Door isn’t closed but Thrashers’ picture still gloomy
This photo would suggest Michael Gearon (left) and Bruce Levenson have been passionate and dedicated owners of the Thrashers. Pictures can be deceiving. (AJC photo)
So now we can officially move one aspect of the Thrashers’ potential franchise relocation from the logical rumor to the fact category.
The AJC has confirmed that Thrashers’ ownership is in negotiations to sell the team to True North Sports and Entertainment, which would move the franchise to Winnipeg. While the negotiations have long been assumed, this is the first time somebody familiar with the NHL process has confirmed talks actually are taking place.
Does this mean the Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg is a done deal? No. Fact is, the Phoenix Coyotes’ move to Winnipeg seemed certain until the city of Glendale, Ariz., stunningly agreed to pay $25 million to the NHL — effectively funding the team — for at least one more season. But the odds still heavily favor the NHL losing its NHL franchise for the second time.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said via email to our Chris Vivlamore, “Nothing I’m prepared to say at this point.” But this is the same Daly who last week said, “I can’t guarantee” that the Thrashers will play next season in Atlanta.
Since I wrote last week that the NHL appeared to be abandoning Atlanta, unlike its very public and passionate stance to save Phoenix, league commissioner Gary Bettman has been catching some heat. USA Today, among others, weighed in with a similar perspective.
One other factor in the Thrashers’ favor is Bettman’s clear dislike for part-owner Bruce Levenson and the rest of the Atlanta Spirit group. He would prefer not to simply allow a sell and franchise move, whereby the Spirit profits. Bettman and the league understand that the Atlanta market has failed is largely because because of the way the franchise has been run.
But in the end, there likely are only a few scenarios in which the Thrashers will stay in Atlanta:
♦ 1.) A financial angel falls out of the sky. But thus far, no prospective owner has come forward with both a stated desire to buy the team and proof of his financial worth.
♦ 2.) Something falls apart on the Winnipeg end (with True North), or from the league’s perspective (other owners may be uncomfortable with the fact new local ownership for the Coyotes still isn’t assured).
♦ 3.) Bettman effectively stalls and gives the Atlanta franchise a one-year stay of execution, telling Levenson and the Spirit that the franchise can’t be moved for next season. It’s not believed the Atlanta Spirit could just walk away from the hockey team and throw the keys to the league. So it’s not certain what would happen if Bettman disallowed a move right now and the Spirit resisted.
There is no official time table on this. But given logistics and the fact next season’s schedule generally is released during or just following the Stanley Cup finals, there needs to be resolution soon.
By Jeff Schultz
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175 comments Add your comment
ChippersLoveChild
May 16th, 2011
1:34 pm
Sad, sad day.
Video: Call Out The NHL Owners
May 16th, 2011
1:38 pm
Please forward this video – share it on facebook – embed in sites.
You can help:
Video: Atlanta Thrashers Sale and Relocation Misconceptions: There are numerous misconceptions about the situation surrounding the Atlanta Thrashers possible relocation to Winnipeg. This video covers misconceptions about attendance, how long the team has been for sale, and the NHL’s efforts to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta. If you think you know the situation in Atlanta, you may be surprised what you find.
http://www.keepthethrashers.com/videokeepthrashersreally.html
What else is new?
May 16th, 2011
1:39 pm
Sports fans in Atlanta get screwed over once again by bad ownership.
Good Job Boycotters
May 16th, 2011
1:41 pm
The ASG stinks – agreed, but the boycotters just boycotted our team out of town.
Great job from all that said the Thrashers were not in trouble. They are gone.
We will never get a team back.
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
1:41 pm
I am furious and resigned to the inevitable screwing over of the NHL fans in this town, yet again. What a joke. We’ve had this franchise since 1999, missed an entire season due to lockout and have been cursed with the WORST ownership group in the history of sports. Those who say the fans have not supported this team are deluded. We were patient during the building years and our payoff has been to see this franchise treated as an “after thought” and run with a payroll BARELY at the league minimum.
I’m never setting foot in Philips again, so long as ASG owns that place.
Bryan G.
May 16th, 2011
1:42 pm
We have a hockey team?
Drama in the Desert & Dixie: Atlanta hockey on thin ice, Thrasher fans need to focus on four letters – WWGD, Could NHL’s other owners save the Thrashers? | Illegal Curve Hockey
May 16th, 2011
1:45 pm
[...] Journal Constitution: Door isn’t closed but Thrashers picture gloomy. I don’t see anything falling apart from True North’s position but I could see the [...]
tonyb
May 16th, 2011
1:46 pm
Jeff, we all seen this coming. It started several years ago. You heard the rumors. You reported this several months ago. This has been planned for some time. What a sad way for the NHL to leave the city. What a sad day for Thrasher fans…a very unappreciated yet dedicated fanbase.
We deserve better.
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
1:47 pm
Happy now “S-Bag” and all the other trolls who called for boycotts?
Hey Marcel
May 16th, 2011
1:48 pm
What else is new?
May 16th, 2011
1:39 pm
***********************************
I concur………………
ChippersLoveChild
May 16th, 2011
1:34 pm
Sad, sad day.
I concur…………….
rm
May 16th, 2011
1:53 pm
nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey good bye… Sad, but saw this coming for a long time.
PopeyeTheSailorMang
May 16th, 2011
1:58 pm
The fix has been in on this for awhile.
Mr. Phil
May 16th, 2011
2:00 pm
Look I love and support everything Atlantan. Unfortunately, hockey is not and never will be an Atlanta thing. So I not only don’t care the Thrasher’s are or might leave, I welcome the idea as someone who did not want them here to begin with. Same goes for the last fifty attempts to shove hockey down our collective throats. No thanks, good riddance.
Coach Cool
May 16th, 2011
2:01 pm
Don’t want to hear any “Now we get the Knights” or other such LOSER drivel.
ATL loses the Flames.
ATL loses the spring race @ AMS.
ATL loses the Thrashers.
The “fanbase” of ATL sports should be ashamed and REAL FANS should NOT accept getting minor league sports.
If you want minor league, move to Richmond. Or Charlotte.
Thanks for your support.
Mike Phelan
May 16th, 2011
2:01 pm
They don’t have to “walk away and hand the keys to the league”, they could declare bankruptcy, as did the Coyotes owner in 1998. This would cause massive problems for the NHL including loss of prestige, lowering franchise values and the possibility of Balsilie scooping them and taking them to Hamilton on the Leafs turf. Team is gone. Sayonara.
Atlanta Spirit is the anti-christ
May 16th, 2011
2:03 pm
Good point Jeff! I had thought that maybe we could be saved from the Mayflower truck by the BOG who are uncomfortable owning Phoenix. And would prefer to rid themselves of the Yotes before allowing AS to sell to Winnipeg. While the relocation fee would help what do they do with Phoenix next year when there is no buyer and the tax payers so no more. QC?
Rich T
May 16th, 2011
2:04 pm
I’d like to say it was nice while it last, but that wouldn;t be true since ASG mostly made it a chore to be a fan.
The fact they couldn’t find anyone local to make it happen says a lot about how devalued this franchise was, thanks to ASG’s mismanagement. Had they at least put enough effort behind this team to make it attractive to fans to continue to support it, investors may have come a bit easier to find.
I think it’s safe to say the hockey fans of this city will have to relocate to ever have a home team again.
Mr_Poopypants
May 16th, 2011
2:05 pm
My letter to Gary Bettman:
Hopefully this subject line isn’t already in the “mark for deletion” bin, but I am writing again to plead on behalf of Atlanta NHL fans facing the loss of yet another NHL franchise. I appreciate your statement last week confirming my suspicions that folks are just making stuff up. Supposedly Winnipeg is driving hard to grab my team and shuttle them up north. I have several points:
1. Atlanta has not had quality ownership for 8 years.
2. Other NHL cities have had the benefit of the NHL fighting hard to keep them in their cities.
3. Atlanta deserves just as much effort.
4. The NHL has invested a large amount of money keeping the Coyotes in Phoenix. Please don’t try to recoup those expenditures to the detriment of Atlanta fans.
5. No threats of boycotts. Just a heartfelt plea to keep my Thrashers in Atlanta.
6. If you build it, we will bring our friends back. We have never left.
Erick Malmstrom
DG
May 16th, 2011
2:08 pm
Atlanta fans get screwed?
Sorry guys but this team sees no more then 6k a night. The stands are constantly empty which is why this team loses money. Good or bad ownership, if the fans are not there, then the team fails.
Ask Glendale, the only reason Gary worked this hard on them is because he was FORCED to buy them through bankruptcy .. and then the city is paying 50 million. Its moronic because they will eventually move anyway.
Theres a reason no one wants to put their own money into teams like the Thrashers and Coyotes … because the support simply isn’t there.
This Has Been In Works for Some Time
May 16th, 2011
2:08 pm
Read this (link below) – the ASG has most likely known Winnipeg was their way out for some time.
http://www.keepthethrashers.com/winnipeg.html
Stu
May 16th, 2011
2:09 pm
If Atlanta actually does move, what kind of a mess has the NHL left themselves in Phoenix? The league is stuck owning the team until they can find someone to offload it to (which may or may not happen) and have lost their only definite out. Glendale isn’t going to support them another season if they can’t get an ownership deal done and they don’t have great options in other areas aside from Quebec City but they won’t be ready for a team until the arena is finished. Assuming Atlanta actually moved to Winnipeg, would the NHL continue to operate the Coyotes after next season or fold the team if they can’t find an owner? I would have thought they would want to offload the team they own before letting any others move. Then at least they aren’t assuming the financial risk of a team losing $30-40M/year. I’d be surprised if they actually let Atlanta move before the Phoenix situation is more clear. Unless they’ll let the Coyotes go to Balsille after all.
G52PIM228
May 16th, 2011
2:10 pm
The entire concept of the NHL agreeing to put a team back in tiny loserpeg is NOTHING but comedy..
Brett
May 16th, 2011
2:10 pm
ASG = Sorry B@#T@RDS! You’ll never get any of my money again! I guess the pompous and entitled Canadians will get their team! Winnipeg should send the ASG a nice thank you for the gift they’re about to receive!
DG
May 16th, 2011
2:13 pm
guys … its simple math .. the team was not supported .. at all. This is why they lost so much money … has nothing to do with Canadian/American …. San Jose, Tampa, Nashville, Carolina, they ALL support their teams.
Atlanta, Glendale, Florida (Sunrise) do not. Thats why they bleed money. This is why no one wants to pay with their own money to own these teams.
Why is this so hard to understand?
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
2:18 pm
@DG-way to get your “facts” completely wrong! Try looking at the attendance for the Thrash from 1999 to the time they made the playoffs in 2006-2007. Since then attendance has, admittedly, decreased but I submit that’s due to incompetent ownership and management. We supported the team through the “building years” and have gotten indifferent ownership trying to pass of a team made “on the cheap” to the fans.
jtfalcfan
May 16th, 2011
2:19 pm
For those blaming consumers for “boycotting” a bad product…. what the hell is wrong with you people?
An entire city populus is supposed to fork over hard-earned money in this economy for a bad product ownership itself has admitted to not caring about?
Whack jobs you are. Go find your priorities. I’ll pay for a product that produces and cares about it’s consumers – quite frankly there are much more issues to worry about than this nonsense.
For those actual Thrasher fans who AREN’T delusional…. this stinks royally. There was no doub’t in my mind when ASG bought them that the team was in trouble. It was obvious from day one that they could care less about hockey and quite frankly bot the NBA and NHL should be ashamed of letting this ownership mess sully their reputations and integrity.
Turd Ferguson
May 16th, 2011
2:24 pm
DG…. Who wants to waste their hard earned money on a team with idiots running it? Thats the simple math. Figure that out.
DG
May 16th, 2011
2:25 pm
Matt … if the building was full then they were drastically discounted tickets … this team has lost money repeatedly … and thats with a low payroll … so how are they losing money if the fans are showing up in droves and paying NHL prices???
It’s simply impossible.
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
2:25 pm
1999 avg attendance 17,206
2000 avg attendance 15,263
2001 avg attendance 13,368
2002 avg attendance 13,476
2003 avg attendance 15,121
2004 lockout
2005 avg attendance 15,550
2006 avg attendance 16,229
Bobby G
May 16th, 2011
2:26 pm
Matt from MN…that was my point exactly…I love the locals who say it can’t work in Atlanta…well it did…ASG is nothing but a joke and if this actually goes down I will be pissed when Kane, Burmestrov and Buff hold the cup high in the next 3 years…mark my words
DG
May 16th, 2011
2:28 pm
again, if its not NHL prices … there is no point. The Yotes had 16k plus .. at 9-29 dollars a ticket .. think you could make money like that?
Thats the point .. there are markets that will PAY the NHL price points … and then there is places that won’t. Unfortunately Atlanta is on that list of wont’s.
How else do you explain the money lost? Their operating costs are that much higher then the rest of the league?
Thrashersfan
May 16th, 2011
2:29 pm
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
2:31 pm
2007 avg 15,824
2008 avg 14,626
2009 avg 13,607
2010 avg 13,469
Loss of Hossa after 2007-2008 season
Loss of Kovy after 2009-2010 season
Jeff Schultz
May 16th, 2011
2:34 pm
Tonyb — Thanks. Some things I would prefer to have not seen coming.
mark louis
May 16th, 2011
2:35 pm
The worst part of all this is that the morons of Atlanta Spirit will still own the Hawks & likely use the money from the Thrashers sale to keep them. So they’ll be killing 2 sports in the city.
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
2:35 pm
How many “stars” has ownership, be it Turner/Time Warner and then ASG, just let leave or been “unable to sign”? Savard, Heatley, Hossa, Kovy, etc. Where has the commitment to hockey by ownership been? If owners are not committed, why should fans support a sub-par product. We did that for the first 5 seasons and got a “taste of success” which has not been followed up on and we are expected to accept a payroll at the league minimum?
Jeff Schultz
May 16th, 2011
2:36 pm
To All — Don’t blame any of this on boycotting fans. Fans have a right to demand a good product before they pay their money. This is not the fault of fans, regardless of whether they show up or not. This is the fault of ownership and management for years of an inferior product.
G52PIM228
May 16th, 2011
2:37 pm
Those 13,000 numbers in attendance remind me of the old Winnipeg jokes..
8500 for a playoff game now THAT is DISTINCTLY loserpeg..
CoffeehousePorcupine
May 16th, 2011
2:37 pm
if you Keep the thrashers afloat Somebody will lose money in 2011-2012, But Winnepeg Nor any other city wont set the world on fire either. What needs to happed is the team needs to go on Hiatis for a while, in other words, they still exist, but they have no players, no coach, no ticketholders, no area, no jerseys, No Anything ! and the NHL Moves forward in 2011-12 with 29 active teams and 1 inactice team you 2011-12 record 0-0-0 for 0 pts
Jerry Seinfeld
May 16th, 2011
2:40 pm
No offense guys but the only time the fans showed up to watch this team was to boo Kovalchuk when the Devils came to town.
NHL2DAPEG
May 16th, 2011
2:42 pm
My guess is when the 19th richest man in the world wants to join your club you’re likely going to try and make it happen! Sorry Atlanta I think you deserve a team more than those quackers in Arizona. They will regret what they have done soon enough. Beware G52!
Why not call up Hulsizer and see if he wants to move to Atlanta!
EA
May 16th, 2011
2:43 pm
Jeff, keep us informed. You have kept your articles to solid reporting, not speculation.
save them
May 16th, 2011
2:44 pm
i like how non fans say the team wasn’t supported. what do you know? you weren’t a fan, these worthless owners and bad management all the way up into last year made it impossible to shell out money for this team. we’ve had nothing to cheer for but a team ran into the ground, a team with mostly bottom feeder players and a putrid GM who finally got a promotion of all things allowing Rick Dudley a pr oven winner to come in and try and work a miracle in one season as the GM. we got screwed, if any of you frauds watched this team from day 1 like i have, you’d know all of this. we’ve had terrible ownership in legal battles and Don Waddell. they killed hockey in atlanta, not the real fans or even you douches posing as fair weather braves / falcons fans talking about a sport you don’t watch or understand.
G52PIM228
May 16th, 2011
2:46 pm
“My guess is when the 19th richest man in the world wants to join your club you’re likely going to try and make it happen!”
You are an idiot, that is why they gave Baldsilli such a warm reception… The NHL is concerned about long term league growth and not consoling scored fans of the team formerly known as the Jets..
NHL2DAPEG
May 16th, 2011
2:46 pm
And that keep the thrashers vido SNL Really!?! thing is ripe with contradictions, twisted opinions and speculation.
AtlFlamesFan
May 16th, 2011
2:48 pm
Jeff, you are correct. Those who boycotted are not to blame. Your K&S lawsuit story ( http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/01/21/atlanta-spirit-lied-to-us-about-thrashers-go-figure/?cp=7 ) proved what was suspected from the beginning; that ASG never intended on keeping the team. They only wanted the Thrashers for their assets. Any extra ticket revenue would not have made a differnce and instead, increase their stake in the Hawks.
Report: Atlanta Spirit,True North negotiating deal, Thrashers could relocate to Winnipeg | ProHockeyTalk
May 16th, 2011
2:48 pm
[...] Schultz expanded on the subject in a column for the AJC, pointing out that the outlook is grim but the move isn’t set in stone, either. Schultz [...]
NHL2DAPEG
May 16th, 2011
2:48 pm
Balls willie is not even on the radar! I’m not sure the NHL can afford to wait for the so called long term growth that they hope materializes in non traditional hockey markets. Found an owner yet G?
Yotes are moving to QC it’s inevitable. Master plan of Gary!
AtlFlamesFan
May 16th, 2011
2:51 pm
One more item. I expect that ASG turns around and sells the Hawks and Philips op-rights. Of course, they could have sold all 3 together, but by splitting them up and relocating the Thrashers, they make a huge windfall profit.
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 16th, 2011
2:59 pm
Atlanta Spirit really needs to look within the U.S. to find an ownership that will pay them a handsome return and that will in turn keep out the very silly idea of Winnipeg in the NHL and thus keep all the U.S. NHL owners happy. Winnipeg: Too small to be called a city but too big to be called a village.
Matt from MN
May 16th, 2011
3:00 pm
@NHL-way to be incoherent there, man. Next time try not to sound so “street” and maybe you’ll actually make some sense.
Supes
May 16th, 2011
3:05 pm
I’m never setting foot in Philips again, so long as ASG owns that place.
I will never give anything ASG owned another dollars…for any purpose…merchandising, etc.
IF YOU SELL our Hockey team to freaking CANADA you will never be FORGIVEN ASG.
Um
May 16th, 2011
3:07 pm
I’m sick to my stomach. Furious is another word.
NHL2DAPEG
May 16th, 2011
3:07 pm
My remarks I’m sure were clearly understood by those to whom they were directed! I appreciate your advice though Matt from MN!
Supes
May 16th, 2011
3:08 pm
DG,
Get your dammed FACTS straight…the year the team won the division and had their only PLAYOFF appearance FANS turned out! I was there when the arena was just about packed from Jan to the end of the reg season and the playoff games were SOLD OUT.
This town can and WILL SUPPORT a team…but we aren’t going to THROW away our money and give an “ownership” group like ASG another dollar when they REFUSE to put a winning product on the ice, and spend money like they do on their fave Hawks.
NHL2DAPEG
May 16th, 2011
3:18 pm
The Thrashers need some Canadian content on the blueline! Peter Stoykewich born; July 14 1992, Winnipeg, MB! drafted 7th round 199th overall!
Tears for Beers
May 16th, 2011
3:21 pm
Here’s the thing: The fans of the Thrashers have been, and always were, irrelevant to this ownership group; the franchise has been nothing but an asset to be sold at the earliest opportunity.
Unfortunately, ASG’s penchant for suing itself delayed their sale for longer than they wanted. Now that the Belkin suit is settled, they can finally dispose of the the Thrash.
But during all that time, why do you thing the team spent so little on players? Why no real marketing effort? Why try to excel when the bare minimum would do? Because ownership has been waiting everything out, waiting to sell.
The NHL’s been played here by the ASG – who ultimately will walk away from the thrashers with millions in their collective pockets.
It’s got nothing to do with the fans. If there were zero fans in the stands, or if the Bulb was sold out every night, this franchise would be for sale and on the move.
BOYCOTT
May 16th, 2011
3:22 pm
Boycott all things that take place inside of Philip’s Arena, especially anything owned by the ASG. This is unfair that these cowards even had the audacity to blame fans. I can understand dim wits who do not follow what has been going on since virtually 1999 to look at the attendance and immediately come up with their dingers of profound knowledge..but these liars have no right to blame fans who went through hell with this franchise. I stopped going, like Jeff Schultz said..I wouldn’t buy a hotdog from these guys. Get THEM out of Atlanta, not our team.
PMC
May 16th, 2011
3:23 pm
The disfunctional situation that we all worried about in the beginning has been the downfall of the ASG.
They simply can’t agree on anything and it has mostly doomed both teams.
They’ve spent plenty on the Hawks but they’ve spent it poorly for the most part. They have an expensive 2nd round of the playoffs max type of team. This is mostly due to the fact that Billy Knight was a deplorably bad judge of talent and his grand idea of an ideal team was massively flawed. He chose to go after the exception rather than the rule.
The Thrashers they clearly never wanted, the biggest sin of the whole ownership may be the puzzling way at which they seemed to run the teams.
Billy Knight got to make how many picks? Don Waddell who wouldn’t know a decent hockey player if they lived in his home got to make HOW many decisions and then he was PROMOTED????
Puzzling.
How can they possibly expect a city to embrace teams that are so woefully unable to acheve even the most basic tasks of playing hard every night?
People like the Bulls because not only did they land a star when they had the chance. They play thier freaking tails off every night. You can rally around that.
What about these two teams do you see that isn’t phoney?
A collective mass of moderate to reasonably talented players, getting paid a ton of money, who don’t care whatsoever about doing anything but getting the game/season over with.
I’m not paying to see that, no one should pay to see that.
Sluggo
May 16th, 2011
3:27 pm
The Gwinnett Gladiators are still here…
Spirit, True North have begun talks | Atlanta Thrashers
May 16th, 2011
3:30 pm
[...] Also, here is what Jeff Schultz had to say about the news. [...]
ltf
May 16th, 2011
3:37 pm
I am from Winnipeg, and I desperately want hockey back in my city. But this situation is truly depressing. I really believe that Atlanta NEEDS to be in the NHL, and I am truly shocked that the NHL is entering its THIRD year of owning the Coyotes and fought tooth and nail for a team that has NEVER made a profit in the desert (if I am not mistaken, Atlanta modest turned profits in each of its first three years). Part of the reason I want the Coyotes back is that the history of the Winnipeg JETS is tied to that sorry franchise. I want a team, but not any team … just the return of my JETS.
Mike
May 16th, 2011
3:40 pm
At the end, I hope that Thrashers stays in Atlanta, but you know what, I wonder why this city has the worst ownership in history of sports in America, with ASG(Hawks/Thrashers)and Liberty Media (Braves). Thank god for Mr Blanka and the Falcons and who is owning the Atlanta Dream.
SportsFan
May 16th, 2011
3:48 pm
The NHL can work in Winnipeg – just a shame at the expense of another team. But yes – ownership has done them in. And G52 – go back to AZ and spew your rhetoric there. We don’t need you here.
Ken Stallings
May 16th, 2011
3:55 pm
With all of the vested money living in the Atlanta area, it is amazing that a honest, and dependable, ownership group cannot organize to purchase the Thrashers and keep them in Atlanta. Ultimately, it comes down to local support, and that includes both fans and ownership.
The Atlanta Spirit Group is certainly villianous through all this. But, they have tried for over a year to sell the team to a local group. None have stepped forward, and so next year this time it seems probable that there will be a new Winnepeg Jets franchise in the NHL!
I hope the people of Atlanta realize they will never get a third bite of the NHL apple! But, it appears the problem is that too many people (with and without the money) are aware and simply don’t care!
I just wonder if Gary Betteman will immediately realign the divisions to reflect the move? Perhaps New Jersey and Winnepeg should change.
Thrashers in talks with True North for relocation « semicliffordmatic
May 16th, 2011
3:58 pm
[...] Schultz(notes) of the AJC presents a few scenarios through which the Thrashers would stay in Atlanta, including: 3.) Bettman effectively stalls and gives the Atlanta franchise a one-year stay of execution, [...]
tim
May 16th, 2011
4:07 pm
The next Thrashers owner who says things like ‘can’t confirm or deny” is going out on the ice so we can fire hockey pucks at him. I can only hope that loser Wadell is standing next to him………they are all losers!
Matt
May 16th, 2011
4:07 pm
Jeff, write an article how AOL ruined Atlanta sports. LOL. When AOL’s stock was uber inflated during the tech explosion, they merged with Time Warner. Then they imploded, Time Warner then sold the Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers after Turner’s importance was watered down. Then Time Warner backed out of a deal with McDavid for the Braves and we’ve been left with a cheap owner, Liberty Media, while thankfully having a great management team that has kept us competitive. Of course worst of all has been that Time Warner sold the Hawks and Thrashers to the first group of idiots who had enough money. Now the Hawks are over extended with JJ and we’re going to to lose the Thrashers due to these idiots and their years of lying.
So to sum it up F%*# you, AOL.
scarybuttman
May 16th, 2011
4:07 pm
I would like a team back in Winnipeg, but it’s too bad Atlanta has to lose a team like this. Atlanta actually had decent attendances and made some money. The Thrashers fans have shown a lot more class than the Coyotes fans (and players for that matter). God knows why the league has fought so hard for that team – 3 YEARS – but nothing for Atlanta.
Let NONE in
May 16th, 2011
4:10 pm
Don Wadd just promised that no relocation is being considered.
We Wait On Atlanta To Winnipeg Talk | The Vancouver Canucks
May 16th, 2011
4:17 pm
[...] 1:49pm ET: From Jeff Schultz at the AJC, more talk on the Thrashers [...]
LAC
May 16th, 2011
4:18 pm
Great points as ALWAYS Jeff, Let’s hope something positive happens. Now if it were the hawks being sold, THE SOONER THE BETTER, nba is CRAP anyhow.
But I really hope something distasteful happens to levenson, That A$$HOLE deserves to be thrown
overboard, just like osuma, and I will GLADLY do it !
Atlanta fan
May 16th, 2011
4:21 pm
If the Thrashers are moved, I will NEVER, ever go again to support the Hawks or the YAHOOs who have destroyed this team and fan base.
Old stogie
May 16th, 2011
4:26 pm
I can understand the passion. But the small group of fans upset are just that small.
There is really bad and uneducated info on this blog. There is PAID attendance and actual attendance! The local team – Thrashers are year in and year out the lowest in the NHL in Paid attendance. The team gives away 3,000 – 6,000 tickets per game to local schools and charities. Shame on you J.S. For not reporting the facts. This is well know, as well as few teams on the NHL actually break even or make money.
ASG went to the city, mayor and other groups to help and they wanted nothing to do with this. The team has been looking for local investors for a long time.
You can blame this in the ownership, fans, whatever you want to make you feel better. The fact is Atlanta will loose it’s SECOND NHL team due to poor fan support. 2 teams really, can’t be all ownership – look in the mirror. Those in Atl who actually care about a hockey team went to Trasher games, there just are not enough.
To all those who actually care, you have my heart. Those who just like to complain – no comment.
Some teams have terrible ownership and don’t win and still get crowds.
Old stogie
May 16th, 2011
4:27 pm
J.S. And AJC – allowing the comments and threats of LAC on this or any blog is shameful and most likely a legal issue!
That is over the line!
Hip Czech
May 16th, 2011
4:31 pm
the AJC has something to answer for in all of this as well. Sorry Jeff Schultz, but an article in October at the start of the season and then one in April to end the year doesn’t cut it. But, as has been pointed out it probably wouldn’t have mattered if the Thrashers marketed this team to more than just the northern arc, or the AJC had real coverage…the ASG bast*rds would get their money in the end.
It is a shame….a lot of people put a lot of hard earned cash and a lot of support into this franchise from day 1. I love hockey, NHL hockey, but I am going to have to swallow hard to watch anything to do with this league if the Thrashers are allowed to bolt.
Let NONE in
May 16th, 2011
4:33 pm
Old stogie: with all due respect – shut your pie hole. You don’t know what you are talking about. ASG destroyed the Thrashers.
Darkhorse
May 16th, 2011
4:35 pm
Jeff-Can you or Viv look into getting some response out of the few publically identified people in town like Glavine’s supposed group or others as to what kept them from pursuing a purchase of the team any further?
My gut reaction is their may be local buyers out there, but the ASG is not willing to deal.
Former Hawk Fan
May 16th, 2011
4:40 pm
For the first time in my life, I pulled for an Atlanta opponent — the Bulls in game 6. I couldn’t stand the thought of Atlanta Spirit getting credit for the Hawks on the same day it became obvious our city is about to forever part with the NHL. I will NEVER AGAIN attend a Hawks game while they are owned by the Atlanta Spirit (what a disgusting name for an incompetent ownership group).
ATL Hockey Fan
May 16th, 2011
4:40 pm
The Flames were an exciting team and a well-run organization. I was truly sad to see them go. The Thrashers have not had any on ice success and they are a terribly run organization. I will not be sad to see them go. Although, it will be irritating listening to the national media trash Atlanta fans like its our fault.
Old stogie
May 16th, 2011
4:40 pm
Let NONE in –
Did ASG ruin the Flames as well?
I think you pissed – it’s OK.
Old stogie
May 16th, 2011
4:43 pm
Why did the Flames leave town?
TheAntiMe
May 16th, 2011
4:43 pm
You ignorant condescending hypocrites who insist on placing the blame for this on the fans of Atlanta should ask yourselves this question. If McDonald’s started charging $100 a pop for all items on their Value Menu and more for everything else, would you continue to patronize their restaurants to keep them from leaving town?
If you answered yes to this question then you either:
A) Have much more money than you know what to do with.
B) Are as intelligent as bag of rocks.
or
C) Are a total freaking liar.
For a lot of you who would blame the Atlanta fans, answer B or C would surely be the case.
And even those of you who are forced to choose answer B can surely figure out that McDonald’s = the ASG in this example. From the very beginning the ASG sought to provide Chicken McNuggets to the hockey fans of Atlanta at Filet Mignon prices.
DG
May 16th, 2011
4:45 pm
@Supes … it doesnt matter if the building is full .. if the fans are not paying NHL prices then there is no money to be made. There is not enough NHL fans in these places to sustain the teams. There is TV, Corporate sponsors, all of that in Glendale, Sunrise, Atlanta, except for fans.
In Winnipeg they have FANS. The Corporate sponsors, arena revenues, salary cap, revenue sharing, and strong CDN dollar were ALL missing from the equation leading up to the Jets moving in 96. Now, True North owns the 12th busiest Arena in North America generating more revenue then the Coyotes and Thrashers lost last year alone, then there is the Cap, the revenue sharing so teams like Phoenix and Atlanta had a chance, and the CDN dollar soaring and showing no signs of slowing down.
That and you have the 22nd richest man on the planet willing to sink HIS OWN MONEY into a business he knows will make money.
DG
May 16th, 2011
4:53 pm
TheAntiMe – Are you serious? You are comparing the Thrashers to McD’s? Cause thats what you would be paying for right? To see the Thrashers …. and $70-200 is NHL prices in NHL markets … $9-$39 is for places like Gongdale and Sunrise. If thats what you want to pay, better get yourself an AHL team to watch.
Darkhorse
May 16th, 2011
4:56 pm
This has been such a depressing situation. I can’t stand the fact we are likely going to lose our second NHL team because of apathetic owners. The really sad part for my family is we just had our first child(little girl) 6 weeks ago. Leading up to the start of this past season, my family was very excited about the changes from Dudley to Ladd & Co. coming in. We talked all season about how excited we were going to be in introducing our daughter to our favorite pastime.
I realize the writing’s been on the wall for sometime regarding the Thrasher’s future, but thought for sure the league and new owners would realize the poteintial this franchise has in this city when run properly. Alas, I guess I was wrong.
It just hurts really bad to be on the brink of losing this team the way we are. Anyone that’s followed the team since its inception and lived around Atlanta for the past 12 years knows the fans nor the team have really ever had a fair shot at seeing success.
It’s like a slow death going though these emotions. To lose the Thrashers the way it looks like we are about to, my family(27 fathers, mom’s, in-laws, nieces & nephews, brothers & sisters, and others that were quality hockey/Thrasher fans) will be done with the NHL.
Darkhorse
May 16th, 2011
5:03 pm
Whoops, don’t mean to say 27 fathers…ect….meant to express their are 27 different members of my family who are Thrashers fans and go to the games. If I had 27 fathers, there would be other problems on my mind right now….
Brian
May 16th, 2011
5:07 pm
Thank you so much Mr. Arthur Blank for being an owner that cares and does the right thing for Atlanta. I wish you could own the rest of our teams as well!
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 16th, 2011
5:08 pm
Nothing worse than Winnipeggers touting false facts and figures about a tiny outpost like Winnipeg with a population of only 730,000 frozen souls most of whom are poor and if they had any money at all would have escaped Winnipeg’s city limits long ago. The bigger question is will NHL owners be suckered into believing that anything has changed in economically and population challenged Winnipeg since 1996? Is True North really conducting a cross border scam about Winnipeg’s viability and the NHL is going to be the victim in the end??
tommyt
May 16th, 2011
5:09 pm
Truly depressing…waitin’ on a miracle…
TheAntiMe
May 16th, 2011
5:09 pm
That’s pretty much what the ASG has provided, DG. An AHL level payroll for NHL level prices. You may be fine with paying NHL prices for an AHL level team but, obviously, most folks in Atlanta are just a bit more astute than that.
lanier
May 16th, 2011
5:09 pm
and don’t let the door hit you in the ass
lanier
May 16th, 2011
5:11 pm
I spent 42K on season tix 1999-2001 and gave up thank god
Jefffrey
May 16th, 2011
5:14 pm
Maybe we can get a minor league hockey team and name them the Knights so all of the idiotic “KNIGHTS” screams will once again make sense!
5150 UOAD
May 16th, 2011
5:14 pm
Asfault covers the South. Grass grows all over the South. ICE lasts for maybe a week in the South. Hockey doesn’t need to be in the South. I loved the Flames, but these butt-head owners have turned me off from Hockey.
Paddy
May 16th, 2011
5:15 pm
This will also spell bad fortune for the Hawks as well. Fans have turned their backs on the ASG and will most definatly take it out on them with a vote of no confidence for giving their hard earned money to them in any form of entertainment dollars. This is a sad groupp of owners we have had to endure!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get the H-ll out of town!
TruthSeeker
May 16th, 2011
5:17 pm
I’m really saddened by this. I tried to get into the Thrashers over the years, but this horrendous ownership and management group made it almost impossible for someone in this city like me who isn’t a big hockey guy like me to embrace the team.
My heart goes out to the people in Atlanta who do love the sport and supported this team through so much losing and incompetence. You deserved a better fate.
TheAntiMe
May 16th, 2011
5:17 pm
Whoops, don’t mean to say 27 fathers…ect….meant to express their are 27 different members of my family who are Thrashers fans and go to the games. If I had 27 fathers, there would be other problems on my mind right now….
lol – Yeah, I can imagine Father’s Day would be a bit of a scramble, no doubt. But no, Darkhorse, we definitely feel you on this one. The writing has been on the wall but it’s very frustrating to see a city’s hockey team being held hostage by a group of millionaires who never really cared to begin with. There’s really not much the average fan can do so, yes, it is a sad time, for sure.
Bob
May 16th, 2011
5:20 pm
Part 2 of this story is that the Hawks are next. These boys (ASG) may not be smart, but they are not going to dip into their trust funds.
AtlFlamesFan
May 16th, 2011
5:22 pm
@ Ken Stallings
1) For the past several years, ASG was in court over ownership. There was no possibility of selling the team until earlier this season.
2) Owning the Thrashers without owning the rights to the building would be a very risky proposition. Your landlord would be ASG, who has brought incompetence and deception to extreme levels. The risk of eventually getting into a lawsuit against them are pretty high.
The NHL should have held their ground against ASG, making them choose between owning the team, or selling the Thrashers, Hawks and Philips’s op-rights.
IlliniBrave
May 16th, 2011
5:37 pm
To all those folks who are threatening “to never again go to another Hawks game”:
uh… you go to Hawks games? Why?!
juice sourcer
May 16th, 2011
5:54 pm
Losersville, USA
preacher
May 16th, 2011
6:00 pm
Winnipeg, the smallest market in the NHL, gets a loser. Guaranteed.
Let NONE in
May 16th, 2011
6:02 pm
DOOR is Closed. Turn off the lights. You all have been great.
Reid in EAV
May 16th, 2011
6:03 pm
ASG screws us for years and this is the thanks we get.
SouthernFriedHockey
May 16th, 2011
6:07 pm
Just seems to me like the franchise was doomed from the start. No affiliation whatsoever with former Flames players, not owning our minor league affiliate, spending at the league minimum at best. There are way too many reasons to list.
Seems to me the league really dropped the ball on this one from the get go. I personally began emailing Bettman years ago as I am sure many others did regarding the state of our ownership group. Hockey in Atlanta is not the problem, neither are the fans. We will support a team where the players compete and the ownership cares to at least try. We support honest effort, not BS.
Let NONE in
May 16th, 2011
6:11 pm
GOOOOOO GEORGIA BULL DAWGS WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let NONE in
May 16th, 2011
6:14 pm
Does Winnipeg have a legitimate airport?
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
May 16th, 2011
6:15 pm
Heyy boyss at leaste the GORGIA BULLDOWGS FoOtballs ARE STILLL IN ATLANTTA!!!!
-GO UGA
G52PIM228
May 16th, 2011
6:23 pm
“Does Winnipeg have a legitimate airport?”
You will have to fly into Fargo unless you want to hire a bush pilot..
Report: Atlanta Spirit,True North negotiating deal; Thrashers could relocate to Winnipeg | SweetLittleAss.com
May 16th, 2011
6:39 pm
[...] Schultz expanded on the subject in a column for the AJC, pointing out that the outlook is grim but the move isn’t set in stone, either. Schultz mapped [...]
Hillbilly Deluxe
May 16th, 2011
6:45 pm
This is the fault of ownership and management for years of an inferior product.
Amen to that.
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 16th, 2011
7:01 pm
Airports are where civilizations are located not where Polar Bears rule the land.
Sage of Bluesland
May 16th, 2011
7:16 pm
Oh well, such it is. Let this be a lesson to those businesses who think they can continue to fob an inferior product down our throats and expect us to be grateful for it.
Not gonna happen.
My final hope is that Don Waddell is disgraced enough to move out of this wonderful city, the city which he has lied to and defrauded for so long; a place from which he has taken much–yet given back so little.
I also hope that the team is forced to spend one more year here in Atlanta….and the stupid sheep finally wake up and stop subsidizing the incompetence which has been so apparent for so long.
(Too bad you didn’t listen so long ago–maybe changes could have been forced much sooner….but, I’m sure Sara and her spweadsheet will help us all see the light…)
blazerdawg
May 16th, 2011
7:35 pm
Flames drew very well.
Knights broke IHL attendance records.
Thrashers set the expansion NHL attendance record.
After a few years, when another team’s fan base is down in a smaller market, that owner is going to take a hard look at Philips arena and this market.
Long Island, Columbus and Florida – you are on the clock.
Producer
May 16th, 2011
7:41 pm
Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out of town. Nobody here care a whit about hockey. While you’re at it take the loser Hawks with you. They play like a WNBA franchise without the benefit of their attendance level.
Thoroughbred
May 16th, 2011
9:01 pm
Hahaaaaaaaaaaah I pray the Thrashers leave Atlanta! For those of y’all that are upset boo hoo hoo. This is the South not Canada, Russia, or somewhere like that. All you hockey lovers move with Thrashers back north.
Tom Lysiak
May 16th, 2011
9:23 pm
The only real thing we can hope for is the third option Jeff listed. Besides Bettman realizing the ASG is at fault here, the league has responsibilty for not properly vetting this bunch of clowns. Hopefully the other owners fully realize the situation here and will not allow the “power play” move the ASG is attempting. Too bad these clowns didn’t put the same effort into the Thrashers as they are putting into enriching themselves, while sacrificing hockey fans in Atlanta. “Trying to do everything we can to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta” my a–.
mike fischer
May 16th, 2011
9:58 pm
While some appear sad to hear that your team is leaving, again, we in the Peg are thrilled to have a wrong done to us 15 years ago be righted. Though the pain and anguish that we suffered can not be forgotten, the return of NHL hockey to Canada and more specifically Winnipeg will be a welcome sight. We in Winnipeg live and breathe hockey. We have snow on the ground for 5 months of the year and temperatures cold enough outside to sustain outdoor ice rinks, we have over 200 outdoor rinks, for three months of the year. Don’t worry Atlanta, we will take care of your team. Go Jets Go!
Darrell S Jackson
May 16th, 2011
10:05 pm
When did hockey come to Atlanta?
perk
May 16th, 2011
10:10 pm
What a Damn Shame………………..
ylojkt
May 16th, 2011
10:34 pm
Hate to see it happen. We need the Thrashers, Atlanta is a good hockey town! Where’s Ted Turner when we need him? Stupid AOL screws everything up.
The numbers for the last few years are normal for this down economy. You could count on me and my family for at least 10 – 12 games a season before 2008, since then, we have only been to three games. It’s ridiculous for the NHL to have a double standard here, Atlanta is everything Phoenix is not – a major market with a huge area for a fanbase. The team has to recover with the economy, that’s just simple math here.
KLS1
May 16th, 2011
10:37 pm
ASG are complete aholes…don’t think they won’t bury the Hawks before it is over.
Save the Thrashers by getting rid of these clowns and maybe all ATL sports fans can sleep at night.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
May 16th, 2011
10:46 pm
Is an NHL franchise even worth having? the estimated cost for a buyer of the thrashers is $170 mil..even the sh*tty astros just sold for $680million and about half the NFL teams have a (will have until they start missing reg season games and piss me and others the hell off enough to not renew my season tickets to the falcons) values over $1billion. The NHL is the red headed stepchild with a forged kenyan birth certificate league. They are only profitable in about 1/2 of the markets they are in. Those would be the cold markets.
Pegger8
May 16th, 2011
11:06 pm
Awwwww, Winnipeg=Poverty, your just so cute when you get mad at Winnipeg! You just wish you could be us in the GREAT white north! Sorry to hear things are so depressing where you are (Probably AZ?) that you feel the need to make these desperate, inferior, comments. Hopefully this at least makes you feel a little better about yourself. It gives us a chuckle when those below us try and take shots. But be careful or we are gonna stop buying all of your cheap, foreclosed real estate! You need our money, what do they say about “biting the hand that feeds you”?
As for Atlanta we win Wpg do feel your pain, and this is far from the best way to get a team back. I hope Winnipeggers are sensitive to this fact (most are) if it happens.
Pegger8
May 16th, 2011
11:08 pm
..we in Wpg….
Bill
May 17th, 2011
12:06 am
Michael Gearon, Bruce Levenson, Don Waddell … thank you for ruining hockey in Atlanta … where can i send thank you notes?
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 17th, 2011
12:11 am
@Trisha: The $170 million would only be if they are re-locating because it would include a $60 million re-location fee for the NHL.
jrdawg88
May 17th, 2011
12:15 am
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, ASG has been trying to sell the team for some time now. During this period, they have either a) rejected the option of selling the team to local owners, or b) no local owners have shown a willingness/ability to purchase the team. Which is it? Since the answer is obviously b, why is it that no locals want to purchase the team and keep it here?
Brendan
May 17th, 2011
1:35 am
Well, could this finally be the end of screaming “Knights!” during the National anthem? Could this finally be the end of Don Waddell ruining an NHL product? Could this finally be the end of the name “Philips” attached to the arena adjacent to CNN Center?
If so, who knew the cost would be so high, to make these changes.
Keep Hockey in Atlanta
May 17th, 2011
1:56 am
“Well, could this finally be the end of screaming “Knights!” during the National anthem”
LOL if the Thrash leave that will probably just switch over to the Glads games.
George Arnold Toynbee
May 17th, 2011
5:58 am
The withering irony in all this is at the end of the day everything might have have turned out geometrically better if ownership had ended up being: a) a used car dealer; b) a credit card salesman; or c) any combination thereof. If nothing else they certainly would’ve had alot more business savvy…
Winnipeg, Canada
May 17th, 2011
7:56 am
There is still a “crack” in the door.
Underground Atlanta
May 17th, 2011
7:58 am
The Atlanta Spirit Group has always been goofy and gloomy.
Dave28
May 17th, 2011
8:30 am
People talk about the NBA being in bad shape, but the NHL is a complete and total mess. It’s sad to see the Thrashers leave, yes but at the end of the day Atlanta just doesn’t care enough about them, except for the 6,000 people that show up. This won’t be the last team to move. At least 1/3 of the teams in the league are rumored to be for sale or will be at some point. The NHL is in so many markets that it shouldn’t be in, it’s not funny: Phoenix, Atlanta, Columbus, Nashville, Florida (Miami), Dallas, etc. You can have 5 million people, like Atlanta does, but if you have a region that doesn’t care for a cold weather sport it doesn’t matter. NHL is a regional sport, not a national one and that’s why it’s failing here and so many other places. Move those teams to Canada or fold them and problem solved.
TheAntiMe
May 17th, 2011
8:57 am
Hahaaaaaaaaaaah I pray the Thrashers leave Atlanta! For those of y’all that are upset boo hoo hoo. This is the South not Canada, Russia, or somewhere like that. All you hockey lovers move with Thrashers back north.
Spoken like a true redneck. I would have thought that you would have liked hockey, Thoroughbred. After all, many times hockey games end in a tie, which is often said to be like kissing your sister. Obviously, with a name like Thoroughbred, you and your family take the sister kissing concept to a whole other level.
Dave
May 17th, 2011
9:23 am
I don’t care if the Thrashers stay or go, but I’ll be disappointed if the Gladiators relocate.
Gen Neyland
May 17th, 2011
9:26 am
It’s becoming crystal clear that Atlanta can’t hold and cherish til death do us part a NHL team. The reason seems to be beyond the fanbase and lies in the boardrooms. Pitiful. Atlanta ought to register the franchise name of the Atlanta Purgatory’s for any other NHL team that passes through the City of Ashes on their way to the promised land…
Gary Bettman
May 17th, 2011
10:14 am
Dear Atlanta Thrasher Fans,
I need all of you to bend over and enjoy what’s coming…..
Sincerely,
Gary Bettman
NHL Commissioner
Steve-o
May 17th, 2011
10:25 am
Would this be the soonest that a city lost a major league franchise – after only 11 years?
Anders Hedberg
May 17th, 2011
10:27 am
G52PIM228
Don’t be bitter about Canadians buying up American teams. We’re already buying all of your real estate. If it weren’t for Canadians, your foreclosed homes would not have any buyers – your economy would be even sicker than it is now. All those unemployed people…
Go out and do something productive today. You don’t have time to think about hockey. Today might be a good day to try to find some real employment.
Gary Bettman
May 17th, 2011
10:43 am
Dear Atlanta Thrasher Fans,
I need all of you to bend over and enjoy what’s coming…..
Sincerely,
Gary Bettman
NHL Commissioner
P.S. – I will bring the ____ Jelly
jeffrey d
May 17th, 2011
11:02 am
Countdown?
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
11:03 am
“Don’t be bitter about Canadians buying up American teams.”
The exodus to Canaduh is astonishing..
jc
May 17th, 2011
11:12 am
NBA’s Vancouver Grizzlies left for Memphis after only six years (1995-2001).
AtlFlamesFan
May 17th, 2011
11:17 am
@ jrdawg88
I would bet that the lack of interest would be that the owner of the Thrashers would be leasing Philips from ASG; a risky proposition.
Anders Hedberg
May 17th, 2011
11:35 am
G52
If you think hockey belongs in the south, get ready for some astonishing changes over the next few years.
DawgDad
May 17th, 2011
11:37 am
Perhaps a burdensome Philips Arena lease is one reason potential new local owners are shying away. If that’s the case this franchise is doomed in Atlanta. If they try to operate here in Atlanta with the current ownership next year – ugly scenario.
Anyone blaming the fan support – I have nothing but utter contempt for you. I come from St. Louis where Harry Ornest rescued the Blues from a move to Saskatchewan, operated the team on a shoestring budget, and hired Ron Caron who put that team in the playoffs every year and set the stage for a very successful run during the Brett Hull years under ownership led by Mike Shanahan. The ASG is the worst ownership group I’ve ever seen; they’ve admitted in court procedings they bought the team just to flip it and then lied about that. This was not an Atlanta NHL franchise, it was a scam perpetrated on local NHL fans.
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 17th, 2011
12:23 pm
@ Anders Hedberg
If you think anybody associated with the NHL wants to go to Winnipeg, get ready for some astonishing negative comments directed Winnipeg’s way over the next few years.
Relocationist
May 17th, 2011
12:33 pm
Hey, Anders, that’s some pretty sound advice. Thanks.
Anders Hedberg
May 17th, 2011
12:51 pm
Wpg/Poverty guy
I don’t specifically care about Winnipeg – I live in Toronto. I just want to see hockey where it belongs. Who cares what people say about Winnipeg – I am sure people there don’t care what some unemployed American says. They’re too busy getting ready for next season.
Last point on this fascinating topic. If Winnipeg is such a loser kind of place, what does that make the place that will lose their team to
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 17th, 2011
1:13 pm
@Anders Hedberg
So you’ve come here to do some Canadian flag-waving is that it? You need to grab yourself a Molson tune in your TV with the Moose Antler antenna and let Don Cherry tell you how great you are being born a Canadian. If a loser from a loser town like Toronto comes to a place cheering for another losing NHL to move to the Great White Nothing, what kind of life does that loser have in Canada?
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
1:45 pm
“If you think hockey belongs in the south,”
The problem is I’m not a pompous idiot that thinks hockey “belongs” anywhere..
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
2:32 pm
Nope I’m sitting here wishing I had a NHL team, oh wait, I do..
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
2:33 pm
No G52, you’re just an “idiot” plain and simple. Any luck finding a job today? You head upstairs yet to say “hi” to mom yet?
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
2:37 pm
Still no words from TNSE, it’s getting kind of late to relocate a team..
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
2:49 pm
Yes you do at $25 mill per! Biggest suckers on Earth! You are about to find out how desirable a place AZ is to live this summer with all the FA’s flocking there to play next season. Funny though when you speak to players at golf events, summer homes, etc in the off season, one of the benefits of playing in places like Glendale is there is really no pressure because nobody really cares and holds them accountable. When you lose the seats are empty, when you win, the arena is empty. Then in the next breath they say how fast that gets old and its such a treat to play in Canadian buildings (and a few US buildings) where the seats are filled and the arena is buzzing. This building in Winnipeg will be electric, no question!
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 17th, 2011
2:49 pm
Atlanta Spirit is probably finding out how little TNSE is really willing to pay to own a team located in Winnipeg and its dwarf-sized arena the MTS Centre.
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
2:55 pm
So you are saying you are super-jealous Glendale was able to accomplish what your tiny frozen cluster of Igloos could not..
Got it..
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
2:58 pm
“dwarf-sized”
No, it holds regular sized people, just not very many.. Not nearly enough, anyway..
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
3:00 pm
Still bitter Poverty? Cheer up! The glass is half-full! I know its tough especially where you live, but you’ll snap out of it in a few years. Great vibe in this city the past few years, and today we are on the verge of pro hockey again! 73 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, refreshing spring breeze, clean air, and I’m on my patio. And the weather is just starting to warm up! God’s country! I’m sure you can find some “sunshine” in your neck of the woods. It’s out there is you look for it.
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
3:06 pm
Winnipeg is really too small and poor to support a big league team, the same reasons the jets left are still in place.. no suitable venue is at the top of the list.. STILL..
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2010/12/8/1536097/nhl-relocation-winnipeg-quebec-city
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
3:08 pm
The economics just do not look good for a team moving back to Manitoba..
Can you really pretend Manitoba looks like a pot of Gold to 20+ millionaires/billionaires..
G52PIM228
May 17th, 2011
3:15 pm
“True North chairman Mark Chipman discussed the concept with Free Press reporter Tim Campbell last spring and it’s understood Winnipeggers will be asked to show their willingness to pay NHL prices for NHL hockey before any deal is finalized.”
So when does the ticket drive start..
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
3:38 pm
That’s great G52, you just keep thinking small. You don’t live in hockey country so you have no clue. Kind of like how football players are drafted on their “measurables” and lost in it all is the whether or not they are just “football” players. Cam Newton will probably fall into this category – “measures” great but just can’t play football (the qb position) worth a lick. Don’t get so stuck on numbers is my point, “immeasurables” (word? haha) usually account for much more. There will not be an empty seat in that building at premium prices for all seats for years. Yes that’s speculation but at least I live in this market where people live the game. Yours is pure speculation as well. You have your Coyotes and thats great, I could care less about them anymore, how they do, etc.. Why do you care so much about a place you have never been (but speak, like you know so much about it)? I could personally care less if I ever hear about Phx again, too busy enjoying life in the GREAT white north. Come visit sometime you might be surprised. There is a reason so many NHLers return home to enjoy Manitoba and Canadian summers. They are second to none. You have nicer winters, we have much more enjoyable summers.
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
3:39 pm
Oh and wouldn’t be surprised to see the ticket drive started by middle of next week….
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
3:44 pm
And no, not “super jealous” of what Glendale accomplished, you are the laughing stock of the continent. I do not want my local gov’t bailing out a pro sports team. If that doesn’t speak poverty then I dunno what does! There is a reason SUCCESSFUL businessmen like Thomson/Chipman are avoiding that team/scenario like the plague. They didn’t make their billions by “accident”. I mean that team could not be discounted anymore and still nobody wants to touch it except to move it out to a Canadian market where it will make money!! Can you please explain why this is??? Good luck.
Anders Hedberg
May 17th, 2011
3:48 pm
Sorry G52, would love to talk – gotta run. Closing a deal this afternoon – buying another distressed company in your economically depressed Arizona. Wow have things gotten bad! It is no wonder you have so much time on your hands. Is there really no work where you live?
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 17th, 2011
3:51 pm
@ G52PIM228 That link to sbnation is just information that the NHL Board of Governors already know about Winnipeg as being a strictly minor league business market with very limited revenue streams. That’s why I believe Winnipeg is just a temporary stopover to a bigger plan, which is bad news for the Winnipeggers because it looks like future little kids in Manitoba will be breaking open their piggy banks for a future save the NHL in Winnipeg campaign like they did in 1996.
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
4:06 pm
Enter your comments here
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
4:10 pm
Anders, would that distressed company happen to be titled “Phoenix Coyotes/Jobing arena inc”??? You must have outbid my $300 offer! Cheers bro, stand proud!
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
4:18 pm
And please don’t waste my time with a link to an opinion piece sporting some drivel on what or what shouldn’t constitute a hockey market? Is that the best you can do?? I can throw a bunch back at you that state the contrary. But sorry, I have a mind of my own and choose to formulate my own opinion based on the facts presented to me and the people involved. The NHL is failing in most non hockey markets, the numbers support it . Just admit it. People that know how to or have made millions in the past don’t want to touch Phx, Atl, Florida, etc.. if it means keeping them in those cities. Again did you really send an opinion piece to try and state your case??? Wow, I knew you were weak, just not that weak! This isn’t even fun anymore, I prefer more of a challenge….
Anders Hedberg
May 17th, 2011
4:31 pm
No problem ‘Pegger. No joke, these guys in ATL and PHX are burning money. ‘Peg is great city – absolutely love it. Saw some great games there and very much looking forward again. I am there on business several times a year. The NHL will do fine there – that is unless G52 and Poverty boy are looking to give Thomson and Chipman business lessons. I am sure G52 blogging from his mom’s basement knows more than David Thomson.
Looking forward to great things to come Winnipeg!
Pegger8
May 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
Well said, I hope it happens too! Unless you are Canadian, from the northeast, or upper midwest, you really can’t grasp how we live the game. Whether you cheer for the same team, or are having a beer and trading barbs with a fan of a rival, there is nothing better. I have seen games in FLA, PHX and it is a complete joke compared to the games I’ve seen in Cgy, Edm, Wpg, St. Paul, Mtl, and Chicago. You feel the energy and passion for the game before you even leave your hotel, its everywhere. Bring the game back to the people that live it. Yeah it is going to inconvenience some players to uproot, and that’s fair, but I just know they will grow to love it again and it won’t take long. QC, Hamilton, and Hartford next!
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