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It looks like there might be a local bid put forth by the end of this week to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix (or Glendale). This news come a week after bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled against Jim Balsillie’s attempt (and June 29th deadline) to purchase and move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.
The Coyotes organization lost at least $45 million last season, was last in the league with ticket revenue at $18.4-million, and has lost $316 million since moving to Phoenix in 1996. The organization did not even meet enough of the trigger criterion set by the NHL to receive their full ($15 million) league revenue sharing money, which is the highest in the league. The Coyotes also only averaged about 11,000 fans per game last season at Jobing.com Arena.
In other news…
the Montreal Canadiens were sold to the Molson brothers (mmmm, beeer) by George Gillett for perhaps at much as $555 million.
Over the weekend, our favorite mini-commish Gary Bettman made his first appearance at an NHLPA meeting in Las Vegas. The meeting lasted nearly two hours and the biggest topic of discussion had to do with steroid and performance enhancing drug use in the NHL. Bettman and the players seemed to agree that it wasn’t much of an issue in the league, and nothing was decided on the issue of drug testing in the future. For Bettman… typical talk and PR. Furthermore, the NHL’s TV contract also came up in the meeting… it seems as though players want the league to move to ESPN, but the little man sticks to his original terrible decision to put and keep the games on NBC and Versus.
Glendale, Vs. and only six Canadian teams. What’s happened to this league? Bettman….Please resign you prick, I can’t take it anymore. I am so going to side with the players in the NEXT work stoppage (and there will be another one in which this time Bettman burns like Goodenowe did in 05). Go get him, Paul. Sick’em boys.
hix poor writes
“I am so going to side with the players in the NEXT work stoppage (and there will be another one in which this time Bettman burns like Goodenow did in 05). Go get him, Paul. Sick’em boys”
If there is another work stoppage and the end result includes 1) no more NHL hockey in Phoenix, 2) the league going onto a channel which is seen by millions of Americans (the ESPN Networks) and getting rid of Versus (which is seen by only 500 people) & NBC (who does only one game of hockey a week and controls Stanley Cup scheduling while paying ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for NHL TV rights), 3) more Canadian teams and 4) getting rid of the biggest criminal mastermind in the world of sports… Gary Bettman, I will be in 100% support of another work stoppage.
Here’s hoping that the Montreal Canadiens fans boo Bettman very loudly at the NHL draft this Friday night at the Bell Centre and while he hogs the microphone, the crowd in Montreal tells the little mental midget to STFU
Game over NHL. I can’t wait for the next work stoppage. That coincides with Bettman’s demise. The players will run roughshod over the league next time. The NHL is a gutless failure, led by a dilitant. 1. Failing franchises placed in areas that had no damn business in having a team. 2. Rampant, out-of-control, desperate over-expansion. 3. A failing business model, that led to the proliferation of extravagant salaries. 4. Usage of criminals like Boots to purchase franchises at the expense of real owners like JB. 5. Lying about the condition of the league to the press. 6. Using a cable network that can’t be seen in most motels or bars. How sick can it get? Bettman would have been fired a long time ago in any other business venture. His reelection bid would have been a joke if it were a political situation.
After PHX, there are plenty more for the taking. The shit is getting ready to hit the fan in TB. The new owners in FLA will soon realize 4000 local TV viewers a game will hardly feed the dog. ATL is a disaster of a sports market in general, much less hockey. Wouldn’t support Braves in heyday. Much of the market still struck on Mike Vick. Nashville just marking time and lighting Gary’s cigar. Bettman has more brushfires than SoCal on a hot dry day.
The Florida teams won’t survive in the NHL. I somewhat agree that Atlanta is a disaster of a sports market. They are good when it comes to college sports and the Falcons but as for everyone else, there teams aren’t that great. Nashville might be okay now but wait until the current owners start crying because people don’t attend their games and then they decide to sell the team. Oh, and Phoenix won’t be in the NHL much longer. That’s a given. There is going to be a point within the next five years where the only southern markets in the NHL will be Dallas, Raleigh, and the three California teams (LA, SJ, ANA)
When the shit starts hitting the fan, there will be much rejoicing by millions after the little mental midget’s idioticy is fully exposed and then he is forced to resign with the end result being that there will be a better future for the National Hockey League without the involvement of that theiving criminal mastermind named Gary Bruce Bettman.
Sens Fan and others who comment at this site might want to shoot over to the Globe and Mail site and comment some. The folks have been beaten down with Bettman/MLSE propagandist/trolls. Go spread the truth and kick ass.
1 million hockey fans in the GTA are going to get screwed. For what? So a napoleonic tyrant can keep his legacy intact. What about Manitoba? Who knows, Maybe even QC? They can atleast fill a building. While many markets in USA struggle to get 4000 to tune in on TV. The most fertile hockey market on the planet(by far) has only one team. This is not about JB (internationalist), Rich Rhodier (rogue lawyer) or me( southern US hockey fan), its about fairness.
Perhaps the BettmanHL will take on the Coyotes as they did the Penguins (twice) and give them a championship. It could happen–Uncle Gary hates to be wrong.
Gary Bettman and the idiots ruining the NHL have signed an extension with NBC through the 2010-2011 season.
Here is a quote from the single largest Napoleonic fraud in the history of all sports:
“The NHL/NBC partnership has been terrific. Our association has led to such technical innovations as the ‘Inside the Glass’ reporting and to such programming advancements as the extremely popular Winter Classic,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was broadcast television’s most-watched hockey game in 36 years, which makes clear the NHL and NBC are building an audience, are building momentum and are perfectly positioned to continue growing the game.”
Buliding an audience by preventing the Detroit & Pittsburgh clubs from having Stanley Cup watch parties outside the rink for fear of lost ratings? Perfectly postioned to continue growing the game… Boneheaded decisions such as allowing NBC to dictate scheduling of the Stanley Cup Finals by scheduling games for Sunday & Friday nights and showing one game on Sundays at 12:30 pm et? Moving the Coyotes to possibly Las Vegas where at least half the arena will be empty just like in Phoenix as opposed to the Hamilton/Goldenhorse Shoe region which will sell out the Copps Coliseum every night?
To the league’s board of governors who read this website: If it’s your prerogative to keep Gary Bettman as the commissioner of the National Hockey League and when people decide to cut down on watching the NHL or stop altogether, DO NOT go crying to the public when attendance and television ratings are down in your respective markets. However, if your objective is to find enough owners who choose to form a bloc and decide to get rid of Mr. Bettman, then MAYBE the same people who have cut down or have entirely stopped watching the NHL will once again watch on television and come back to the rinks in mass numbers. Think about that before the biggest criminal mastermind in the history of sports ruins the NHL forever.
hix poor Jun 23rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Sens Fan and others who comment at this site might want to shoot over to the Globe and Mail site and comment some. The folks have been beaten down with Bettman/MLSE propagandist/trolls. Go spread the truth and kick ass.
You might also want to join the Vancouver Canuck message board, I am tired of battling Bettman trolls alone
where is gretsky