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Post by razorsedge on Oct 29, 2007 22:03:16 GMT -5
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Post by razorsedge on Oct 29, 2007 22:13:02 GMT -5
From the Truth&Rumors section of Sports Illustrated's Nashville Predators page. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/teams/predators/Empty seats encourage K.C.'s bidPosted: Sunday October 28, 2007 09:32AM ET If you're a hockey fan in Kansas City and you're holding out hope we can land an NHL team for the Sprint Center sometime in our lifetime, you might want to start paying close attention to one little statistic: The Nashville Predators' attendance figures. let's not forget that little clause in the Predators' arena lease: The Predators could leave next June if they don't average 14,000 in paid attendance this season. A clause was triggered when the team dipped below 14,000 average paid attendance last season. And this year, the Predators, after drawing 16,363 for the home opener, are headed in the right direction, at least for Kansas City concerns. Through five games, the Predators are averaging 13,626. Through Friday, the Predators also were in last place in the Western Conference's Central Division with a 3-6 record.www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/25497 |
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Post by blackthorne on Oct 29, 2007 22:35:36 GMT -5
Who ever thought "pro ice hockey" would work in Nashville?
If I ever see that person (or those people), there will be pointing. And giggling.
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Post by mcguire4 on Oct 29, 2007 22:51:18 GMT -5
Who ever thought "pro ice hockey" would work in Nashville? If I ever see that person (or those people), there will be pointing. And giggling. dont worry. you never will. |
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Post by wagner3 on Oct 30, 2007 15:49:46 GMT -5
Predators' Nashville nightmare is scary, scary stuff David Pratt, The Province Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 There's not a ghost of a chance the NHL can survive in Nashville. In the 10-year history of the Predators, the franchise has lost more than $70 million US -- $27 million in the two years since the lockout. The team is averaging fewer than 14,000 fans per game and seems certain to escape from its lease at the end of the season. The Predators' failure is the failure of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Email to a friend Printer friendly Font:****The issue now is where the franchise moves to. Expect Philip Anschutz, the owner of the Los Angeles Kings, to have a lot to say about that. The Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) has vast holdings in the sports and entertainment industry -- including building and running many of the biggest arenas in the world -- such as the New Jersey Devils' brand new home, the Prudential Center. Anschutz has enough political muscle that he was able to convince the NHL to open this season a week earlier than normal in London, England, so he could promote his new O2 Arena. Now he wants an NHL franchise for his Sprint Center in Kansas City. So when Nashville owner Craig Leipold announced plans to sell the Predators to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, with plans to move the team to Hamilton, Ont., the league reacted as if Balsillie was boiling its children and was about to add carrots. As a result, Balsillie's $238-million offer was rejected and Leipold began negotiating with a local group offering a mere $193 million. At midnight Wednesday, that exclusive offer runs out. How fitting that it's Halloween, because this is the ultimate game of trick or treat. Balsillie believes there is a clear conflict of interest and in July accused Bettman of forcing Leipold to break off negotiations. Bettman denies it. Still, the accusations raise questions about whether or not Bettman overstepped his bounds and acted in the best interests of the NHL. The NHL Players' Association certainly has a stake in the matter. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the players are guaranteed up to 57 per cent of league revenues, which means a move to Kansas City and not Hamilton could cost them millions of dollars. There is one more character in this Rocky Horror Picture Show: William "Boots" Del Biaggio, a venture capitalist from California. Del Biaggio is well connected to Anschutz and has an agreement with AEG to own any NHL team that relocates to Kansas City. His first attempt was to buy and relocate the Pittsburgh Penguins and now he's part of the group in Nashville trying to buy the Predators. More and more, it appears this local bid is little more than a charade to give fans in Nashville false hope and help Leipold save face. In 2000, Vancouver Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley pulled the same act by singing the Canadian national anthem before the NBA team's home opener, knowing full well he was moving the franchise at the end of the season. The song and dance in Nashville goes like this: The local group is demanding $4.2 million per year in sales taxes diverted to the team and $7 million spent on improvements to the arena. There is no way that newly elected Mayor Karl Dean can agree to that because he ran on a platform of putting public education first. Dean has demanded a five-year commitment from the group, which has been turned down. On Wednesday, the fate of the franchise will be sealed. The life and death of the Nashville Predators has the potential to become one of the biggest nightmares in NHL history and the league has only itself to blame. David Pratt can be heard weekdays, 3-7 p.m. on TEAM 1040 AM www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=0c5fd9b1-8a76-48bc-afbb-927183494ed1 |
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Post by USApegger on Oct 30, 2007 16:09:03 GMT -5
Wagner, you had another article that pointed out this conflict with AEG.
This article sure makes even more sense than just Toronto putting the pressure on to keep the Preds out of Hamilton
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Post by scottie65 on Oct 30, 2007 16:18:12 GMT -5
That article summed up what's about to happen on November 1st. AEG, NHLPA, Balsillie and Boots will all duke it out for the bones of the Preds.
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Post by wagner3 on Oct 30, 2007 16:23:25 GMT -5
Tuesday, 10/30/07 Predators' home attendance still lags By JOHN GLENNON Staff Writer After six home games, the Predators’ paid attendance average stands at 12,305, according to figures obtained from the Metro Sports Authority. The Predators’ two most recent home contests – Oct. 25 against Atlanta and Oct. 27 against Florida – produced paid attendances of 10,197 and 15,085, respectively. There were 3,187 complimentary tickets used for the Oct. 25 game and 687 used for the Oct. 27 game. As matters stand now, the Predators must average 14,000 in paid attendance this season to keep the lease between the team and the city intact. That would keep the team in Nashville for at least the next three seasons. www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071030/SPORTS02/71030005 |
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Post by nhllasvegas on Oct 30, 2007 16:27:57 GMT -5
Leipold doesn't want to sell to Ballsilly. BOG doesn't want him as an owner... Boots will get that team  |
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Post by dbp1990 on Oct 30, 2007 16:45:45 GMT -5
Leipold doesn't want to sell to Ballsilly. BOG doesn't want him as an owner... Boots will get that team And your getting the BOOT too L oser |
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Post by nhllasvegas on Oct 30, 2007 17:02:21 GMT -5
Leipold doesn't want to sell to Ballsilly. BOG doesn't want him as an owner... Boots will get that team And your getting the BOOT too L oser hello. I registered an account and joined the jetsowner forum a few days ago. I have posted nothing constructive except trolling posts. I am now banned. Next time, I need to learn how to post on a message board without immediately pissing people off.  |
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Post by USApegger on Oct 30, 2007 18:44:01 GMT -5
And your getting the BOOT too L oser we'll see... l o s e r Canadian99 is back  |
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Post by Alex on Oct 30, 2007 18:49:07 GMT -5
It could be jetsengine, as the names of this guy have all been similar to his monikers.
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Post by wagner3 on Oct 30, 2007 22:10:35 GMT -5
Canadian could be among new owners ALLAN MAKI From Wednesday's Globe and Mail E-mail Allan Maki | Read Bio | Latest Columns October 30, 2007 at 7:54 PM EDT Today could see the ownership plight of the Nashville Predators settled — for now, at least — with a Canadian listed as one of the new investors. And no, his name is not Jim Balsillie. It's Doug Bergeron, the Windsor-born chairman and CEO of VeriFone, a San Jose-based company that specializes in electronic payment products. Bergeron's name has surfaced as a possible partner in the group of mostly local investors that is down to the final hours of its exclusive negotiating agreement with Craig Leipold, the Predators' owner. While there are indications the group, headed by Nashville businessman David Freeman, is close to completing its $193-million (U.S.) purchase, nothing has come easily in this on-going saga. Related Articles Recent Predators trying to keep their focus Once, it looked as though Balsillie, the co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, would own the club and then move it to Hamilton. California financier William (Boots) Del Biaggio III was also interested in buying the Predators and moving them to Kansas City. Eventually, Del Biaggio joined with the Freeman group to keep the team in Nashville — depending on fan support — and is believed to have brought Bergeron aboard as an additional partner. Bergeron is noted for having acquired VeriFone from Hewlett Packard for $50-million, tripling sales and becoming the largest single shareholder in a company now worth several billion dollars. Bergeron grew up in Windsor with a father who was stricken by multiple sclerosis and a mother who worked as an Avon lady. To help earn money, Bergeron played the accordion wherever he could, from weddings to bar mitzvahs. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science from York University and later earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California. He stayed in Los Angeles and worked his way up the corporate ladder. His wife Sandra grew up in the southern United States and is chairman of a security-compliance company based in Baton Rouge, La. While the Freeman group (nine members now) has been organizing its finances, it has also been negotiating with Nashville city officials for a new lease at the Sommet Center, the home of the Predators. Leipold has claimed to have lost a combined $27-million over two years. In an effort to break even, the local group had asked for lease concessions and arena renovations, all of which had to be approved by city council and the Metro Sports Authority. It was not known last night if negotiations between the city and the Freeman group had reached a successful conclusion. Talks have been going back and forth for weeks without any announced breakthrough. That said, Del Biaggio recently told The Tennessean newspaper, "Everything is in place to close by Oct. 31." Del Biaggio was so confident of that he recently met with Nashville general manager David Poile and head coach Barry Trotz when the Predators played in San Jose against the Sharks on Oct. 20. In fact, Del Biaggio, a minority owner in the Sharks, took the entire team to dinner. "In a lot of ways he reminded me of [Leipold]," Trotz told The Tennessean. "He's very personable. You can tell he has a passion for our sport. It was a nice gesture to have the team out, address them and meet every player." Freeman's group plunked down a non-refundable $10-million deposit when it entered into a letter of intent with Leipold. Should the deal fall through that money could be lost while opening the door for Balsillie's return. Originally, Balsillie offered more than $220-million for the Predators and began taking season-ticket deposits in Hamilton, where the team would eventually set up shop. That drew the ire of Leipold and the NHL, neither of whom appreciated Balsillie getting ahead of the process. In a follow-up bid submitted earlier this month, Balsillie made no mention of what he'd pay for the club but offered a smoother approach. He used a local public-relations expert to say he would not ask for the Sommet Center arena lease to be changed and that he was now convinced of Nashville's legitimacy as a hockey market. (How legitimate is open to debate since the Predators, despite an orchestrated season-ticket push, are still averaging fewer than 14,000 fans.) Balsillie's second pitch prompted an angry retort from Freeman, who issued a statement that read: "To paraphrase one of my favourite fans, 'Keep your damn hands off our hockey team.' " Today, the Predators could be placed in the hands of several locals and a Canadian with a good head for business. www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071030.wsptmaki30/BNStory/Sports/columnists |
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Post by Steenager on Oct 30, 2007 23:41:59 GMT -5
Leipold will announce tomorrow that the timeline for the deal to be made has been extended.
Go Jets Go.
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Post by wagner3 on Oct 31, 2007 9:37:08 GMT -5
Wednesday, 10/31/07 Deadline arrives for Predators purchase Talks advance little; ticket sales trail goal By MICHAEL CASS and JOHN GLENNON Staff Writers Time is running out on the effort to keep the Predators in Nashville, as negotiations on Tuesday showed little progress toward today's deadline and ticket sales were running slow. A mostly local investors group has until the end of today to buy the hockey team from owner Craig Leipold. That won't be possible, given all the approvals still needed, but Leipold could give the group more time before he starts talking to other potential buyers. Meanwhile, the community is coming up short on its one sure way to require the Predators to stay in town — buying tickets. After six home games, the Predators' paid attendance average stands at 12,305, well below the 14,000 that would enforce the team's 30-year lease of Sommet Center. However, attendance traditionally picks up in the second half of the season, after football ends. "That's the ultimate ace in the hole that we have," Mayor Karl Dean said last week. Metro Councilman Charlie Tygard said he was anxious about the pace of negotiations between the investors and Dean's administration to change the lease, which the investors say they must do to buy the team. "I guess I'm concerned that the deadline is fast approaching, and we're not hearing anything pro or con," Tygard said Tuesday. "I'm certainly hopeful that we can reach some kind of agreement, or I hope Craig Leipold will grant an extension." Margie Newman, a spokeswoman for the buyers, said the group was "still working toward the Oct. 31 deadline unless they hear otherwise." She said she wasn't aware of the group's asking Leipold for an extension; Gerry Helper, a Predators spokes man, said he wasn't aware of Leipold's being approached for one. "Everybody's focused on getting the deal done," he said. Coach doubts distraction Tygard said he would like to see Dean wrap up the negotiations and present a deal to the Metro Sports Authority and Metro Council, both of which have asked for a week to consider major lease changes. "I'm to the stage now, I would like the mayor to put (forward) the best deal possible that he can offer legally to protect the taxpayers, and it's time to let the public see what it is, discuss it and vote it up or down," he said. Dean's spokeswoman, Janel Lacy, said, "We're not going to do a deal without a full public discussion, and we hope we can start that discussion soon." More than five months after Leipold first announced that he had reached a preliminary deal to sell the Predators, Tygard said he worries that the process could be distracting the team, which was 4-6 going into Tuesday night's game at Calgary. "Perhaps this uncertainty has filtered down into the performance of the team. I'm not saying that's the whole reason they're 4-6, but in professional sports, you've got a fragile chemistry, and anything that disrupts it on any level sometimes is more than what they can overcome." Predators Coach Barry Trotz said he didn't think that was the case. "It's more of a distraction probably when we are not playing than when we are playing, because once you start playing it better not be a distraction," Trotz said before Tuesday's game. "It doesn't show very good focus, it doesn't show very good preparation. "We just have to block it out. It is what it is. We are going to be in Nashville for hopefully a long time, or a few years, or we don't know. All we know is we are here this year so let's live in the moment a little bit. That's all you can really do." Predators fan Liz Parrott, a local attorney and a season ticket-holder for the team's nine years, says she still believes things will work out for the best. "I'd say there's still cautious optimism,'' said Parrott, a former president of the team's booster club. "We want the deal to go through and we want to keep them here. There's that undying hope that they will stay here and get something worked out.'' Parrott said she believes that even though it's unlikely a deal will be reached by the end of the exclusive negotiating period today, the two sides are moving in the right direction. "I think it's a long-term process that's made huge strides,'' she said. "They've made enough strides that they're not just going to throw in the towel and say, 'We're done.' '' tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/SPORTS02/710310458/-1/NLETTER01 |
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Post by Steenager on Oct 31, 2007 10:31:55 GMT -5
Here's to hoping that by the time the NFL is done, the Predators are 5-20-0
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Post by scottie65 on Oct 31, 2007 11:25:52 GMT -5
Here's an update from TSN TSN.ca Staff 10/31/2007 11:37:22 AM The deadline for a local group to buy the Predators and keep them in Nashville runs out tonight - if current owner Craig Leipold decides to play hardball. According to The Tennessean, progress on a deal has been slow, although both sides remain confident. A big stumbling block remains the local group's negotiation with Metro Nashville Council to change the arena lease for the Sommett Center, which the investors say is needed before their deal with Leipold can go through. Metro Councilman Charlie Tygard told the Tennessean he was anxious about the slow pace of negotiations regarding the arena lease. "I'm certainly hopeful that we can reach some kind of agreement, or I hope Craig Leipold will grant an extension," Tygard told the Tennessean. The local group, headed by David Freeman, gave Leipold a US$10 million deposit in August toward its $193 million offer. The deal gave Freeman's group exclusive negotiating rights with Leipold through October 31. That deadline, however, is up to Leipold to enforce. The sense seems to be that if a deal is not done today, Leipold will be patient for a few days to see if the local angle will come together before he opts to look elsewhere.www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=221811&hubname=nhl
Another update from the Tennessean: Wednesday, 10/31/07 Group trying to buy Predators adds another CalifornianBy JOHN GLENNON Staff Writer The mainly local group of Nashville business leaders seeking to buy the Predators from Craig Leipold has another outside member of its group. It’s Doug Bergeron, chairman and CEO of VeriFone, an electronic payment technology company based in San Jose, Calif. He was added to the contingent in recent weeks, according to San Jose-based William "Boots’’ Del Biaggio III, who is one of the primary investors. "He’s going to be part of the Predators’ ownership group," Del Biaggio said today. "Doug is a good friend of mine and an incredible businessman. He has an incredible track record. I’m real excited that he’s going to join the group." Bergeron also confirmed his participation in a voice mail message responding to a question from The Tennessean. "I am part of the group with Boots," he said. "We think it'll be a fantastic opportunity for the investment group, and we're pretty sure we're going to prevail here. We're just tying some loose ends up." The group’s exclusive negotiations period with Leipold ends today, though Leipold can grant an extension if he desires. Del Biaggio said he continues to remain upbeat about the group’s chances of purchasing the Predators, even if it does not occur today. "We feel very, very confident it’s going to close," Del Biaggio said. Del Biaggio said the addition of Bergeron, a Windsor, Canada native, was not an effort to boost the $193 million bid of the group, noting that it will remain the same."We just think this is a great opportunity to bring in a really powerful guy," Del Biaggio said. "I think it’s very important to the fans and to the NHL that they can see we have a really powerful group. It’s a mix of having great Nashville investors and what I think are incredible businessmen and hockey fans that happen to be on the West Coast." Del Biaggio said Bergeron, like the other investors, has an application in to the NHL. He is still subject to the league’s approval process. www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/SPORTS02/71031020/1028
I recall that Boots wasnt supposed to have any control, but it appears he has ALL the control through the addition of another non-local to the mix. This gets more interesting all the time.
Read more about Doug Bergeron here: www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=912871sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/01/22/smallb1.html?jst=pn_pn_lk |
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Post by wagner3 on Oct 31, 2007 14:47:25 GMT -5
some speculation:
maybe this indicates the local buyers were unable to get debt financing -- i.e., a bank loan -- to fiance the purchase since the numbers do not make sense or the lease concessions not generous enough. So, Boots brings in his friend and now he and his "buddy" control the team NOT the group of local investors who will have put up a relatively small amount...this is all partly appearances...we know that Boots could buy the team outright if he wanted to...but the NHL would look bad if it appeared they were handing the team to Boots for several 10s of millions less than Balsillie would have paid, and the end result is that the team is still relocated...
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Post by scottie65 on Oct 31, 2007 14:58:55 GMT -5
^ Bergeron appears to be attached to Windsor through philanthropic work. Any connection between Windsor and a nearby city of Hamilton?? Likely not given Boots' affiliation to KC, but it makes you think.
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