Whitlock: NHL makes more sense than NBA - Page 3

**Bearcat** · 08-01-2005, 10:39 AM

If you don't care, you can always click here (don't click here though!)

NHL fits us better than the NBA

JASON WHITLOCK

Saturday morning when I walked through the door at the Ice Sports Arena of Kansas City, Paul McGannon stood 15 feet away, head cocked, looking up at a TV screen as the NHL began its resurrection.
The NHL entry draft, the league’s first official act since inking a new collective-bargaining agreement, had been under way for maybe 30 minutes. Sidney Crosby, the teenager who commissioner Gary Bettman hopes makes the NHL relevant again, had already been plucked by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Ice Sports Arena was hosting a “watch party.” There were hot dogs, potato chips, ice cream, free ice time and a three-piece rockabilly band to entice potential partygoers. Ninety minutes into the draft, there were between 40 and 50 people milling around. Most cared little about the draft. They were there to watch their kids skate.
McGannon, of course, was there because his life is devoted to getting an NHL team in Kansas City.

“It’s a pure startup with nothing but blue skies ahead,” said McGannon, comparing the new NHL to an Internet venture.

You know what? I agree with McGannon.

When looking for a full-time tenant at the Sprint Center, we should focus our attention on the NHL over the NBA. Professional hockey in Kansas City makes far more sense than professional basketball.
I can do better than that. The new NHL makes more sense in Kansas City than does major-league baseball.

Everyone is beating up on the NHL right now. The sport was devastated by its seasonlong work stoppage. It doesn’t have a TV contract. It’s implemented a bunch of new rules designed to make the game more exciting. Jeremy Roenick, one of the league’s best players, told hockey fans to kiss his rear. I went to the league’s official Web site, NHL.com, and it looked second-class, like something a second-rate sports-talk radio station would put together.

You could argue that MLS is in better shape than the NHL.
You’d be wrong, but you could make the argument.

Hockey is going to rebound. It’s a great game, and now the NHL has the best economic system in professional sports. The NHL has a firm salary cap ($39 million), revenue sharing that will support nontraditional, small-market hockey cities and an economic structure that will spread the game’s best players around the league.

You won’t need a free-spending, billionaire owner to compete in the NHL. A penny-pincher like David Glass would have a chance to win in the NHL.

OK, that might be an exaggeration. Glass would put his son in charge of the operation, and KC’s hockey franchise would flip-flop between a youth movement and veteran club every two to three months.

I digress. The new NHL for the foreseeable future, particularly while the NHL tries to win back fans, will be very fan and family friendly. You won’t need a high-six-figures income to take your family to NHL games on a regular basis. Fans won’t get shaken down at the ticket booth just so owners can pay their superstars $15 million a year.

“Most teams have season-ticket packages around $400 or $500,” said McGannon, whose group, NHL 21, brings an NHL exhibition game to town once a year. “The Florida Panthers have seats as cheap as $7.”
Hey, look, I love the NBA. It would be easy for me to argue that Kansas City should do everything within its power to land an NBA franchise. I’m a member of the media and get a free seat down close. But I’m not sure if the average Kansas City sports fan will shell out $50 or $60 to see the KC Magic play 41 home basketball games. Now, $20 or $25 to see the KC Penguins and Sidney Crosby is very doable.

The Penguins are a prime candidate for relocation. Mario Lemieux’s franchise is in need of a new arena. The city of Pittsburgh has yet to step up. The Penguins’ lease runs out in 2007.

The other thing I like is that we could get in on the ground floor of the new NHL.

The sport is basically starting over. The new rules will significantly change the style of play. We could learn the game and its new stars together.

“They’re going to open up the ice and make it more fast-paced,” said Bob O’Leary, a diehard hockey fan who attended Saturday’s draft party. “It’ll be a lot better. And there’ll definitely be more highlights on ESPN.”
Take it from a lifelong basketball junkie, we’ll learn to love hockey.

redfan · 01-31-2017, 08:30 PM

KC is not getting an NHL team.

ChiefsCountry · 01-31-2017, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

But it should become a public transportation city.

Why should it? KC has a great interstate road system.

KCUnited · 01-31-2017, 08:47 PM

KC, come for the bbq, stay for the interstates.

C3HIEF3S · 01-31-2017, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante84

True, although - there's only ~17 home games for MLS, and the stadium is out near JoCo where it's very easy to get to and park.

40+ home games downtown could be tough in KC, where no one really lives nearby and the parking is kind of shitty.

Combine that with fans being interested in college basketball & football, NFL, MLS, and MLB, and there's a lot of competition for ticket purchases.

Who knows, though. I'd love another team to root for and watch on TV.

You're right. Hockey is going in the right direction right now in the KC area, but even with the progress the fan base for it probably isn't quite there yet. Soccer is the easiest and cheapest sporst for a kid to get into IMO, while hockey is one of the hardest and by far one of the most expensive. I wish it'd work out for an NHL team or NBA team, give this city literally any positive reason to cheer for a team and they'll come full force as we saw with the Royals and the turnaround for Sporting KC.

Dante84 · 01-31-2017, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie

I don't understand what is inconvenient about downtown. Whenever i go to an event there i get in just as fast or faster compared to parking in that cluster**** Kaufman or Arrowhead parking lot. As long as you accept you have to park 4 blocks away and walk its reasonable fast. I don't think KC is set up geographically to support a light rail system at a reasonable price tag

2 things -

If its a full Sprint center, it can be a bitch. Not Truman Sports Complex bitch, but still a bitch.

Also, depending upon the part of downtown, it can be a bit sketchy after dark if you step outside of the 6x6 block area.

Dante84 · 01-31-2017, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Why should it? KC has a great interstate road system.

For people who hate traffic, don't have cars, planning on drinking.

Most cities with entertainment districts have some sort of transit like this.

KC_Lee · 01-31-2017, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante84

For people who hate traffic, don't have cars, planning on drinking.

Most cities with entertainment districts have some sort of transit like this.

Hi from Nashville, home to total crap interstate system, outdated infrastructure that cannot handle our recent population boom, minimal mass transit and a hopping downtown entertainment district that includes a downtown stadium that has an NHL team.

**Bearcat** · 01-31-2017, 09:33 PM

There was an article that came out around the time of this one that showed KC would be the most thinly stretched in terms of disposable income if they had a 3rd major sports team to support (IIRC, Denver and Pittsburgh were at/near the top). And as far as I know, Sprint Center does really well without a major pro team. It would be interesting to figure out how much more money has been spent on the Royals and Chiefs in the past few years compared to 2005.

The NHL does really well at the gate, generally half the league is at 100% attendance and another handful are over 95%... not sure KC would hit that mark 41 times per season, then possibly 3 or 4 playoff games per round, but probably wouldn't do any worse than the bottom of the league, either.

I've personally never had any issues getting into/out of downtown for stuff at Sprint Center, but I also never park in the garages that are next door, so I don't have to wait for 15,000 people to walk by the exit of the garage.

Dante84 · 01-31-2017, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC_Lee

Hi from Nashville, home to total crap interstate system, outdated infrastructure that cannot handle our recent population boom, minimal mass transit and a hopping downtown entertainment district that includes a downtown stadium that has an NHL team.

I don't know much about Nashville, never been, but I heard its very similar to Austin, where I live.

If that's true, then there's a ton of people in their 20's and 30's, early 40's that live in or near downtown. Is that correct, or is it mostly suburbs like KC?

ChiefsCountry · 01-31-2017, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

There was an article that came out around the time of this one that showed KC would be the most thinly stretched in terms of disposable income if they had a 3rd major sports team to support (IIRC, Denver and Pittsburgh were at/near the top). And as far as I know, Sprint Center does really well without a major pro team. It would be interesting to figure out how much more money has been spent on the Royals and Chiefs in the past few years compared to 2005.

The NHL does really well at the gate, generally half the league is at 100% attendance and another handful are over 95%... not sure KC would hit that mark 41 times per season, then possibly 3 or 4 playoff games per round, but probably wouldn't do any worse than the bottom of the league, either.

I've personally never had any issues getting into/out of downtown for stuff at Sprint Center, but I also never park in the garages that are next door, so I don't have to wait for 15,000 people to walk by the exit of the garage.

Average sold out concert I have been to, its a 15 minute wait to get out of the garages. Only once it took me longer than. Easier than the Sports Complex thats for sure.

Prison Bitch · 01-31-2017, 09:39 PM

We gotta keep the name islanders. It's a sports tradition keeping dumb mascots having nothing to Do with your area, Utah Jazz!

**Bearcat** · 01-31-2017, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Average sold out concert I have been to, its a 15 minute wait to get out of the garages. Only once it took me longer than. Easier than the Sports Complex thats for sure.

Nice... I pretty much always park on the street, maybe a 2 or 3 minute walk to the car once I'm outside. And if there was any reason to believe traffic would suck, at least there are far better and far more options than Denny's and Taco Bell (well, and getting even more shit faced in the parking lot, I suppose).

**Bearcat** · 01-31-2017, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

We gotta keep the name islanders. It's a sports tradition keeping dumb mascots having nothing to Do with your area, Utah Jazz!

The Inlanders.

Prison Bitch · 01-31-2017, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

The Inlanders.

KC_Lee · 01-31-2017, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante84

I don't know much about Nashville, never been, but I heard its very similar to Austin, where I live.

If that's true, then there's a ton of people in their 20's and 30's, early 40's that live in or near downtown. Is that correct, or is it mostly suburbs like KC?

You're correct. Most of the boom in Nashville has been close (within 5 - 10 miles) of downtown. It's a bit of an issue with folks that live outside of the "hot" areas like myself. City / County services (Nashville & Davidson County are incorporated) go to these hot areas and other areas get neglected.

My point was a counter to yours regarding entertainment districts and transit. I live in a tourist town with the same attraction(s) as your home town of Austin. Any transit into downtown is provided to visitors in the form of shuttles provided by hotels. There is little in the way of transit for locals to get to downtown except of their own cars.

So if I want to see a Pred's game it's up to me to provide transport and stay sober. Of course parking is a whole separate kettle of wahoo. An NHL or NBA team in KC would work.

08-01-2005, 10:39 AM
Bearcat Would an idiot do that? Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Arizona Casino cash: $-885069	Whitlock: NHL makes more sense than NBA If you don't care, you can always click here (don't click here though!) NHL fits us better than the NBA JASON WHITLOCK Saturday morning when I walked through the door at the Ice Sports Arena of Kansas City, Paul McGannon stood 15 feet away, head cocked, looking up at a TV screen as the NHL began its resurrection. The NHL entry draft, the league’s first official act since inking a new collective-bargaining agreement, had been under way for maybe 30 minutes. Sidney Crosby, the teenager who commissioner Gary Bettman hopes makes the NHL relevant again, had already been plucked by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Ice Sports Arena was hosting a “watch party.” There were hot dogs, potato chips, ice cream, free ice time and a three-piece rockabilly band to entice potential partygoers. Ninety minutes into the draft, there were between 40 and 50 people milling around. Most cared little about the draft. They were there to watch their kids skate. McGannon, of course, was there because his life is devoted to getting an NHL team in Kansas City. “It’s a pure startup with nothing but blue skies ahead,” said McGannon, comparing the new NHL to an Internet venture. You know what? I agree with McGannon. When looking for a full-time tenant at the Sprint Center, we should focus our attention on the NHL over the NBA. Professional hockey in Kansas City makes far more sense than professional basketball. I can do better than that. The new NHL makes more sense in Kansas City than does major-league baseball. Everyone is beating up on the NHL right now. The sport was devastated by its seasonlong work stoppage. It doesn’t have a TV contract. It’s implemented a bunch of new rules designed to make the game more exciting. Jeremy Roenick, one of the league’s best players, told hockey fans to kiss his rear. I went to the league’s official Web site, NHL.com, and it looked second-class, like something a second-rate sports-talk radio station would put together. You could argue that MLS is in better shape than the NHL. You’d be wrong, but you could make the argument. Hockey is going to rebound. It’s a great game, and now the NHL has the best economic system in professional sports. The NHL has a firm salary cap ($39 million), revenue sharing that will support nontraditional, small-market hockey cities and an economic structure that will spread the game’s best players around the league. You won’t need a free-spending, billionaire owner to compete in the NHL. A penny-pincher like David Glass would have a chance to win in the NHL. OK, that might be an exaggeration. Glass would put his son in charge of the operation, and KC’s hockey franchise would flip-flop between a youth movement and veteran club every two to three months. I digress. The new NHL for the foreseeable future, particularly while the NHL tries to win back fans, will be very fan and family friendly. You won’t need a high-six-figures income to take your family to NHL games on a regular basis. Fans won’t get shaken down at the ticket booth just so owners can pay their superstars $15 million a year. “Most teams have season-ticket packages around $400 or $500,” said McGannon, whose group, NHL 21, brings an NHL exhibition game to town once a year. “The Florida Panthers have seats as cheap as $7.” Hey, look, I love the NBA. It would be easy for me to argue that Kansas City should do everything within its power to land an NBA franchise. I’m a member of the media and get a free seat down close. But I’m not sure if the average Kansas City sports fan will shell out $50 or $60 to see the KC Magic play 41 home basketball games. Now, $20 or $25 to see the KC Penguins and Sidney Crosby is very doable. The Penguins are a prime candidate for relocation. Mario Lemieux’s franchise is in need of a new arena. The city of Pittsburgh has yet to step up. The Penguins’ lease runs out in 2007. The other thing I like is that we could get in on the ground floor of the new NHL. The sport is basically starting over. The new rules will significantly change the style of play. We could learn the game and its new stars together. “They’re going to open up the ice and make it more fast-paced,” said Bob O’Leary, a diehard hockey fan who attended Saturday’s draft party. “It’ll be a lot better. And there’ll definitely be more highlights on ESPN.” Take it from a lifelong basketball junkie, we’ll learn to love hockey.
Posts: 59,474

01-31-2017, 08:30 PM	#31
redfan I miss Eric and Willie Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: OHohOhhhhh-lathe Casino cash: $-1718148	Let's do the Time Warp againnnnn KC is not getting an NHL team. __________________ IV LIV LVII LVIII Len Dawson: SB IV MVP Patrick Mahomes: 2X NFLMVP 3X SBMVP and 3rd member of the B2B SBMVP Club
Posts: 8,209

01-31-2017, 08:47 PM	#33
KCUnited Cheat Death Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Land of Drincoln Casino cash: $-1431756	KC, come for the bbq, stay for the interstates.
Posts: 36,858

01-31-2017, 09:33 PM	#38
Bearcat Would an idiot do that? Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Arizona Casino cash: $-885069	There was an article that came out around the time of this one that showed KC would be the most thinly stretched in terms of disposable income if they had a 3rd major sports team to support (IIRC, Denver and Pittsburgh were at/near the top). And as far as I know, Sprint Center does really well without a major pro team. It would be interesting to figure out how much more money has been spent on the Royals and Chiefs in the past few years compared to 2005. The NHL does really well at the gate, generally half the league is at 100% attendance and another handful are over 95%... not sure KC would hit that mark 41 times per season, then possibly 3 or 4 playoff games per round, but probably wouldn't do any worse than the bottom of the league, either. I've personally never had any issues getting into/out of downtown for stuff at Sprint Center, but I also never park in the garages that are next door, so I don't have to wait for 15,000 people to walk by the exit of the garage. __________________
Posts: 59,474

01-31-2017, 09:39 PM	#41
Prison Bitch Rabbi Goldmann Join Date: Nov 2012 Casino cash: $5450159	We gotta keep the name islanders. It's a sports tradition keeping dumb mascots having nothing to Do with your area, Utah Jazz!
Posts: 87,025