Jim Balsillie OUT!

[Chadd 916]

The only expansion team in recent memory that has been embraced by its city has been Minnesota. Other than them, it has been dismal as far as location goes... Atlanta, Columbus, and Nashville have not had a good fanbase so far.

The building was packed for the freaking draft in Columbus. They also finished #19 in attendance, not bad considering they finished the season at 33-42-7. The 16,400 fans they averaged is only 24 fewer per game than Pittsburgh, who had a ton of marketable young talent.

Our arena isn't too big here either but I mean I doubt theirs is much bigger. We did pretty good in the attendance this year I think. Every game I went to was a standing room sellout.

The games where they drew 12,000 or 15,000 really hurt the average.

[hockeytim18 0]

The games where they drew 12,000 or 15,000 really hurt the average.

That is a pretty good point. There are definitely those games we have. Unfortunately the fans are very supportive when the wins come but if a losing streak comes they go. But the fans are great when they are supporting the team.

[Chadd 916]

The games where they drew 12,000 or 15,000 really hurt the average.

That is a pretty good point. There are definitely those games we have. Unfortunately the fans are very supportive when the wins come but if a losing streak comes they go. But the fans are great when they are supporting the team.

Bandwagon fans are never "great".

[zingbergeur 0]

I've posted this before, but it should be said again Nashville had an average attendance higher than:

Phoenix, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, New York Islanders, and St. Louis.

Also, the attendance problem has much more to do with selling out what are traditionally considered corporate seats. The Preds get far less corporate support than an NHL franchise should be getting.

Lets move Boston and Chicago...those fans must not even know what hockey is.

[wallin2199 0]

I've posted this before, but it should be said again Nashville had an average attendance higher than:

Phoenix, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, New York Islanders, and St. Louis.

Also, the attendance problem has much more to do with selling out what are traditionally considered corporate seats. The Preds get far less corporate support than an NHL franchise should be getting.

Lets move Boston and Chicago...those fans must not even know what hockey is.

I agree that the Preds do not get enough corporate sponsorship, hence proving the fact that the fanbase they have isnt profitable to the NHL. Also, besides NJ and NY (who have two of the worst facilities in the NHL), none of those teams were even close to making the playoffs while the Preds had the 4th best record in the NHL.

[Fury of One 6]

Also, besides NJ and NY (who have two of the worst facilities in the NHL), none of those teams were even close to making the playoffs while the Preds had the 4th best record in the NHL.

The Devs and Islanders also compete with the Rangers who hold more of the fan base in the Tri-State area. NJ finished second in the east, so yeah they weren't close.

[Viking 1]

The question remains, though, if the Preds (or any other team, for that matter) were moved, what would be the best place for them to go?

The best place is one where someone might give a shit about hockey - since Minnesota already has a team, the only place left is Canada. Maybe put them in Winnipeg or something so the Leafs don't cry. Or working on the theory that the Leafs are only 1/30 of the league, say 'fuck the Leafs' and just make it a second team in Toronto (don't even bother with Hamilton) - I know MLSE would never let it happen, but if they could get their hands on the Ricoh Coliseum (they'd have to add more seating, but they'd have to do that in Hamilton anyway) or (maybe a little far-fetched, but indulge my fantasy for a moment) even refurbish Maple Leaf Gardens - one of those places would be the ideal places to have the team - if the Leafs didn't own the only other buildings in town that could even be made semi-suitable for NHL hockey, you could put the team in Toronto without having to build a whole new building. They'd be the #2 team in the city behind the Leafs, but it's not like the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets are going out of business. Toronto is the only NHL city that has the right combination of things to be a multi-team market - money, population, media, and hockey interest.

Trying a new U.S. market is just going to be the same old shit as in Nashville - you'll build an arena, dump a boatload of money into marketing and building a winning on-ice product, and nobody will care. For something sustainable and long-term, you have to look somewhere where you know they're still going to care about the team in 10 or 20 years, and Nashville isn't the answer, nor is Las Vegas or Kansas City or anywhere else - the LA Kings have been around 40 years now, and are really no further ahead than they were then.

[Chadd 916]

Any new NHL market in the US will take close to 10 years to develop and if they aren't willing to spend that long developing the market in Nashville, they aren't going to be willing to do it anywhere else.

[Bengalpredator 0]

Any new NHL market in the US will take close to 10 years to develop and if they aren't willing to spend that long developing the market in Nashville, they aren't going to be willing to do it anywhere else.

It will happen in Nashville it is just going to take a little more time. One guy at my work is now interested in hockey all because I told him about the Preds drafting two Notre Dame players this year, witch is where he went to school. Its going to take connection like that and once there is akid that grows up here and makes it to the NHL, even if he is a scrub. I guarantee that the support will come.

I agree that Nashville may not support the Preds the way that they deserve, but where else are they going to go that they will not have to start over from scratch. I know Canada, but I have talked with some of the higher up management with the Preds who are Canadian, and they don't think that there is anywhere in Canada that has the population, TV ratings, or money to support a team. The lone exception is around the Toronto area. Witch the Leafs will not let happen.

[zingbergeur 0]

Balsillie out for real this time

Leipold is preparing to sell the franchise to California businessman William DelBiaggio, who is expected to move the team to Kansas City instead.

[TheBert 0]

Balsillie out for real this time

Leipold is preparing to sell the franchise to California businessman William DelBiaggio, who is expected to move the team to Kansas City instead.

Other owners must be a little miffed. He's selling to DelBiaggio for $50 million less than Balsillie was offering. This brings down the potential value of every other team

[tomh7 2]

What's worse for business? An short term decrease in franchise value with no influence on long term value or having to deal with a guy like Balsillie.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Balsillie out for real this time

Leipold is preparing to sell the franchise to California businessman William DelBiaggio, who is expected to move the team to Kansas City instead.

Other owners must be a little miffed. He's selling to DelBiaggio for $50 million less than Balsillie was offering. This brings down the potential value of every other team

No, I believe it's been stated that Balsillie was overpaying for the team.

[RadioGaGa 162]

This has to be the first time in Jim's life that he hasn't been able to just throw around huge amounts of money and get exactly what he wants.

It's kinda fun to watch Billionaires stick it to other Billionaires.

[Viking 1]

Any new NHL market in the US will take close to 10 years to develop and if they aren't willing to spend that long developing the market in Nashville, they aren't going to be willing to do it anywhere else.

They were willing to spend that long to develop the market in Nashville - they waited nearly ten years, and did about everything right that you need to to make a sports franchise succeed (good facility, stable ownership, what apparently seemed to be good sports market, winning product) and it didn't work. At some point, you have to decide that you've been patient enough, and it's just not going to happen whether you give it ten years or a hundred. I think at this point, the NHL doesn't need another 10 year project on its hands. They've got franchises that have been around long enough that they can be officially declared failures (Florida) and ones that are still new enough that they can call them works in progress a little longer (Atlanta) but they don't need another one of either one of those things. Right now if I'm the NHL, I just want a new franchise where people are going to show up to the games, without a chance of failure, and start operating successfuly right away without giving me any headaches. They've got enough money-losing headache franchises as it is. Starting over with another one won't solve anything - they'd probably be better off staying in Nashville than moving to some other dead dog of a hockey market.

[Chadd 916]

The lockout hurt Nashville, as well as most smaller US markets. Nashville has only been a good team for a couple years now, they are/were just about to turn the corner in my opinion. That said, if local ownership had stepped up, there wouldn't be a problem with the team moving.

Atlanta isn't bad, given the fact they compete against teams in the other major pro sports as well as big-time college athletics in their market.

Florida has been an abject failure but I think that is due to poor ownership and management as much as anything else. Chicago has been a disaster for the better part of a decade thanks to bad management but because it is an original 6 city, people don't just blame the geography or the market.

[sabre09923 0]

There is a massive amount of potential in Columbus, they just aren't putting a winning product on the ice. Hopefully they get on the right track soon.

Personally, though, they need to get rid of failures like LA and Florida. The problem is that there's nowhere to put them, at least in the US.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Jim Balsillie v. NHL Round ??(what is this agin?)

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=239724&lid...=headlines_main

[Chadd 916]

Jim Balsillie v. NHL Round ??(what is this agin?)

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=239724&lid...=headlines_main

Can you say attention whore, I knew you could

[jds 20]

Why dump on him. Just because Bettman is pissed at Balsille personally he refuses to deal with him? Balsille wants to bring another team to Canada rather than sit back and watch the NHL continue to expand into the US market that is obviously not interested like Phoenix (even with Gretzky at the helm).Balsille has the cash and there is definitely an audience in Canada for another franchise. Bettman needs to actually think of the league and stop pretending that the southern states is interested in hockey.

[Chadd 916]

Why dump on him. Just because Bettman is pissed at Balsille personally he refuses to deal with him? Balsille wants to bring another team to Canada rather than sit back and watch the NHL continue to expand into the US market that is obviously not interested like Phoenix (even with Gretzky at the helm).Balsille has the cash and there is definitely an audience in Canada for another franchise. Bettman needs to actually think of the league and stop pretending that the southern states is interested in hockey.

The guy refuses to follow the NHL procedure before he buys a team, what makes you think he's going to follow the rules once he owns a team? He is absolutely not welcome in the NHL and it isn't just bettman.

[DarkStar50 679]

Let the other 29 owners find out and decide for themselves. George Steinbreener wasn't what's best for baseball but look at the Yankees and baseball now: $$$$$$$.

[Chadd 916]

Let the other 29 owners find out and decide for themselves. George Steinbreener wasn't what's best for baseball but look at the Yankees and baseball now: $$$$$$$.

I think Al Davis would end up being a better comparison

[mrusse01 0]

Let the other 29 owners find out and decide for themselves. George Steinbreener wasn't what's best for baseball but look at the Yankees and baseball now: $$$$$$$.

I think Al Davis would end up being a better comparison

I think Mark Cuban would be a better comparison.

Bettman allegedly has nothing to do with if Jim Balsillie buys a team or not, it's up to the other owners....I think in reality though Bettman has a bit of a grudge against him and is probably in the ear of a few ownership groups. If Balsillie wants a team bad enough, he'll get one eventually. With enough money you can buy anything.

[Chadd 916]

Let the other 29 owners find out and decide for themselves. George Steinbreener wasn't what's best for baseball but look at the Yankees and baseball now: $$$$$$$.

I think Al Davis would end up being a better comparison

I think Mark Cuban would be a better comparison.

Bettman allegedly has nothing to do with if Jim Balsillie buys a team or not, it's up to the other owners....I think in reality though Bettman has a bit of a grudge against him and is probably in the ear of a few ownership groups. If Balsillie wants a team bad enough, he'll get one eventually. With enough money you can buy anything.

Cuban is always trying to do what he believes is right, Balsillie is trying to do what will benefit him the most. Most of the owners want nothing to do with him and will not approve him as the owner of ANY franchise. Those other owners don't trust him not to screw them once he gets in.