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Post by bleedingwhite on Jan 9, 2006 16:48:56 GMT -5
v2.hockeybuzz.com/blogworld/blog.aspx?blogger=1&post=983The Penguins Fans Need Our Support NOW. 01/09/2006 @ 04:08 PM Calling on the whole hockey world to help save the Penguins in Pittsburgh for the great fans of a nearly 40 year-old franchise....Call Ed Rendell, PA`s Governor and tell him he needs to step up for the western part of the state.... email here... sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.htmlor just call 717-787-2500 The following grim news comes to me from Mark Madden of ESPN Radio in Pittsburgh...a very connected guy with the Pens.... ***************** "After speaking to a source in Penguins upper management, I can report that the Penguins feel ZERO PROGRESS has been made in the attempt for a new arena. The Penguins feel all the manufactured optimism by local politicians is just that, manufactured. All BS. All nonsense. Nothing concrete. Furthermore, word has reached the Penguins that Gov. Rendell already has his excuse for NOT giving the Penguins the slots license, and it is..Well, if we give you one, we gotta give the Eagles one, and the Steelers one, and it just wouldn‚t be fair.. Oh, as opposed to giving selected teams free stadiums, and others NOT. Also, the Penguins are already actively pursuing the sale of the teams to Boots DelBiagio, who would move the team to Las Vegas. Everything will be in place when the slots license gets turned down. So, Green Bay, that`s today`s hockey update. If you have any miracles you can yank out of any orifices, feel free. Write your senator, your Congressman, your pimp, or your bookie. But a better idea might be to call Wayne Newton and book a suite at the Stardust, cos the fix is STILL IN. Danke Schoen, Gov. Pigbreath."
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Post by bleedingwhite on Jan 9, 2006 16:55:14 GMT -5
No mention of Winnipeg here, would be nice to be included. Darren please tell me we have someone talking some sense to these people behind the scenes! Las Vegas another hockey hotbed that Gary Bettman would be thrilled about. Can you say more 75 cent tickets?
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Post by USApegger on Jan 9, 2006 17:24:43 GMT -5
Not that I want any team in Vegas, why does everyone blame Bettman for any team moves.
It has to be voted and approved by the Board of Governors which are either owners or represent the owners.
Last time I checked, Bettman was the owners employee
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Post by wagner3 on Jan 9, 2006 17:31:45 GMT -5
It would be sad to see the Penguins leave Pitts. But it could be an advantage to WPG, even if the team relocated in one of KC, Houston, Las Vegas or Portland. This takes out one of our competitors. The more teams moving around the better. Anyway, I thought the Penguins were going to KC...Las Vegas, give me a break!!
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Post by bleedingwhite on Jan 9, 2006 17:36:24 GMT -5
It's not that he makes the decision, it's that when he came into the league it was his goal to add all of the american teams in places that were obviously not hockey hotbeds, and it now shows. He played a major part in making it tough to save the Jets before they left, and didn't seem to show any remorse in doing so. You are right though we/I shouldn't blame Bettman, it is just a lot of bad feelings left over from the past.
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Post by USApegger on Jan 9, 2006 17:40:34 GMT -5
When Bettman came into the league he had a mandate from the owners to get the lucrative network TV contract. It was the owners that wanted to expand to go after that big TV contract and it was the owners that voted to expand to Miami, Nashville, Anaheim, Columbus, Minnesota etc. They also voted to allow the move of teams to Phoenix, Carolina, Denver.
Let's not forget that the Jets benefitted from expansion revenue as well.
I don't remember Bettman as trying to kill the Save the Jets movement (of course I saw this from afar).
Personally, I don't think he has done a bad job lately. He managed to keep the owners together to get the CBA they wanted, which he couldn't do the last time
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Post by jason on Jan 9, 2006 18:17:15 GMT -5
NO ONE feel bad for Pittsburgh if they lose the Pens.
They have a HUGE college sports scene. An NFL team with a GORGEOUS new stadium. An MLB team with a GORGEOUS new stadium... and another NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL team in the same state! (Philly)
It won't be like when we lost the Jets- we lost the only pro team this city has.
Yeah yeah it's unfortunate they'll lose their team but I tell you... I sure won't feel sorry for 'em.
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Post by bleedingwhite on Jan 9, 2006 19:19:10 GMT -5
When Bettman came into the league he had a mandate from the owners to get the lucrative network TV contract. It was the owners that wanted to expand to go after that big TV contract and it was the owners that voted to expand to Miami, Nashville, Anaheim, Columbus, Minnesota etc. They also voted to allow the move of teams to Phoenix, Carolina, Denver. Let's not forget that the Jets benefitted from expansion revenue as well. I don't remember Bettman as trying to kill the Save the Jets movement (of course I saw this from afar). Personally, I don't think he has done a bad job lately. He managed to keep the owners together to get the CBA they wanted, which he couldn't do the last time You are correct, but Bettman had a lot to do with creating the owners want for this when he came into the league. He just seemed not to care about the small market Canadian teams at the time. He did have a little to do with the Jets leaving at then, but our main issue was that we could not get an ownership group together to take the risk. You are also correct that as of late he has stuck with the owners to create this opportunity for the smaller markets once again. The new CBA is the only reason we are talking about this right now as opposed to talking about more Canadian teams leaving. Lately he is doing a good job, and by Minnesota getting their team back it gives us hope that they will recognize that Winnipeg now deserves a team once again as well.
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Post by USApegger on Jan 9, 2006 20:24:16 GMT -5
When Bettman came into the league he had a mandate from the owners to get the lucrative network TV contract. It was the owners that wanted to expand to go after that big TV contract and it was the owners that voted to expand to Miami, Nashville, Anaheim, Columbus, Minnesota etc. They also voted to allow the move of teams to Phoenix, Carolina, Denver. Let's not forget that the Jets benefitted from expansion revenue as well. I don't remember Bettman as trying to kill the Save the Jets movement (of course I saw this from afar). Personally, I don't think he has done a bad job lately. He managed to keep the owners together to get the CBA they wanted, which he couldn't do the last time You are correct, but Bettman had a lot to do with creating the owners want for this when he came into the league. He just seemed not to care about the small market Canadian teams at the time. He did have a little to do with the Jets leaving at then, but our main issue was that we could not get an ownership group together to take the risk. You are also correct that as of late he has stuck with the owners to create this opportunity for the smaller markets once again. The new CBA is the only reason we are talking about this right now as opposed to talking about more Canadian teams leaving. Lately he is doing a good job, and by Minnesota getting their team back it gives us hope that they will recognize that Winnipeg now deserves a team once again as well. Agreed
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Post by hatrick007 on Jan 10, 2006 1:41:46 GMT -5
and NHL team in the same state! (Philly) But that's going to see their RIVALS. It would be as if we were Edmonton and lost our team... and then had Calgary next door. You use the "Canucks former rival" thing on the Moose.... yet (partially) contradict yourself here.
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Post by jason on Jan 10, 2006 2:08:54 GMT -5
hey if we have to put up with the farm team of a former rival (minor league), I don't feel too bad if Pitts hockey hockey have to make the trek to Philly for NHL games.
Brand new stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers. A city in love with its college sports teams. NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams in another city in the same state.
Don't shed any tears for Pittsburgh hockey fans. I sure won't.
When the Jets left, that was all Winnipeg had, as far as pro sports was concerned.
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Post by bigchris on Jan 10, 2006 6:20:32 GMT -5
I told you it was all politics. The Penguins are dead in Pittsburgh and the politicians have nobody to blame but themselves and their own egos. They have known for 15 years that the igloo isn't viable anymore, (why they will never get an NBA team,) yet they continue to try to play Mario like a violin. Anyone who thinks the Penguins are NOT moving sooner than later are dreaming.
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Post by jamiebez on Jan 10, 2006 11:01:41 GMT -5
and NHL team in the same state! (Philly) But that's going to see their RIVALS. It would be as if we were Edmonton and lost our team... and then had Calgary next door. You use the "Canucks former rival" thing on the Moose.... yet (partially) contradict yourself here. Columbus is closer, so they've got an NHL team there. Sort of.
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Post by NewJets on Jan 10, 2006 15:36:08 GMT -5
I told you it was all politics. The Penguins are dead in Pittsburgh and the politicians have nobody to blame but themselves and their own egos. They have known for 15 years that the igloo isn't viable anymore, (why they will never get an NBA team,) yet they continue to try to play Mario like a violin. Anyone who thinks the Penguins are NOT moving sooner than later are dreaming. Kinda sounds like Winnipeg, circa 1995.
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Post by bettmanblows on Jan 11, 2006 0:39:14 GMT -5
When Bettman came into the league he had a mandate from the owners to get the lucrative network TV contract. It was the owners that wanted to expand to go after that big TV contract and it was the owners that voted to expand to Miami, Nashville, Anaheim, Columbus, Minnesota etc. They also voted to allow the move of teams to Phoenix, Carolina, Denver. Let's not forget that the Jets benefitted from expansion revenue as well. I don't remember Bettman as trying to kill the Save the Jets movement (of course I saw this from afar). Personally, I don't think he has done a bad job lately. He managed to keep the owners together to get the CBA they wanted, which he couldn't do the last time Personally I believe that Bettman wanted small market Canadian teams (Winnipeg and Quebec) to move to big U.S tv markets (Phoenix and Denver) Plus of course Thin Ice had alot to do with us not keeping our beloved Jets. Now that the Canadian Market is now the envy of American owners hopefully Winnipeg will recieve one of the soon to be failed U.S franchises. P.S Bettman does indeed Blow
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Post by USApegger on Jan 11, 2006 14:10:39 GMT -5
The Jets didn't move because of Bettman, they moved because they were not financially viable where they were and had no hope of surviving.
Was the vote not unanimous by the Board of Governors to move the Nords and the Jets? Do you not think the owners knew that by having more teams in US markets it would increase the TV revenues?
They forgot one thing though, if they don't care about hockey, they won't watch and the NHL got their one time big TV deal from ABC, it will never happen again.
Was the league supposed to assist them financially until an new owner could be found and a new arena built? Wait we had that in baseball with the Expos.
Bettman is doing the job he was hired to do.
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