IceCap

Why is it that these older teams get a free pass while the newer markets are seemingly given a short leash? It's tough for anyone to defend Phoenix because that seems to be a lost cause to everyone except the NHL. However, locations like Atlanta and Columbus (both of which have shown that they can fill seats and turn a profit) are quickly deemed as "not hockey towns" despite having similar problems to these established teams. Pittsburgh lucked (more like, the NHL rigged the 'random draft order') into getting Sidney Crosby, and Chicago got lucky in that their cheap owner died. Meanwhile, the Islanders haven't won crap in a generation (and have been arguably the worst NHL franchise the last 20 years), and they only get a pass because they won Cups 30 years ago. Buffalo, Ottawa, and Pittsburgh all had filed for bankruptcy within the past decade, yet still got a pass because they see snow on a regular basis. Atlanta wasn't given much a chance (and no, 11 years is not a fair shake) to work out their issues, and it looks like the same is happening in Columbus. Neither team filed for bankruptcy, if memory serves me correctly. To me, it sounds like traditional hockey fans get selective in their assessment of determining which cities can support hockey and which ones can't. Older teams are given a longer leash while the newer markets must shape up immediately or else move them. Well did the Red Wings, when they sucked and drew flies, losse over $400 million in 16 years? Did they ever ask the Detroit city government or Michigan state government for a bailout? No. That's the difference between markets like Phoenix & Columbus and markets like Chicago & Detroit. When the traditional teams suck long enough to the point that they draw flies they still have the economic stability to survive without losing obscene amounts of money or asking local governments for tax payer handouts. That's why fans in traditional markets are so critical of how things are being done in Columbus and Glendale. As for Atlanta? No, perhaps they weren't given a fair shake. Rather then laying the blame at the feet of True North, Winnipeg, Canada, or "traditional hockey fans" though, blame Mr. Bettman and the NHL. You, me, and everyone else who's not part of the NHL's collective leadership knows that the team to go to True North and Winnipeg should have been Phoenix. Your Thrashers got offered up as a sacrifice by the same people you were defending in those "should the Coyotes move?" discussions to save a Coyotes team that is beyond saving in its current location.

Maybe there's nothing to read into, but there should be.

It's the internet. Yes we do.

See I take offenSe to that because you're wrong. "Offence" is an accepted spelling in Commonwealth English.

Oh G-d I hope it's Glendale.

Do it to Atlanta! Do it to Atlanta! Not me! Atlanta! It's still early, but I think it's safe to say this is PotD worthy.

This has such a weird science fiction feel to it. 1984, man.

And everyone can meet up at the Jimmy Buffett restaurant after the game!

"What the hell, I don't even...."

Or they throw the Stars or Blues to Quebecor to keep the the People's Hockey Club of Glendale around a while longer because why not at this point? What's a few million between friends and tax payers, right Gary?

You realize that MLB basically sabotaged the market right? I'm not saying the Expos should have stayed, they shouldn't have. MLB was committed to getting out of Montreal and into Washington, and they got what they wanted. That being said, the Expos did draw before MLB decided they wanted nothing to do with the city. I feeling I get from Montreal (and locals are free to correct me on this) is that they'd welcome MLB back if they decided to put a team there, but they won't go out of their way to build a new ballpark to make it happen. Which seems reasonable, given how MLB treated the city in their last go-around.

An unpopular opinion of mine that ties in with Bravo96's post is that I want to see the Panthers pair their silver pants with their white jerseys.

The same way you don't see an issue with speeding. You're cheating thousands of people per year out of their lives - how the hell can you compare that to stealing money? You wouldn't sit there and say that killing someone was just as bad as stealing $50, would you ... ? Here's the thing. If I speed I admit it was wrong. If I get pulled over I own up to breaking the law and pay the ticket. I don't say "well everyone's broken the law at some point so what's the big deal officer?" That, you see, is the crux of this disagreement. Breaking the law isn't so much the issue, it's acknowledging that breaking the law is wrong. I don't care if you buy counterfeits, or how good or poor their quality is. Just have the wherewithal to admit that what you're doing is supporting an illegal business practice. Don't try to deflect personal responsibility by saying it's ok because someone else does something illegal or play the "mean old corporations charge to much for the real thing" card. It's a jersey. Not food or medicine. You're not entitled to owning one.

That pretty much sums up my view on this whole issue. I think it's a little wierd that people are so obsessed with what other non-athletes wear. If you're critiquing a team's uniform design, that's one thing. I think that's what we're all here for. It's one of the main points of this site. But critiquing what some random non-athlete joe schmoe is wearing? Just because it doesn't live up to your standards? I can understand that coming from maybe a high school kid, but it just gets wierd when you have grown men obsessing over what other (non-athlete) grown men are wearing. Most people who wear fakes aren't trying to impress or convince people that they are real. They are wearing them because they got a good deal and that is what they want to wear. Deal with it. It's not about how good the fake is. It could be indistinguishable for all I all care. Fact is counterfeits are illegal. If you can wrap your head around that fact but you still want to buy a fake, go on ahead. Don't try to justify it like you're entitled to a cheap jersey though.

This will keep the Coyotes around for a few more years until one of Mr. Reinsdorf's aides informs him that they can make more money turning Jobbing.com into a parking lot. At which point I don't even see the Coyotes moving. They'll just go away because Reinsdorf doesn't really care.

Classy banners on Boston's part.

It's like a perpetual motion machine of failure.

The Islanders have as many Cups as the Rangers, and they've been around for a much shorter amount of time. They're a "true" New York sports team/

This. The Stars have an ownership situation. If Quebecor comes in looking to buy the Coyotes to move them to Quebec City then it wouldn't surprise me to see Bettman toss them the Stars (or any other team with ownership and/or money problems) to save his desert-based government funded ego trip.

If I were a Stars fan I would be awfully worried right about now....

This must be strictly a US thing... I don't think I've ever seen people wearing St. Paddy's jerseys in Canada. Are there actually officially licensed versions? I've seen a few counterfit St. Paddy's Blackhawks sweaters in my neck of the woods. The 'Hawks seem to be the popular choice for St. Paddy's fakes.

I agree. I'm just saying that if they insist on going with a fauxback look I rather they go with the red sweater's template over the green sweater's template. I would prefer it if they went back to their inaugural look though. That was a great case of nailing it on the first try.