOT force the league to step in when there was a chance for salvation.
Look in the mirror, sheep, for the reason hockey failed this second time. But one thing I do know: You won’t forget who tried to tell you for so many years….
(Where oh where is Sara and her spweadsheets when they are needed most?!)
AYF4
May 14th, 2011
11:40 am
I see that the Winnipeg trolls have abandoned our Phoenix hockey threads for the AJC. Don’t let those clowns ruin your day. There have been posts in the Winnipeg Sun and Winnipeg Free Press chastising them for trolling in Phoenix and Atlanta.
Keep your chins up. We in Phoenix have been rooting for you to keep your team. As we don’t see the NHL eager to fill the 1/2 sized arena in Winnipeg with an NHL team we have never believed that it is either us, or you.
Chris
May 14th, 2011
11:44 am
Having lived in Atlanta most of my life I’ve never been a Thrashers game and most people I know do not support the team. How do the Thrashers compare to other NHL teams in terms of attendance, TV numbers, etc.?
Tom
May 14th, 2011
12:27 pm
Feel for you guys in ATL. I live in Ottawa and I’ve seen this before. Winning is everything…..when the Senators went to the Cup final every car in the city was flying a flag on their cars and the tickets sell themselves. When they don’t win people won’t spend $200 to go to a hockey game when they can watch it in HD at home for free. It’s a tough business. I hope you guys pull it out. Atlanta is a great city.
Sean
May 14th, 2011
1:08 pm
The Thrashers have never really had a good TV deal. First they were on Turner South and then they went to Sports South and Fox Sports South, they were rarely ever on ESPN(if at all) and they’ve had hardly any games on NBC.
Born2Buzz
May 14th, 2011
1:25 pm
The fact that there are 8 pages of comments on this tells me there is a fan base in Atlanta that would support the team. The ASG is the real culprit here. They are trying to sell the team but will not sell the operating rights to the arena, which are where the real money is. Nobody wants to buy the team without some portion of the arena rights, otherwise the ASG still has the power and the Thrashers are just a tenant.
It’s sad how a city’s fan base can be screwed by bad ownership of a pro sports franchise. We suffered many years with the Smith’s ownership of the Falcons and finally were delivered from that hell by Arthur Blank. The same thing is going on with the Hawks and Thrashers. Until the ASG sells both teams we will suffer the same hell. At least they care about the Hawks and can only screw us with their ineptitude as opposed to the Thrashers where we get screwed with both the ineptitude and the disinterest.
Barry Shenkarow
May 14th, 2011
2:11 pm
Just unsubscribed to the Arizona Republic, now I’ll be here waiting for the day the Jets come back. My bet is they call it the Manitoba Moose to make it a provincial team rather than a city team.
Looking forward to seeing you all wear your Moose jerseys to the Braves and Hawks games.
Tom Lysiak
May 14th, 2011
2:14 pm
It is amazing that those liars will look right into a TV camera and have no problem telling bald face lies. They don’t want to sell all three assets just like B2B says above. I know the league can’t force those liars to sell the arena rights and the Hawks, but it seems like they would not allow them to go on TV and lie. To say that nobody has made a serious bid may be true if the liars are really only trying to rob someone for the team only. The league should be straight up with the fans and expose the lies publicly. They should say the liars will only sell the team and they know that TNSE will give them $170 million for that. Expose them further for the liars and manipulators they are. Those lying pieces of you-know-what deserve everything bad that comes to them. Hope they reap it ten-fold.
Tom Lysiak
May 14th, 2011
2:16 pm
Hey Barry, send me one of those Moose jerseys. I’m running low on toilet paper.
Butros
May 14th, 2011
2:36 pm
$27 Billion. That is the net worth of David Thomson, ONE of the partners wanting to put the NHL hockey back in Winnipeg. The other main player in the group has a few bucks too.
But hey, what does David Thomson know? I am sure that all of you who think the NHL can’t work in Winnipeg know more about business than one of the world’s wealthiest men.
Sean
May 14th, 2011
2:47 pm
Hey Barry there is already a Manitoba Moose franchise in the AHL unless you guys want to send them down to Atlanta?
Gary-Bettmen-is-a-sixty-million-dollar-WH0RE
May 14th, 2011
4:28 pm
Bettmen has gotten burned by his dealings in Phoenix. The NHL lost $15M running the Coyotes last season and will probably lose even more this next one. To cover these costs, he is scruwing Atlanta for the $60 relocation fee.
Anthony
May 14th, 2011
4:52 pm
Why do they think that the Atlanta Braves cant fill the stadium. Is it so hard to fathom that fans get disgusted by entities like Liberty Media, The Atlanta Spirit? The Thrashers were dumped on by management and when the NHL has a chance to do something they will side with money, not fans. Dip wasnt in Phoenix for the fans…..
What a joke.
scottbravesfan
May 14th, 2011
8:35 pm
Pro hockey is the 7th most popular sport in the United States according to a recent Harris poll. Pro football, pro baseball, college football, auto racing, pro basketball, and college basketball were all more popular. You would think the NHL would want to “expand” the game to new markets and regions, like Atlanta. Especially when you consider how well youth hockey has taken off in the metro Atlanta area. Atlanta and Dallas youth hockey has exploded and it’s stupid to pack up ship when the city has not even had a real opportunity to see if it will support hockey if a winner is put on the ice.
scottbravesfan
May 14th, 2011
8:35 pm
Anthony,
The Braves have filled their stadium the last 20 years with over 2 million fans a year coming to games. Only the Dodgers have a longer streak. Go to any weekend games or summer games and Turner Field is packed. It’s only when school is in session that they have hard time drawing fans for week night games. And that has more to do with traffic and the sprawl of this city than anything the Braves do or don’t do.
scottbravesfan
May 14th, 2011
8:40 pm
Jake,
You’re an idiot. No one cares about NASCAR in Atlanta. That’s why they lost a race. College football is king in the south and will always be king in the south. The Braves are the most popular pro sports team in the south east and they get fans from all over. Hell they rank in the top 3 in Harris poll’s more popular baseball teams period every year. 30 years on TBS will do that for a team. They also rank in the top 10 in merch sold and get a ton of money from TV and radio rights. If the Thrashers want to be relevant they need to start winning.
Winnipeg, Canada
May 14th, 2011
8:45 pm
`
Enter Your Atlanta $pirit Groupies Comments Here :
.
Barry Shenkarow
May 14th, 2011
9:14 pm
Re: Jeff
Thanks Jeff for the lesson in economics – but wake up, the reason the Jets left Winnipeg had nothing to do with attendance. No, they didn’t sell out every game but even if they did – a CDN dollar at 1.60 and skyrocketing salaries did in the Jets. Americans hungry for a buck who could care a whit about hockey, bought the Jets with some delirious notion that they could make huge money – WRONG. Now the dollar has turned and a hard salary cap is in place.
Winnipeg will never be in the tops of the league in revenue, but they will never be at the bottom. They will forever be in the 15th to 20th place in revenue but in the top 3 in fan loyalty.
Atlanta, god bless you all, will never be a hockey market. Your owners are greedy money hungry pigs that care only about the dollar – a dollar that ain’t being made down there. Watch your Braves, your Hawks, your Bulldogs, your Nascar and whatever else you enjoy. We live and die with hockey and we want hockey back.
Careful, we’ve got more oil up here than anywhere in the Middle East, if your dollar keeps tanking and China keeps kicking your ass, we’ll move the Braves up here too. Let hockey go quietly. Trust me, you won’t miss it.
Sean
May 14th, 2011
9:38 pm
“Atlanta, god bless you all, will never be a hockey market.”
We may never truly know if the Thrashers leave. Easy to say Atlanta will never be a hockey market when the team fails to make the playoffs 10 out of 11 seasons.
Barry Shenkarow
May 14th, 2011
9:55 pm
Sean
If Atlanta was a hockey market it wouldn’t matter if the Thrashers made the playoffs or not.
Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made the playoffs since 2004. They sell out every single game and their average ticket price is 1st in the league and is 50% higher than the average ticket price of the 2nd highest ticket price in the league.
You yak about the Braves but sober up, net profit alone of the Leafs are 50% of Braves TOTAL REVENUE. And the Leafs SUCK!
The Leafs are about to sell for 1.7 to 1.8 BILLION dollars. CANADIAN dollars, so add 5% to figure out how much that is in American dollars.
The Thrashers give thousands of tickets away to each game so they can qualify for revenue sharing with the League. And scalpers sell good seats for 5 bucks a piece.
You might not sell out every game in Winnipeg but you won’t be able to get a seat, a hot dog and a parking spot for 20 bucks either.
Enjoy your Braves. We’ll enjoy our hockey; winning or not.
Sean
May 14th, 2011
10:15 pm
The Leafs are also a storied franchise and one of the original 6 of the NHL. They may have run into some misfortune as of late but they have had a ton of success which has built their fanbase over the years. The lack of success in Atlanta plus bad ownership is why people don’t show up. Winning builds fans whether you like it or not.
Barry Shenkarow
May 14th, 2011
10:26 pm
The Leafs have horrible ownership and less success than Atlanta. Losing builds fans in a hockey market whether you like it or not. And by ‘ton of success’ if you’re referring to Cup wins in the 60s, many of those fans are dead.
OHL
May 14th, 2011
10:41 pm
Atlanta will only support a winner. And barely that. Other cities support teams in down years. I am curious what the NHL did for Buffalo, Nashville, Ottawa and Tampa? If you dare compare yourself to Ottawa or Buffalo then you don’t know a lick about hockey. They support their teams win or lose and can hover around the top 10 even in non playoff years. Atlanta has never cracked the top 20 in attendance even when they went to the playoffs. Subtract all the free tickets and does Atlanta even sell 10 thousand seats per night?
I also laugh that you say Atlanta is a top ten tv market and Phoenix isn’t. Phoenix was 12th on that link you provided so I wouldn’t cry that they are so much lower than Atlanta.
Dancing Gabe
May 14th, 2011
11:23 pm
Jets could miss the playoffs 25 of 25 years and still make more money than the Thrashers.
Sage of Arseland
May 15th, 2011
1:37 am
<>
SAGE, you’re not only clueless, but you’re a liar. “The League” could not be “forced” to step in and do ANYTHING as long as OWNERSHIP WAS INVOLVED IN LITIGATION AMONG THEMSELVES — Get it Dimwit? Do you even understand that statement?
You’ve spent hundreds if not thousands of hours of your life camped by your monitor & keyboard to “show everyone the way” and “lead us down the path to new ownership and a better on-ice product”….Well guess what you AMAZING FRAUD of BLUELAND?
The only “sheep” in the equation are the clueless ones who followed your idiotic advice — Assuming more than a dozen actually did. What was at the end of your glorious rainbow? Friggin relocation and the LOSS OF ANOTHER NHL TEAM!!!
Is that what you want everyone to THANK YOU for you moron? Do you even have a clue how self-serving you are to continue appearing on these boards as the “only” one who continued to preach New Ownership salvation to everyone who would listen? Not even being able to comprehend that NHL history teaches us that a city’s failure to support its hockey team ultimately ends in RELOCATION?!?!
Thank you Sage of Bluesland? NO….How about F*** YOU Sage of Bluesland!
You’re the one individual I have met in this life that I can truly say HAS NO SHAME! You are a FRAUD. A legend in your own mind. Just GO AWAY already. Nobody wants you around.
Your own PC’s keyboard cringes and secretly cries every time your filth-encrusted fingers approach it…..(”OH NO! Not again….PLEASE somebody save me!)
The #1 guy in the entire world who never ever had ANYTHING GOOD to post about the Atlanta Thrashers now wants everyone here to bow and worship him because he was the “only one” who told everybody to BOYCOTT the Thrashers and never attend any games in order to effect real change, apparently never understanding that real change in the NHL is defined as RELOCATION!
Is that the biggest Mind F*** in the entire history of the World or what??????
Common Sense 101
May 15th, 2011
2:01 am
OHL: “Atlanta will only support a winner. And barely that.”
WOW! What an ignorant comment! Do you even know that Atlanta has only had 1 pro sports championship in what is now a combined 151 pro sports seasons? If you consider 1 championship out of 151 seasons the definition of a “winner”, then you failed high school math!
The Falcons & Braves have been supported by the city and fans of Atlanta since 1966. The Hawks since 1968. And at this time, Atlanta is one of only 13 US cities that support 4 pro sports teams! If the Thrashers do leave, it has very little to do with the FANS and almost everything to do with incompetent ownership & management. You would know this OHL if you had been paying attention. Clearly you have not……
Butros
May 15th, 2011
2:07 am
Holy crap. What was that about? This board is getting weirder.
Anyway – something is going down within the next few days and it isn’t looking promising for hockey in Atlanta.
Sage of Bluesland
May 15th, 2011
8:12 am
Hey cowardly imposter–Don Waddell was pegged by yours truly as wholly incompetent PRIOR to the ASG ever appearing on the scene….I know you’re one of the pitiful sheep who have been nothing but wrong for so long–the only question is which one of them you are!
It IS funny, though.
I applaud the intelligent consumers of Atlanta; they had enough self-respect to NOT say, “Mmmm, chocolate!” when it was quite the opposite being fed by ALL ownership entities and management of this abominable organization. Get it?
(Why do I even try? They’ll just resort to their wittle spweadsheets to continue to defend the indefensible….)
AtlFlamesFan
May 15th, 2011
10:19 am
The reason that Gary Bettmen has turned 180° in the past 4 months and no longer wants to save Atlanta Hockey is simple. He has a conflict-in-interest that encourages relocating the Thrashers.
The NHL lost $15M subsidizing the Coyotes last year. Now that the sale of the Yotes has blown up in his face, the NHL is on track for another $15M loss next season. And it could be worse. The Goldwater Institute has threatened suing Glendale of its $25M subsidy. If that happens, then the NHL is on the hook for that $25M, and possibly last year’s $25M. All of the sudden, the cost of keeping the Yotes in Phoenix may total the NHL $80M!!! To help with these costs, it is the NHL’s best short-term interest to pocket the $60M Thrasher relocation fee.
Hey Marcel
May 15th, 2011
12:53 pm
So how many cities have lost 2 hockey franchises?
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 15th, 2011
1:02 pm
I’m sorry that the troll plague from Jetsowner.com has now infested Atlanta’s small but hopefully growing Hockey fanbase. Let me say this right up front, the NHL needs its head examined if it permits a franchise in this size market to move to a city of 730,000 with a midget-sized arena MTS Centre 15,015. What is not mentioned by the Winnipeg trolls is that David Thompson the Billionaire is based in Toronto and I suspect after Winnipeg financially fails in a few years due to lack of local TV and Advertising revenue this team will be on its way to a suburb of Toronto or a new arena 40 miles away in Hamilton which is possibly his real plan. The original Winnipeg Jets failed and moved to Phoenix because as the NHL grew Winnipeg couldn’t keep up just like they can’t today not to mention players will avoid playing there like they do right now with Buffalo & Edmonton. Winnipeg will be a failure on the ice and off because Edmonton is having real problems despite selling out all games and playing in a larger arena as said by the Oilers President. Winnipeg acts like things have changed for the tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere but since 1990 the Canadian Football League have staged 3 Grey Cup games in Winnipeg none of which have sold out and the number one reason was that Winnipeggers thought ticket prices were too high. Hold on Atlanta hockey fans because Winnipeg shouldn’t be any kind of real competition for any other city especially a great city like Atlanta.
Kris
May 15th, 2011
1:37 pm
RE: Winnipeg=Poverty
If Winnipeg = poverty then not sure what level Atlanta and the rest of your country is in after that historic collapse. Gulag? Ghetto?
“the NHL needs its head examined if it permits a franchise in this size market to move to a city of 730,000 with a midget-sized arena MTS Centre 15,015.” – Wrong. Is it better to sell 7000 seats in a 18545 capacity arena for 5 bucks a piece in Atlanta – or 15,000 seats at $75 a piece in Winnipeg – oh – and those $5 seats in Atlanta come with free parking and a hot dog.
“What is not mentioned by the Winnipeg trolls is that David Thompson the Billionaire is based in Toronto and I suspect after Winnipeg financially fails in a few years due to lack of local TV and Advertising revenue this team will be on its way to a suburb of Toronto or a new arena 40 miles away in Hamilton which is possibly his real plan.” ( Wrong, David Thompson is not THE owner, he will be a part owner, and not in control of moving the team. If he wants a team he could just buy the Leafs which are for sale right now. )
“The original Winnipeg Jets failed and moved to Phoenix because as the NHL grew Winnipeg couldn’t keep up just like they can’t today” ( the Jets failed with a CDN dollar at .60 USD. Which is not at $1.05 USD – combined with skyrocketing salaries. – now our dollar is kicking your ass and that isn’t likely to change with the expected long term decline of the US economy vs the world. The only reason Atlanta has a team is non-hockey fans with cash tried to make a quick buck and failed)
“not to mention players will avoid playing there like they do right now with Buffalo & Edmonton” (are there any real hockey players that really want to go to Atlanta? Players like to win. And unlike Atlanta, we create our own players who grow up here )
“Winnipeg acts like things have changed for the tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere but since 1990 the Canadian Football League have staged 3 Grey Cup games in Winnipeg none of which have sold out and the number one reason was that Winnipeggers thought ticket prices were too high. Hold on Atlanta hockey fans because Winnipeg shouldn’t be any kind of real competition for any other city especially a great city like Atlanta” May be a great city, which is debateable – but not a great city for hockey. If Winnipeggers could choose one sport to have it would be hockey by a mile. Where would it rank in Atlanta?
I heard TV ratings for the Thrashers were less than ratings for Mighty Putty infomercials.
Give us our hockey back – you won’t miss it a bit. Trust me.
AtlFlamesFan
May 15th, 2011
1:51 pm
Here is another viewpoint that indicates the NHL has sleazy motivations to dump the Thrashers.
http://blogs.forbes.com/mikeozanian/2011/05/09/nhl-should-let-coyotes-go-to-winnipeg-and-keep-thrashers-in-atlanta/
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 15th, 2011
2:10 pm
I hate when the Hank Yarbo types from the wheat fields of Manitoba start touting about how great Winnipeg is.Its funny because most Canadians laugh at Winnipeg and consider it Canada’s western armpit (Hamilton is the Eastern armpit).David Thompson is the money man as touted by Winnipeg trolls and he isn’t about to lose money in Winnipeg when he can make a lot of money in the Toronto area and if the NHL approves his ownership nothing would stop him from moving his money losing team in Winnipeg east in a few years (Al Davis like) by buying out his poor partners in True North. Winnipeg trolls don’t understand that money value is being manipulated and at any time a small country like Canada could have its money value down below the U.S. dollar in a heartbeat which will be the time when Thompson abandons very poor and isolated Winnipeg. As far as TV Ratings go, Hockey Night in Canada always avoided showing the Winnipeg Jets as the second game of their doubleheader and went straight to Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Winnipeg is ignored even in Canada. The NHL needs to consider very closely about what kind city Winnipeg is and even for a short term financial fix it really does stink.
Brendan
May 15th, 2011
2:23 pm
If the Thrashers leave, I sincerely hope they will not be run and managed the way in which they were here. Someone should care enough about this team to run it properly.
Butros
May 15th, 2011
2:25 pm
Holy Crap – this board is getting pointless. Who cares whether or not this last d!ck hates Winnipeg? At one point, there was a discussion here.
Kris
May 15th, 2011
2:36 pm
David Thompson may have money but he doesn’t have enough power to move the team to Ontario. The current Leafs owners have over 100 billion in assets, 4 times Thompson’s wealth. The Leafs do not want, nor will they allow any team to move.
A team in Ontario may be in the future but it will be an expansion team. Sure money is always being manipulated, but now its manipulated by powers beyond US control. If you think the CDN dollar is going back down to 1.60 wake up. There’s more chance of Canadians buying up NFL teams with a .60 USD. Toronto Bills anyone?
Green Bay Packers have the Super Bowl and its worse there than Hamilton. Thrashers will move to Winnipeg and we’ll enjoy our team and yaou won’t miss it for one single second. Worry about your stupid Braves and Hawks, they have enough of their own problems.
Whether Winnipeg is an armpit or not, every US city has far greater armpits everywhere. There isn’t any slum in Canada that compares to dozens in the States – especially in Atlanta – a city that builds freeways over its own slums. I guess there’s no armpit if you choose to ignore it.
Wienerpeg Trolls
May 15th, 2011
5:31 pm
This is an Atlanta newspaper blog. Nobody here gives a crap whether David Thompson can move a team or have a bowel movement. I’m sure other Wienerpeg fans would care. We don’t.