Do-Over and we’re done for…
Tom Benjamin at Canucks Corner posted a link to the St. Louis Post Dispatch with regards to Gary’s Bettman’s plans post-lockout.
A clean slate summarizes what Gary is planning.
But Tom points out the worst comment in that article, a comment that effects all small-market fans who have fallen in love with the stars of there teams:
One scary quote for Stan Kasten, owner of the Atlanta Thrashers:
Let’s face it, hockey does not have a high profile right now. The top cadre of players aren’t well known enough. What can we do for a TV contract? Increase our appeal. The league won’t like me saying this, but Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash - these players have to be in (bigger markets). Your best and brightest young players have to be in your biggest media markets to give us a fighting chance.”
So basically, financial restraint = good with help of salary cap; building a star team in a small market through financial restraint and wise decisions = bad….
My firend that I talk to about the Lightning and the labor dispute tends to say that Tampa will be hit hardest by this lockout — not just for not seeing the Cup Champions on ice so soon after their championship… This city won’t take toa mediocre club again (as the Falcons/Phantoms game attendance showed) and even replacement players would hurt things in Tampa…
But who gives a shit about Tampa when New York needs a winner? When Toronto needs a winner? WHen Montreal needs a winner? When LA Needs a winner all for the sake of the NHL? Who gives a shit if the front office staffs of these franchsies are solely to blame for their teams suckage? Or for their big-spending, little-return ways?
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December 22nd, 2004 at 5:10 pm
John, did you honestly think a Springfield Falcons game on a weeknight was going to draw well in Tampa? Even the St. John’s Maple Leaf game played at the ACC on Wednesday, December 1st only drew about 7,000 people… and this is in supposedly hockey-starved Toronto! It’s hard enough to sell the AHL on a weeknight in any city, and Tampa is no exception.
December 22nd, 2004 at 5:45 pm
Stan,
Aren’t you the owner of Ilya Kovalchuk, Dany Healtley, and even Kari Lehtonen? What are you thinking? You don’t really consider your club as part of this ‘big media market’ do you?
December 22nd, 2004 at 5:58 pm
Atlanta in the south is the biggest market in the south…
It’s also considered one of the most fickle sports markets in the south as well :p
December 22nd, 2004 at 10:30 pm
AHL in Toronto has never been successful. The Roadrunners (Edmonton) moved, and besides the radio commentators having orgasms over Kyle Wellwood, there’s really not a lot of attraction to it. Toronto’s not really hockey-starved, just Leafs-starved.
December 23rd, 2004 at 5:46 pm
Although AQG, the Leafs are bringing their own AHL franchise to Toronto to play at Ricoh next season. I expect it will be one of the best drawing teams in the league.
December 23rd, 2004 at 11:06 pm
That may be so, but their moving also raises some serious questions about the credibility of the franchise … I mean, you can’t have two teams named the Toronto Maple Leafs. :p