stlramsfan Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 The buyer better reside in St. Louis, or own thewm as a St. Louis team or else we only got two sports her in the big city of St. Louis.P.S. Go Rams! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac the Knife Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Anyone know the terms of their lease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youcan'tseeme Posted June 19, 2005 Share Posted June 19, 2005 Hope the blues stay in St.Louis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsfan39 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 i know this will never happen but i'd be cool if they found a way for the people of the city to buy stock in the team or whatever so really the fans would own the team.btw didnt the indians sell stock or something like 5 years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 If they move to Saskatoon, they must become the Saska Tunes. With a banjo for a logo! Brilliant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez Street Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 FORMER NHL OWNER LOOKS AT BUYING TEAMBaldwin announces interest in swinging the Blues for KCHoward Baldwin, former owner of two NHL franchises, said he plans to investigate the possibility of buying the St. Louis Blues with the intention of moving the franchise to Kansas City.?It?s something you have to look long and hard at, and I will,? Baldwin, a Hollywood producer, said from his home Sunday.If the franchise relocated to Kansas City, it would eventually play at the new downtown Sprint Center.Blues owners Bill and Nancy Laurie of Columbia announced Friday that they were putting the franchise on the market after six money-losing seasons. The Blues lost more than $60 million in operating the team and the Savvis Center during the last three seasons, including more than $20 million during the 2004-05 season that was not played because of a lockout.Baldwin?s company, Baldwin Entertainment Group, has been in film partnerships with Anschutz Entertainment Group, which has invested $50 million in the Sprint Center and will manage the $250 million facility.Baldwin stepped forward last summer by saying he would be interested in bringing an NHL franchise to Kansas City if the new arena were built.Baldwin previously operated the NHL?s Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Penguins and has devoted much of his time recently to producing movies, including ?Ray,? which earned an Oscar for Jamie Foxx.Baldwin also owns the Des Moines franchise of the American Hockey League that will begin operations in a new arena starting with the 2005-06 season.?We have a group that is able to buy a team at the right price if there is a solution with what to do with the team,? Baldwin said. ?No question about it. ? It could be a very interesting opportunity.?Prying the Blues from St. Louis, which they have called home since entering the NHL as an expansion club in 1967, could be difficult.Not only are St. Louis interests determined not to lose the franchise, but when the Lauries bought the club in 1998, they also acquired the lease with the Savvis Center. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday that part of the lease, which runs through 2024, would make it costly to uproot the hockey team from the arena.The Lauries bought the Blues and the long-term lease at the Savvis Center for $88 million, the team said, also paying off $30 million in debt that the hockey team had. Part of the purchase price was $62.4 million owed on bonds issued for building the arena, which opened in 1994. Forbes magazine estimated the value of the franchise and the lease at $140 million. Recently, teams in Ottawa and Buffalo were sold in the $90 million to $100 million range, and Anaheim for $75 million.Paul McGannon, who heads NHL21, the local group trying to bring a franchise to Kansas City, was pleased to hear about Baldwin?s interest in the Blues but doesn?t expect the club to leave St. Louis. He cited franchises such as Pittsburgh, Carolina and Nashville as more viable candidates for relocation.?The St. Louis community will rise to keep the Blues there,? McGannon said. ?But it does show the beauty of how the Sprint Center is constructed here, that thanks to public support, you don?t have this business model the Blues had where $170 million of the debt was for the building.?From day one, the NHL team in Kansas City will have a much better shot at thriving because you don?t have the debt service of the building.?The Lauries have retained Game Plan LLC, a Boston-based firm, to conduct the search for potential buyers, and Baldwin said he has a good relationship with Robert Caporale of Game Plan.?He has been my lawyer for 30 years,? Baldwin said.Baldwin recently was a candidate to buy the Anaheim franchise, but the Walt Disney Co. sold it to Henry and Susan Samueli, whose company operates the Arrowhead Pond, home of the Mighty Ducks.Baldwin believes a team could succeed at the Sprint Center, where it would be the only major-league tenant in the winter. Kemper Arena would serve as an interim facility before the 18,500-seat Sprint Center opened in time for the 2007-08 season.?I?ve said it before, I like the Kansas City market,? Baldwin said. ?And I think the world of the Anschutz group. I talk to them on a regular basis.?McGannon doesn?t think it?s out of the realm of possibility that the Lauries could retain the Blues and move them to Kansas City.?I thought it was very important to note that their comment was they were no longer going to be involved in ?St. Louis? sports,? McGannon said.?Bill Laurie is a Missouri guy ? and I do know he?s well-aware of the Kansas City effort, and he?s well aware of how the Sprint Center is set up with AEG.?To reach Randy Covitz, sports reporter for The Star, call (816) 234-4796 or send e-mail to rcovitz@kcstar.com @DavidStreeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Admiral Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 If they move to Saskatoon, they must become the Saska Tunes. With a banjo for a logo! Brilliant! The funny thing is, the Saska Tunes almost happened. ♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omnivore Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 They won't move. The city would be pretty well suited for an NBA team, me thinks. But the NBA isn't expanding and that disaster in New Orleans will be allowed to continue for at least another decade or so.Which is a shame.But back to the NHL, someone ought to pick that team up. It's one of the better fan bases in all of sports there in St. Louis. Always loved going to Blues games. Even bad games at Savvis were fun to watch. NCFA-FCS/CBB: Minnesota A&M | RANZBA (OOTP): Auckland Warriors | USA: Front Range United | IFA: Toverit Helsinki | FOBL: Kentucky Juggernaut Minnesota A&M 2012 National Champions 2013 National Finalist, 2014 National Semi-finals 2012, 2013, 2014 Big 4 Conference Champions  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appleclock Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Blues can't go. They may have not won the Cup but they've been around since the first wave of expansion. They are proof that hockey can succeed south of the 40th parallel. If they die, it would be illogical for hockey to continue south of that mark! (Some argue that it already is illogical for hockey to continue south of that mark.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 KC better not steal my Blues... JUSTIN STRIEBEL | PORTFOLIO | RESUME | CONTACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez Street Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 KC wants the Blues to be in the Lou. We want you guys as a rival.But might I remind you nay sayers that think KC won't get NBA or NHL team....."Sprint agrees to pay for the naming rights IF AEG brings an NBA or NHL team to Kansas City"AEG will not let Sprint have free sponsorship of the Arena. They will bring in one of the two. Hell possibly both. @DavidStreeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL FANATIC Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 KC wants the Blues to be in the Lou. We want you guys as a rival.But might I remind you nay sayers that think KC won't get NBA or NHL team....."Sprint agrees to pay for the naming rights IF AEG brings an NBA or NHL team to Kansas City"AEG will not let Sprint have free sponsorship of the Arena. They will bring in one of the two. Hell possibly both. I hope the Blues stay in STL, STL gets an NBA team, KC gets an NHL team, and KC gets an NBA team.In that order with perhaps 2 and 3 switched. JUSTIN STRIEBEL | PORTFOLIO | RESUME | CONTACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 I dont see KC and Stl each getting a NBA team, but they do deserve one atleast. Missouri is too big not have a NBA team. www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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