Nashville's days appear numbered

[RedFX 48]

nah, no matter what happens leipold is gone. he lost the fans on this one. the only ownership we would respond to positively now is this new local group.

as for the cure clause. i wish that the city wouldn't fight it. This is actually perfect timing for it. we're all but assured to destroy the 14k mark next season, thus bumping the cure season for another 3 years and making it that much more difficult for Balsillie to move the team in that time. however, if they fight the cure and it gets put off for a season, balsillie will be able to raise ticket prices and downgrade the roster for that season. so we end up with 2 seasons of hockey instead of at least 4.

Who knows how all the legal will play out. right now though i can say that the predators fanbase as a whole are focused on two things.

1. the first priority, above all else. getting 14k paid attendance.

2. the new thing, hoping that the deal falls through and the local group can buy the team.

Well Leipold only had a few days left to trigger the clause, and it's something everyone has anticipated. The only question is how the battle of 3 seasons vs. 2 seasons plays out. Listening to more sports talk it is strating to sound as if the league might take action here soon, deciding on the sale.

[sixer 37]

My Friend bought 4 season tickets to lower bowl in Hamilton. Paid $4000 grand deposit and signed form saying if the team doesn't come, he understands he won't receive his deposit back until 2009!

Every single game will be sold out in Hamilton. Goodbye Nashville, there is no way you could sell out every game.

Edited June 16, 2007 by sixer

[RedFX 48]

My Friend bought 4 season tickets to lower bowl in Hamilton. Paid $4000 grand deposit and signed form saying if the team doesn't come, he understands he won't receive his deposit back until 2009!

Every single game will be sold out in Hamilton. Goodbye Nashville, there is no way you could sell out every game.

I'll tell you what, Balsillie is gonna look like a genuine dumbass if this falls through. He basically lied to the comissioner's face and now he has screwed over 10,000 people within that lie. If and when (notice the irony there) the league steps in, there's gonna be alot of disappointed people in Hamilton.

[Barrie 900]

I'll tell you what, Balsillie is gonna look like a genuine dumbass if this falls through. He basically lied to the comissioner's face and now he has screwed over 10,000 people within that lie. If and when (notice the irony there) the league steps in, there's gonna be alot of disappointed people in Hamilton.

If Balsillie doesn't get Nashville, he'll go after another team.

[CdnWingsFanEh 2]

I'll tell you what, Balsillie is gonna look like a genuine dumbass if this falls through. He basically lied to the comissioner's face and now he has screwed over 10,000 people within that lie. If and when (notice the irony there) the league steps in, there's gonna be alot of disappointed people in Hamilton.

Actually, the league will look like a bunch of dumb-asses if they don't allow a sale to go through to Ballsillie when he's way over-paying for a hockey club, and has already out-sold the Predators current season ticket holders with deposits on seasons tickets in what a matter of 2 and a half days? Gotta say, it just shows the bog is made up of idiots if they let this deal fall through b/c they don't want Hamilton to have a team.

Bettman's an idiot if that happens. No wonder the NHL is being run into the ground. Good solid business sense? Let's not follow that path. Keep a failing team in Nashville instead!!!

I think the disappointed poeple will realize it is the fault of the league, not Ballsillie that the deal wouldn't fall through, if that's the case. Time will see...

Edited June 16, 2007 by CdnWingsFanEh

[Yzerfan1999 81]

As much as i'd like to see another Canadian team, i think people are getting ahead of themselves here. If Mr. Blackberry buys the team, it doesnt mean he CAN move them. There would be a long process of voting among the Board of Execs. and Bettman would never stand for the team leaving Nashville for a Canadian city.

I truly think Bettman's ultimate goal is to move every team out of Canada except the Leafs and the Canadians. He thinks the market in places like Edmonton and Calgary are too small. Thats why i cant stand the f*cking guy. If he had his way, the Cup would be won by the Rangers every year.

[Ubi 0]

How the NHL is run now, i think that Winnipeg could support an NHL team. I would love it if the preds came here, but we would make sure it would still be the Jets!

[vangvace 12]

nah, no matter what happens leipold is gone.

Thank the gods that his whiny, back-dooring, city-screwing, pan-handling ass is going to be gone soon.

[Production Line 1]

They were numbered from day one... :judge:

[eva unit zero 271]

As much as i'd like to see another Canadian team, i think people are getting ahead of themselves here. If Mr. Blackberry buys the team, it doesnt mean he CAN move them. There would be a long process of voting among the Board of Execs. and Bettman would never stand for the team leaving Nashville for a Canadian city.

I truly think Bettman's ultimate goal is to move every team out of Canada except the Leafs and the Canadians. He thinks the market in places like Edmonton and Calgary are too small. Thats why i cant stand the f*cking guy. If he had his way, the Cup would be won by the Rangers every year.

Nashville's market is several times larger than the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Nashville has no other teams within four hours, while K-W has TWO popular teams within two hours and two more within four.

Bettman's ultimate goal is that all existing franchises are financially stable. This is WHY he was hired. The purpose of the 94-95 lockout was the same as the purpose of the 2004-05 lockout; the difference being that the owners caved in 95. Winnipeg and Quebec likely would never have moved had Bettman gotten his way in 95. If Bettman wanted to move all the Canadian teams, he wouldn't have fought for the cap. The cap helps all the small market teams like Winnipeg.

I find it honestly amusing that people can be so hypocritical and say 'I hate Bettman, he wants to move all the Canadian teams to the Southern US' and then also say 'With the salary cap and revenue sharing, Winnipeg would be able to support an NHL team.'

Doesn't that sound like Bettman has made struggling small market franchises like Winnipeg--think Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa--MORE viable. Yep, guy hates Canada.

Bettman's goal is simple. Take steps necessary to ensure financial success of all franchises, preferably in current locations. Teams have moved less under Bettman than under comparable length periods since the 1967 expansion, and revenue is at an all-time high. The average salary is near an all-time high, yet the percentage of revenue is significantly lower than it has been in decades.

Teams are doing better financially across the board. The league is more stable. Yes, there is work that needs to be done, but-and I cannot stress this enough-Bettman is successfully doing what he was hired to do.