NHL Board of Governors to approve opening of expansion process; Atlanta and Houston believed to be leading candidates

[Mike Jones]

About time to let go of this fantasy of yours isn't it.

Nope. For us taxpayers who've been watching our tax money fly into the pockets of Flames owners they can't leave fast enough.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

This sucks

 

[Mike Jones]

Is this a popular opinion in Calgary?

Judging from letters to the editor, online comments, and things people have said to me I'm not the only one who holds them (Both the need to cancel the arena deal and the need for the Flames to move). I haven't see poll numbers but there's a reason our city council and staff refused to send this to a plebiscite. We can't afford the disastrous deals and projects our current and former Mayors and councils have gotten us into. We have infrastructure that's literally cratering while our so-called leaders are signing sweetheart deals with groups like the Flames ownership.

 

[tarheelhockey]

You do realize that there's promotion and relegation in almost every European hockey league too? It's not only a thing in football. I wouldn't even watch my team if they somehow decided to close the SHL.

It may have merit in theory, but the chances of relegation ever being a thing in NA major leagues is permanently set at zero. Nobody would ever accept slashing two zeroes off their revenue and valuation by dropping into a minor league. The time to discuss that system was 100 years ago, it’s a done deal.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Nope. For us taxpayers who've been watching our tax money fly into the pockets of Flames owners they can't leave fast enough.

Pretty arrogant to claim to speak for all taxpayers no?
Well bad news. You lost, it's over. The Flames aren't going anywhere and never were.
Maybe focus all that energy on an injustice that actually matters. Or keep tilting at windmills if that's your thing.

 

[rojac]

QC is the cute girl the NHL hangs around for no other reason than to make the hottie they actually wanna bang jealous.

Really, I thought that QC was the girl that keeps throwing herself at the star quarterback even though the quarterback wants nothing to do with her.

 

[S E P H]

There are barely enough NHL calibre players to fill out 20-24 teams. Ice hockey just doesn't have the talent pool of a soccer or basketball.

It's better than basketball.

 

[Axe Man]

The league has too many teams already and it's only going to get worse. It's time to stop playing regular season games between the 2 conferences and only play games with teams in the same conference. I know it will never happen but that would be the best way to play more meaningful games and reignite rivalries.

 

[Mike Jones]

Pretty arrogant to claim to speak for all taxpayers no?
Well bad news. You lost, it's over. The Flames aren't going anywhere and never were.
Maybe focus all that energy on an injustice that actually matters. Or keep tilting at windmills if that's your thing.

Go back and read my posts about this topic again. I have never claimed that I speak for all taxpayers. I have done my homework, however. I have said that I know that I am not alone in holding these views and that there's a reason our mayor and council didn't seem to want to put the arena deal to a vote. And I don't care if we lost. I will never accept what our dangerously incompetent city council has done and will continue speaking out against the hideous deal. And I continue hoping and praying that the Flames do us a favour by leaving.

If you don't like people who disagree with your opinion then block my profile.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Atlanta again? Third time's the charm.

The first time was 50 years ago, but ok

 

[dj4aces]

Metro size is important, sure but look at Atlanta in the past - HUGE metro and they've lost two teams due to lack of interest.

The facts say differently, but we live in a world where people can make stuff up and call facts "fake news", so to each their own I guess.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Judging from letters to the editor, online comments, and things people have said to me I'm not the only one who holds them (Both the need to cancel the arena deal and the need for the Flames to move). I haven't see poll numbers but there's a reason our city council and staff refused to send this to a plebiscite. We can't afford the disastrous deals and projects our current and former Mayors and councils have gotten us into. We have infrastructure that's literally cratering while our so-called leaders are signing sweetheart deals with groups like the Flames ownership.

Damn that sucks, hopefully things get better down the road. Appreciate hearing a different perspective on this type of thing. In the meantime do you still root for the Flames or are you more of just a general NHL fan?

 

[SEALBound]

The facts say differently, but we live in a world where people can make stuff up and call facts "fake news", so to each their own I guess.

Except they don't. Owners don't sell money-making teams. Pretty easy to google why the Flames left. To quote wiki:

As the team stagnated on the ice, the Flames struggled at the gate. They peaked at an average of 14,161 fans per game in their second season, 1973–74, but fell to 12,258 three years later and then 10,500 in 1977–78.[26] Concerns that low attendance could result in the relocation of the team surfaced by 1976, prompting politicians and the players themselves to purchase tickets in a bid to stabilize the franchise.[40] The Flames attempted to boost attendance in 1980 by signing Jim Craig, goaltender of the American Olympic team that had won the Olympic gold medal following its "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet Union.[41] It was not successful as attendance fell to an average of 10,024.[26] Adding to the Flames' financial woes was the fact that the Omni Coliseum was one of the last major arenas in North America to be built without revenue-generating luxury suites, which led Fletcher to describe the facility as being "out-of-date when it opened".[3]

Now, yeah the Thrashers were a smidge different after being sold but let's not pretend they were playing high-quality hockey in front of sell out crowds. They tried to get local Atlanta investors to buy them and there was ultimately not enough interest to keep them there. To quote wiki again:

Due to financial losses and ownership struggles, the team was frequently a target of relocation rumors. In later years, reports saw the team courted by suitors intending to relocate to Kansas City, Quebec City, Hamilton, or Winnipeg.[10][11] On January 22, 2011, the team's ownership group claimed it had lost US$130 million in the last six years, partially as a result of an ongoing lawsuit with former partner Steve Belkin.[12] In February 2011, majority owner Michael Gearon stated that the team would be seeking new investors.[13] Various local groups announced their intent to purchase the franchise and keep it in Atlanta,[14][15] but ultimately the team was sold to the Canadian group True North Sports & Entertainment.

So twice, there was a team in Atlanta, there was low attendance, and significant financial losses. So they moved.

If you're a former Thrashers fan, I get it. YOU were into it but that hardly means the city was. Call it Fake News if the facts hurt your feelings but as they say "the truth hurts sometimes".

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Except they don't. Owners don't sell money-making teams. Pretty easy to google why the Flames left. To quote wiki:


Now, yeah the Thrashers were a smidge different after being sold but let's not pretend they were playing high-quality hockey in front of sell out crowds. They tried to get local Atlanta investors to buy them and there was ultimately not enough interest to keep them there. To quote wiki again:


So twice, there was a team in Atlanta, there was low attendance, and significant financial losses. So they moved.

If you're a former Thrashers fan, I get it. YOU were into it but that hardly means the city was. Call it Fake News if the facts hurt your feelings but as they say "the truth hurts sometimes".

Owners to blame for Thrashers' failure

Better source than Wikipedia

 

[Macblender]

The league needs to do a better job marketing itself in the US. I see no problem in having 28-29 US teams with the Canadian market being saturated.

If you can grow the game in the states so we can hopefully have more and more players coming up it would be awesome long term. The product sure is diluted short term but as long as there is an actual plan to greatly expand the audience then yeah it isn’t great. I think Houston is a great option though.

I honestly have no clue how they are so crap at marketing the sport. Literally skill play, big hit, and fighting ads every NFL commercial break or prime time show break in the US would help or anything at all. When I was in the states two weeks ago it seemed like every commercial break had 2 nfl related ads.

Lastly I guess for growing the game initially diluting the talent and having the skill players feast isn’t a bad thing

 

[SEALBound]

Owners to blame for Thrashers' failure

Better source than Wikipedia

That's fine, you can try to spin it however you want. Two failed teams. Atlanta should NOT be given third chance.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

That's fine, you can try to spin it however you want. Two failed teams. Atlanta should NOT be given third chance.

You can spin and go to Wikipedia and include teams from 50 years ago all you want. Atlanta SHOULD AND WILL get an expansion team

 

[dj4aces]

That's fine, you can try to spin it however you want. Two failed teams. Atlanta should NOT be given third chance.

That's certainly an interesting way of admitting you're wrong.

 

[SEALBound]

That's certainly an interesting way of admitting you're wrong.

Again, owners don't sell and move money-making teams. Two teams in Atlanta have failed, and it's literal insanity to give them a third.

Pretend all you want that it was something different. All came down to the dollars and at the end of the day, there wasn't enough to keep them there.