quarter23cd Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Interesting. I was really curious about how hockey went over in Nashville. Seems like an odd match, but I figured maybe I was just stereotyping by assuming it was more of a NASCAR kind of town. After all, hockey sometimes thrives in unexpected places--like I've said before that I think Columbus was a great choice. But there is some truth to the accusations that the NHL expanded too fast and/or some questionable decisions have been made about moving franchises. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkstar Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Interesting. I was really curious about how hockey went over in Nashville. Seems like an odd match, but I figured maybe I was just stereotyping by assuming it was more of a NASCAR kind of town. After all, hockey sometimes thrives in unexpected places--like I've said before that I think Columbus was a great choice. But there is some truth to the accusations that the NHL expanded too fast and/or some questionable decisions have been made about moving franchises. Yeah, it was funny when they announced they had a team coming here. They got a lot of country superstars to do ads about it and all that. There was one smaller campaign that was sort of giving out a hockey 101 thing and they were trying to promote it as NASCAR on ice....the speed! the spills! you get the idea. I'm a transplant from Mass. so I was pretty excited about them. I actually got a few of my buddies into the game big time (native Nashvillians) and they still really dig it. They get such lousy coverage in the paper though, I don't think any of their sportswriters have more than just a basic knowledge of the game. They give way more coverage to racing and football here than anything else. I dunno.....the next 2 months will be interesting. The Preds have a serious shot at winning the cup and it will be interesting to see if that gets people into it. They do draw decent crowds for most of the games but the owner wants that big time corporate money you know....luxury suites, naming rights, etc. So far the interest on that side has been lukewarm, but the fans are pretty rabid and dedicated. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 NASCAR on ice....the speed! the spills!Yikes. Yeah, its interesting to get different perspectives from different areas of the country. I've moved back and forth a lot between the east coast and midwest. Grew up outside of DC where the Caps have always been treated with an attitude of "Oh, isn't that cute--they've got skates and everything!" There's a fanbase and enough history now that you'd think there's be a more of a passionate following, but hockey has always been well down the list on the city's sports priorities. I've been back and forth between Columbus and the NY/CT area since then and the differences have been interesting. Columbus is thrilled just to get a pro sports team since Cleveland and Cinci have cornered them out of most pro sports, so attendance has remained great (despite on-ice crappiness) but I'm not sure I'd call it a "great, knowledgeable hockey town" yet. It has that potential, tho (and I think winning would help solidify the love affair a bit). On the flipside, I just moved back here after spending 6 or 7 years in the northeast, where hockey is more ingrained...and I'm not sure why I was surprised to find that there is still a pretty big level of resentment about losing the team in Hartford. Granted, the Canes have done ok in Raleigh (eventually), but it is interesting to see hockey move out of places where it would be more in its "natural environment" so to speak and has moved into places where it may or may not catch on. Not sure if its right or wrong...just interesting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viadurham Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 i was a diehard hartford whalers fan from connecticut and it broke my heart when they were stolen from us. i actually live in north carolina now (for reasons not related to the whale) and go to games in my home whale jersey. i just can't bring myself to put on that awful red sweater. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 yeah. nashville gets NO coverage whatsoever. i would be devestated if they got moved. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
street spirit Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 No offense to any fans in Nashville (because I know there are some great ones - the few, the proud), but I still can't fathom how the hell they thought they were going to sell hockey there. If they moved, I really would feel bad for the fans that they do have, but its certainly wouldn't be all that surprising or disappointing to me. The Pens on the other hand... not only is Pittsburgh a great hockey town, but there's two Stanley Cups there (not to mentions Super Mario's career). It would be a real shame if they moved, especially to somewhere like KC where they go in at 3rd in the Pro Sports pecking order... even though that would mean we actually get to see Crosby more than once every three years. It's hilarious (in that tragic comedy kind of way) that they move teams out of cities that have a lot of hockey support because the arenas apparently aren't up to snuff, but then land them to cities with fancy new venues that they can't fill. Honestly, I think the league should let some of the teams fold and retract a bit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 No offense to any fans in Nashville (because I know there are some great ones - the few, the proud), but I still can't fathom how the hell they thought they were going to sell hockey there. If they moved, I really would feel bad for the fans that they do have, but its certainly wouldn't be all that surprising or disappointing to me. The Pens on the other hand... not only is Pittsburgh a great hockey town, but there's two Stanley Cups there (not to mentions Super Mario's career). It would be a real shame if they moved, especially to somewhere like KC where they go in at 3rd in the Pro Sports pecking order... even though that would mean we actually get to see Crosby more than once every three years. It's hilarious (in that tragic comedy kind of way) that they move teams out of cities that have a lot of hockey support because the arenas apparently aren't up to snuff, but then land them to cities with fancy new venues that they can't fill. Honestly, I think the league should let some of the teams fold and retract a bit. hahah no i completely agree. i mean, theres no way the heads of the nhl just sat around one day and said "hey, lets put a team in nashville, tennessee" someone had to be smoking something. they shouldn't have put the team there in the first place if they didn't think it would market. you don't take chances like that. thats how fans get pissed off. as much as i love nashville, i'd chose nashville to move any day over the pens. nashville has nothing on the legacy of the pens. to take the pens away from pittsburgh would be just like spitting everything liemieux's done for that city. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 It does suck that the Pens may be leavin Pittsburgh. But on the bright side, perhaps the Whaler's will come back to CT, that would make a great Bruins rivalry! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheelco Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 It does suck that the Pens may be leavin Pittsburgh. But on the bright side, perhaps the Whaler's will come back to CT, that would make a great Bruins rivalry!Get Up Stand Up... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 The Pens on the other hand... not only is Pittsburgh a great hockey town, but there's two Stanley Cups there (not to mentions Super Mario's career). It would be a real shame if they moved, especially to somewhere like KC where they go in at 3rd in the Pro Sports pecking order... even though that would mean we actually get to see Crosby more than once every three years. It's hilarious (in that tragic comedy kind of way) that they move teams out of cities that have a lot of hockey support because the arenas apparently aren't up to snuff, but then land them to cities with fancy new venues that they can't fill.reaallly...you don't know much about kc...do you. let me say that i don't want the pens to move. it just wouldn't be right and i'm not alone in thinking that out here in what some ignorant outsiders (no offense to you) consider the "wasteland" of middle america. kansas city is an underserved sports market. we have a hole to fill in the winter months. k.c. sells out 80,000 seats every freakin' game for the chiefs and still can do a very decent gate for the royals who have lost 100+ games in 3 of the last 4 years. we supported our last hockey team for over a decade (kc blades in the IHL) with attendance each year that rivaled some NHL teams. and that was for minor league hockey. they were affiliated with san jose and later, vancouver. the blades were one of the most successful teams in the league during that span and ended only because the whole league folded. kansas city has many very loyal and educated hockey fans and we are tired of having to follow the team on the other side of the state (the blues). there has been an active group persuing an NHL franchise since before the IHL folded and now, with the sprint center opening in october...we are ready for whatever team that may be. all of the 72 corporate suites have been sold out for months for an arena that has yet to open and for a team that has yet to exist. i'm a little tired of hearing the comments from other NHL fans that are soaked in east coast and canadian bias. it's sad that the NHL is such a snobbly clique that it is so resisitant to fans outside the existing circle. maybe that's why the games are on versus. what a sh*tty network that is. we just want in, that's all and spouting crap about us losing a team (the NHL scouts) in the mid-1970's as a reason k.c. can't support a team is ridiculous. a lot has happened since then. hopefully it won't be the pens and it will be somebody else. but regardless, when we do get a team, i'll be in line for tickets along with thousands of fellow k.c. hockey fans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 I think KC is a great spot for a team, just preferably not the Penguins. And I think that echoes a lot of what other people have said. I don't think anyone here is suggesting that hockey shouldn't be spread outside of its traditional geographical "base" and I don't think I've heard anyone talk of a "wasteland", but yeah, some cities have worked out better than others. Nashville is a good "WTF?" example that didn't really work out so well, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other cities that would work out great. For what its worth, I do hope that KC gets a team, mostly because there is an obvious hunger there in that market--and that's something the NHL desperately needs. Heck, there are probably quite a few teams in "major markets" that might do better in cities that aren't oversaturated with sports choices. Finding the right homes for teams is bound to be kind of hit and miss. Nashville maybe hasn't worked out so well, so I'd rather see them move out from there than see a team like Pittsburgh move out of its longtime home. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 well, it appears that the pens are staying in pittsurgh from the reports i'm hearing. even though i live in the k.c. area, i'm actually relieved they are staying. the pens are a fixture in pittsburgh and i didn't want us to bring any bad karma on ourselves by them coming here and ruining tradition and mario's legacy. we'll get a team soon (hopefully) but some things just aren't right and mario moving his team here just wouldn't be right. i'm glad they are finally getting their arena deal after 7 years of being kicked around (you're welcome) and good luck continuing to deal with pittsburgh politicians. they have shown themselves to be complete buffoons. luckily the pens have a great group of fans to compensate for that. best of luck to the pens and may the cup be yours this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 i didn't want us to bring any bad karma on ourselvesYeah, to use an NFL example, I know several people in Baltimore who still have some guilt over embracing the Ravens because they remember all too well the middle-of-the-night pullout when the Colts went to Indy and feel bad that essentially the same thing happened to Cleveland. Moving a franchise is always ugly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins reached a financing deal for a new arena that will keep the NHL team in the city where it has played since 1967. Gov. Ed Rendell announced the agreement Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Gaming Congress. He said money from the state's new slot machine parlors would help fund the arena. Rendell said he would fly to Pittsburgh later in the day to meet with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the team owners and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. "We will announce that all three governmental entities have reached an agreement for a deal that will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh" for 30 years, he said. The Penguins had threatened to leave Pittsburgh if they couldn't secure a new rink. Their lease at 46-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest facility in the league, expires June 30 and the team is free to leave after that. Team officials visited Kansas City, Mo., and Las Vegas to discuss a possible move. The Penguins were offered free rent and half of all revenues if they agreed to play in Kansas City's soon-to-be-completed $262 million Sprint Center. The Penguins won Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992. Their home attendance and local TV ratings are among the strongest of the NHL's 24 U.S. franchises. Kevin Evanto, a spokesman for Onorato, declined to discuss the deal. Spokesmen for the mayor and the Penguins did not immediately return calls. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the arena would be completed by the start of the 2009-10 season. The Penguins would pay $3.8 million a year for construction and $400,000 annually for unspecified capital improvements, the newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources. The Penguins have sought a new arena for years. Last year, the team announced a deal with Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. that called for the company to build a $290 million arena at no cost to the team or taxpayers if the gambling firm got a state license to operate a slots casino in the city. But the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in December awarded the license to Detroit casino magnate Don Barden, and the Penguins were forced to negotiate with government officials for a new arena. Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I read that too...it's a shame they can't stay at Mellon's Arena... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheelco Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 they can still call the new barn "The Igloo" I guess though penguins are not known to build such structures naturally . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 though penguins are not known to build such structures naturally . . . hahaha! But if Syndey Crosby was a penguin...he'd find a way Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon Posted March 13, 2007 Author Share Posted March 13, 2007 i'm sorry to any panthers fans, but they need to go to KC. i mean florida has two teams, tennessee only has one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 i'm sorry to any panthers fans, but they need to go to KC. i mean florida has two teams, tennessee only has one.well, if you just go by attendance, the lightning draw 19,786 a game vs. the panthers at 15,242. so, i guess you could assume that the panthers are the weak link in that state. plus, tampa just won the cup in 2004. i really have no opinion on the predators moving. a team is a team at this point. st. louis has the worst draw in the league at 12,177. what the hell is going on over there? if i had my choice, the blues would move a few hundred miles west. they were my first love anyway. would be nice to see them more often. no offense stl., but you have something we would love to have here in k.c. and you are just letting it twist in the wind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 The blues belong in St.Louis, I just wish they got more of a draw. I'd like to see a team for Maine...or is that too close to Boston? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon Posted March 14, 2007 Author Share Posted March 14, 2007 The blues belong in St.Louis very true. i couldn't imagine them anywhere else. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 i'm sorry to any panthers fans, but they need to go to KC. i mean florida has two teams, tennessee only has one. I grew up with the Panthers, so I wouldn't want them taken away... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 The blues belong in St.Louis, I just wish they got more of a draw.i agree they belong there, but another season or two of drawing 12,000 or less and i would worry if i was a blues fan. btw: what happened to all the blackhawks fans? they are 28th out of the 30 teams in attendance and only average 12,771 fans. do they play their home games in a shoe box? is 12,000 a sell out? their draw is a little surprising to me in a city that size. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
street spirit Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 reaallly...you don't know much about kc...do you. let me say that i don't want the pens to move. it just wouldn't be right and i'm not alone in thinking that out here in what some ignorant outsiders (no offense to you) consider the "wasteland" of middle america. kansas city is an underserved sports market. we have a hole to fill in the winter months. k.c. sells out 80,000 seats every freakin' game for the chiefs and still can do a very decent gate for the royals who have lost 100+ games in 3 of the last 4 years. we supported our last hockey team for over a decade (kc blades in the IHL) with attendance each year that rivaled some NHL teams. and that was for minor league hockey. they were affiliated with san jose and later, vancouver. the blades were one of the most successful teams in the league during that span and ended only because the whole league folded. kansas city has many very loyal and educated hockey fans and we are tired of having to follow the team on the other side of the state (the blues). there has been an active group persuing an NHL franchise since before the IHL folded and now, with the sprint center opening in october...we are ready for whatever team that may be. all of the 72 corporate suites have been sold out for months for an arena that has yet to open and for a team that has yet to exist. i'm a little tired of hearing the comments from other NHL fans that are soaked in east coast and canadian bias. it's sad that the NHL is such a snobbly clique that it is so resisitant to fans outside the existing circle. maybe that's why the games are on versus. what a sh*tty network that is. we just want in, that's all and spouting crap about us losing a team (the NHL scouts) in the mid-1970's as a reason k.c. can't support a team is ridiculous. a lot has happened since then. hopefully it won't be the pens and it will be somebody else. but regardless, when we do get a team, i'll be in line for tickets along with thousands of fellow k.c. hockey fans. My second comment about places with fancy arenas and crappy support was meant more generally, and it was a bit unfair to lump KC into that... I do stand by the fact that the NHL's still going to be third in the pro sports pecking order. Obviously the NFL is untouchable anywhere they are, and MLB still loads bigger than hockey will ever be. And I never mentioned the Scouts, because I agree with you that that has nothing to do with anything right now. St. Louis and Chicago will probably remain grim attendance-wise for a year or two, but that will bounce back when the teams do. It's places like Nashville that are around 12-15k and are one of the best teams i the league that are worrisome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a.miller Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Sindey Crosby's goal in the shootout last night and Marc-Andre Fleury's outstanding glove save have confirmed that Pittsburgh is the most fun team to watch right now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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