Is Atlanta Burning?

[DarkJourney]

After all this mess I bet the Coyotes and Thrashers will just end up staying in Phoenix and Atlanta anyway. Financial problems be damned. Having them move will ruin Bettman's legacy in his own mind, whatever that's worth. He can't handle that.

[STL FANATIC]

I still don't see what you guys see as far as salvaging Atlanta. If, logistically speaking, you can't get butts in the seats because the rink is downtown, the fans are in the exurbs, and an impenetrable asphalt jungle lies betwixt them, then pack up the show, you're done. Corporate support is all well and good but even CokeDepot's money is finite and the luxury box market is crowded with better options. It's not gonna work. Nobody can get to the games, and it doesn't seem like anyone's settling for watching them on TV, either.

Sure, Atlanta is a bad market, but given the option between Atlanta, which was never given much of chance due to a clown college of ownership, and Phoenix, which has failed even worse and has a zero percent chance of working out, I would choose to move the Phoenix team. I would move the Panthers before the Thrashers, too. If the Coyotes move to Winnipeg and the Thrashers to Quebec City, so be it. But there is no rational explanation for losing Atlanta but refusing to let the dream die in Phoenix. Then again, Bettman never claimed to be rational.

I actually agree that Atlanta has a significantly better chance of success versus Phoenix, but BOTH clubs have been treated to "a clown college of ownership" essentially their entire tenure in each city. And it's why both have failed to this point.

In the case of Atlanta however, it seems that not every bridge has been burnt. As much as I once lobbied for Phoenix to be given a legitimate shot (something I don't believe they've ever had, because they've never had good ownership), at a certain points fans (or more accurately, potential fans) have too negative of a perception to the current franchise for it to build any significant momentum in a reasonable time, and Phoenix may be there.

That's the argument for Phoenix over Atlanta. It's not that Phoenix has been treated to a better franchise and not done their part. Both cities have been treated to crap.

[rams80]

I still don't see what you guys see as far as salvaging Atlanta. If, logistically speaking, you can't get butts in the seats because the rink is downtown, the fans are in the exurbs, and an impenetrable asphalt jungle lies betwixt them, then pack up the show, you're done. Corporate support is all well and good but even CokeDepot's money is finite and the luxury box market is crowded with better options. It's not gonna work. Nobody can get to the games, and it doesn't seem like anyone's settling for watching them on TV, either.

I don't think Atlanta would ever be awesome attendance wise, but I think you could maybe get it up to a survival attendance level with competent ownership. Sort of the league's niche outpost team.

To STL...I thought Phoenix had decent ownership when it started out.

[Still MIGHTY]

So was this whole announcement thing a rumor/hoax or is it next Friday?

[NEW.ERA]

Like I said earlier when I was reading the Winnipeg Sun they said next Friday (May 6th) nothing on TSN about today. Pro Hockey Talk says it's come down to Monday for the Coyotes.

[GMW79]

...it's come down to Monday for the Coyotes.

Whatever. I'll believe it when the puck drops in Winnipeg.

(and no venom whatsoever directed at you NEW.ERA, just to be clear)

[no97]

Well, very interesting. Two bits here - there is someone looking into buying the Thrashers; and 2) someone else is looking at buying the rest, but not the Thrashers:

http://twitter.com/#!/SportsMoneyBlog/status/64259931297153024