Nashville sale in jeopardy...

[edicius 3,269]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=219701&hubname=nhl

One more time, with feeling!

Seriously, how many failed sales opportunities does it take to realize that the Predators won't thrive in Nashville?

[Hank 0]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=219701&hubname=nhl

One more time, with feeling!

Seriously, how many failed sales opportunities does it take to realize that the Predators won't thrive in Nashville?

At least 4 more times.

It's a good thing the NHL kiboshed the sale to Ballsillie. Afterall, he wanted to pay $50M more than the latest offer, has a bottomless pit for money and LOVES hockey. What a horrible prospective owner!

I didn't catch the whole segment but on Hockey this morning on XM204 the guys were saying that ticket sales are not that great for the Preds and if everything continues the way it has, they won't meet the minimum 14,000 seats.

What more has to be said or done to prove that Nashville is a terrible hockey market? Outside of the 5,000 diehards the state/city have, nobody could give a rats ass about professional hockey in that area.

It's time to save the Preds and move them to a city that really wants hockey.

Edited October 2, 2007 by Hank

[union drone 0]

...And this is why Bettman thinks that expansion to non-traditional hockey markets (Las Vegas, anybody?) is such a great idea!

*read with heavy sarcasm*

[Hank 0]

...And this is why Bettman thinks that expansion to non-traditional hockey markets (Las Vegas, anybody?) is such a great idea!

*read with heavy sarcasm*

I understand the desire to put a team in Vegas. I don't agree with it but Vegas has a lot more upside than Nashville. There's more money and it is higher in profile to spread the NHL name across the States.

But I'm tired of teams going to smaller, less glamourous, non-hockey markets when Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo or Quebec would be easy choices.

Or what about other states like Maine, North Dakota or Wisconsin? All of those states have a rich hockey tradition and would do fine, IMO.

But no, we get 2 teams in Florida, 1 in Georgia and Tennessee and now there's talks of a team going into Kansas City. What a joke.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

On Saturday, the group asked local government officials for more tax money as well as improvements to the Sommet Center, the home of the Predators. According to David Freeman, the city rejected their request.

The report indicates the group asked for nine changes to the lease agreement, including allowing the team to keep almost all state and local taxes as well as seat fees from all events at the arena and letting the team leave Nashville if average attendance falls below the league minimum for revenue sharing, which is 14,000 right now and the group loses $20 million.

Seriously, someone needs to just put this team to sleep.

i can't believe they had the balls to ask for more tax money and improvements to the arena! They already have by far the best franchise deal in the NHL, if not all of professional sports. It's ridiculous.

The city eats all their operating losses, not the Predators. The city paid $25 mill of their initial $80 million franchise fee. Gave them the arena (from which the Preds get to keep the revenue), built them a practice facility, plus they get the most welfare in the league via revenue sharing.

And still they want more breaks from the city of Nashville?

It's been 10 years and this team doesn't even show a glimpse of being able to sustain itself, even with all the help it's getting.

[union drone 0]

I understand the desire to put a team in Vegas. I don't agree with it but Vegas has a lot more upside than Nashville. There's more money and it is higher in profile to spread the NHL name across the States.

But I'm tired of teams going to smaller, less glamourous, non-hockey markets when Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo or Quebec would be easy choices.

Or what about other states like Maine, North Dakota or Wisconsin? All of those states have a rich hockey tradition and would do fine, IMO.

But no, we get 2 teams in Florida, 1 in Georgia and Tennessee and now there's talks of a team going into Kansas City. What a joke.

Point well taken about Vegas. It is certainly better than some of the other options put out on the table. I just think that more expansion, especially into non-traditional markets would be a colossal mistake. The league would actually benefit more from contraction. If Bettman wants to have an experiment in Vegas, take an existing floundering team and move them there.

[bringback91 2]

I understand the desire to put a team in Vegas. I don't agree with it but Vegas has a lot more upside than Nashville. There's more money and it is higher in profile to spread the NHL name across the States.

But I'm tired of teams going to smaller, less glamourous, non-hockey markets when Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo or Quebec would be easy choices.

Or what about other states like Maine, North Dakota or Wisconsin? All of those states have a rich hockey tradition and would do fine, IMO.

But no, we get 2 teams in Florida, 1 in Georgia and Tennessee and now there's talks of a team going into Kansas City. What a joke.

Sam "Ace" Rothstein G.M. and Nicky Santoro as coach, that'd be sweet. Something about a pro sports team and Vegas makes me uneasy. If they thought Tocchet was bad.

[Cicada 4]

f***s sake..

they're really after a free ride..

maybe they should be given the ******* team, cheapstake f***ers.

if thats the type of business people in nashville, then the preds should just bugger off to Kansas city

[toby91_ca 620]

Why don't they simply let Basillie buy the team and move it, you know it is going to end up moving eventually anyway, it's only a matter of time.

Wonder if Basillie creeps back in here. Also, you gotta believe his offer doesn't need to be as high now.

[Jwo 7]

OT: Saber-Toothed Cat Had Wimpy Bite http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/200710...cathadwimpybite

[Winged Scooter 0]

Why don't they simply let Basillie buy the team and move it, you know it is going to end up moving eventually anyway, it's only a matter of time.

Wonder if Basillie creeps back in here. Also, you gotta believe his offer doesn't need to be as high now.

I bet he will, no one else seems interested enough. If I were Liepold I would march right into Bettman's office , say thanks for talking me out of that original deal, Gary, GREAT thinking. And then punch him right in the face!

Edited October 2, 2007 by Winged Scooter

[lfd250 1]

You are forgetting that Boots is a minor invester in Nashville right now. Think he saw this coming and is licking his lips waiting until the end of the year to move to KC

[theman19 47]

all i can say, is gary bettman is one of the dumbest business executives in history.

More money, Check

More intrest, check

Better market, Check

oh wait,. lets give the team to some hillbilly's who'll ask for more league draining help.

Just resign already.

[WingsZR2 1]

I wish they just move already so I can collect on my $200 bet and be done with the whole thing.

[Hank 0]

Point well taken about Vegas. It is certainly better than some of the other options put out on the table. I just think that more expansion, especially into non-traditional markets would be a colossal mistake. The league would actually benefit more from contraction. If Bettman wants to have an experiment in Vegas, take an existing floundering team and move them there.

I totally agree with you. And for the record I don't want a team in Vegas. But I guess if I had the choice between Vegas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, I'd pick Vegas because of the glitz it brings.

And like you said, it would be much better to stick an exhisting team in Sin City rather than an expansion team where it could take years to be competitive.

Bettman's an idiot. I've defended him on a lot of things but I can't anymore. Hockey needs a hockey commissioner. I still think the league is better off, on a national scale, with secure teams in small markets than instable teams in large markets.

Even Joe Smith in Houston, TX knows that Quebec City or Hamilton are good hockey towns and I know they would watch a NY Rangers-Winnipeg final more than they would an Atlanta-WInnipeg final.

HOCKEY markets draw in fans, not BIG TV markets.

[Curban915 0]

^^^^^

Your one of the few people on here who make pretty good points in all your post.

[Hank 0]

Sam "Ace" Rothstein G.M. and Nicky Santoro as coach, that'd be sweet. Something about a pro sports team and Vegas makes me uneasy. If they thought Tocchet was bad.

LOL! It would be interesting that's for sure.

I think I wrote about this earlier but a former mob-boss once said that no sports teams should be in Vegas. It would be too easy to get some of the athletes 'over a barrel'. How hard would it be to get evidence of Pronger with his head between some male-strippers legs? Not hard. Bingo! The Mob's get a grip around his scrawny ostrich-neck.

[Hank 0]

^^^^^

Your one of the few people on here who make pretty good points in all your post.

LOL. Thanks. I'm going to send this to my wife so she knows that I'm not a complete idiot all the time.

[Guest jaytan]

There's a lot of people here at LGW. Why don't we pool our money and buy the Predators?

[toby91_ca 620]

There's a lot of people here at LGW. Why don't we pool our money and buy the Predators?

There's not THAT MANY...it would end up costing us about $1 million each

[lfd250 1]

We'd want to move them too.

We're better off buying a Easten conf team and moving them west, so our Wings can go east.

[Guest DetroitIan]

Unbelievable. This is so back and fourth. I sure the hell hope they move to a more deserving city. But from the way this story is going. Who the hell knows what's gonna happen.

[Winged Scooter 0]

I'm going to win the Mega Millions when the jackpot is 250 Million, buy the Preds, build an arena here in lovely Wolverine Lake, MI and charge nice low ticket prices and compete directly with Mr. Iilitch!

[Hank 0]

I'm going to win the Mega Millions when the jackpot is 250 Million, buy the Preds, build an arena here in lovely Wolverine Lake, MI and charge nice low ticket prices and compete directly with Mr. Iilitch!

Not me! I'd buy the Preds and then fold them. I imagine all the hockey fans world-over would send me money thanking me for putting this team and the NHL out of it's misery for ever having it in the league.

How much more is it going to take before Bettman and the BOG become incredibly embarrassed about this whole situation? And when is it going to become clear to them that if they want to sell this POS franchise they're going to have to allow it to be moved. I mean, the local interest group was even looking into getting clauses added so they could move it out of town! And they're FROM NASHVILLE!!!!

I feel horrible for guys like David Poille. This dude has done an amazing job building this team. You put this club in any other hockey market and the fans are loving it. So much young talent and upside.

Instead, he has to watch his masterpiece play in front of 8,000 fans a night while most of the locals are either at a 'fiddle contest' or banjo lessens.

Edited October 2, 2007 by Hank

[Guest jaytan]

Sometimes they crack 10,000 when the fiddle contest is held at "halftime".