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Post by Ric O. on Feb 21, 2008 19:12:23 GMT -5
^ You guys are in the wrong forum. This is ROTJ - nothing else will do. After we get our team back you can talk about other cities all you want. It should be obvious that I was being sarcastic if you're talking about me. I have no idea why ROTJ supporters are promoting Seattle, Portland, KC and Vegas or even Hamilton or QC as some kind of acceptable scenarios.
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Post by scottie65 on Mar 1, 2008 13:21:11 GMT -5
Preds, Dean Hammer Out Lease Arena deal was months in the making BY MICHAEL CASS • STAFF WRITER • MARCH 1, 2008 The Nashville Predators took the next big step toward securing a long-term future in Music City on Friday, as the team's new owners agreed to detailed terms of a more rewarding arena lease. But the Metro Sports Authority and Metro Council still must approve the agreement before it can take effect. And David Freeman, the leader of the Predators' ownership group, has not yet signed the lease. Freeman said that there was "no significance" to that omission, however, and that he wasn't aware he needed to sign. "This is terrific for the city of Nashville," he said. "We're absolutely committed to the deal." Hockey boosters hailed the deal as one more boost to Nashville's hopes of keeping the NHL team for many years. "It's good to see this moving toward completion in such a way that it encourages the continued presence of the Predators in Nashville," said Ralph Schulz, president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Predators' mostly local new owners, who say they want to do everything possible to keep the team here, say they need a more generous Sommet Center lease to have a chance financially. They bought the Predators for $193 million from Craig Leipold, who estimated his losses since 1998 at $70 million. Leipold bought the NHL's Minnesota Wild in January, reportedly for an estimated $260 million. The Predators' owners agreed to major lease terms with Mayor Karl Dean's administration on Nov. 16, three weeks before they took control of the team. Attorneys on both sides spent the past three months filling in the blanks, making 3,400 changes to the two primary documents governing the team's relationship with the city. Dean agreed to give the Predators $3 million a year for five years to manage the city-owned Sommet Center, $3.8 million a year in annual operating support and additional incentives to bring more events there. In exchange, the Predators agreed to stay in Nashville for five years. The team actually could leave after the 2009-10 season if it were to lose $20 million in that time and couldn't sell an average of 14,000 tickets a game, but it would repay Metro about $6.8 million a year. Dean said in a statement that he was pleased to see the documents completed. "The amended lease reflects the deal terms we agreed to in November," he said. "I think it is a deal that protects the city's investment while giving the local ownership group a chance to succeed." preds to get more money One new wrinkle in the proposal would let the Predators keep 100 percent of any payments from the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau on top of the $2 million a year in incentives the city previously agreed to. The bureau's president, Butch Spyridon, didn't return a phone call seeking comment on the amount or purpose of such payments. Freeman said the measure would reward the Predators' management for staging events that bring thousands of tourists to town but don't necessarily turn a profit for the arena itself. Rather than splitting the bureau payments with Metro, which the bureau works for, the Predators would keep all of the money. The proposal also appears to clear up a question that held up negotiations several weeks ago. The Predators can assign the lease to another organization, such as the owners' lenders, but must get the sports authority's approval first. The documents also reveal that Freeman, a Nashville venture capitalist, owns 32.63 percent of the team, while California-based William "Boots" Del Biaggio III and Warren Woo together own 31.58 percent. Del Biaggio and Woo are the only owners outside Middle Tennessee right now, though another California-based in vestor is awaiting National Hockey League approval. Nashville health-care executive Herb Fritch has the third-largest interest at 15.79 percent. The sports authority will meet Tuesday, but it's expected to call another meeting to give members more time to review the lease documents before voting. Contact Michael Cass at 259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com. tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080301/NEWS0202/803010362/1028
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Post by Hobble on Mar 1, 2008 15:07:30 GMT -5
^^^ Will this stop their need for an average of 14000 this season?!?
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Post by scottie65 on Mar 1, 2008 17:30:44 GMT -5
Nope - it still hangs out there like an albatross. My take on this is it simply means a new lease and more money to the team for greater control over the arena events. The team will never average 14,000 fans - its a lame duck that will likely play out the 5 years.
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Post by Kenny S on Mar 19, 2008 5:18:28 GMT -5
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Post by pbonomo on Mar 19, 2008 8:55:51 GMT -5
Take the + out of the link otherwise it won't work...
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Post by dbp1990 on Mar 20, 2008 2:49:54 GMT -5
Guys Guys Guys, forget Nasshville, focus on Atlanta............
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Post by scottie65 on Mar 20, 2008 14:00:19 GMT -5
atlanta and florida are the next likely candidates - although I dont know how long Phoenix can carry on like they are. Arena contracts keep them locked in, but I dont know how long an owner can continue to subsidize this franchise.
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Post by roosta604 on Apr 1, 2008 1:56:43 GMT -5
I'd love to get Phoenix back....but Atlanta or Panthers would work too lol... Here's my take on the preds...
Miss the playoffs = Good for Winnipeg because...
A) Lose Fans/ If you dont win people won't come to your games in nashville (lets remember last year when they actually WERE winning...) B) 3 Years comes along and Boots moves the team to KC because he's part owner of the preds C)Canadian fans will revolt if KC and Vegas both get teams before another Canadian City...I just think theres no way Bettman can do this after plugging us constantly if the scenario above happens
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Post by AfterBurner Blog (djdomain) on Apr 1, 2008 7:35:22 GMT -5
C)Canadian fans will revolt if KC and Vegas both get teams before another Canadian City... yeah.. i'm scared to think about how i'd feel about the NHL if that happened.
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Post by scottie65 on Apr 1, 2008 10:24:12 GMT -5
The NHL's already on life-supprt in my mind. Relocation/Expansion to any markets that dont include Winnipeg will kill it for me forever.
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Post by mcguire4 on Apr 1, 2008 12:05:16 GMT -5
i second that.
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Post by khall555 on Apr 4, 2008 5:33:04 GMT -5
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Post by WpgJets2008 on Apr 4, 2008 9:00:49 GMT -5
Appreciate the post Khall.
Appears to be some life after all from those beyond the hard core hockey fans in Nashville.
However, as we all know, one or more sellouts at the end of the season during a run to get into the playoffs, may not be enough to boost the overall season average seats sold to the required 14,000. Is anyone on this forum tracking the season attendance? I figure the media will have a story out once the regular season is over.
Time will tell if this year's playoffs will bring out more fans this season and the next 2 (for the balance of the new arena lease). Anything can happen, but the last 10 years doesn't bode well for the team going foward.
By the way, what is the sentiment in Nashville with Craig Leipold selling the team, crying that he can't lose the amounts of cash he has been, then within about 40 days later, he buys the Minnesota Wild? It was like watching an episode of "Flip This House". The fans there must be a bit bitter, no?
Chris
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Post by khall555 on Apr 4, 2008 15:36:37 GMT -5
Appreciate the post Khall. Appears to be some life after all from those beyond the hard core hockey fans in Nashville. However, as we all know, one or more sellouts at the end of the season during a run to get into the playoffs, may not be enough to boost the overall season average seats sold to the required 14,000. Is anyone on this forum tracking the season attendance? I figure the media will have a story out once the regular season is over. Time will tell if this year's playoffs will bring out more fans this season and the next 2 (for the balance of the new arena lease). Anything can happen, but the last 10 years doesn't bode well for the team going foward. By the way, what is the sentiment in Nashville with Craig Leipold selling the team, crying that he can't lose the amounts of cash he has been, then within about 40 days later, he buys the Minnesota Wild? It was like watching an episode of "Flip This House". The fans there must be a bit bitter, no? Chris The local owners cancelled the 14K requirement in case you didn't know. data.tennessean.com/v2/bin/pluckTools/display/groupblog.php?blog=1eb5ccf4-a610-45ba-95e1-058eb45067c0&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a1eb5ccf4-a610-45ba-95e1-058eb45067c0Post%3a333f87a7-ed8a-49c1-a6b3-6c50f6c43445&sid=sitelife.tennessean.comthis URL may need to by copied and pasted BTW Since they took over the home attendance has boomed with several sell-outs (it's not them buying the tickets as some have claimed) Add to that the new lease does not start until next season. As far as Leipold goes it's 50/50 he lied to the fans and then helped keep the team here I personally don't like him but others do.
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Post by dbp1990 on Apr 4, 2008 17:15:18 GMT -5
WHO CARES..............You guys get one night where everybody decides to come and make some noise and you think your the centre of the hockey universe!
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Post by khall555 on Apr 4, 2008 19:55:46 GMT -5
WHO CARES..............You guys get one night where everybody decides to come and make some noise and you think your the centre of the hockey universe! In the past you said there is no proof that Nashville ever sells out a game. You wanted it, and I provided it. So now the story changes and it's only done on one night. Give credit where it's due. I actually went to a sell-out game eariler this year (vs your Moose/Canucks) and it was packed also. But I'm just a liar I guess.
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Post by dbp1990 on Apr 4, 2008 19:57:08 GMT -5
WHO CARES..............You guys get one night where everybody decides to come and make some noise and you think your the centre of the hockey universe! In the past you said there is no proof the Nashville ever sells out a game. You wanted it, and I provided it. So now the story changes and it's only done on one night. Give credit where it's due. I actually went to a sell-out game eariler this year (vs your Moose/Canucks) and it was packed also. But I'm just a liar I guess. You only come around when you got something in your favor to argue............ Big deal, it took them long enough!
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Post by scottie65 on Apr 28, 2008 9:38:19 GMT -5
Predators say they're set for major spending spree By JOHN GLENNON • Staff Writer • April 28, 2008
Read Comments(1)Recommend (3)Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? A year ago, the Predators had to make some late-offseason signings just to reach the floor of the NHL's salary cap.
They won't have to worry about that this summer.
The Predators already have about $34 million committed toward the 2008-09 salary cap, and that's with four key players — goalie Dan Ellis, forward Martin Erat, and defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber — still unsigned, not to mention role players such as Darcy Hordichuk, Kevin Klein and Ville Koistinen.
"I will be shocked if the Nashville Predators don't have the biggest increase in payroll — both percentage-wise and in sheer dollars — of any team in the NHL,'' said David Freeman, who heads the team's ownership group.
"There's always been that chicken-and-egg question about who should go first: Should the team increase its payroll and then hope fans and sponsors follow suit? Or should the fans and sponsors put up the money, and then the team will spend the money?
"We are very clearly saying we're taking the lead. We're spending the money first.''
One of the reasons the payroll will increase significantly for 2008-09: a number of new deals will kick in. The bumps for forward J.P. Dumont, center David Legwand, goalie Chris Mason and forward Jordin Tootoo add up to a $6.5 million increase, even before the Preds sit down with Ellis, Erat, Suter and Weber.
The good news for Predators fans is that General Manager David Poile has said he'll definitely re-sign Erat, Suter and Weber, even if it means matching rival offer sheets for the potential restricted free agents. He also has plans to re-sign Klein and Koistinen, both potential restricted free agents.
The question will be how much money remains in the budget to sign a potential unrestricted free agent such as Ellis, and also to dip into the summer's free-agent pool.
"I'm working with David Freeman and ownership as to what it's going to take to sign players we'd like to bring back, in conjunction with a budget that works for the ownership,'' Poile said. "But again, (the payroll) is going to be up considerably. So under different scenarios, there may be room for free agents and there may not be room for free agents.''
The NHL's salary cap is expected to increase next season, with reports predicting a ceiling of about $56 million and a floor of about $40 million.
Scorer on wish list?: Should the Predators delve into the free-agent market, it's reasonable to believe they'd at least look at adding a skilled forward, especially if Steve Sullivan is unable to play again.
"You can never have enough skilled players,'' Dumont said. "This year, sometimes we needed a few more goals to win games that we lost 2-1 or 3-2, things like that.
"But that's not really easy to do. A lot of teams have signed up their guys for a number of years. It's a real challenge for management to sign guys.''
Admirals update: The Milwaukee Admirals' season came to an end Saturday in the first round of the American Hockey League playoffs.
Chicago beat Milwaukee 3-0 to win the series 4-2.
Milwaukee was held to 11 goals in the series and was 3-for-37 on the power play. Forward Josh Langfeld (five goals, one assist) was the only Admiral to notch more than three points.
Goalie Pekka Rinne posted a goals-against average of 2.51 in the series, as well as a .923 save percentage.
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Post by jhendrix70 on Apr 28, 2008 10:04:04 GMT -5
Well, the more they spend; the faster they'll lose it!
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