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Linus

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It is considered good form to tell the person you are effectively firing about their termination to their face. Just sayin'. They were planning on doing this, then :censored: happened. Not..."they got wind of this, then tried to undercut it and screwed up." There is a difference.

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For bold...

And the Arena League continues to insist that it will come back in 2010 and a wide variety of bottom feeding teams insist they do indeed know exactly what they are doing. Like most authority figures, Bettman is paid to be a cheerleader for the organization they represent, not to be honest. Screaming "we're doomed" doesn't exactly bring in investors, now does it?

/Or maybe I'm just that cynical.

Excuses-excuses. If I messed up at my job the way Bettman messed up managing the NHL in a sustainable way, I would be out of a job, plain and simple. Since there are so many failed expansion teams that he created that thrive on the current failing business model, he gets to keep his job. As a fan, it pisses me off.

He doesn't get credit, nor blame, for San Jose, Anaheim, Florida, Tampa Bay, or Ottawa-those were already happening when he became commissioner. Of the rest....

Phoenix-disaster due to a variety of causes

Denver-massive success

Carolina-decent success

Dallas-massive succes

Minnesota-massive success

Columbus-reasonable success (off the ice anyway)

Nashville-erratic

Atlanta-erratic; winning would probably help.

To whit-one :censored: up, 3 massive success stories, 2 decently successful teams, and 2 teams that might do better if they stopped sucking on the ice or folks stopped making menacing statements about their existence every 2-3 years.

A pessimist would say Bettman's 5-3, I'll say he's 5-1-2. Either way, not a complete disaster.

On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
Today, we are all otaku.

"The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert

POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010

The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy)

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It is considered good form to tell the person you are effectively firing about their termination to their face. Just sayin'. They were planning on doing this, then :censored: happened. Not..."they got wind of this, then tried to undercut it and screwed up." There is a difference.

----------------------------------------------------

For bold...

And the Arena League continues to insist that it will come back in 2010 and a wide variety of bottom feeding teams insist they do indeed know exactly what they are doing. Like most authority figures, Bettman is paid to be a cheerleader for the organization they represent, not to be honest. Screaming "we're doomed" doesn't exactly bring in investors, now does it?

/Or maybe I'm just that cynical.

Excuses-excuses. If I messed up at my job the way Bettman messed up managing the NHL in a sustainable way, I would be out of a job, plain and simple. Since there are so many failed expansion teams that he created that thrive on the current failing business model, he gets to keep his job. As a fan, it pisses me off.

He doesn't get credit, nor blame, for San Jose, Anaheim, Florida, Tampa Bay, or Ottawa-those were already happening when he became commissioner. Of the rest....

Phoenix-disaster due to a variety of causes

Denver-massive success

Carolina-decent success

Dallas-massive succes

Minnesota-massive success

Columbus-reasonable success (off the ice anyway)

Nashville-erratic

Atlanta-erratic; winning would probably help.

To whit-one :censored: up, 3 massive success stories, 2 decently successful teams, and 2 teams that might do better if they stopped sucking on the ice or folks stopped making menacing statements about their existence every 2-3 years.

A pessimist would say Bettman's 5-3, I'll say he's 5-1-2. Either way, not a complete disaster.

There's no way Atlanta can be described as anything but a failure. Have you watched any highlights from Phillips Arena? They can't even draw flies, that arena is the emptiest NHL arena I have ever seen. Also, I think you're being kind of generous with Nashville, they do have fans but they still average in the high 14 000's. Plus it's a well known fact that both teams are cooking the books and buying up their own tickets to be eligible for revenue sharing. Carolina has done well since they've won the Cup but I remember a time when they were drawing as poorly as 9 000 fans a game (!) and they won't keep winning forever, so the jury is still out on that one.

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Carolina has done well since they've won the Cup but I remember a time when they were drawing as poorly as 9 000 fans a game (!) and they won't keep winning forever, so the jury is still out on that one.

I remember a time when the Blackhawks were drawing 8,000 a game on weeknights and literally couldn't give away tickets. That time was 2006. Are they in your crosshairs of fail?

Point is, don't talk about the past. This is not the franchise that was putting a curtain around the entire upper deck in Greensboro, much as the Stars are no longer the novelty act playing to confused onlookers in Texas. Much has changed.

On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said:

For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA.

PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12.

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Carolina has done well since they've won the Cup but I remember a time when they were drawing as poorly as 9 000 fans a game (!) and they won't keep winning forever, so the jury is still out on that one.

I remember a time when the Blackhawks were drawing 8,000 a game on weeknights and literally couldn't give away tickets. That time was 2006. Are they in your crosshairs of fail?

Point is, don't talk about the past. This is not the franchise that was putting a curtain around the entire upper deck in Greensboro, much as the Stars are no longer the novelty act playing to confused onlookers in Texas. Much has changed.

Fair enough, you've made a good point, I give Carolina a pass. Atlanta and Nashville still aren't sustainable in the long term as of now.

thecatch.jpg

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Fair enough, you've made a good point, I give Carolina a pass. Atlanta and Nashville still aren't sustainable in the long term as of now.

Agreed. Though I thought I had read that there had been an uptick in the desparately-needed corporate support in Nashville following the Balsillie Blitz, which would indicate things heading in the right direction.

Atlanta is a lost cause as long as Don Waddell continues to be allowed to run the ship further aground.

On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said:

For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA.

PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12.

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Fair enough, you've made a good point, I give Carolina a pass. Atlanta and Nashville still aren't sustainable in the long term as of now.

Agreed. Though I thought I had read that there had been an uptick in the desparately-needed corporate support in Nashville following the Balsillie Blitz, which would indicate things heading in the right direction.

Atlanta is a lost cause as long as Don Waddell continues to be allowed to run the ship further aground.

Two words: Atlanta. Spirit.

Eagles/Heels/Dawgs/Falcons/Hawks

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I will concede Atlanta under its current management, although I do think the market is still salvageable.

-------------------------------------------------------

If you want to see more of "the Zealot" in action, check out some of the pertinent threads on hfboards. :wacko:

On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
Today, we are all otaku.

"The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert

POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010

The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy)

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Atlanta doesn't even care about its established teams that won championships. I can't fathom how hockey will ever be more than the smallest of niches down there.

♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫

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at the risk of angering the all knowing, all powerful Ball-in-Glove, i say start contracting these failed teams and reduce the league back to 24 teams. Maybe relocate teams back to Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford.

What six teams are you planning on contracting?

Think you'd be knocking out at least 2 or 3 moderately successful franchises. And what are you gonna find in Winnipeg, Quebec, or Hartford.

But that's how it was in the past, so it was better right?

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at the risk of angering the all knowing, all powerful Ball-in-Glove, i say start contracting these failed teams and reduce the league back to 24 teams. Maybe relocate teams back to Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford.

You know....Florida, Anaheim, and Tampa Bay have now had NHL teams as long as some of those "traditional" markets.

I guess that makes them traditional as well.

On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
Today, we are all otaku.

"The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert

POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010

The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy)

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at the risk of angering the all knowing, all powerful Ball-in-Glove, i say start contracting these failed teams and reduce the league back to 24 teams. Maybe relocate teams back to Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford.

What six teams are you planning on contracting?

Think you'd be knocking out at least 2 or 3 moderately successful franchises. And what are you gonna find in Winnipeg, Quebec, or Hartford.

But that's how it was in the past, so it was better right?

Well, he does worship the ball-in-glove..... :upside:

I saw, I came, I left.

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If you're gonna put hockey somewhere, why put it in an already saturated hockey market? You're not going to grow the game in an area that is already crazy about hockey, and has several teams to root for

So... Devils to Kansas City then John?

What *several* teams to root for? Kitchener/Waterloo/Hamilton is Leafs and Leafs only... sure you could argue the Sabres are an option, maybe even the Red Wings, but it is a very small amount of people that are willing to go through customs every time they want to see their team play.

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Founder/Editor, SportsLogos.Net

 

"The Mothership" • News • Facebook • X/Twitter • Instagram

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If you're gonna put hockey somewhere, why put it in an already saturated hockey market? You're not going to grow the game in an area that is already crazy about hockey, and has several teams to root for

So... Devils to Kansas City then John?

What *several* teams to root for? Kitchener/Waterloo/Hamilton is Leafs and Leafs only... sure you could argue the Sabres are an option, maybe even the Red Wings, but it is a very small amount of people that are willing to go through customs every time they want to see their team play.

good point its now gonna take a passport just to slide across the border to catch a game... thats gonna kill the free flow of fans that way...

GDB... Brothers from other Mothers

www.pifflespodcast.com

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The way I see it is if the new owner wants to keep the team in Phoenix, then fine by me. They just need a winner out there so the fans can show up and therefore the team can hopefully get out of the hole.

If they move, I would like to see Kansas City get another shot with their new arena. The only thing that would need to done if this does happen is to move Vancouver to the Pacific Division (The Canucks are the westernmost member in the Northwest) and you can put Kansas City in the Northwest Division (Odd placing, I know, but there are two natural rivals in Colorado and Minnesota and that would work better then moving, say, Chicago into the Northwest and feel like the odd man out).

 

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Ross McKeon's artice on Yahoo Sports:

Sometimes the NHL doesn't know a good thing, even if it runs smack into a Zamboni.

The Phoenix Coyotes' pending exodus from Arizona shouldn't be viewed as an embarrassment to the league. The NHL would like to have you believe it has 30 happy, thriving franchises. In reality, that number is much closer to 20, at most. Just ask around Nashville, Tampa, Sunrise, Fla., Atlanta and Long Island if you have doubts.

It could get messy before the process runs its course, but returning the failing and bankrupt Phoenix franchise to Canada where it began as the Winnipeg Jets or to a new location is the best solution to this problem.

The quicker the league acts on strengthening its members the better. Tough times are ahead for the league during this economic climate. Of course, don't be surprised if the league is stubborn about leaving suburban Phoenix.

The NHL knows franchise relocation isn't the end of the world. The NBA recently had a team move from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Major League Baseball saw its Montreal club relocate to Washington. The NFL abandoned Los Angeles twice, returning a team to Oakland and shifting another to St. Louis, all in relatively recent times.

Sure, the Coyotes' departure is going to be disappointing to the small fan base in the desert, but the move will be a huge gain for most likely a Canadian market (probably Hamilton, Ontario, although Winnipeg or Quebec City work for me) that makes more sense in terms of sustaining support for a team through good times and bad.

The Coyotes' fate was sealed when the franchise failed to get a stadium built closer to downtown Phoenix where the fan base actually lives. After relocating from Winnipeg in 1996, the Coyotes used America West Arena, a downtown Phoenix facility that was great for basketball but not accommodating for hockey. TV screens were erected at one end of the rink to allow fans in obstructed seats to view the action when it got near the goal line at one end.

People were patient with the situation, knowing it was only a temporary arrangement until plans, financing and all the bureaucratic red tape worked itself out for a new arena in the nearby Scottsdale area. But when the Scottsdale plan went awry, the team didn't have much choice but to head west for Glendale. Jobing.com Arena is a beautiful facility, but it's too far from a fan base that has to choose between the region's crowded freeway system or a million stop lights on city streets to get from one end of the valley to the other.

It hasn't helped, too, that the Phoenix franchise has had little success during it's time in the Valley of the Sun. The Coyotes lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the first four springs since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996 but have visited the Stanley Cup playoffs only once since 2002.

The league, however, is going to explore every avenue to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix. Clearly, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is not rolling out the red carpet for the deep-pocketed Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion. Balsillie already had a strike against him because he ruffled the league's feathers when he tried to purchase the Nashville Predators in 2007. He was offering ticket plans to fans in Hamilton before the sale process started.

This time, Balsillie again appears to have put the cart before the horse. The league is not happy that Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday because it appears he's interested in unloading his team to Balsillie, who floated a $215 million offer on the condition that the 'Yotes come to southern Ontario.

The league stripped Moyes of his ownership powers just like that and now is prepared to meet the problem head on, so it says. Balsillie has not scored points with the NHL Board of Governors, which has the final word on who owns teams in the league.

So what are the NHL's options? No one has stepped forward in the Phoenix area even though the league has reached out for new investors since the All-Star break. There's Kansas City with its new, uninhabited building. But why would K.C. be any better of a choice than Phoenix? The league was there before and it failed.

There's always the intriguing notion of filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer and Las Vegas, which does not have a building and is viewed by many as a huge gamble.

Or there's Canada, and all that passion for the game. Really, is it that hard of a choice?

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I got this off tsn.ca

"Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger confirms there are ongoing talks to bring an NHL team to town."

There's a short scrum with the mayor in the videos section.

He says they are trying to bring hockey to Hamilton permanently. Not on an interim basis before moving on to another location.

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

The only buyer the team should be sold to is one who will move them back to Winnipeg and restore the Winnipeg Jets name.

Moving them out was the biggest mistake the NHL's ever made (on par with relocating the Nordiques and Whalers).

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