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The Official TOTA Toronto Maple Leafs/Hockey Talk Thread (pg. 202)
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| Balsillie should step up and take a stab at it. Not sure if he has the cash on hand though personally. |
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| zyklon-jay |
Bettman would axe that. Balsillie will never own a hockey team. Bettman losing 30 milion a year in Phoenix to prevent that from happening essentially shows you how much the league GM's want to keep Jim out of the NHL. Rightfully so, he tried to bully his way into the nhl by using the media, which blackballed him for life. He will never get a team...
He is not wanted on the board of NHL governors, and many other owners made that quite clear publicly when he tried to buy the coyotes. Not to mention the owners did not lose all of the money blocking a deal, to turn around and sell the guy one of the most profitable franchises. |
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Bettman can right off.
Honestly, I think Balsillie has gotten a bad rep, just because of the media hype that surrounds him. And Gary seems to have some sort of vendetta against him. He wants an NHL team. What's so bad about that? Nobody wanted to pony up cash in Pittsburgh for so long, but Balsillie was more then happy to. Same with Phoenix who are loosing money hand over fist right now. I would also say he isn't bullying his way in. His intentions have always been widely known. When a team comes up for sale, he puts his money where his mouth is. Nothing wrong with that. Let these small market American franchises fail and give them to people who have cash on hand and want them to succeed, regardless of which market their in. |
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| zyklon-jay |
Bettman represents 30 other owners, in which the vast majority of them do not want Balsillie in the NHL. Can they off too? The guy is a loose cannon and he made his own bed by acting completely unprofessional
and trying to hold the league hostage with the media. Its never going to happen. Had Jim shut his big mouth, he might have had a team by now.
Bettman didn't screw Jim, Jim screwed Jim. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| Balsilly had a chance to play by Bettman's rules and he didn't. If he would have played nice he would be the proud owner of a money pit franchise right now. |
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| zyklon-jay |
| I'll add that the biggest blocker in the whole affair was the owners of your beloved maple leafs. |
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Mark Cuban has a big mouth too, its working out pretty well for him lol
I get Bettman is just doing his job. But I don't see why other owners have to get involved. It's business. How does Balsilie owning a team effect them in any way (other then conference relocation possibly, which is long overdue for an overhaul anyways, imo). God forbid they don't get along. I honestly think if the NHL had more outspoken characters who didn't hide in the boardrooms, it would be a benefit. I can't wait till Bettmans reign is up.
Yeah I know MLSE was adamant about blocking another team relocation to southern ontario. I understand why of course, but I also think they're out of line. They shouldn't be entitled to a monopoly in the greater horseshoe. In Toronto, yes. In the GTA, sure. But, that should be about it. Let the market dictate whether another team can sustain itself here, not the Leafs front office. |
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| zyklon-jay |
The NBA is not the NHL. Argue all you want, but it will never happen. Bettman still answers to 30 owners who voted no to Jim the last time. The other owners get involved, because that is how the nhl board of governors works. Do a little research;)
The NHL does not need outspoken owners. It needs a marketable product with consistent rules that don't change every 2 weeks and further alienate an ignorant American market.
How would a big mouth benefit the NHL's bottom line aka $$$$? I would love to hear your argument, because there is not one to be made.
If the ownership being entertaining and providing negative attention via sound-bytes is more important to you than the product on the ice, it says tons to the sad state of the game.
An owner protecting his investment is not out of line. While it may suck for the fans, they are not the ones who will see their bottom line affected. We don't live in a fantasy world of PLUR and skittles. With all of the money MLSE gives to lower tier teams via revenue sharing, the most certainly do have the option and are not out of line. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| The NHL owners is an old boys club...they only allow those in that play by their rules. |
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^^^
I'm not arguing, I'm having a conversation, it just so happens we don't see eye to eye. Nothing wrong with that. ;)
I would suggest that the NHL is a marketable product, in markets that care about hockey. Let's stop trying to build the game in the sunshine belt, when you have cities further North that would love an NHL team and have no problem supporting one. Sure, a team in Quebec City does nothing for the NHL in regards to securing a lucrative US TV deal. But loosing 30M a year in Phoenix while your playing for 8K people in your arena doesn't really help either. Let's face it, Bettman is more then happy to be in these weak markets just so he has a regional presence, and not because he cares about the game.
I don't care about the NHL's bottom line. I care about hockey.
And in regards to revenue sharing.... isn't the ultimate goal to have every team fully sustainable itself? This isn't going to happen when you have southern American markets who care more about arena football then they ever will about hockey. Yet, our Canadian teams funnel millions to these franchises just so they can continue to exist. |
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| zyklon-jay |
Caring about the NHL's bottom line is caring about hockey. While what you would like would be entertaining, the past dictates that a mere shift in things like the economy and exchange rate can kill a canadian team with a big fanbase in a small market.
Phoenix was the fastest growing American market since 00. It has gained over 1.2 million in population in only the last 10 years. No Canadian city without a team comes close. A 4 million+ market in full expansion is worth pursuing to the NHL, especially because the growth of this market is big in the 18-35 demographic vs the traditional retirement community Phoenix is known for.
I don't think it will work, but this is their reasoning. You aren't going to grow the game internationally abroad in Canada. Merchandising is where the international buck comes from, not ticket sales. International fans do not watch small market teams. The proof is in the market research...i'll try and find the pdf report on this.
The economics are shady at best, even with full arenas in quebec and hamilton. Winnipeg has to make the playoffs to make money for example;) |
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All good points. ;)
I guess I'm a purist of sorts. Regardless of what happens in America with these smaller markets and the NHL's bottom line, nothing will change in Toronto. Same with Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit. These are hockey cities. You don't need to market the game here, it sells itself, as it should.
The thing with Balsilie, whether the economics necessarily add up or not, is that I'm sure he would be more then happy to loose money on a team, year in - year out. He wants in because he's a Canadian boy who loves the game. Not because its a sound investment or that he thinks he might break even. These are the types of owners the NHL needs. Not investment groups who rely on subsidies from the city and revenue sharing just to exist.
In regards to the MLSE situation, I would love if a grassroots campaign was started to pool funds together and purchase the team. Imagine. The Leafs, Raptors and TFC all owned by the fans. Amazing. It's been done before (in different sports, on a smaller scale), but if it ever were to happen with hockey, Toronto would be the city to pull it off I reckon. |
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