The Real Victims of Franchise Relocation
It is around noon on Tuesday when I am hammering out this blog and at this very moment the announcement is being made that the Atlanta Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg. I know that the media in Canada (and some in the northern USA) and the countless trolls will be dancing and trumpeting how Atlanta was a bad market and no one here likes hockey…blah, blah. I am not going into detail on the reason the Thrashers moved, I think this YouTube video explains things better than I ever could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_dSIvoQfuQ
Anyway, what I do want to say on the topic is how bad I feel for the fans here in Atlanta. I should start off saying I am not a Thrashers fan; my team is the Chicago Blackhawks. I started warming up to the Thrashers last season because they had a four players (but finished the year with two) from our Cup winning team. Yes, I will miss the convince of having a team here and easily seeing my team (but because the Hawks are in the Western Conference they only come once every two years) play or just getting to go to an NHL game.
However, there are people like my friend Mike who has been a season ticket holder since day one (his name is on that season ticket holder’s wall) that I am feeling for on this day. I know that he has put a lot of time and money into this team and has had it ripped from his heart and city.
So when you trolls are on boards talking about people not caring about hockey, I bet Mike has laid down more money in a season than you will in your whole life. Oh, before you say “I play hockey” well, he does too!
I just want to know if the NHL gets money to pay for its boondoggle in Phoenix and Atlanta Spirit Group (A$G) gets its cut of the blood money, where is Mike’s check? That brings me to the first idea I have, because if these were adopted it would make franchise relocation a tougher sell in the future.
First, I would force the people who look to move the team to have to payback season ticket holders. I know, some will think that is crazy, but why, like I said before, should the NHL get to cover its losses in Phoenix and furthermore why should the lying A$G clowns get to walk with cash while Thrasher fans hold the bag. I mean, A$G never wanted this franchise, ran it in the dirt and then made it impossible for anyone to keep the team in Atlanta (IMHO) are getting to profit from their incompetents. While guys like Mike, who under good faith, put their love and money into the Thrashers not only lose their team but no one is cutting them a check for their investment. I say, that the season ticket holders get compensated off the top of the sale and then the NHL and (insert owner or owners) split the rest.
The second thing is also simple, if you take public money for ANY reason your books are open. That right if you are suckling on the public tit then we get to see where that money goes. This would allow the public (who is helping subsidies some of these franchises in all leagues not just hockey) to know if they are being told “the truth: about how much money is being lost, and if money is shuffled around to make things look worse. This would show the public and fans the real truth or if they are being sold a bill of goods.
I mean on the You Tube post I have a linked above, the New York Islanders have averaged 12,339 over the last 20 years while the Thrashers have averaged 14,885 over the history of the franchise (oh, by the way Phoenix has averaged 14,443 during its time in the desert). While both numbers are not great by what we have been told the Islanders are a worse hockey market than Atlanta, and the Islanders losses should be double or triple that of the Thrashers. If you don’t want us to see your books, don’t come to the public with your hand out.
I just want to irritate this wasn’t the fans fault (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/712210-franchise-assassins-how-the-atlanta-sprit-group-killed-the-thrashers and http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/05/31/thrashers-atlanta-were-never-given-a-chance/). The A$G ran this team in the ground and the NHL lied about standing behind the city of Atlanta, because the ATL wasn’t prepared to subsidize losses like the city of Glendale.
Finally in closing, a message to the people of Winnipeg, I am not going to trash your city like some have done on message boards (i.e. calling it a cow town and such). I have a friend who has visited your fair city and say it is nice and I love Canada, so my problem is not with Winnipeg itself. No this is the whole relocation business.
I was against the move of the Jets to Phoenix in 1996, like I was of Quebec and Hartford. I loved the old Winnipeg Arena with the photo of the Queen. So, when it came to light that the Coyotes might move back to Winnipeg, even though I don’t like franchise relocation, I did think it rewrote a wrong that happen 15 years ago (all of that Jet history would have returned like it should). But with this move you have become what you have hated for 15 years Winnipeg, Franchise Thieves!
With that said, I just want Winnipeggers to know I won’t be cheering for you (and that hurts because one of “my boys” Dustin Byfuglien will be on your team) and I will not be hoping for success. If five or ten years down the line you happen to be in the same spot as Atlanta, as your team packs up for greener pastures in Hamilton, I know there will be no sympathy from this corner. I once heard this line and it is never truer, you know hockey is a great game because it survives the idiots that run it.
Edit: I read the blog of the Ice Man on the AJC site and I just wanted to link to it because he describes what happen with the Thrashers better than I ever could, well said.
http://blogs.ajc.com/iceman-thrashers-blog/2011/05/31/thrasherville-will-not-soon-forget-what-atlanta-spirit-did-here/?cxntfid=blogs_iceman_thrashers_blog
Edit 2: Funny just heard on PTI that NHL Commish Gary Bettman warnedWinnipeg Atlanta Southern Ontario .
Anyway, what I do want to say on the topic is how bad I feel for the fans here in Atlanta. I should start off saying I am not a Thrashers fan; my team is the Chicago Blackhawks. I started warming up to the Thrashers last season because they had a four players (but finished the year with two) from our Cup winning team. Yes, I will miss the convince of having a team here and easily seeing my team (but because the Hawks are in the Western Conference they only come once every two years) play or just getting to go to an NHL game.
However, there are people like my friend Mike who has been a season ticket holder since day one (his name is on that season ticket holder’s wall) that I am feeling for on this day. I know that he has put a lot of time and money into this team and has had it ripped from his heart and city.
So when you trolls are on boards talking about people not caring about hockey, I bet Mike has laid down more money in a season than you will in your whole life. Oh, before you say “I play hockey” well, he does too!
I just want to know if the NHL gets money to pay for its boondoggle in Phoenix and Atlanta Spirit Group (A$G) gets its cut of the blood money, where is Mike’s check? That brings me to the first idea I have, because if these were adopted it would make franchise relocation a tougher sell in the future.
First, I would force the people who look to move the team to have to payback season ticket holders. I know, some will think that is crazy, but why, like I said before, should the NHL get to cover its losses in Phoenix and furthermore why should the lying A$G clowns get to walk with cash while Thrasher fans hold the bag. I mean, A$G never wanted this franchise, ran it in the dirt and then made it impossible for anyone to keep the team in Atlanta (IMHO) are getting to profit from their incompetents. While guys like Mike, who under good faith, put their love and money into the Thrashers not only lose their team but no one is cutting them a check for their investment. I say, that the season ticket holders get compensated off the top of the sale and then the NHL and (insert owner or owners) split the rest.
The second thing is also simple, if you take public money for ANY reason your books are open. That right if you are suckling on the public tit then we get to see where that money goes. This would allow the public (who is helping subsidies some of these franchises in all leagues not just hockey) to know if they are being told “the truth: about how much money is being lost, and if money is shuffled around to make things look worse. This would show the public and fans the real truth or if they are being sold a bill of goods.
I mean on the You Tube post I have a linked above, the New York Islanders have averaged 12,339 over the last 20 years while the Thrashers have averaged 14,885 over the history of the franchise (oh, by the way Phoenix has averaged 14,443 during its time in the desert). While both numbers are not great by what we have been told the Islanders are a worse hockey market than Atlanta, and the Islanders losses should be double or triple that of the Thrashers. If you don’t want us to see your books, don’t come to the public with your hand out.
Finally in closing, a message to the people of Winnipeg, I am not going to trash your city like some have done on message boards (i.e. calling it a cow town and such). I have a friend who has visited your fair city and say it is nice and I love Canada, so my problem is not with Winnipeg itself. No this is the whole relocation business.
I was against the move of the Jets to Phoenix in 1996, like I was of Quebec and Hartford. I loved the old Winnipeg Arena with the photo of the Queen. So, when it came to light that the Coyotes might move back to Winnipeg, even though I don’t like franchise relocation, I did think it rewrote a wrong that happen 15 years ago (all of that Jet history would have returned like it should). But with this move you have become what you have hated for 15 years Winnipeg, Franchise Thieves!
With that said, I just want Winnipeggers to know I won’t be cheering for you (and that hurts because one of “my boys” Dustin Byfuglien will be on your team) and I will not be hoping for success. If five or ten years down the line you happen to be in the same spot as Atlanta, as your team packs up for greener pastures in Hamilton, I know there will be no sympathy from this corner. I once heard this line and it is never truer, you know hockey is a great game because it survives the idiots that run it.
Edit: I read the blog of the Ice Man on the AJC site and I just wanted to link to it because he describes what happen with the Thrashers better than I ever could, well said.
http://blogs.ajc.com/iceman-thrashers-blog/2011/05/31/thrasherville-will-not-soon-forget-what-atlanta-spirit-did-here/?cxntfid=blogs_iceman_thrashers_blog
Edit 2: Funny just heard on PTI that NHL Commish Gary Bettman warned
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