|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:47:45 GMT -5
TUESDAY, JUNE I, 1976
Winnipeg Jets' legion of followers were unhappy with the amount of TV coverage their heroes received during the playoffs. They'll be happier next season. Any day now the Jets, Calgary Cowboys and Edmonton Oilers will announce they've signed a 21-game package with Global TV which will include seven telecasts from each city. The games may even be carried by Global’s new outlet in Vancouver, which goes into business next September. The games will be screened Tuesday nights, with CKND the loca.1 outlet . . .
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:48:02 GMT -5
Tuesday, June 8, 1976
NHL May Fold Scouts Franchise And Ratify Rules On Fighting
MONTREAL (AP) – While National Hockey League President Clarence Campbell held onto the thinnest thread of hope for the Kansas City Scouts, there was every indication that the tottering 2-year-old franchise would be folded today by the league's Board of Governors.
Kansas City was not represented Monday at either the session of the rules committee which produced some stringent penalties against fighting, or at the meeting of the league's finance committee, which met twice to prepare a suggestion for the board which meets here today.
It was expected that the suggestion would be to fold the franchise which is $5 million in debt — $1.75 million of which is owed directly to the league. Asked if it was a bad sign that the Scouts were not involved in either of the meetings, Campbell said, "That is a completely rational assumption. They'll be running some pretty big risks if they don't make it tomorrow."
A group headed by Kansas City Mayor Wheeler planned to arrive here today for a lastditch attempt to save the franchise which has sought new ownership for months and has failed to obtain it. Campbell said that any prospective purchaser must be certain of his staying power before ownership would be transferred.
The status of another troubled franchise, the California Seals, also was on today's agenda. Seals Owner Mel Swig reported to the finance committee Monday night on the progress of his efforts to move the team or sell it. Cleveland appears a possible new site if the World Hockey Association Crusaders follow through on their plan to move to Hollywood, Fla.
But there remained the possibility that Swig would keep the club in Oakland, where it has met with harrowing financial problems in 12,500-seat Alameda County Coliseum. Efforts to build a new arena in downtown San Francisco were turned down by local legislation.
The meetings opened Monday with some sweeping changes by the rules committee and the promise that another matter — the plans of free agent superstar Bobby Orr — would be determined today. Orr, according to attorney Alan Eagleson, faces yet another operation on a left knee which already has undergone surgery three tunes.
But Eagleson, who met with the St. Louis Blues Monday night, was expected to sign his client with the Chicago Black Hawks in a multi-year, multimillion dollar contract or have Orr sit out the forthcoming season. Orr has admitted the leg still bothers him.
Earlier, Eagleson announced the rule changes at a news conference with NHL Referee-in- Chief Scotty Morrison. The rules committee voted to assess a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct to any player who initiates a fight; to empower the league president to further investigate any incident and assess punishment beyond that handed out by the referee, and to eject from a contest any player who fights with a spectator.
Another rule change, that any player who incurs three game misconducts for fighting be suspended for the following game, was not accepted by the necessary three-quarters majority of the committee and will have to be ratified by the Board of Governors at its meeting today
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:48:16 GMT -5
Tuesday, June 8, 1976
Seals Team May Move To Cleveland Coliseum
CLEVELAND (AP) - George Gund III, a native Clevelander and one-third owner of the California Seals of the National Hockey league, says he'd like to move the struggling franchise here.
Gund, 39 and son of the late president and chairman of the board of Cleveland Trust Co., told the Cleveland Plain Dealer Monday night he has been in touch with Cleveland Crusaders' owner Jay Moore about such a move.
However, Gund said nothing has been accomplished because the World Hockey Association franchise remains in Cleveland. The Plain Dealer said neither Gund nor Moore wants to make a move toward the NHL until the Crusaders have left Cleveland. Moore, the majority stockholder in the Crusaders, has agreed in principle to sell the team to a group headed by Atlanta businessman Bill Putnam, but "legal problems" have arisen.
"There are some things that have to be done between Bill Putnam's group and our group," Moore explained. "Minor things kept cropping up, but I think it will go through eventually after working out some legal problems. "It could take a couple of weeks, but I would hope it would be no more than a week,' Moore added.
The WHA was forced to cancel a planned telephone conference call Monday on which the league's board of trustees was to have voted on the sale. Gund currently lives in San Francisco but has been a Crusaders' season ticketholder. Speaking to a Plain Dealer reporter from his San Francisco office, Gund would neither confirm nor deny he intends to purchase the Seals from current owner Mel Swig and transfer them to Cleveland.
"I really can't comment at this point," Gund said. "Not with the crusaders there. I don't know what the status of the Crusaders is now." Swig, reached in Montreal at the NHL Board of Governors' meetings, said, "Yes, I've heard some talk of it. He mentioned something to me about a month ago about it. We were just kicking around possible places, but we dismissed Cleveland because the Crusaders were there at the time." Moore would only say, "George and I talked about three months ago." Swig reportedly has put a $7 million price tag on the Seals.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:48:33 GMT -5
Tuesday, June 8, 1976
Four ABA Teams May Pay To Join NBA In Merger
NKW YORK (AP) – Owners of four American Basketball Association franchises say they are willing to pay the price, steep though it may be, to join the National Basketball Association and end the often heated, nine-year-old rivalry of the two pro leagues.
Heads of the ABA's Denver, New York, Indiana and San Antonio franchises have decided that if they get the opportunity, they will agree to an initiation fee of $4.5 million apiece to join the NBA.
But that $4.5 million is just the beginning. High ABA sources estimate that it could cost a franchise anywhere from $6.5 million to $8 million to get into the NBA. And for the New York Nets, who would almost certainly have to pay a territorial indemnity to the NBA's New York Knicks, it could run as high as $12 million.
For the owners of the two other ABA franchises, Kentucky and St. Louis, those figures were simply too high. Those two clubs have agreed to bow out of the picture on one condition — that the remaining four ABA teams buy out their franchises. It was not clear whether the other clubs had agreed to do so at their meeting in Chicago which ended Monday, although if that were' the only thing holding up a merger they undoubtedly would.
Such action would remove one major stumbling block to consolidation of the rival leagues. Though no formal offer was made, the NBA's expansion committee, at an interleague meeting May 28, laid the groundwork for future negotiation by suggesting that the senior circuit might be willing to accept four ABA teams at $4.5 million per.
The immediate problem was that the ABA had six clubs - what to do about the other two? That has apparently been resolved by the cost factor. The reason Kentucky — and the owners of the St. Louis club, which had been slated to be moved to Utah — declined is money.
John Y. Brown, outspoken president of the ABA and husband of Ellie, owner of the Colonels, said the price for joining the NBA "was totally unrealistic. They priced Louisville out of the market. Somewhere in pro sports, rational reason is going to have to take its place."
The money is also a big windfall, it you look at it from the other side. The $4.5 million initiation fee for the four incoming teams breaks down to an even $1 million for each of the existing 18 NBA clubs. Then there's the TV money. When the NBA signed a new four-year contract with CBS last month, the network agreed to pay the league a total of $43 million, plus an additional $4.9 million should the league add four more teams — thus creating extra television markets and making the NBA a more attractive proposition for advertisers. Sources indicate that one provision of the consolidation would be that the ex-ABA teams would not share in television revenue for the first few years.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:48:50 GMT -5
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1976
Good Scouts receive reprieve
MONTREAL (CP) — The financially-troubled Kansas City Scouts have until July 1 to obtain new backing or the National Hockey League will be forced to terminate the two-year-old life of the franchise. Clarence Campbell, NHL president, said that no actual extension of time had been given owiier Edwin Thompson of the Scouts, but that the reprieve had come about when the governors did not vote to find the Scouts in default and immediately terminate the club's association with the league.
While CampbeE refused to speculate on whether some last-ditch financial prop for the Scouts would be found, he did borrow with credit a word used by a Kansas City municipal councillor two weeks ago to emphasize the chances of the club's survival.
The word used by the councillor at ttie time was "miracle." "I find it difficult to give you. much guidance on the K a n s a s City situation," Campbell said, adding that the governors had been led to believe that either Mayor Charles Wheeler or his representative would be here to speak on behalf of the team.
But Campbell said the city must have concluded it would be more involved than it wanted to be with such a move. Instead it sent a civic representative who in turn told the governors he was not authorized to address their meeting.
The Scouts owner, Edwin Thompson, did make a brief a p p e a r a n c e before the league's finance committee late Monday night, but returned home at noon Tuesday. The club, which was forced to borrow $300,000 from the league to complete play last season, and in addition was reported to owe an estimated $5.5 million, has not repaid its debt to the NHL.
C a m p b e l l said all the Scouts had accomplished here was to gain a little more time. He said the league would like to settle-the problem as soon as possible and said the final date for 1976-77 schedule approval was July 1. On a brighter note, Campbell said California Golden Seals "will operate some place for the 1976-77 season."
"The Seals have a number of options, but it would be idle speculation for me to say which option they will use," C a m p b e l l said. "I can't express the same confidence for Kansas City." Mel Swig, owner of the S e a l s , said following the meeting he still has not decided where his club will operate for the coming season.
He confirmed Campbell's statement about options and that the league had agreed to hold off until at least June 25 before asking him for a final decision.
Swig said the fact he had been given until June 25 "or a week or so later" to make his choice, had probably affected the governors in their decision not to take immediate action against the Scouts. "They probably considered it only fair that what is given to one club should be given to the other," Swig said. "Right now we're looking at the possibility of moving to San Jose or to Denver as a couple of options."
The Seals have had difficulty in the past drawing crowds to the 12,021-seat Oakland- Alameda Coliseum, but they would be playing there for the next two seasons if Swig decides to accept the invitation by the San Jose group. It would take two years for a planned arena to be completed in that city 45 miles south of San Francisco. "No decision will be made on either a move to Denver or San Jose until Swig returns to the West Coast, the Seals owner said.
"We've had quite a bit of interest expressed from that community and I heard that they held an SOS (Save our Seals) rally there and raised $250,000. I don't know what for, since I've been away," he said.
A n o t h e r option open to Swig is> Denver with its now e m p t y McNichol Arena, f o r m e r home of Denver Spurs of the World Hockey Association. He said if he moved the Seals to Denver it woidd be a "joint venture" with interests in that city. While Swig said he doubted he would be able to draw a large nucleus of fans from San Francisco and tlie Bay area should he move to San Jose, he was positive concerning the latter city.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:49:03 GMT -5
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1976
There is some concern in Edmonton that the Oilers won't operate in the WHA next season. The NHL would dearly love to move its sickly California franchise into Edmonton's spacious building, but even thinking about it in the first place would bring on a raft of law suits. The Oilers's current lease doesn't expire until September. But even if they pull the plug then, it would be too late for the NHL to move in with the Seals this season.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:49:17 GMT -5
Winnipeg FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1976
Alabama or bust, says Toros' boss
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The owner of Toronto Torps says his World Hockey Association team will be housed in Birmingham next season, or it won't play at all.
John Bassett of Toronto told a reception Thursday night: "There will be a professional hockey team in Birmingham this year unless something unforeseen happens. "I am 85 per cent sure of coming here. I have committed myself to come here. If we don't play In Birmingham, we won't play at all."
Bassett said some loose ends had not been tied, including what he called an unacceptable rental fee for the Civic Centre Coliseum, which still is tinder construction. "The Civic Centre has offered us a lease that is a little high and we have offered them one that is a little low," he said. Another factor is that Canadian investors own 60 per cent of the Toros, and Bassett is seeking Birmingham backing. That, he said, would be no problem. He said 22 Birmingham.
Investors have signed up, with more than 25 others expressing interest, and some 200 season tickets have been sold. The WHA also must approve the switch from Toronto to Birmingham when it meets in Toronto June 29-30. Bassett, who owned the Memphis Southmen of the defunct World Football League, said legal technicalities involved Canadian and United States tax questions and investments from both countries. He said he hoped the Canadian investors would stay involved in the team.
Bassett said he has been told the Coliseum would be ready by Sept. 21, and the Toros will open that day with an exhibition match with Atlanta Flames of the National Hockey League. The owner has been looking for a new home for the Toros, who finished last season at the bottom of the WHA's Canadian Division. "We have had tremendous response," he told the reception. "We are looking for an excellent relationship."
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:49:31 GMT -5
Winnipeg FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1976
*Angel from heaven to rescue Scouts?
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Another potential investor is reported interested in helping the troubled Kansas City Scouts hockey franchise, a man trying to save the National Hockey League team said Friday.
"This particular person said not to worry about the financing,'" said Gene Novorr, a local businessman who was a member of the original Scouts ownership.
The NHL board of governors, at their annual meeting this week in Montreal, gave the Scouts owners until July 1 to come up with additional money.
"I feel 90 per cent certain we have saved hockey, for Kansas City, Thursday I felt just the opposite," Novorr added.
Novorr refused to identify the investor, saying the man wanted his name withheld until he was sure the sale could be completed.
"This individual and the group he represents compare favorably in character with L a m a r Hunt (owner of K a n s a s City Chiefs) and Ewing Kauffman (owner of Kansas City Royals)," remarked Novorr. "It was just like an angel from heaven."
The general counsel for the Scouts, Robert Fisher, called the investor's interest encouraging but would make no further comment. Other sources pointed out that no definite commitment has yet been made.
Novorr said he had requepted the NHL to consider the application of a new ownership group, which is reported to be making plans to seek similar sale terms as the Kansas City Kings basketball team.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:49:47 GMT -5
Friday, June 18, 1976
NBA's poor sisters will welcome ABA additions
HYANNIS, Mass., (AP) — Chicago Bulls and, Atlanta, Hawks, the National Basketball Association's worst teams last season, figure to reap the biggest benefits with, the addition of four American Basketball Association clubs into the NBA for the 1976-77 season.
The Bulls and Hawks will have first and second picks, respectively, in a special dispersement draft of players from the two ABA franchises — Kentucky and Utah — which were not added to the NBA ori Thursday, plus players remaining from the Virginia franchise which folded following the 1975-76 season.
Most likely the Bulls, who have been struggling for several years without a high-scoring centre, will select sevenfoot- two Artis Gilmore, who led Kentucky to the ABA championship in 1975. The Hawks, also lacking a big man, would then take six-foot-11 Moses Malone, who stepped right into the pros from Petersburg, Va. high school in 1974 and was an immediate sensation.
The order of selection was decided upon after the announcement of the historic merger, which will result in Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs becoming a part of the NBA next season, bringing the league's membership to 22. The date of the dispersal draft was not set.'
Other major points of the agreement include:
—Each of the four new teams will pay the NBA $3.2 million, with $1 million due by July 1 and the remaining $2.2 million due by Sept 15.
—The new teams will not share'in TV revenue for four years, will not vote on division alignment for next season and will not vote on a resolution on gate sharing for two years.
--All ABA players selected in the dispersal draft will have their current contracts honored by NBA teams.
—Players not chosen will have their contracts paid by the ABA.
—New York Nets will have to pay the NBA's New York Knicks a territorial indemnity over'20 years. That indemnity was not announced, but was estimated at $6 million, including interest.
Much behind the scenes maneuvering went into the agreement: on which both leagues have been working feverishly in recent weeks and really hammered away at during the NBA's three-day summer meeting in this Cape Cod resort community.
"There was a lot of ebb and flow, a lot of give and take," said a weary but satisfied Larry O'Brien, commissioner of the NBA. "What was decided upon was not perfection, but in something like this both sides had to yield a little and that's what happened in this case." O'Brien said he felt all four new teams were qualified to join the NBA. "Our checkout on them was fully intensive," he explained.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:50:05 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1976
City Eyes Alcohol-hotel tax as Arena boost
By ALLAN CHRISTIE
A city lax on retail alcohol sales and hotel and motel rooms, with all revenue for the first two years going to pay for expansion of the Winnipeg Arena and Stadium, was considered Tuesday by Winnipeg's c i v i c finance committee.
The tax on retail alcohol sales alone would raise an estimated $5 million a year committee was told. Committee recommended a five per cent tax on hotel and motel rooms and is considering a five or 10 per cent tax on retail alcohol sales. Both proposals were referred to the city solicitor for a report.
The provincial government this year gave the city the opportunity t o move into such taxation areas to raise funds required beyond what may be raised either through property taxation or provincial grants.
Taxing hotel rooms and liquor has been long sought by some councillors, but others, such as Coun. Steen and Conn. Alan Wade (New Democratic Parly — Centennial) are opposed to tax revenue being earmarked for specific projects such as arena expansion.
They would rather see any increased taxes go into a general revenue fund. Coun. Don Gcrrie (Ind. — Fort Rouge) liked the idea of using the tax to expand the arena. Pie said expansion is inevitable. B u t he asked committee to include in any recommendation that revenue be used for expansion "provided no other facility be constructed in the initial two-year period."
He didn't want to "scare people off" building the arena privately, and said revenue from a liquor tax shouldn't duplicate funds raised by private enterprise. City councillors will sec a proposal from private investors for a new 16,000 – scat arena at a council meeting tonight, but finance committee is still thinking of ways to finance expansion of the old one.
Mayor Steve .Tuba told finance committee Tuesday he was to receive a letter from a private investor, and wanted to know if the committee would be interested in discussing the proposal. The mayor refused to tell the committee or the news media who the investor was or anything about the proposition.
B u t last month Mayor Juba and James Burns, president of the Great-West Life Assurance Company met and discussed the possibility of the company financing construction of an arena on the Canadian National Railways East Yards site, where a major housing and commercial development is proposed.
"There's no use asking me any questions because I'm not giving any answers," the mayor told reporters later. Mr. Burns, in a telephone interview however, said "possibly we have something to bring to council on Wednesday night, but I'm afraid I can't comment at all." The mayor told committee the city would become involved to the extent of "guaranteeing the interest on the investment" of Great- West Life.
The proposal would have Great-West Life lease back the new arena to the city. Tim arena would house the Winnipeg Jets hockey club of the World Hockey Association. Last March, city council voted down a proposed $11 million expansion of the Winnipeg arena.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:50:20 GMT -5
Thursday, June 24,1976
Cleveland move possible for Seals
CLEVELAND (AP) — The owners of the California Seals hockey team said Wednesday they were "making pretty good progress' on terms for a possible move of the National Hockey League club to Cleveland. Melvin Swig and George Gund III. owners of the Seals, said they will remain in Cleveland today to continue their negotiations.
Swig said attorneys for the Richfield Coliseum, which was the home of the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Assocation. "wrote up a lease to see if we like it. We haven't worked everything out yet "
An opening for the Seals was created when it was announced the Crusaders would move to Hollywood. Fla A final decision on the move should come next week when both the WHA and NHL directors meet. Swig and Gund said they were impressed with the Coliseum, calling it "one of the best arenas anywhere The sightlines are exceptional."
Denver and San Jose. Calif are two cities also mentioned as possible homes for the Seals The Seals while on the road ranked seventh among NHL teams in attendance. The team used be owned by Charlie Finley. who also owns the Oakland A's.
"Cleveland is a marvelous city." said Gund, son of the former chairman of the board of Cleveland Trust. "It has tremendous potential. I've seen the interest in the past and I think there is a future " "Geographically. Cleveland is very advantageous." Gund continued "It is near Bulfalo. Toronto and Boston in our division and the old (Cleveland) Barons had a great rivalry with the Buffalo Bisons."
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:50:40 GMT -5
Thurs., June 24, 1976 Oakland Tribune
Swig Moving Seals to Cleveland
By JOHN PORTER
'' The National Hockey League will approve the transfer of the California Seals to Cleveland next Wednesday, The Tribune has learned. The Seals would be in the Ohio city today lock, stock and hockey puck if the World Hockey Association formally had approved the move of the Cleveland Crusaders to Hollywood, Fla.
The WHA is scheduled to give that okay next Monday or Tuesday at its meetings in Toronto. On Wednesday, the NHL will tell owners Mel Swig and George Gund that they may rename their franchise the Cleveland Seals. NHL President Clarence Campbell told The Tribune from his Montreal office last night that the transfer of the Seals is item two on the Chicago meeting's agenda. The minutes are item one.
"It will be a formal request to transfer the Oakland franchise to Cleveland," said Campbell. 'The city (Cleveland) qualifies and the rink (Richfield Coliseum) qualifies. It would be the same group owning the club, so I guess we would have no other choice but to approve the move." Campbell said he had talked to Swig "extensively" the last few days and there is no question that the Seals will go to Cleveland after nine years of threatened moves all over North America.
The league president said the departure of the WHA team from Cleveland is "up in the air even though it has been announced. We don't want to get tricked. There is the possibility of litigation." The NHL is barred from moving into any area that has a WHA franchise as part of an agreement between the two leagues. That's why no one with the Seals will announce the shift before the WHA makes its move.
Swig and Gund are in Cleveland with the Seals' accountant, group salesman, ticket manager and publicist. "I'm keeping my options, obviously," Swig told The Tribune. "The odds are that the team won't play in Oakland next season." Swig has asked 'Oakland Alameda County- Coliseum, Inc. officials for a price to buy out the remaining two years on his Arena lease. "The board discussed it and we presented him with a figure that is non-negotiable," said Coliseum General Manager Bill Cunningham. "When he responds to that the board will take final action and seek approval from the city and county," ; , If Swig refuses to meet that figure, Coliseum Inc. is expected to take legal action.
Swig and his family interests own two-thirds of'the Seals and Gund has the rest. A rearrangement of stock probably will make the latter, a native of Cleveland, the majority owner.
"Their attorney wrote up a lease to see if we liked it," Swig said after six hours of negotiations with officials of the arena in Richfield Township, a community halfway between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. "We haven't worked everything out yet." Swig still maintains that Denver end San Jose remains in the running for the Seals, but sources in both cities are pessimistic.
In Denver, where there is a prohibitive 10 per cent sales tax on tickets for sports events, the hope is that the Kansas City Scouts will become its franchise next season. Item three on the NHL agenda—right after the Seals—is discussion of the K.C. situation.
The financially-floundering Scouts are embargoed from .moving anywhere until the Seals relocate, but Cleveland's acquisition of the California franchise removes it. And the fourth and final item on the agenda is none other than "schedule revision." San Jose officials still are making an 11th hour bid, but feel defeated.
"I can safely say all of Mr. Swig's efforts in the other part of the country aren't helping our efforts any," said Gordon Levy, spokesman for the San Jose Chamber of Commerce.
Swig "said he'd get an update on the San Jose situation when he returns tomorrow. He has told the San Jose officials they must raise $1.723 million this week to have a chance at the Seals. That's nearly twice as much as he asked two weeks ago, a discrepancy Swig blamed on his accountant's "arithmetical error."
Another miscalculation Swig admitted was the team's projected losses of $1.5 million for last season. They lost $2.1 million and still haven't paid numerous debts. As for the Seals players themselves, team management has advised them to sell their Bay Area homes and at least one already has.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:50:56 GMT -5
Fri., June 25, 1976
Crusaders Eye Salary Slash
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - Prospective owner Bill Putnam says that to break even he'll have to draw 4,000 more spectators to the Crusaders' hockey games in Hollywood than attended games last year in Cleveland.
Putnam said his estimated break-even point for the World Hockey Association franchise in Hollywood is 10,000 fans a game at a uniform price of $8 a seat. The Hollywood Sporatorium, which would host the club if the sale and transfer is consummated, seats 15,000. Furthermore, Putnam said, he plans to slice the Crusaders payroll, which he said was highest in the WHA last year. "The overall payrol) is too high," said Putnam, seeking to purchase controlling interest in the club. "We can correct that by trades and renegotiating contracts.
"All salaries are coming down. It's been done in the WHA in the past year and a number of NHL clubs are reducing them." Two of Putnam's anticipated payroll problems already have been eliminated. Goalie Gerry Cheevers, who reportedly had a $200,000 contract, jumped back to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and center Rich Leduc, the team's top s c o r e r , r e c e n t l y w a s sold.
Putnam said the Crusaders, second in the WHA's East Division last season with a 35- 40-5 record, had to pay high rent in the Richfield Coliseum while meeting the big payroll. "With those two, it makes it difficult to keep a viable organization," Putnam said. "So far, we've gotten rid of one." He said he is satisfied (hat his contract with the Sporlatorium is fair. No details of the arrangement were released.
The Sportatorium, located on the edge of the Everglades about 13 miles west of downtown Hollywood, also hopes to attract the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association. Earlier this month, Braves officials announced plans to sell the team to a South Florida hotel owner, but legal actions by the City of Buffalo and an attempt by a Buffalo group to buy the team have delayed any move of the franchise.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:51:10 GMT -5
Tues., June 29, 1976 Oakland Tribune
Debt-Ridden Seals Asking for Cleveland
By JOHN PORTER
The California Seals owe more than 1500,000 and will need an additional $300,000-plus to buy off the two years remaining on the lease with the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, The Tribune has learned. Nevertheless, team majority owner Mel Swig plans' to go before the National Hockey League's finance committee tonight in Chicago to clear the last hurdle-between the Seals and Cleveland.
Swig and George Gund, the Clevelander who owns a third of the Seals, must show they can avoid legal complications with the Oakland Coliseum, pay off their debts, refinance their original loans with Union Bank, pay the $2.7 million still owed to former owner Charles Finley and come up with operating capital for next season.
According to a source with the finance committee, there is. a scheme to accomplish that. Approval by the league. Board of Governors tomorrow would be a mere formality. "Many of the bills .were paid last week," declared Swig last night, declining to say how much was outstanding. "Some bills will be paid tomorrow." According to the source, the big ones "will remain unpaid until the Seals' transfer is approved."
The only, other threat to Swig's plans would be a World Hockey Association reversal of its decision to move their Cleveland Crusaders to Hollywood, Fla. If the WHA-meeting in Toronto today, and tonightdoesn't release the territory, Swig may have run out of all those options he said he was keeping open the past weeks. The San Jose project fell through because "there wasn't enough time" to raise the necessary $1.725 million, according to Swig.
Denver no longer is a possibility for the Seals. The Bud Palmer group is incensed over Swig's sudden shift to Cleveland and has switched its sights to the Kansas City Scouts which can be bought more cheaply. Seals President Munson Campbell, prematurely reported elsewhere yesterday as having resigned, probably will surface in Denver and spearhead the drive for the Scouts.
Campbell was unavailable for comment, but Swig said he had lunch with him yesterday and there had been no resignation or dismissal, although the owner said: "I'm not sure Munson wants to go to Cleveland with us."
That's a good bet. Campbell lived in Manhattan before coming to the Bay Area two seasons ago and is not the type to settle in Ohio. Look for him in Denver shortly. Others who said no to Cleveland were Seals publicist Len Shapiro and PR aide Loretta Marcus, the only employee still with the Seals since they began their NHL experience nine years ago.
Expected to make the move to Cleveland will be G.M. Bill McCreary, who will be the team's only hockey executive. Joining him are head publicist Ron McGrath, group sales director Tom Cochran and director of promotions and marketing Steve Bien.
The team's Oakland office will close soon, although some employees will remain to process those mounting debts.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:51:26 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1976
BIRMINGHAM GETS WHA
Realignment in WHA Toros now Birmingham Bulls
TORONTO (CP); — The World Hockey Association announced yesterday it had approved transfer of the Toronto Toros franchise to Birmingham, Ala.; and' realignment of the league next season into two divisions—East and West.
Following a day-long meeting of the league's board of governors, the expected franchise shift will result in the Toros now being called the Bulls and playing in the revamped East Division with Quebec Nordiques, New England Whalers, Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and Hollywood, Fla., the former Cleveland Crusaders franchise.
The West Division will be composed of Calgary Cowboys, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Roadrunners, Houston Aeros and an anticipated sixth club.
The announcement yesterday said the WHA is negotiating with two groups for a 12th team and an announcement was expected by the time the governors gather for a scheduled 4:30 p.m. EDT press conference today. Vancouver-born millionaire Peter" Graham announced yesterday that negotiations to purchase the San Diego Mariners' franchise had foundered. The Mariners had been without an owner since March when Baltimore businessman Joe Schwartz missed a payroll and Defaulted on the franchise. The players, who automatically became free agents stuck together however and got the Mariners' into the playoffs before bowing to the Houston Aeros.
As word of Graham's decision to-pull out was announced, there were rumors of last-minute attempts to salvage the franchise. While WHA spokesmen wouldn't confirm it, it is believed these are the negotiations with which the league governors were involved during their annual meetings here.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:51:42 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1976
Mariners could be lost for good
SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Mariners, an on-again, off again World Hockey Association franchise since mid-March, may be off for good.
Peter Graham, the 52-year-old Canadian owner of the San Diego Sports Arena, said Monday that he has dropped his efforts to buy the franchise. - : A Graham said his fellow investors felt that keeping a hockey team in San Diego was too risky a proposition. "The investors didn't have enough confidence that hockey would be successful in San Diego,"
Graham said, he even turned to his family, one of the wealthiest in Canada, But they turned him down, too. "It was a split decision," he said. "Some wanted to gamble, some didn't. I lost."
Elected an alderman in Vancouver in 1966, Graham lost his bid to become mayor in 1968. While serving on city council, he was a constant critic of then-mayor Tom Campbell.
Son of the late industrialist-financier, F. Ronald Graham, Toronto-born Graham was educated in Vancouver, received a commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 and 1944. He heads up a family-run investment holding firm, Graymont Ltd.
Graham has been trying since I860 to purchase a professional sports franchise and is reported to have made several offers to purchase British Columbia Lions of the. Canadian Football League before signing a 45-year lease at $450,000 a year to operate the San Diego International Sports Arena. Graham broke word of Ms bid's collapse when reporters called him to ask how it was going.
Graham broke word of his bid's collapse when reporters called him to ask how it was going.
As the WHA season ended last spring, Graham promised San Diego fans that the Mariners would back next season. He called a June 7 news conference to reaffirm that promise. "I'm sick," he said. "It's five years out of my life."
The Mariners had been without an owner since March, when Baltimore businessman 'Joe Schwartz missed a payroll and defaulted on the franchise. The players immediately became free agents. But they stuck together through the playoffs and preformed without pay before bowing to Houston Aeros.
As Graham's decision was announced, there .was word Monday of a number of last-minute attempts to keep the Mariners alive.
- "As a group, the directors of the WHA just don't feel this thing is dead," said WHA president Ben Hatskin of Winnipeg. But there was no word of a possible WHA takeover of the club. Former WHA president Dennis Murphy, who was in with Graham in his. attempt to buy the Mariners, is now hastily trying to organize an 11th-hour bid on his own. But, says Murphy, "it's an awfully late attempt at this stage." "It will be hard to bring it off unless we can get somebody out of the woodwork.”. Mariners coach Ron Ingram said he was shocked by Graham's withdrawal. "I just don't know what happened," he said.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:51:54 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1976
Breweries seek part of Nord's action
QUEBEC (CP) — Two ^Canadian breweries have 'expressed interest in purchasing part of the Quebec Nordiques franchise in the World-Hockey Association, team president John Dacres said yesterday.
Dacres said that team shareholders were asked at meeting Monday night it' they would sell should a firm offer be made by either Labatt's or Carling O'Keefe, Ltd. "We have asked the two companies to submit their proposals. Then we will have another meeting of the shareholders to discuss them."
The shareholders meeting was told that Labatt's was thinking of purchasing 50 per cent of the team's stocks while Carling 0'Keefe was interested in acquiring, 51 per cent.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:52:09 GMT -5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1976
OAKLAND (AP) — The Oakland Tribune says California Golden Seals are working' to eliminate' 5800,000 in commitments to the Oakland Coliseum as an obstacle to moving to Cleveland.
The newspaper said the National Hockey League team owes more than $500,000 and wall need an additional $300,000 to buy off the two remaining years on its lease with the coliseum, its home arena.
Seals majority owner Mel Swigg and George Gund, a Cleveland man who owns a third of the franchise, must show the NHL board of governors at a meeting today in Chicago that they can avoid legal complications here, pay oft their debts, re-finance their original loans, pay '$2.7 million still owed to former owner Charles Finley and still come up with operating capital for next season, the newspaper said.
The newspaper quoted a source on the NHL finance committee as saying there is a scheme to accomplish that and to pave* the way for approval of the move. "Many of the bills were paid last week," Swig said. "Some bills will be paid tomorrow." But the source said the big bills will remain unpaid until the Seals' transfer is approved.
|
|
|
Post by JETStender on Jan 15, 2009 1:59:47 GMT -5
Now complete to July 1 1976.
I know originally this was only supposed to be about the NHL WHA merger, but the more in depth I go the more all the events are tied together. Like the timing of the ABA NBA merger, and the action of the KC and California franchises.
It's really neat to take this trip through the headlines add see how some things haven't changed.
I especially like the Toronto bid for the Scouts!
Also through this have found that if KC were to get a team now they may or may not have to pay territorial rights to the St. Louis Blues. Not sure if they were ever paid in the first carnation.
|
|
|
Post by Ric O. on Jan 24, 2009 17:30:07 GMT -5
All of this stuff is fascinating, even the NBA stuff...shows a lot about the growing pains of professional sports at the time.
I had no idea that NHL wanted to move the Seals to Edmonton. That probably would have killed the WHA then and there.
|
|