Ignore the spin about NHL game coming to Sprint Center

Posted on July 18, 2011 by blogger

Kansas City has an NHL exhibition game this year.

As noted in the Kansas City Star,

“With the recent announcement of an NHL preseason game, this is one more year when the Sprint Center will be host to exhibitions for both sports.

Or, to put a bit more cynically (though honestly), this is one more year when the suits at AEG can pretend there is still a realistic chance of backing up their bravado that helped convince voters to fund the $276 million building.

…though lately the main suit hasn’t spoken about the subject…

I’d like to point out two very important things so that you read them here first:

1.) You will see printed and you will hear sports radio guys say that the Pittsburgh Penguins nearly moved to Kansas City. That’s total BS. Even Mario Lemeiux said so.

Mario Lemieux says the Penguins never were serious about leaving Pittsburgh.

“It wasn’t a possibility,” Lemieux said during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for Pittsburgh’s $290 million hockey arena.

“We had to do a few things to put pressure on the city and the state, but our goal was to remain here in Pittsburgh all the way. Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go and have a nice dinner, and come back.

The Penguins were never coming to KC, so please don’t mention it. If you hear or read it, it’s printed or said by an uninformed, lazy journalist that’s trying to make a good story.

2.) A preseason game usually brings up quotes like, “Can Kansas City support an NHL team? We’ll find out with the preseason game?”

Which, again, is a bunch of hooey. I don’t think Columbus, Raleigh, Tampa, Atlanta or Anaheim ever sold out a preseason game before they were awarded franchises. Saskatoon, Hamilton and Halifax sell out preseason games, does that mean they are getting teams?

Or

“Kansas City sports fans have to show up at this game, if they want to someday have an NHL team?”

More hooey. This is a marketing ploy by those who are promoting the games to shame you into buying tickets. They WANT you to buy tickets. Hell, so do I. A great crowd in the building will make for a better atmosphere during the game and before and after the game in the P&L (which is usually stone, cold dead on most Tuesday nights..in part, because we don’t have an NHL or NBA franchise playing in Sprint Center.)

By the way, you can get four lower level tickets PLUS a $20 gift card to QuickTrip for $100. A similar deal was offered for the Kings-Blues game a few years back. It was cheaper and for upper level tickets. You know what happened? You got it. The upper level was packed. The lower level was scattered. Good move to make the deal for lower level tickets.

Go to the NHL exhibition game. Have fun. Please. Go. Learn who Kyle Clifford and Mark Letestu are so that you can follow their careers for years to come.

Just don’t believe that this game has anything at all to do with Kansas City getting an NHL franchise.

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

NHL & NBA come to KC so AEG can continue to “pretend”

Posted on June 21, 2011 by blogger

Sam Mellinger, “The Boy Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest” writes a terrific column about the Sprint Center, the hope of an NBA or NHL franchise (there is none) and why we need to simply temper the discussion.

NBA, NHL exhibitions at the Sprint Center aren’t progress

“Or, to put a bit more cynically (though honestly), this is one more year when the suits at AEG can pretend there is still a realistic chance of backing up their bravado that helped convince voters to fund the $276 million building”

I know that Mellinger has been working on this column for at least the last three weeks, triggered by the NHL flying right over KC for Winnipeg. Winnipeg, a much smaller city with an arena that is barely passable by NHL standards. The difference is Winnipeg had a very wealthy, passionate hockey fan backing their attempt to get a franchise (Mark Chipman) who was bankrolled by an even wealthier and equally as passionate hockey fan (David Thomsen). Thomsen’s portion of the announcement press conference was impressive because you could see his love for Canada and it’s national pastime.

Nothing like that exists for either an NHL or NBA franchise (and I don’t want to hear any nonsense about reclusive English Premier League team owners who happened to live the state for a short period of time and now make their home overseas).

And, this is where I disagree with part of Mellinger’s column. He says

An NHL franchise is moving from Atlanta to Winnipeg because of the kind of just-add-ice entrenched fan base we don’t have here.

While I understand Mellinger has to finesse his words so that they fit into a certain number of column inches, this is too simplistic of an explanation.

Atlanta moved to Winnipeg because the Manitoba city had all three elements necessary to lure a franchise from another market. A building, an ownership group and a solid relationship with Commissioner-for-life Gary Bettman. Also, Atlanta had, quite possibly, the worst, most dysfunctional ownership group in the history of the NHL. Atlanta Spirit wanted DESPERATELY to get out of the hockey business (which, actually, is good for hockey). Quebec has two of those elements and lacks a building. Seattle may or may not have the ownership group. Hamiton, Ontario had the building and owner (Jim Balsillie), but said owner has a terrible relationship with the Commisioner-for-life.

Mellinger is shaking AEG’s cage like no other columnist has ever done in KC. Gutsy. I know Mellinger took quite a bit of heat the last time he pulled the curtain back from the great and powerful AEG. And, he still decided to go there again. What I find interesting is that he paints a truthful albeit bleak picture of our chance to get an NBA or NHL franchise. Then, sprinkles the column with “hey, you saps have it pretty good with KC’s other sports attractions and AEG still gets to make money, which is really what they care about, so I guess we all win”

The one element that seems to be missing is that the P&L district is failing and the city is financially propping it up because there isn’t enough traffic — traffic a NHL or NBA franchise would provide. However, AEG has no stake in P&L and, again, making money by booking rent-paying dates (a NHL or NBA franchise, most likely, wouldn’t pay rent.)

Why had Glendale forked over so much money to the NHL to retain the franchise in the Phoenix suburb? Because they know they can still make money ON THE ARENA if the NHL team leaves. What they also know is that the area around the Jobing.com Arena will fail miserably without those 41+ dates (a few more since the Coyotes look to be pretty good next year, too.)

Sprint Center is a great thing for our city. P&L is great (only during the Big XII tournament and the occasional NCAA tournament). Livestrong Sporting Park is a great thing for our city. I agree with Mellinger that we should appreciate all these things. A sentiment echoed by controversial Kansas City business owner Craig Glazer.

I’m not interested much in soccer – I can barely spell it – but that new stadium is gorgeous – one of the best in the nation. The fact that our city has NASCAR, ARROWHEAD, THE NEW AND IMPROVED ROYALS STADIUM, several nice casinos, a new ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTER (PERFORMING ARTS) the rebuilt Union Station.

Just enjoy the exhibition games (and in a couple of years, the IceBreaker Tournament) and cut out the bluster.
(oh, and focus on something tangible, like getting us more ice rinks in order to grow grass roots hockey rather than shrink it, as it has in the last year).

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Closing door on NHL in Kansas City may be official — at least we get a practice game

Posted on May 31, 2011 by blogger

Today, the NHL may have officially closed the door on having a franchise in Kansas City.

Every market that currently wants an NHL franchise and doesn’t have one localized the story.

A reporter in Quebec asked Gary Bettman about if the move to Winnipeg bodes well for Quebec. Bettman made a VERY telling statement. Quebec fans cheer Winnipeg, hoping to be next

He [Bettman] has consistently sought to downplay expectations of relocation to Canada — and he did it again Tuesday.

Bettman noted that in the case of the Phoenix Coyotes, he didn’t appreciate relocation rumours swirling over the team as it was preparing for the playoffs.

“I get extremely cranky and unhappy with raising expectations that shouldn’t be raised,” Bettman said.

Quebec has an owner and is working on new building.

Pierre Karl Peladeau has a financial agreement with the municipality to become the manager of the eventual arena, and he is expected to be a main contender in any bid to lure a team from the U.S.

Hamilton also reacted to Winnipeg getting an NHL franchise in a passable arena — something Hamilton also has. The thing is that Winnipeg went about it the right way. Their owner played Bettman’s game. Hamilton’s owner, Jim Balisillie, has not.
Hamilton hopes Winnipeg ‘a sign of good things to come’

Hamilton city councilor Terry Whitehead said:

I think it’s clear, in the NHL’s own reports, that having a team in Southern Ontario – specifically in Hamilton – would become one of the most lucrative clubs in the NHL. And the reality is that it cannot be ignored. I guarantee Hamilton would bring more money into the NHL coffers than Winnipeg, for example, just because of the sheer market here.”

Then, we get to Kansas City’s reaction. We did receive some good news today. The NHL will hold a practice game in Sprint Center between the Pittsburgh Penguins and AEG-owned LA Kings. The game will be Tuesday, September 27 and I expect the attendance to be much, much better than the Islanders-Kings game a couple of years ago.
Atlanta Thrashers will move to Winnipeg; KC to host exhibition game

Let’s break down the story posted Tuesday afternoon.

The Penguins flirted with Kansas City as a possible new home before the 17,297-seat Sprint Center was completed in October 2007.

No, sorry, they didn’t and Mario Lemieux admitted as much. But, nice research Covitz.

Mario Lemieux says the Penguins never were serious about leaving Pittsburgh.

“It wasn’t a possibility,” Lemieux said during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for Pittsburgh’s $290 million hockey arena.

AEG has nothing to say.

AEG President Tim Leiweke, a member of the NHL’s executive committee, has declined requests to comment in the last few weeks regarding whether his company was even interested in bringing an anchor tenant to the Sprint Center, which is one of the busiest concert and family-show venues in the country.

Can’t wait to find out if the Kings vote for or against the Thrashers relocation.

While no local ownership has emerged for either an NHL or NBA franchise for Kansas City, there are five-to-six groups in North America looking to invest in existing teams on the market such as Dallas, Columbus and St. Louis.

One of those “groups” is, most likely, Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi. If you follow the English Premier League, you know how complicated purchasing Tom Hicks former professional sports franchise holdings can be. A bankruptcy court will be involved.

Regardless, there is absolutely no chance the Stars or the Blues, for that matter, relocate. None. Zero. No chance.

There is no evidence that the Blue Jackets are for sale and, as Gary Bettman said, any speculation or raising expectations, which is done, a little, in Covitz’ story, makes Gary Bettman “cranky”.

A couple of things are apparent when you listen to Gary Bettman in a press conference. First, he is smarter than you and everyone else in the room. Not in an Enron-”Smartest Guys in the Room”-type deal where the guys were actually just greedy morons looking out for themselves, but in a “I have all the information, have thought of every scenario, decided how this is going to play out and you can’t trick me into giving you the answer” kind of way. The other thing that is apparent is that Bettman has a HUGE ego.

Columbus fans are, kind of, supporting a terrible franchise. The Blue Jackets are, possibly next to the Thrashers, the worst run franchise in the NHL. Even the Islanders look like they are making a turnaround.

Imagine if the Royals, under David Glass’ lack of success, moved to Charlotte. Would it be our fault? Heck no, Kansas City has done a pretty good job of supporting a perennial loser. I’d say better than should be expected. My next door neighbor is 31 and has never really seen a winner at I-70 and I-435.

The NHL practice game is encouraging because it finally brings us a team that Kansas City fans can get excited about — not the Islanders or Predators.

Now, don’t get too excited.

It’s possible Sid the Kid won’t make the trip. In the past, NHL stars like Jack Johnson and Anze Kopitar haven’t played in these practice games. Plus, if you recall, Crosby suffered two concussions in January that limited his season to just 41 games (in which he scored an impressive 66 points).
He’s going to be re-evaluated this week. Evgeny Malkin should be recovered from his knee surgery and the Penguins’ Jordan Staal and Kris Letang are unique talents.

The good news is that both the Kings and the Penguins have young, exciting playoff-caliber teams and even have some guys you may not have heard of who, most likely, will play in this game — Jonathan Bernier, Brayden Schenn, Andrei Loktionov, Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi and Simon Depres. You may have seen Despres play in the Memorial Cup on NHL Network. No? Hmm. I may be the only person in Kansas City that watched the Memorial Cup…

Nice to have a little good news mixed with the bad news.

As one local sportscaster said to me, “Yup, the NHL would work in Kansas City if the season were one game long…”

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Worst hockey season in Kansas City in 35 years ends with an inexcusable snub for Winnipeg

Posted on May 30, 2011 by blogger

What is easily the worst hockey season in 35 years (Scouts moved in 1976) may come to a close as early as tomorrow when the announcement may be made that Kansas City has been passed over as the “next” NHL city for Winnipeg, Manitoba — a city of 640,000 people with an arena that seats 15,000 fans. We, Kansas City, were told we would be next. Problem is the little city in Manitoba knew they needed all pieces of the puzzle — a reputable owner and a passable arena.

Why is this the worst hockey season in 35 years?

The penultimate nail was hammered in the coffin of the NHL portion of the “NHL or NBA promise”, 40% of the indoor ice rinks in Kansas City shut down this year and two of the major youth hockey organizations continue to bicker in a ridiculous ego-driven struggle of immature hockey parents.

How did we get to this point?

Well, Ice Midwest closing its ice facility had nothing to do with the amount of support for hockey in Kansas City. By its own marketing campaigns, Ice Midwest had more than 400,000 people go through its facility. The ice rinks were shut down by a general manager who cared much more about whether his wife had a place to teach boot camp classes to Johnson County housewives than where kids could learn to play and enjoy ice hockey and figure skating.

The NHL franchise situation is much more complicated.
As Kansas City columnist Barbara Shelly pointed out in a recent article for the Sacremento Bee, then Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes was going to steamroll anyone that got in the way of her plan to build a new, downtown arena – the Sprint Center.

“The mayor at the time, Kay Barnes, coined the “naysayers” label, and she made it clear what she thought of us.
“Get out of the way,” she instructed, as she announced in 2002 that a year-long study had affirmed the need for a new arena. “We’ve had enough of you.”

I was not one of those naysayers. What I objected to was the tactic that Mayor Barnes took.
What was that tactic?
In 2003, after she had already won re-election, she went out and got a powerful partner for her arena plan – AEG and former Kansas Citian Tim Lieweke.

AEG saw an opportunity to penetrate a market in which they formally had no presence. But, AEG was just a corporate name and Lieweke just a familiar name. What they needed was a great hook.

Lieweke came up with, sort of, a promise that an NBA or NHL team would be the anchor tenant for the arena. He did this even though Lieweke knew full well that NHL franchises RARELY relocate and when they do it is within two years of a sale. He also knew that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is EXTREMELY opposed to franchise relocation. Yet, Lieweke knew he could dupe them rubes in Kansas City. It will be interesting to see how the LA Kings vote when the Thrashers relocation comes before NHL Board of Governors.

At the time, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in the oldest and arguable the worst hockey arena in the NHL and, possibly, the history of the NHL. They played in the old Pittsburgh Civic Arena (“The Igloo”), which was actually built as a concert hall for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Heck, when Pittsburgh was awarded an NHL franchise in the late ’60s, the Civic Arena only met the minimum attendance requirement for an NHL arena by eight seats.

Pittsburgh, like Kansas City, HAD to have a new arena. The owners of the Pittsburgh franchise did what they SHOULD have done. They used Kansas City, and our potential new arena, as leverage to get a new arena built in Pittsburgh. Mario Lemeiux even admitted there was no chance the franchise would relocate.

“Mario Lemieux says the Penguins never were serious about leaving Pittsburgh.
“It wasn’t a possibility,” Lemieux said during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for Pittsburgh’s $290 million hockey arena.
“We had to do a few things to put pressure on the city and the state, but our goal was to remain here in Pittsburgh all the way. Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go and have a nice dinner, and come back.”

I hope he had Jack’s Stack or Oklahoma Joe’s or, maybe, Garozzo’s.

Later, AEG said they entered into an agreement with William “Boots” Del Biaggio. Well, slick ol’ Boots is now wearing an orange jump suit somewhere. In one of his columns, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star said that Boots’ problems were no fault of AEG’s and I agree. However, it is, and was, AEG’s responsibility to find an owner for this silly “NBA or NHL team” and is responsible for properly vetting out who this owner is. The fact AEG wiffed on Boots so badly is egg on their face.

Since then, talk of an NHL or NBA team has dwindled. Oh, every once and awhile something comes up like the Hornets leaving New Orleans and sports talkers in Kansas City giggle and guffaw about Chris Paul playing games in Sprint Center.

There is one glaring, gaping hole to a franchise ever coming to Kansas City.

There is no owner willing to take the risk of having an NBA or NHL team in Kansas City when the profitability of a franchise, in either league, in a medium-sized city like Kansas City is tenuous at best.

Here’s the thing, now that Gary Bettman has admitted failure in Atlanta and FINALLY got the monkey of Atlanta Spirit LLC off his back, a terrible ownership group that now admits they were never passionate about hockey, there is absolutely no way that Bettman relocates another franchise for at least another five years.

No, the Islanders, Blue Jackets or Panthers are not going to relocate. The Lightning have extremely strong ownership with Jeffrey Vinik. The Coyotes situation seems to be shoring up. And, if anyone mentions the Dallas Stars or St. Louis Blues, both for sale, as potential relocation candidates they are full of hot gas.

I’ve written this stuff for years.

The Sprint Center is a success. It’s a great arena.
The adjacent Power & Light District is not and needs the 550,000 extra people that a NHL or NBA franchise would provide (gross, not net, since a franchise would tie up some dates now used for concerts, etc.).

Kansas City COULD be an NHL city. We could support a franchise just fine – at least as well as Raleigh or Nashville or Columbus.

Kansas City WON’T be an NHL city because there is no owner for a franchise.
Quebec City has an owner and a building, potentially, in the works.
Seattle may be entering the mix if what Bill Daly says has any truth – that there is a potential ownership group in Seattle – yet no suitable arena.

What we really need is someone to repair the grassroots Kansas City hockey community by building a new place for Kansas City’s youth hockey community to learn and play the game — not the continued farcical pipedream of an NHL team.

If a tree drops in the forest and there is no one to hear – or the NHL has completely passed over Kansas City with no interest from the Kansas City media – does it make a sound?

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How will KC media react to Thrashers move?

Posted on May 30, 2011 by blogger

The Atlanta Thrashers sale and subsequent move to Winnipeg could be announced as early as tomorrow. All media reports point to the announcement coming BEFORE the Stanley Cup begins Wednesday.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Atlanta/2011/05/30/18212121.html?cid=rsssportsslam%21%20hockey

With the announcement of the NHL passing by AEG’s “promise”, and relocating to much-smaller Winnipeg, how will the Kansas City media react?

Will they react with complete indifference because no one in the KC media is a passionate hockey fan? Will they react with relief so they don’t have to learn what a forecheck or a left-wing lock is… won’t have to learn the difference between Evander Kane and Patrick Kane? (both great young players, but a 19-year old Evander Kane put Matt Cooke in his place.)

Or, will at least one of them hold AEG accountable for this missed opportunity?

My guess is that even though the Royals are below .500, again, the Thrashers sale won’t even be a topic of conversation…

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

Thrashers fly right over KC to Manitoba

Posted on May 20, 2011 by blogger

The NHL media is all abuzz about the Atlanta Thrashers leaving the Peach State for Manitoba and their new home in Winnipeg.

True North, the group who owns the Manitoba Moose, has taken every step, lightly and respectfully, to become an NHL ownership group and it looks like their patience will pay off.

Here’s more from the Pitch and if you go to PuckDaddy there are several more stories.

An NHL team is on the move… but not to Kansas City

They’re partying in Winnipeg and holding out hope in Atlanta

This isn’t even a fight between Winnipeg and Kansas City. Why not? We’re completely unarmed. There is no ownership group in KC trying to buy an NHL team. There is in Winnipeg (and, by the way, there’s one in Quebec City, too).

You see…in the history of the NHL, franchises don’t really move because the barn is there first. Oh, they have (Rockies to NJ, North Stars to Dallas). Generally, they move to a market FIRST, then the arena comes. The Nordiques became the Avs, played in McNichols, THEN got a new building. The Jets moved to Phoenix, became the ‘yotes, played in America West where you couldn’t see one of the goals from some of the seats and then moved to Glendale. Heck the Hurricanes played in Greensboro first!

These points are generally lost on the KC media because, well, it seems to me they don’t bother to even look it up…

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Could KC be headed for the ECHL and an NHL affiliation?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by blogger

Now that hockey season is wrapping up, the “minor league silly season” begins. Who will be back in the CHL? Will all 30 AHL remain in their current markets? What of the ECHL? It happens every year.

The Central Hockey League struggled this past season. Sure, there was the success story of the Missouri Mavericks (ranked #2 in the CHL and #17 in all of minor pro hockey) and success of the Colorado, Wichita, Fort Wayne franchises. But, the franchises in Texas and the South struggled mightily.

Quad Cities and Odessa won’t be back (both averaged less than 3,000 fans per game).

You know, maybe the Mavericks should step up to the ECHL like the Colorado Eagles seem to be doing. Not that the CHL product is terrible. It’s better than I thought. Global Entertainment is terrible. Global Entertainment operates the CHL.

It just seems like hockey is moving closer and closer to being like baseball — where each franchise has a AAA affiliate and a AA affiliate.

AHL (30 teams) = each team affiliated with an NHL team
ECHL (19 teams) = all teams affiliated with at least one NHL team — some more than one.

Why won’t the ECHL gobble up teams that are relatively successful in their minor pro markets? Colorado, Kansas City, Rapid City, possibly others?

Well, Global Entertainment may be a junk stock worth 5 cents a share and lost money the last couple of years. But, they had the forethought to force teams to stay in their league for 10 years. Ugh.

Colorado has been in long enough and is now distancing themselves from Global by getting out of the leauge. Odessa is close enough to 10 years they can just leave and are.

So, the big hurdle is paying off Global and paying to get into the ECHL. Not going to happen with our Lubbock-based owners.

The ECHL is expanding and getting closer to the 1-to-1 relationship with the AHL.

There is already going to be an ECHL team outside Chicago in Hoffman Estates.
 and another proposed for the DC area out by Dulles Airport.

The ECHL is losing a team. The Victoria, BC team is being kicked out of their arena for a Western Hockey League team (Candian Major Junior)

Too bad. Imagine, KC could be in a division with Cincinnati, Chicago, Colorado, Kalamazoo and Utah. Sound familiar Blades fans? Weren’t those rivalries, along with Indianapolis great? Especially when Madill came to town with the Cyclones or Grizzlies. How I loved to hate Gord Dineen and Todd Simon.

The Blues current ECHL affiliate is Anchorage Alaska. KC seems better, doesn’t it?

By the way, the ECHL’s average attendance outpaces the CHL by about 400 per game and is about 1,000 less than the AHL.

Posted in AHL, ECHL, Kansas City Blades | 2 Comments

Is Winnipeg now a slam dunk and KC a non-factor?

Posted on April 29, 2011 by blogger

TSN’s Darren Dreger says that it looks more and more like the Coyotes will stay in Glendale. The NHL, Matthew Hulsizer and the City of Glendale are going to find a way to keep the Coyotes in the desert.

However, media reports are that the owners of the Atlanta Thrashers want out of the NHL.

And, why not? They have been one of the least successful franchises in NHL history since their inception in 1999-2000. One playoff appearance, lost in the 1st round and has the following illustrious first round picks: Patrik Stefan, Boris Valabik and Alex Bourett. The first round picks they got right — Heatley, Kovalchuk, Lehtonen — are no longer with the team.

You know what? The NHL should WISH for the Thrashers owners to get out.

This blog, Matchsticks and Gasoline, has great points about why the Thrashers will move to Winnipeg instead of the Coyotes.
Breaking – Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg?

And this report from TSN says, directly, “a source says that when it comes to relocation there just isn’t anywhere else to go but Winnipeg.”

And, this blog will tell you why…over and over and over again.

There just isn’t an owner willing to purchase a team and move them to Kansas City and Sprint Center.

The problem is that there doesn’t seem to be a local ownership group interested because the deal may not include Phillips Arena.

Posted in NHL | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shocker. AEG favors relocation to Kansas City — opposes relocation to Anaheim

Posted on April 22, 2011 by blogger

Shortly after my post about how struggling NBA and NHL franchises are flying over our city, I found this nugget.

NBA Kings’ relocation draws more opposition

Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, took to the airwaves Wednesday to state his case — and, by extension, the Lakers’ case — against a third NBA team coming to Southern California through relocation.

AEG part owns the Lakers, rents Staples Center to the Clippers.

The columnist mentions:

Why is AEG’s pursuit of an NFL team different than the Kings looking for a new home?

My question would be: Why is AEG opposed to the Kings relocation and yet pursuing NBA or NHL franchise relocation TO Kansas City, a market where they operate the arena?

AEG is a partner in ICON Venue Group, the Denver-based firm commissioned by Sacramento to do a feasibility study on how to build and finance a new arena in the state capital. What a coincidence, huh?.

Let’s say, for instance, the New Orleans Hornets are purchased and the announcement is made that the franchise may relocate. The Hornets have struggled in New Orleans for a far shorter time than the Kings in Sacramento. Sacramento has been working since 2003 to get a new arena. The Hornets have only been in New Orleans since 2003.

Would Lieweke make the same statements about how he would like to see more time given to the situation if it were the Hornets and Kansas City was actually in the mix?

So, Kansas City, does this emperor still have clothes?

Posted in NBA, NHL | Leave a comment

NBA & NHL franchise relocations passing right by Kansas City

Posted on April 22, 2011 by blogger

August, 2004.

That’s when Kansas City voters passed a hotel and rental car tax to finance our new arena — Sprint Center.

Sometime before August, 2004, Tim Leiweke from AEG “promised” Sprint Center would have an NBA or NHL anchor tenant (well, the Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger said that he looked back at what Leiweke said and called it “slick” because he came as close to promising without actually promising as you can.)

Almost 2,500 days since that announcement and it looks like AEG is about to go 0-for-3 in franchise relocations. Very Neifi Perez-like, don’t you think?

After the August, 2004 announcement, the Seattle SuperSonics were sold to Clay Bennett and relocated to Oklahoma City. (if Gus Williams played for your franchise, you will ALWAYS be called SuperSonics…not just Sonics).

0-for-1

We are just weeks away from an the announcement that the Cincinnati-Kansas City/Omaha-Kansas City-Sacramento Kings may relocate to Anaheim and go back to the name Royals.

0-for-2

Many media reports are stating that the deal to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix is dead, thanks to potential lawsuits from a watchdog group called The Goldwater Institute. 40-something, Chicagoan Michael Hulsizer can’t purchase the perennial money-losing franchise with lawsuits looming over the potential deal.
Goldwater Institute: We still oppose Coyotes lease

The cleanest way for the NHL to finally get rid of the franchise they currently own is to sell it to True North and let them move the franchise to Winnipeg.


0-for-3

Larry Ellison has publicly pursued an NBA franchise in the past and may be in play to purchase the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets. If it happens and Ellison moves the franchise to San Jose, AEG IS Neifi Perez and wears the 0-for-4 collar.

Who is the biggest loser in all this? AEG?

Nope. They will even tell you that. The Sprint Center is making money hosting arena football, concerts, monster truck shows, Cirque Du Soleil and Big XII and NCAA Tournament basketball on a rotating basis.

The biggest losers are the business in the Power & Light District, struggling to survive without the 14,000 fans, 41 times per year that an NBA or NHL franchise would bring to the area.

AEG doesn’t care. They’re too busy trying to tear down London’s Olympic Stadium right after it is built or finding an NFL franchise for LA.

Recently, ESPN’s Outside the Lines addressed NBA franchise relocation with absolutely no mention of Kansas City.
Outside the Lines
Lee Steinberg spoke in exact opposition of anything AEG has said about bringing a franchise to Kansas City. Steinberg mentioned how in order to keep pro sports healthy and give fans the certainty that their team will be in their city, the NBA must stem the tide of franchise relocation and franchise relocation talks.

Any mention that Kansas City is in talks for an NBA or NHL franchise don’t seem to hold any water. We know that the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues have ownership issues, but neither franchise is ever going to move from those established hockey markets.

The Coyotes may be on the move to Winnipeg, but that is because Winnipeg as the full triumvirate — an owner, an arena and a fan base willing and able to support a franchise.

Think not?
Watch this:
CBC’s Scott Oake Looks At NHL’s Return To Winnipeg

Remember, this blog isn’t about whether Kansas City can support an NHL franchise. I think we can. The point is that AEG’s promise was empty from the very beginning. Media in Kansas City failed to do the research about NHL franchise relocations or weren’t familiar enough with the league to know better…and they bought right into it.

Posted in NBA, NHL | Leave a comment