Post by 22canuk on Mar 25, 2011 20:40:05 GMT -5
I was thinking what keeps driving the NHL to keep it in Phoenix when almost any other City (Wpg, KC, Seattle, Quebec, Hamilton, etc.) make way more sense.....................and then I thought............price!
Atlanta
Now here me out.............Winnipeg has always been circling around Atlanta for years. Because of the economics there, ownership lawsuits, disinterest in hockey and arena ownsership/options......the price for Atlanta is fairly low if you want to keep the team there. In fact, if you are buying the team to play in an arena that has to pass on other profitable events....I would say that a "sweat heart" lease deal is unlikely. Additionally, the current owner can obviously make more money selling to someone that wants to move the team......so it is in the current owners best interest to almost poison the current market and force relocation.
So what if TNSE really does have a purchase price/hand shake deal in place that was done earlier this year that many have suspected. Lets say in realistic terms I cannot imagine that the team is worth more than $100 million or even $130 million......which of course the Atlanta owners would take in 2 seconds. But now comes along the Phoenix circus..................
Phoenix
So Phoenix shows up and more importantly....old GWI starts ripping down all the balloons and throws away the party cake. This is the perfect deal for the NHL........they get to sell the team for $170 - $210 million which helps to support the estimated values of the other teams and of course, the NHL gets all of their money back. This is the key part.........they over paid for the franchise to protect the leagues interest in deciding on when teams relocate and not individual owners.....Bettman also promises all the other current owners that I will not waist any of your money.
But GWI has totally Go Jets Go-blocked them. So Bettman turns to TNSE and says......help guys......got a sweat deal and I need you to help me out...plus you get to put the old Jets banners up. Are you interested? "Of course" says TNSE......where do you want me to send my $100 to $130 million cheque? I am totally doing you a favour already by overpaying for the rights to Atlanta but we cannot afford to pay what you need.....sorry we are out! We will take either team for our initial offer but we cannot make it work for $170+ million.
Whether or not Hulzizer has enough money to pay for everything or not.....the reality is that franchise in its current location is worthless. The best deal that the league is going to get for its franchise is clearly through the CoG or relocation to Winnipeg. There preference is CoG because they are going to get the most money there.
The only other place I can see them getting their money back is another team in the greater Toronto area and that is a discussion for another thread.
I think all of the remaining cities that are often mentioned are of course interested but they are not "traditional" hockey markets. Paying $100+million for a franchise for a sport and league that struggles in a majority of Cities does not make sense. If any of the Cities were given a team or had a $30 million price tag.....I believe there would be a ton of interest.
I truely believe that Winnipeg is the only current market that would over pay a little to get a team because of the interest. Quebec would only be the other one but they likely would buy on the low end as well until their new rink is up and working.
So....what do you think? Or have I had too much Kool-aid.
Atlanta
Now here me out.............Winnipeg has always been circling around Atlanta for years. Because of the economics there, ownership lawsuits, disinterest in hockey and arena ownsership/options......the price for Atlanta is fairly low if you want to keep the team there. In fact, if you are buying the team to play in an arena that has to pass on other profitable events....I would say that a "sweat heart" lease deal is unlikely. Additionally, the current owner can obviously make more money selling to someone that wants to move the team......so it is in the current owners best interest to almost poison the current market and force relocation.
So what if TNSE really does have a purchase price/hand shake deal in place that was done earlier this year that many have suspected. Lets say in realistic terms I cannot imagine that the team is worth more than $100 million or even $130 million......which of course the Atlanta owners would take in 2 seconds. But now comes along the Phoenix circus..................
Phoenix
So Phoenix shows up and more importantly....old GWI starts ripping down all the balloons and throws away the party cake. This is the perfect deal for the NHL........they get to sell the team for $170 - $210 million which helps to support the estimated values of the other teams and of course, the NHL gets all of their money back. This is the key part.........they over paid for the franchise to protect the leagues interest in deciding on when teams relocate and not individual owners.....Bettman also promises all the other current owners that I will not waist any of your money.
But GWI has totally Go Jets Go-blocked them. So Bettman turns to TNSE and says......help guys......got a sweat deal and I need you to help me out...plus you get to put the old Jets banners up. Are you interested? "Of course" says TNSE......where do you want me to send my $100 to $130 million cheque? I am totally doing you a favour already by overpaying for the rights to Atlanta but we cannot afford to pay what you need.....sorry we are out! We will take either team for our initial offer but we cannot make it work for $170+ million.
Whether or not Hulzizer has enough money to pay for everything or not.....the reality is that franchise in its current location is worthless. The best deal that the league is going to get for its franchise is clearly through the CoG or relocation to Winnipeg. There preference is CoG because they are going to get the most money there.
The only other place I can see them getting their money back is another team in the greater Toronto area and that is a discussion for another thread.
I think all of the remaining cities that are often mentioned are of course interested but they are not "traditional" hockey markets. Paying $100+million for a franchise for a sport and league that struggles in a majority of Cities does not make sense. If any of the Cities were given a team or had a $30 million price tag.....I believe there would be a ton of interest.
I truely believe that Winnipeg is the only current market that would over pay a little to get a team because of the interest. Quebec would only be the other one but they likely would buy on the low end as well until their new rink is up and working.
So....what do you think? Or have I had too much Kool-aid.