Oh Sure, This Is Going To Work

Nobody, absolutely nobody, outside of the group that has very tentatively purchased the Nashville Predators believes the NHL can work long-term in that city.

This is a mess that's going to get worse before the team is shifted to Kansas City, a shame, really, when the best hockey market in the world in southern Ontario is ready, willing and able to welcome another franchise.

It seemed a little fishy when a Nashville-based collection of businessmen said they'd concluded a deal with Craig Leipold to buy the Preds early this month for far less money than Jim Balsillie had offered. Now comes the news reported in The Tennessean today that this new group is already demanding changes in lease agreements and other tax considerations that could cost Nashville taxpayers upwards of $5 million a year.

So Balsillie was a maverick and a kook that the NHL didn't want. But guys whose first move is to go hat in hand to the tax trough - those are the guys this league wants!

What's incredible, of course, is that the Predators already received the greatest sweetheart deal in the history of sports sweetheart deals when they landed in Nashville in the first place as an expansion franchise. The building was built for them and the city gave them millions of dollars just for bringing the team there.

Now - more please.

If Nashville wants to pay for this, well, good for them. It's not that different from Pittsburgh, really, where local politicians and taxpayers believe getting into bed with gambling interests is an appropriate way to fund a new hockey arena.

But it can't possibly work long-term. Short-term, meanwhile, the team won't be as good as last season and the new owners conveniently still hold the right to opt out of the current lease if attendance falls below 14,000 this season.

And why wouldn't it?

The NHL has botched this entire issue from the start, mostly because Gary Bettman got his back up over Balsillie and his legal representatives. But instead of fixing the problems, Bettman has simply engineered a situation that could turn uglier yet.

Then again, maybe Nashville citizens and their political representatives will just tell the new Preds owners to take a hike, and maybe this latest deal falls apart as well.

Wouldn't it be fun if the Bettman administration was forced to go back to Balsillie?

Comments

[Stephen]

To see Bettman crawl back to Balsillie would be the happiest moment of my life, but I still think you're too quick to presume that hockey in Nashville won't work. While they're surely not selling out the building, they do have a very solid fanbase with the potential to expand over time. But what the heck, as long as Bettman gets screwed, I'm all for anything.

[Adam C]

Let's see:
- top five team league-wide
- multiple superstar players with established pedigrees
- talented young players forcing their way into the lineup
- entertaining style of play with depth and character at every position

...and less than 14000 fans per night. Yeah, this is a market that will succeed. If they can't support a very good team, what will happen when they inevitably suck again?

[alex]

How the heck do they grow fan base with a lesser-quality team and fewer "name" players on its roster - not to mention the team's precarious future in the city. Not even PT Barnum could sell this ... no one wins with this deal - no one! Even the few thousand hockey fans in the city (not the novelty-factor ones, nor the free-ticket guests) will find another way to either watch hockey or find another distraction. Not even Bettman wins, as this will only serve to further erode his crummy name and reputation. Even the irresponsible city politicians will have egg on their face! The only amazing thing to me is how anyone could not have possible thought otherwise!!

[Bob Holden]

Nothing new here. The NHL tried to force feed hockey into non-hockey markets starting with expansion in 1967, to try to land a lucrative long term national TV deal. It just hasn't worked out, nor will it likely ever.

Between that and letting their showcase event, the Stanley Cup playoffs run into mid-June, when their largest markets, the north east USA and Canada have been through the long winter and can finally enjoy the great outdoors, makes me wonder how people smart enough to get really rich,enough to own an NHL franchise, can be so apparently inept at understanding markets and customer service.

The truly surprising thing, to me, is that there appears to be annual disappointment at the meager television ratings.

[selvig]

Gary Bettman will never go back to Basille.

He simply does not want another team in Canada, and MLSE will NEVER allow a new team in Southern Ontario anyway.

[Robert Roach]

Let me see if I have this correct.When the Canadian dollar falls,as it will,Hamilton or any other site in Ontario, will still be a great site.Bollocks.They will be going hat in hand to the local and provincial governments looking for a handout.It was bad enough when Ottawa went to the feds begging.As well,why would any owner want a rebel such as Balsillie in their chicken coop.As for opposition from MLSE, there is also opposition from Buffalo and Detroit who also receive support from Southern Ontario. Blowhards such as Cox just never get it right.

[Pete M]

Balsillie should seriously research the notion of suing Bettman for tampering with this whole issue, especially if the Predators do end up landing in Kansas City. You'd think Bettman would have learned after the lockout that hockey is simply a niche sport in select American cities. After all this time, Bettman is still Nero playing his fiddle, while franchises continue to burn all over the southern US landscape. Chin up Bettman, those US television ratings are bound to turn the corner one of these days!

[True Patriot Love]

""Then again, maybe Nashville citizens and their political representatives will just tell the new Preds owners to take a hike, and maybe this latest deal falls apart as well. Wouldn't it be fun if the Bettman administration was forced to go back to Balsillie?""

Hard to tell how you feel about this? Are you wanting another team in Ontario?

Keep whining. Keep writing the same story every day. Maybe one day it will be THE thing that gets you another team.

[Stephen]

Can a commissioner's actions be considered "tampering"?

[LA exile]

What's Basillie done wrong except decline to kiss Bettman's ring?
There are 2 bad guys here - Bettmen and MSLE - You think the Leafs want competition that might out of the box be better than them? The Leafs are in the business of selling corporate boxes - winning has NOTHING to do with it. Luckily the Stanley Cup visits the Hockey Hall of fame - that's the only way Leafs will see it in our lifetime -- I feel sorry for the few good players (Sundin) that deserve a shot at it.

[Barry D]

Damien:

I agree with everything you wrote in the post about Nashville except for one glaring omission: ALL teams in the NHL (NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, etc.) feed at the taxpayer trough all the time. Billions of public dollars feed the private enterprise of professional sports. The Yankees' new stadium - now subsidized to the tune of $570 million through tax breaks, public land, new subway line, etc. - is a shining example of private sport arrogance, greed and entitlement. Conrad Black has nothing on professional sports owners.

[mark]

Robert Roach, what have you been smoking? Are you trying to say that Southern Ontario could not support an additional NHL team? And (in your economic wizdom) are you also predicting a weaker Canadian dollar? While I would tend to agree that Damien is a blow hard, I can't say on this particular issue you've proven to be any more informed. Another NHL franchise in Southern Ontario would be a license to print money. But, don't take my word for it, ask Jim Balsillie. It's no wonder JB doesn't get along with the NHL commissioner; he's actually an astute businessman; something apparantly lacking at the NHL governors' table.

[Dean Noakes]

Gentlemen...Guy Lafleur spoke for us all when, during the NHL lock-out, he said that the NHL should only be a 24 team league. It would be all too easy to eliminate 8 teams from the dismal US southern markets. Take your pick. If they have to distinguish it as "ice hockey" you know they have no clue.

[mark trail]

Bollocks, bollocks you say old chap.Stick to footie, then you might know of what you speak.The can$ at 0.62 didn't kill a single Canadian team, did it . The worry should be the weak U.S. teams. Some gate equalization is happening there chappy. So, dont worry yourself.

[Bo]

What a bunch of homers. When a Canadian city loses its team everyone in Canada cries. When an American team is about to lose its team the Canadians get like voltures wishing it to move to Canada. Everyone says there are not enough fans in the South but nobody cares about the 12,000+ fans that regularly go to the Preds games. If Balsillie wants a team he should apply for an expansion team. There are hockey fans in Nashville and they would like to keep their team.

[Adam C]

12000 fans isn't enough to support an NHL team. If the team moves to Ontario they'll have 18-20000 fans every night.

And yes, Canadians like to have teams in Canada. We like hockey. Our friends and neighbours like hockey. Cheering with our friends for local teams is fun. Watching on TV as great hockey players play in front of half-empty stands in dismal American markets where almost no-one cares is less fun.

[Ace]

Man, just think of it in relative terms. US College lawnbowling gets more fans than the weaker US teams. Some US college meaningless soccer and football games get 50000+ fans and you are really trying to justify that there might be 12000 preds fans? Move the team to a hockey city in a hockey country where they actually have something to play for. What kid grows up dreaming of playing hockey for Nashville?