Thrashers, Atlanta were never given a chance
Thrashers fans tried hard to keep hope, season after season. But the deck was stacked against them. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
(Updated: 12:30 p.m.)
This is how it ends: With the weasel of a commissioner not stepping foot in the city, with another season passing without a playoff game, with a lying ownership group maintaining it did all it could to save a franchise that in reality it spent most of seven years wrecking.
Atlanta has lost an NHL expansion team to a Canadian outpost for the second time. The Thrashers are going to Winnipeg just like the Flames went to Calgary in 1980. A press conference was held in Winnipeg, while the Thrashers sent out this warm-and-fuzzy news release: “The Atlanta Thrashers announced today that they have entered into an asset purchase agreement with True North Sports and Entertainment …”
This isn’t about the fans or the market or certainly Gary Bettman’s fictional “covenant” with fans, which I believe he left in the same sock drawer with his conscience. It’s about greed and abandonment, plain and simple. It’s about a disingenuous ownership group, which had long lost any semblance of credibility, serving up fans swill and gruel and then wondering why the turnstiles sleep at night.
They’ll tell you they care. They don’t. They’re walking away with a fat check. While you mourn the loss of a franchise, they’re waving goodbye with one middle finger.
The NHL is leaving a city that never really was given a chance. It’s going back to a city that it left 15 years ago and that has grown by about 60,000 people and a couple of doughnut shops since. They will be discussing this decision one day at business schools, right after the sections on Charles Ponzi and Enron.
Atlanta didn’t fail. The franchise failed. But the NHL doesn’t care about that. This is a league that survives on franchise fees and relocation fees. It collected $80 million from Ted Turner for an expansion fee in 1997. (He joked in the Board of Governors meeting that followed that he could’ve saved $70 million by purchasing the Flames from Tom Cousins for $10 million. Nobody laughed.) The league reportedly will collect another $60 million for permission to move the Thrashers to Manitoba.
In five years, when another failing franchise wants to move into Philips Arena, Bettman will be happy to collect another fat relocation fee, and he’ll deliver the same canned, phony speech about how he always believed in this market. The guy has told so many lies, it’s a wonder he’s not an Atlanta Spirit partner. (One postscript: Bettman referred to them as the “Atlantic” Spirit on Tuesday.)
Now living in Calgary.
There are hockey teams in Tampa and San Jose and Raleigh, and I could go on. There’s still one inexplicably in Phoenix, which the NHL is floating for another year, maybe because Bettman plans to retire and open up a pawn shop there one day. Is Atlanta an inferior market to any of those cities? Or does product have something to do with it?
There was no reason to do this now. When the Phoenix-to-Winnipeg deal fell apart, the NHL (which owns the Coyotes) was out $170 million. Bettman panicked. So he crossed out Phoenix and wrote in Atlanta. But why couldn’t he have waited a year to see if another owner for the team
Now living in Winnipeg.
emerged? Winnipeg wasn’t going anywhere. Was Bettman that desperate for the $60 million?
“I have absolutely no doubt that this market can support an NHL team,” said Bob Hartley, a native Canadian, a Stanley Cup winner in Colorado and the only coach to get the Thrashers to the playoffs. “It’s a huge disappointment to see the Atlanta franchise leave before so many other cities in the league. I loved it there. My last two years in Atlanta were as exciting as what I went through in Colorado. We had only two [home] playoffs games but it was a Stanley Cup atmosphere. But Hoss [Marian Hossa] left, Kovy [llya Kovalchuk] left, I was gone. It felt like the organization was drained of its energy.”
First player: Damian Rhodes. First draft pick: Patrik Stefan. First coach: Curt Fraser. First general manager: Don Waddell. That was only the beginning. Eleven seasons: one playoff berth, no wins.
Turner was followed by AOL/Time Warner, a bad marriage that was followed by an even worse one: Atlanta Spirit, LLC. Hossa saw no future here. Kovalchuk, given so many misdirections by part-owner Bruce Levenson in negotiations, wasn’t even sure the team would stay. Both wanted out.
There never was a commitment. There never was hope. There never was a plan — at least not one that worked.
A city just lost a franchise. While you mourn, they laugh. It’s nothing less than shameful.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
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1,115 comments Add your comment
GetReal
May 31st, 2011
5:04 pm
Do you realise that more people watch Andy Griffith reruns from 50 years ago each night than watch NHL Hockey on NBC when it’s on nationally?
system K
May 31st, 2011
5:05 pm
hockey is way too boring and low scoring for the redneck sports fans in atlanta. They like football and nascar—that’s about it. Come to new york to see some real sports fans.
Harry
May 31st, 2011
5:05 pm
First off, I am Canadian and I feel for all the hardcore Thrashers fans that lost something they love.
However, regardless of how bad an ownership group and marketing group is, in the end its a 50/50 responsibility of those owners and the community (fans) to support a franchise. What everyone forgets is this is a business. You need $$$$ and people in the seats and local businesses to come in and buy seats and box/club seats. If you cant fill the arena, which was obviously the case, you cant keep a team. These guys were losing millions, so they have to go elsewhere. Simple stuff. Canada lost the Nordiques and the Jets because of this before. And there is no guarentee that in the long term that the Canadian dollar will do so well and the new Winnipeg team could be in trouble again. Time will tell, but in the end, there wasnt enough support and money going to the Thrashers in Atlanta from the community. End of story. Ownership is to blame, yes, but so is the city and no-followers.
Darkhorse
May 31st, 2011
5:05 pm
All of you will find out that the ASG set it up so no one in their right mind could buy the team and keep it here, or want to. Without profits from concessions, parking, suites, and related, and having to pay rent on top of all that, how could any prospective buyer win. The ASG set us all up to be screwed out of the franchise bottom line. This was there main desire all along. Everything else is just PR.
There’s no way they can pull the “we tried so hard to keep the team here”, when history shows almost every year they were at the bottom for the cap minimum to feild a team, hire up-proven and cheap coaches, keep an bad GM for too long, stop any kind of PR/marketing around the region for promoting the team.
ARS
May 31st, 2011
5:06 pm
LOL why whine people? As if you didn’t expect the Thrashers to fail from the start? The ATL already had proven it was a very, VERY weak NHL market, and couldn’t hang onto a team, and add in the fact that they have money grubbing idiot ownership, and what do you expect. ATL is NOT a hockey town, nor is it much of an intelligent sports town, e.g. Joe Johnson.
And all you other people whining that you’ll never set foot in Phillips again nor give the Hawks, etc, any team the ASG owns, a penny, you already are, have been, and will continue too. HELLO, heard of taxes? You pay these idiots of the ASG everyday.
Skeezix
May 31st, 2011
5:08 pm
Really, does anyone care? ATL should be celebrating that this ownership team is leaving and getting their lying butts out of town, in fact, out of the country.
Kane337
May 31st, 2011
5:08 pm
AOL/Time Warner should have sold the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips arena to David McDavid like they were initially planning to. At the last minute they turn around and sell the them to the ASG. Worst decision ever. If David McDavid owned them maybe we would still have the Thrashers.
JW
May 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
Totally sick about this…There is no valid reason this big city shouldn’t have an NHL Team. Screwed twice! What really makes me mad is that the national media will simply say we failed to show up and support the product…that is simply short sided and a reaction without any research. Thank you Jeff…for the research!
ARS
May 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
Only thing worse than the Atlanta Thrashers, is the Minnesota Timberwolves. And it’s amazing they have the exact same failures in common, idiot ownership, terrible management, and horrible coaches.
atlanta money
May 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
the city of atlanta should have kicked in some major money to the owners to keep the team in atl. They were losing big money and the city could have paid them enough cash to keep them happy for a few years—just jack up taxes on tourists, etc. to generate the millions needed. too late now.
Matthew
May 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
I live in Atlanta and these sports fans are so dumb and lame. All they care about is rigged NCAA football and that pathetic Nascar. Football- 5 minutes of action 3 HOURS OF STANDING AROUND AND ENDLESS COMMERCIALS. WOOOHOOO. NASCAR- lets drive in circles for hours. PATHETIC. I guess Hockey is just to fast and violent for some people. To me a 0-0 Hockey game is just as exciting as a 21-21 football game.
keepinitreal
May 31st, 2011
5:10 pm
“Hockey is Canada’s game, so deal with it.”
That’s fine with me. Personally, now that the Thrashers are gone, I wish they’d all pack up and move to Canada. More NFL and MLB highlights during the winter and spring.
RC
May 31st, 2011
5:11 pm
Jeff,
There is no reason to bash the city of Winnipeg for getting the Thrashers. The city had a pep rally and had a couple thousand people show up. How many people showed up for the Thrashers rally to retain the team…….. (crickets chirpping). Hockey is Canada’s national sport. When they were playing the World Cup game a couple of years back, one of the airports there almost shut down toward the end of the game, because pilots were not taking off!!! Where does hockey sit in the big scheme of things in Atlanta, well here is the list…. UGA football, Falcons, Braves, SEC Football, Hawks, G-Tech Football, Nascar, UGA and G-Tech Basketball, High School Football, Pop Warner Football, The WNBA Franchise (whatever their name is), Jai Alai, Throwing dice on the street corner, ahhhhhhh, here we are, Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club. When your team is 16th on the totem pole, well you get a franchise leaving town. SportsNite, the wanna be southern SportsCenter, on Comcast, has players from all the other Atlanta teams come on their show and does live remotes from Philips Arena (for basketball), The Georgia Dome, Sanford Stadium and everywhere else sports are being played in Atlanta, do they ever go to a Thrashers game……….(Crickets again). Well, the city of Atlanta has failed miserably TWICE to have a NHL franchise. NO ONE IN ATLANTA CARES ABOUT HOCKEY!!! Give them another SEC football team and they will sell out all the games. Jeff, you are just upset that Atlanta has lost the rarity of being a town with the grand slam of sports teams (having a NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL team). Get over it!! Because Atlanta does not want to support their hockey team, do not throw dirt on the good people of Winnipeg. Lets go Thrashers!!! Winnipeg Thrashers, that is or will that be Winnipeg Jets, again.
Agreed, now you and rest of your winnipeg buddies go get a life and stop posting on atlanta message boards lol!
Fussball Fan
May 31st, 2011
5:12 pm
Jeff,
There is no reason to bash the city of Winnipeg for getting the Thrashers. The city had a pep rally and had a couple thousand people show up. How many people showed up for the Thrashers rally to retain the team…….. (crickets chirpping). Hockey is Canada’s national sport. When they were playing the World Cup game a couple of years back, one of the airports there almost shut down toward the end of the game, because pilots were not taking off!!! Where does hockey sit in the big scheme of things in Atlanta, well here is the list…. UGA football, Falcons, Braves, SEC Football, Hawks, G-Tech Football, Nascar, UGA and G-Tech Basketball, High School Football, Pop Warner Football, The WNBA Franchise (whatever their name is), Jai Alai, Throwing dice on the street corner, ahhhhhhh, here we are, Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club. When your team is 16th on the totem pole, well you get a franchise leaving town. SportsNite, the wanna be southern SportsCenter, on Comcast, has players from all the other Atlanta teams come on their show and does live remotes from Philips Arena (for basketball), The Georgia Dome, Sanford Stadium and everywhere else sports are being played in Atlanta, do they ever go to a Thrashers game……….(Crickets again). Well, the city of Atlanta has failed miserably TWICE to have a NHL franchise. NO ONE IN ATLANTA CARES ABOUT HOCKEY!!! Give them another SEC football team and they will sell out all the games. Jeff, you are just upset that Atlanta has lost the rarity of being a town with the grand slam of sports teams (having a NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL team). Get over it!! Because Atlanta does not want to support their hockey team, do not throw dirt on the good people of Winnipeg. Lets go Thrashers!!! Winnipeg Thrashers, that is or will that be Winnipeg Jets, again.
McDonald
May 31st, 2011
5:14 pm
Is it a bad thing I take such joy in seeing the pain that these comments are exhibiting?
ryan
May 31st, 2011
5:17 pm
Some of these Canadians that have been on here should not be trashing the Atlanta fans it was the owners ASG ’s fault and Gary Bettman now we have to worry about the Hawks we can not loose an NBA team it would devastating to Atlanta the Atlanta Spirit Group has nobody to blame but then selves its not the fans fault .
Mary Louise Turner
May 31st, 2011
5:18 pm
Now you folks in Atlanta know how we old Whalers fans feel (we, of course, lost our team to Raleigh in 1997, also with Gary Bettman’s blessing). Mr. Bettman is a total idiot who doesn’t care a feather or a fig about loyal fans or tradition: just show him the money! It doesn’t seem possible, but I think he’s much worse than Bud Selig or Roger Goodell.
TNBUCO
May 31st, 2011
5:18 pm
Is the NHL really moving a team to a city with a smaller metro population than Knoxville, TN?
USMC dawg
May 31st, 2011
5:22 pm
Atlantans don’t care about Hockey.
If you want hockey, go back to that crappy town that you came from.
(or in Jeff Schultz’s case, West Hollywood)
ATL Observer
May 31st, 2011
5:23 pm
Day went by….still none of these “let’s get more CONCERTS here!!” people can name me 40 bands/artists that HAVEN’T come here because of an NHL team.
Which leads me to the conclusion that they hate hockey and can’t stand to see things other people enjoy in their city.
Hey, I don’t like NASCAR but if they suddenly decided there was no NASCAR here, I wouldn’t be revelling in it! The more the merrier, I say!
Ugh
May 31st, 2011
5:24 pm
Shultz, what is with this “Canadian outpost” quip? Why the need for this shot? Have you ever actually been to Winnipeg? Do you know what its like here or are you simply doing the stereotype American thing? I know many Americans who love what we have to offer, so coem for a visit and i am quite sure you may be very surprised that we actually havve to offer.
Thorpe
May 31st, 2011
5:24 pm
So much for Gary Bettman’s “Contract with the Fans.”
He is a dishonest traitor.
You can reach him at: nhlpublicrelations@nhl.com
Fussball Fan
May 31st, 2011
5:25 pm
BTW: 5 years another NHL franchise in Atlanta, ROFL!!!! It took them 17 years to even be in conversations to receive another team, you think that Bettman (or any other NHL commish) will come back to Atlanta with a NHL franchise in 5 years!!?? Josh Smith (the 2nd coming of Lebron James, according to some delusional Atlanta media members and numerous delusional Hawks fans) will win the MVP and Georgia State football will be a member of the SEC before Atlanta gets another NHL franchise.
McDonald
May 31st, 2011
5:26 pm
Fun to see that Canadians and Americans hate Bettman for different reasons. Canadians for not bringing more teams to smaller, hockey crazed cities and Americans for not supporting larger, less hockey crazed cities.
RC
May 31st, 2011
5:27 pm
How were the ASG allowed to alter the lease agreement the Thrashers had with the City of Atlanta and Phillips Arena? That agreement locked the Thrahsers in phillips arena until the bonds used to build the arena was paid which going on the current bond rate wouldn’t been paid off until 2028 at the earliest.
snuffy
May 31st, 2011
5:28 pm
good riddance and take that sorry___ front office with you, all of em.
Mr Hockey
May 31st, 2011
5:28 pm
Thank you for moving me so close to home
-BIG BUFF
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 31st, 2011
5:29 pm
@TNBUCO It is also a city that is even poorer than Knoxville,TN that’s why the original Winnipeg Jets play in Phoenix today. I say in 5-8 years Seattle comes to terms with building a new arena for an NHL team that they couldn’t for the NBA Supersonics.I say this Thrashers/Winnipeg franchise is the first one to be moved there because the city of Winnipeg will still be the smallest city in the NHL with by far the smallest arena. I hope Winnipeg’s enjoys this second go around with the NHL because I don’t think it will last as long as the Original Jets did 1979-1996.
bubba
May 31st, 2011
5:30 pm
well maybe there can be a compromise, give NASCAR drivers hockey sticks and when they get mad at each other they can beat each other over the head with the hockey sticks, now that will go over in the southeast,
go Gladiators
playmeortrademe
May 31st, 2011
5:34 pm
Atlanta could support a hockey if two things improved exponetially.
1) A winning team with competent management, like the 90’s Braves or the post-2001 Falcons.
2) The city infrastructure.
MARTA is a national joke, and the only spot MARTA goes to that would draw hockey fans is the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody/Buckhead areas. But just getting to a station generally sucks, and MARTA is expensive to ride compared to other cities. On top of that, no one wants to turn around after their horrible commute and drive back into the city to see a mediocre to bad team play another mediocre team, especially on beautiful fall and spring days in Atlanta when its much more enjoyable to relax outside.
Gwinnett Fred
May 31st, 2011
5:37 pm
Gonna take a guess here and suspect that the ASG somewhere in their thinking was “with the Thrashers gone, that will boost the Hawks attendance with less competition for the entertainment dollar that time of year”.
if that has any truth to it, let me make one thing perfectly clear: AS A FAN THAT WENT TO BOTH THRASHERS AND HAWKS GAMES IN THE PAST, I WILL NOW GO TO NO HAWKS GAMES. Any serious Thrasher fan that puts dime one into those p*cker heads pockets should be ashamed.
P.S. – Hey Jeff, what are you boys gonna do next winter with no Thrashers games and probably no Hawks either with that looming lockout? The Falcons better go pretty far or February & March will be a couple of pretty boring sports months!
CuJo31
May 31st, 2011
5:37 pm
To all you Thrasher fans, I come here to tell you how sad and sorry I am that this has happened.
I was hoping that somehow an owner would step in and save the day.
I just want to comment on a couple of things. I am a regular poster in Phoenix, so I know very well the gut wrenching that is happening. I would like to speak on behalf of the regular posters over there, and let you know that WE WERE BEHIND you ALL THE WAY, in hoping that your team would be saved.
The dirtweeds from Whineypuke have trolled our boards for a very long time, and have trolled here, and have taken up nicknames from us, and posted their garbage on here, pretending to be posters from Phoenix.
Please know, that we were backing you all the way, and even though I am happy for the true fans in Winnipeg, I am disgusted that the trolls feel the need to gloat, during this hard time for you guys.
I am truly sorry.
Matt in USA
May 31st, 2011
5:40 pm
Listen Atl, I feel really sorry for you, it’s a shame that the city(owners) couldn’t keep the team for a second time. I had a friend whpo played for the team and he told me he had a great time for 3 years, great people and great fans. The ownership never wanted to spend some money to help the star players. For the guy who wrote Winnepeg=poverty, are you serious? Have you ever left your trailer park? Pissing on city you’ve never been visited, or seen or heard about makes you feel good. In Winnipeg you can go anywhere and be safe… ATL ..uhhhhhhhhhh no! 80 percent of the players come from Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec. Much safer city and much more hockey friendly… players will have so much pressure from media and owners to perform that you will see playoffs soon. Player’s will love it because there will be pressure, like a business! Atl… pressure… what? The players prefer to play golf and relax in Buckhead, then eat, sleep, live hockey, like you ATL ‘ers do Football, Baseball( most boring sport in the world, only sport were you see people reading books in the stands) and anything college. Sorry you lost it, good for Canada!!!
Rob
May 31st, 2011
5:42 pm
Atlanta never needed a team and never deserved a team, leave hockey in the cities that love it follow it. I’m glad I will never have to see another sad sight like that arena half empty while watching real hockey teams play
Intown
May 31st, 2011
5:42 pm
Bring back the Atlanta Knights!
bloodstar
May 31st, 2011
5:44 pm
My group that pledges to boycott all Hawks games after this betrayal.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_204215926287374&ap=1
Make it hurt the Spirit Group where it counts, in the pocketbook.
Virginia
May 31st, 2011
5:45 pm
Of course the Mayor doesn’t care for the Thrashers (or the Chiefs); they’re too white for him. Get rid of the Hawks,Falcons, and maybe the Braves and he’d give a squeal! Is there any truth that a ticket for the Thrashers costs more than a ticket for the Hawks? Or are they the same? Someone mentioned she saw that happen at a Flames game years ago-and she used to help coach kids for them. I love hockey and soccer, but can’t afford to go to the Braves either.
Let NONE in
May 31st, 2011
5:45 pm
Right now Ilya #17is laughing his foot off. He, Hossa, and the rest got the hell out of Dodge.
Jon
May 31st, 2011
5:47 pm
I understand that the ownership ran the organization poorly, bit Atlanta is not a sports town, let alone a hockey town. The thrashers turned out about 13000 fans per game. There are much smaller cities that with college teams that draw that many. You have a solid baseball team that only half fills their park, an NBA playoff team that was in the bottom 10 in attendance, and a great NFL team that still doesn’t sell out when teams like Houston and Tennessee do every game. As long as people don’t go, teams won’t stay.
Let NONE in
May 31st, 2011
5:47 pm
I like how you Canadians say Atlanta didn’t support the team. DEAL WITH losing 11 years in a row, Dic Wad, and ASG and tell me you will be there in the end. You are full of it.
John
May 31st, 2011
5:52 pm
I bet if there had been more black players on the Thrashers team, Mayor Reed would have tried his best to save the team.
Big Wally
May 31st, 2011
5:52 pm
Dear Jon, thank you so much for taking the time to bash the sports fans of Atlanta on a day when we lose our Hockey team. What do you do on you off days, go to funerals and make fun of families of the departed?
Winnipeg = Poverty
May 31st, 2011
5:57 pm
@ Matt in USA How do you know I never visited Winnipeg? As far as going places and being safe in Winnipeg that’s because Winnipeg is lacking humanoid life for the most part as well as the fact there is nothing to steal there except maybe chickens or a 1982 van. You really need to read Scott Burnside at ESPN.com to get what people around the hockey world are really thinking about the tiny town of Winnipeg. Players hated Winnipeg in the 1980’s and 1990’s and present day ones will all mostly detest it in 2011, including those on visiting teams.
voiceoflogic
May 31st, 2011
6:01 pm
You say that Atlanta needed more time to find a new owner, hasn’t the ownership been looking to sell for 5 or 6 years, is that not enough time to find someone who wants hockey to stay in Atlanta?
I wish the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques had had that time to find new ownership. Bettman is a slimeball as everyone in Canada knows, unfortunatly people south of the 49th parallel are only now seeing what an ass he is. I’m sorry Atlanta is losing it’s second NHL team but on the other hand Winnipeg and Quebec City never should have lost their teams either and I bet those two cities felt the loss of their teams far more that Atlanta will
voiceoflogic
May 31st, 2011
6:02 pm
Let NONE in, Toronto has been supporting a losing team since 1967 and they sell out every game
Lost Hope
May 31st, 2011
6:04 pm
Voiceoflogic…..
They didnt have rights to sell the team until December 21, 2010. Up until that point in time they were in litigation to buy out Belkin and could not sell to ANYONE no matter how much money was offered. So for them to say they were trying to sell the team for 5 or 6 years is a crock of S&$t!!
Clare A.
May 31st, 2011
6:08 pm
Preds fan here to express my sympathies. I can only imagine what it would be like if my boys were taken from me. So many people were dedicated Thrashers fans who showed up every game, tried to grow the sport in the city, and sent their kids to youth hockey. But without support from the team, casual/new fans won’t become diehards like me. As a Nashville fan since 2003, I know the difference bad management can make for the fans’ experience. Why should you pay a team that doesn’t seem to care if you’re there? These fans were caught between a rock and a hard place. The only thing fans could do to get their dissatisfaction across to the franchise was to not spend money, but then people said no one cared. It sucks.
JR1967
May 31st, 2011
6:18 pm
For all the people who are down on Atlanta for losing two NHL franchises, I was living in Southern California in 1994 when Los Angeles lost TWO NFL teams the same year, but the area moved past that, mostly because it is an NBA (Lakers) town first, and also that it has many other diversions there. Atlanta will do just fine with three professional sports franchises.
McDonald
May 31st, 2011
6:24 pm
If anyone doesn’t think Winnipeg deserves their own team take a look at The Winnipeg Free Press’ front page – nothing but hockey.
John
May 31st, 2011
6:25 pm
ASG need to sell the Hawks next I’m glad the Thrashers are gone though Atlanta doesn’t need a hockey team it’s good that Canada gets another team they deserve another team it’s there sport.