Winnipeg Jets

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

Sorry, but this is a mythical number pulled out of your ass, similar to the IKEA criteria. Time will tell what happens, but I do know that the NHL does in fact need cities like Winnipeg, and not Atlanta or Phoenix. Sorry to burst your "Winnipeg can't achieve" Calgarian bubble, Johnny, but unlike you, I have confidence in this city.

man, what are you supposed to be on ritalin or something?


johnnyc makes a good case, and I think the 1,000 000 pop number is reasonable, after 1,000 000 is a midsize city by NA standards. Fact is we don't know if Winnipeg could survive in today's nhl, but I do know this: Winnipeg would do a hell of a lot better than teams based in Florida, California and the fuckin' middle of Arizona.

[Prairie Guy]

I just love how the country doubts this city; even many Winnipeggers doubt Winnipeg. What a damn shame. This is a great city, and despite all the negative and ill will (read between the lines from the "Winnipeg can't, too small, too poor" bs rhetoric), the financial backing will come along and make this possible.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

I just love how the country doubts this city; even many Winnipeggers doubt Winnipeg. What a damn shame. This is a great city, and despite all the negative and ill will (read between the lines from the "Winnipeg can't, too small, too poor" bs rhetoric), the financial backing will come along and make this possible.

You and me together. It's better to have a hope, than no hope at all. We all hear all that same BS too. So what if Winnipeg always get the short end of the stick, or the NHL will never come back to Winnipeg. Who knows what will happen in the future because frankly NOBODY knows what will REALLY happen in the next 20 years.

What we all know is that, we HAD an NHL team, and we HAD a financial backing to them. Yes, we can all agree that economics of the past have changed since then, but that's beside the point. The point is, there's still that dream, that hope of having an NHL team because we are big time hockey fans because of the baggage we had with the Jets before. If some guy from another city told us and say "yeah, you don't have a team anymore, get with the times" or "your city doesn't have the economic means to support an NHL team" or some sh*t like that, that's fine. They can blabber all they want about us NOT having a team. "Dream on" you might say!? F**K YES!!

Whether you naysayers like it or not, we will keep dreaming until that dream comes true. No matter what. Yes, the reality of what we're in right now is very daunting, but hey, it's better to dream than have no dream at all. We are a hockey town, we've demonstrated way too many times before. If this city is willing to sustain an NHL team, then they'll sustain one. The next move will be the commissioner's. If he decides not to, well hey, too bad, but we move on. At least the dream is still alive.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

Sorry, but this is a mythical number pulled out of your ass, similar to the IKEA criteria. Time will tell what happens, but I do know that the NHL does in fact need cities like Winnipeg, and not Atlanta or Phoenix. Sorry to burst your "Winnipeg can't achieve" Calgarian bubble, Johnny, but unlike you, I have confidence in this city.

So if Calgary and Edmonton might be in trouble in the current economy with 300 000 more people and a way bigger corporate base (wags_in_the_peg you are absolutely right, that is a huge factor), how will Winnipeg support another team? the Jets left for a reason.

Now before all you Winnipeggers get defensive, I want another team in Winnipeg, I could care less about Nashville or Atlanta, but the current economics of the NHL are such that Winnipeg can't compete.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by johnnyc

I would say that a population of 1 000 000 is the minimum to sustain a NHL team, and Winnipeg won't hit that mark for a long time. I would love to see a team there again, but I just doubt it will happen.

explain the green bay packers then!

i don't think it can be purely based on population, it's one of many factors. corporate sponsership is #1.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

explain the green bay packers then!

Haha... The predictable Green Bay argument. Go look at a map.

In fact I'll save you the time.

Q: Explain the Green bay Packers then?
A: Milwaukee

So unless winnipeg has a city of 2 million 1.5 hours from it.......

[Keng]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

Haha... The predictable Green Bay argument. Go look at a map.

In fact I'll save you the time.

Q: Explain the Green bay Packers then?
A: Milwaukee

So unless Winnipeg has a city of 2 million 1.5 hours from it.......

Milwaukee's population has nothing to do with Winnipeg getting an NHL franchise. They are two completely different leagues, and cannot be directly compared. But the Green Bay argument is a valid one. It is still an example of a relatively small NFL market within a very major league.
By your own argument Edmonton and Calgary should not have NHL teams...

[Prairie Guy]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

Haha... The predictable Green Bay argument. Go look at a map.

In fact I'll save you the time.

Q: Explain the Green bay Packers then?
A: Milwaukee

So unless winnipeg has a city of 2 million 1.5 hours from it.......

You sir, have all the ingredients for being an arrogant, pompous ass of an engineer.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

You sir, have all the ingredients for being an arrogant, pompous ass of an engineer.

He has a point...

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by Prairie Guy

You sir, have all the ingredients for being an arrogant, pompous ass of an engineer.

Is it because of my incredible powers of using sound reasoning to come to a conclusion that you suspect this?

Honorary iron ring to Johny...

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

explain the green bay packers then!

Easy.

The Green Bay Packers have had a loyal fan base filling the seats of Lambeau Field since 1957.

Had the Winnipeg Jets sold out an 18,000-20,000 seat arena every year, they would still be in Winnipeg.

[drew]

^ hey! What does being an engineer have anything to do with it!

I take offense to that assumption.

[Prairie Guy]

Originally Posted by drew

^ hey! What does being an engineer have anything to do with it!

I take offense to that assumption.

My apologies, I shouldn't lump all engineers into one stereotypical category. The rest of my statement stands.

[Pootkao]

If you were an owner with a guaranteed (and massive) amount of income from predictable sellouts, would you invest in better players?

A 2nd team in the Toronto market is the only way the Leafs will ever win a cup again. There's just no incentive for an owner to actually put a decent team on the ice.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Bettman is changing his tune about no more teams in canada rant that he has been on


http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...tml?id=1010737

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

Bettman is changing his tune about no more teams in canada rant that he has been on[/URL]

I swear, it doesn't matter from what angle any picture is taken, Butthead has got to be one of the ugliest guys out there I have yet to see a flattering picture of him.

[ILYR]

NHL owners facing gloomy economic picture
Last Updated: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 9:19 PM ET

The Canadian Press
Two economists addressed NHL team owners and executives at length about the state of the worldwide economy on Monday painting what league deputy commissioner Bill Daly termed a "pretty dark" picture.

Monday's board of governors meeting at the Breakers Hotel and Resort in Palm Beach, Florida, began with an agenda that included a discussion about the salary cap but talk of the economy went on so long that it was pushed back to Tuesday's session.

In fact, the governors hardly ended up delving into the business of hockey at all.

"The discussion was even more global than North American or related to hockey," said Ottawa Senators president Roy Mlakar. "It's really what's going on in the world, even on how it's impacted on China, Japan, other countries. This wasn't just hockey-related today … we have never been in this position in my 20-who-knows-how-many years in the National Hockey League, we've never seen anything like this.

"And I give [commissioner] Gary [Bettman] and Bill [Daly] credit for having the foresight to know that we should have people who are experts in this industry come in and tell us what they think is going on, what the long-term forecasting is."

The meetings began with plenty of rumours and speculation about struggling franchises that are hemorrhaging money.

Before they could even get underway, a report surfaced that the Buffalo Sabres are actively seeking a new owner.

Sabres officials deny that team is for sale

Managing partner Larry Quinn quickly denied that, but did admit that they have been approached "four or five times" since the lockout ended.

"We're not shopping for a buyer at all," said Quinn. "We listen to things that people say to us so I would say over the course of the last three years there's been a number of times where people have called and say, 'I've got this idea or maybe I want to buy, etc., etc.'

"We always listen. But we are not shopping the team and right now we're not selling it."

The extent of the economic troubles opened some eyes, particulary from Canadians in the room who weren't aware of how bad things have gotten in some American cities.

"They went into it deeper," said Edmonton Oilers CEO Patrick LaForge. "Job losses, the depth and the length, in their view, of the recession. It was sobering. I hadn't heard it in that kind of detail, and if you're in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, you're just not running into a lot of U.S. economists. You get a bit of a western Canadian view.

"When you look at all of North America, it becomes a little a more dark and deep."

Even still, there seemed to be a nearly united message from owners that they can't fall victim to fear and panic.

Meeting in luxurious surroundings

A league official said the governors considered trying to cancel the meetings altogether, perhaps worried about the perception of gathering at a luxury hotel in such rough economic times. However, the rooms had been booked months in advance and would have to be paid for anyway.

One thing the NHL isn't considering is following the NBA's lead and trimming staff.

"Clearly we have a hiring freeze, we're not filling head count," said Daly. "But at this point we're not eliminating positions. We're just looking to cut expenses all over the organization."

Interestingly, one of the only issues discussed that wasn't directly related to the economy involved the league getting more involved in Europe.

The owners gave the thumbs-up to investigating the possibility of investing in the Champions Hockey League — a tournament contested between club teams on the continent that is currently in its inaugural season. That idea is likely years from reaching reality, but the NHL is clearly in no position to ignore anything that could lead to more revenue.

"It's a tournament they have over there, the question is where would we be as part of that?" said Colin Campbell, the NHL's director of hockey operations. "They like what we have as far as our structure, our history, but what do we bring to them? It's not something [the governors] said no to."

Leafs are league's wealthiest team

Despite a spike in attendance in Boston, the Eastern Conference leading Bruins are among a number of teams with concerns.

"Business is going to be difficult in Boston next year, I know," said owner Jeremy Jacobs. "And it's difficult now. So we have to really take care of our fans and make sure we play good hockey and keep winning."

Even the Toronto Maple Leafs are proceeding with caution. The franchise is easily the league's wealthiest, but new president and GM Brian Burke doesn't believe the team's business is infallible.

"We don't think any industry and certainly no team is recession-proof. It's that simple," he said. "Our fan base and our corporate base are facing the same challenges as everyone else.

"You see what's happening in NASCAR. You can't argue that it's not having an affect on professional sports."

[Archiseek]

Was at the Habs Rangers game last thursday night - what a freaking arena, amazing... the crowd was the anti-winnipeg crowd, stayed in their seats until the hooter

[Smron]

Originally Posted by Archiseek

Was at the Habs Rangers game last thursday night - what a freaking arena, amazing... the crowd was the anti-winnipeg crowd, stayed in their seats until the hooter

Yeah, I went to a playoff game in the spring in Montreal. What an experience. I took a couple videos of the crowd before the game as a momento. We were in the nosebleed section and they were still pretty good seats. After the game my ears were ringing for the next 24 hours.

P.S. Archiseek I think I saw you at a bus stop on Graham a couple months ago and looked at you strangely. I apologize, I was just trying to figure out if it was you or not. But I'm pretty sure it was.

[newflyer]

The Winnipeg Sabers???