What does this mean for Sprint Center?

Not sure, but it sure does make for a tough sales pitch.

AEG: “Buy a NHL team. Put it in our building in Kansas City.”

Buyer: “Is that a good investment?”

AEG, “Of course, the NHL is a great league with loads of potential.”

Buyer, “Really? In the 32nd largest TV market in the country? Didn’t you own a team in the second largest market and then got out of the league? And, what are you wearing?”

AEG, “Hmm, what do you know. I apparently have no clothes.”

Look, I’ve read some far-fetched crap in The Hockey News before, especially from Ken Campbell, so who knows if any of it is true. This one seems WAY out there. I’m just having a little fun with it and putting the column out there in case you didn’t see it.

Oklahoma City steals KC’s thunder as Sprint Center still searches for a pro team
READ THIS COLUMN!!!

Sam Mellinger lays it all on the line. This column stuns me, considering someone at The Star wrote it. It is well-research, it is accurate, it has a great hook, it doesn’t have a quote from NHL21…it’s really, really good. Not since The Pitch did a column about four years ago has one been written so objectively with just the right amount of cynicism to get to the truth about a NHL team coming to Sprint Center. I don’t think Sam Mellinger will be granted any press passes to games at Staples Center any time soon.

Leiweke and Sprint Center general manager and senior vice president Brenda Tinnen did not return messages for this story — they’re sensitive about the topic

Curious that AEG didn’t have any comment. Perhaps they knew that Mellinger wouldn’t reprint their typical spin and weren’t happy.

One curious part of this article is that Mellinger seems to imply that the only person to come forward as a potential owner for a NHL team in Kansas City, Boots DelBiaggio, being fitted for an orange jump suit was out of AEG control. I suppose Boots cutting and pasting his name to someone else’s financial statement (yes, he really did that) was out of AEG’s control, however they are 100% responsible to make sure they are doing business with someone reputable and it is 100% their responsibility to “recruit” an owner with whom KC residents can be proud. There are rumors floating around the blog world that Phillip Anschutz gave Boots a huge loan so that he could become part of Nashville’s ownership group and also AEG’s mole within the Nashville organization. Boots would have, essentially, been working from the inside to set it up so that the Predators had to move to KC. Not sure I can believe that — still, how could a company like AEG get so snowed by someone like Boots?

Look, nobody is saying Sprint Center was a bad idea. It’s a great attraction for our city. But, the campaign to get the hotel and rental car tax passed was built on a completely false pretense — that Kansas City can attract a NHL or NBA team. I’m just a hockey fan (albeit an extremely avid one) and I knew it wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now.

At the time the Penguins were vulnerable, however Gary Bettman has proved time and again that he is going to protect the 30 markets he created and would have protected Pittsburgh, too.

An AHL team would provide more than 200,000 people to downtown for at least 41 dates, but AEG doesn’t seem interested in bringing the second best league in the world to KC — a city that already has three major league sports franchises and a NASCAR track (potentially two Sprint Cup races). The NHL or NBA is too much. AEG could bring an AHL team to KC by the 2011 season…they won’t.

The seemingly strained relationship between Cordish and AEG probably doesn’t help. Remember, Cordish called Sprint Center “a disaster”. Bringing an AHL team to Sprint Center would help Cordish, it wouldn’t necessarily help AEG. There is bad behavior all around between Cordish’s greed and AEG false promises.

Bottom line – support what we have. Go to Sprint Center concerts, go to the Ice Breaker tournament in 2012, go to Mavs games and support our ONLY LOCALLY-OWNED MAJOR LEAGUE FRANCHISE — the Wizards and completely forget about this “anchor tenant” business because it’s not going to happen for awhile.

It wouldn’t be until at least 2013
2011 — St. Paul
2012 — Tampa (yes, Tampa…)

Checking a few sites it looks like Pittsburgh is going to try to get the Frozen Four in the Pens’ new building and Milwaukee is interested in hosting the Frozen Four at the Bradley Center. Not sure what the NCAA uses for evaluating a bid, but both of these cities have NCAA Division I hockey programs in the metro area. Pittsburgh has Robert Morris from the CHA (College Hockey America) and Milwaukee has the Badgers (who are just 80 miles away).

Let’s see how the Icebreaker Tournament goes when it is at Sprint Center in 2012. Personally, I think it will be a near sellout.

In the last couple of days they have sent out e-mails pointing their e-mail recipients to articles that mention KC and an NHL team. Kind of like, well, a blog. They are even using Constant Contact now for their e-mails.

To that I say, “Welcome to the 21st centruy, NHL21″. What can we expect next?

On to the subjects at hand, according to a KC Star article, AEG has not scheduled a NHL preseason game at Sprint Center because,

“may not want to schedule a preseason game if Kansas City has its own NHL team occupying the building.”

Once again, the Star saying one and one may equal three. It could very well be true.

Or, it could be that the game last year between two teams without ties to the area drew only 9,000 fans and the upper bowl was curtained off. Tim Leiweke even stated the obvious last year by saying (I’m paraphrasing here) that the Blues should play in the game every year. Of course the Blues should play in it every year (or a team from another city in which there are a large number of transplants to KC, like the Blackhawks, or the Wild, or the Avs)

So, it could be that AEG is gearing up for the NHL at Sprint Center in 2010-11.
Or, it could be that AEG knows no one will show up for Panthers-Kings and they don’t have a commitment from the Blues, yet

Let’s break down the rest of the article.

AEG may have its eyes on the Phoenix Coyotes, who have been operated by the NHL since 2008-09.

Eyes on what? AEG already owns a NHL team. They can’t buy it. What exactly are they eyeing? Supposedly they already have a lease agreement drawn up that they shop around.

The NHL is negotiating with two prospective ownership groups that want to keep the team in suburban Phoenix, but one of the bidders — Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf — reportedly wants an out-clause for the lease at Jobing.com Arena should the team continue to lose money.

Right.
And neither Ice Edge Holdings nor Jerry Reinsdorf have any ties to KC or have even mentioned possibly moving the team to KC. Ice Edge has talked about Saskatoon for some of their games and at least one member of Ice Edge Holdings is from, wait for it….HARTFORD, a city that is trying to bring the NHL back, just like KC is.

Meanwhile, the NBA game is tailored for Big 12 basketball fans. Miami features former Kansas guard Mario Chalmers and ex-Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, while Oklahoma City’s roster includes former Jayhawks forward Nick Collison and ex-Texas standout Kevin Durant.

So, AEG brings NBA teams with ties to the area to KC, but they bring Islanders-Kings to KC and expect fans?

NHL21 also sent an e-mail about a Phoenix Business Journal article that mentions KC…barely mentions KC.
NHL wants out of Coyotes ownership by next season

Talk about a move to Kansas City, Mo., also has made the rounds. Ancshultz Entertainment Group and the city own Sprint Center arena there. AEG also owns the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo soccer teams and could be involved in such a Coyotes transaction.

I find it interesting that the KC Star article didn’t mention this nugget.

If a deal with Reinsdorf or Ice Edge can’t get done, the NHL is looking at a backup plan involving Toronto billionaire David Thomson and an ownership group from Winnipeg buying the Coyotes and moving them back to Winnipeg. Daly said Monday , however, the NHL does not have a deal with Thomson, but acknowledged the league has been talking about bringing a franchise back to Winnipeg.

Oops. Why not? Because it doesn’t fit with the “AEG may be waiting for a NHL team…” spin.

What I think is probably more accurate is this mention from a Toronto Globe & Mail article.

(Talk Kansas City or Las Vegas or Seattle all you want – until an owner-and-arena combination surfaces in any of those places, they’re pipe dreams.)

Ahh, what has been said here all along. There has been no potential owner/AEG lease relationship since Boots put on the orange jumpsuit.

Look, I’m all for a professional sports franchise in Sprint Center. I, of course, think the AHL is the best fit for KC, but I also see AEG’s view that they don’t want to tie up concert dates with hockey from the second best league in the world.

But, c’mon, let’s be a little more realistic about the world of professional sports and what is going on with AEG because, it seems, the right, critical-minded questions of a journalist are still not being asked. I do not accept PR spin soundbites at face value and not sure why anyone else does either.

Basically, it comes down to….wait for it…the lease with the City of Glendale. If there isn’t a more favorable lease, no owner (Reinsdorf) will purchase the team and leave them in Phoenix. The NHL won’t fund the team past this season, so they would have to entertain offers to relocate.

There will be a decision on the ‘yotes in the next 12 weeks or so.

How many times have I said on this blog that it is all about the lease? Once again, the KC Star could research the lease of all 30 NHL teams and narrow the possible relocation candidates. Then, follow those franchises closely and have an awfully good idea to whom AEG is talking.

Do they do that? No. Because it would take real reporting.

The latest is Ken Campbell in The Hockey News. The mention isn’t of the ‘yotes moving to KC. It’s drumming up the chatter of the Predators leaving Tennessee.

Campbell’s Cuts: Rumors of relocation

The Nashville Predators have reached an agreement with the Metro Sports Authority to keep the team in Nashville for at least another two seasons, but the deal has yet to be signed and there are rumblings Kansas City is making a serious push for the Predators to relocate there.

Los Angeles Kings governor Tim Leiweke is also the CEO of AEG, the company that owns the Sprint Center in Kansas City, a building that is ready-made for hockey and seeking a tenant. There are those who maintain it is only a matter of time before one of the NHL’s struggling franchises relocates to Kansas City.

I’ll say it again. What is the lease agreement? What will the deal be two years from now? Will AEG offer a better lease? If they do, is the owner of the Predators willing to lease a building from the owner of another Western Conference team (may be moot, I just thought I’d throw that out there…)?

The article also mentions that the IceEdge bid for the Coyotes may be dead. Brahm Resnick, who did great reporting on the NHL VS. Balsillie trial, says that Jerry Reinsdorf is the back-up plan and the city of Glendale may want Reinsdorf, but may not want to play by Reinsdorf’s rules.

As for the Reinsdorf report, until proved wrong (by a sale to Ice Edge or someone else, or a move to KC or Canada) I will continue to believe that Glendale would prefer that Reinsdorf gets the team

Ice Edge doubts Reinsdorf interest

You have to be an ESPN Insider to read it.

You really don’t need to.

It says the same thing that has been said for the last year or so. The NHL does not want to relocate any of the current franchises. The NHL is not looking into expansion.

And, Kansas City is not mentioned in the article.

It does say that Quebecor, the company looking to bring an NHL franchise back to Quebec City, recently conducted a survey/study to see if Quebec City is a viable NHL city. After the survey, they think their bid to the NHL is even more solid and concrete, even though it is being talked about less.

KC has some serious competition from two Canadian cities and, possibly, Seattle someday in the future.

Kansas City had a 19.5/35. 

19.5 rating means 19.5% of households with TVs watched the game.
35 share means that 35% of TVs THAT WERE ON watched the game.

Share is always bigger than rating and is a good indicator of what percentage of the viewing public chose to watch the game rather than something else.

Here are the top markets and ratings. 

Top metered markets for the USA-Canada Olympic Gold Medal Game: 
1. Buffalo (32.6/51) 
2. Pittsburgh (31.9/50) 
3. Detroit (26.9/47) 
4. Minneapolis (26.4/53) 
5. Milwaukee (24.5/43) 
6. Boston (24.1/46) 
7. Chicago (22.3/37) 
8. Columbus (22.3/37) 
9. Denver (22.2/42) 
10. Philadelphia (20.9/35) 
11. West Palm Beach (20.3/33) 
12. Kansas City (19.5/35) 

KC was the third highest rated non-NHL market. West Palm Beach could almost be considered NHL since it is so close to Miami.
Hartford mention

Is Hartford-New Haven a strong hockey market? It ranked 17th for viewership of Sunday’s U.S.-Canada gold medal game. Among non-NHL markets, Milwaukee (24.5), Kansas City (19.5), Seattle (19.3) and Cincinnati (19.2) drew better numbers than Hartford’s 18.5 rating. Buffalo (32.6), Pittsburgh (31.9) and Detroit (26.9) had the best ratings for NBC.

My feelings about the game are a bit mixed. I loved the Independence Events Center. It’s just the right size building for minor league hockey and would be a great place for other sporting events, like high school or small college hoops.

The hockey wasn’t bad. The skill level doesn’t compare with what we saw with the Blades or even what you could see in Omaha at a UN-O game. But, that’s not to say that it is bad. Both the Mavericks and Tulsa have some guys that can play. It’s just that CHL teams don’t have three full lines that can play, like the old IHL.

It was interesting that Jeff Gumaer plays for Tulsa. I saw him play last year when he was with Bentley University. I went to the Bentley game because I was in Boston for work and knew that KC’s own Aaron Stonecek plays for Bentley. How long will it be before a KC native suits up for the Mavs?

Here’s what I didn’t like about the game. The PA system is WAY TOO LOUD. It is ear-splitting loud. Look, Steve Garrett is great and I’m glad he’s the PA announcer once again for professional hockey in KC. But, holy cow is it loud.

During a hockey game, you should be able to turn to the person next to you and carry on a conversation during stoppages in play (since you can’t or shouldn’t really talk during play). At Mavericks games, you can’t carry on a conversation with someone sitting on your lap without screaming much less someone sitting next to you or two seats down. Seriously…the barn only seats 5,800 people, but the PA volume was set for Superdome.

Final verdict: I’ll go again. It’s not the same going to a game and not having a player or two that you want to see because their on their way to the League, like going to an AHL game. But, the price is right, the quality of play is OK and the building is great.

C+

(if they would turn the PA system down to a decibel level where people can converse rather than jumbo jet decibel level, it would be a solid B or B+)

Arturs Irbe, Jan Caloun, Sandis Ozolinsh, Jason Cirone, Michael Pivonka, Sergei Bautin.

Sadly, the list is down to just three. Three former Kansas City Blades are competing in the 2010 Olympic games. In four years, the number will, most likely, be down to zero.

Ville Peltonen — Finland
Viktor Kozlov — Russia
Jarkko Ruutu – Finland

When we had AAA-level hockey with the Blades, I’m not sure we knew how good we had it. It’s going to be a long, long time before we see that level of hockey in KC again.