Hockey in KC: Kansas City Predators?

Marco Polo · 05-28-2007, 04:31 PM

Brief mention of KC that it's the fave:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playof...ohn&id=2884769

Nashville, we hardly knew ye.

Owner Craig Leipold bought the Predators for $80 million and could sell the team for $220 million. That's a $140 million profit. A silo full of milk and cheese. Leipold said he lost $70 million during his tenure, so that's a $70 million profit for buying a hockey team in Tennessee and living in Wisconsin.

Imagine not being laughed out of a bar in 1972 if you said, "Someday, a guy who lives in Wisconsin will get an expansion team in Nashville, sell it a few years later and make $70 million." I bet you would have gotten a can of Blatz or Schlitz shoved up your left nostril out of sheer stupidity.

So, as Leipold prepares to leave with his $70 million bag of money, Predators season-ticket holders are out tens of thousands of dollars in tickets, parking, bad beer and hideous uniforms. It's the same old story.

And look who is back in town. Our boy, Jim Balsillie! After agreeing in principal to buy the Predators from Leipold this past week, it is seems likely that he will work hard to get his team and move it to Kansas City, Las Vegas, Winnipeg or Ontario.

He can help his boy Phil Anschutz get his team in Kansas City, get a state-of-the-art arena built for him in Vegas with the huge potential for revenue stream or bring a team to Canada and receive hero worship. One of those things will likely happen, whether it's after next season or in the future. Bet on the Preds leaving after the 2007-08 campaign. That was the plan in Pittsburgh, and now that's the plan in Nashville.

If paid attendance in Nashville does not average at least 14,000 next season, and the city can buy all of those tickets, the Preds can pay an exit fee of $18 million to get out of their arena lease and leave Music City USA. Balsillie has $18 million in his glove compartment. Also, the Preds had fewer than 9,000 season-ticket subscribers despite the success of the team, which amassed 110 points this season (tied with Anaheim for third best in the NHL).

Next season, the Predators will not be the third-best team in the NHL. I would suspect nearly all of their key unrestricted free agents will walk. Paul Kariya, Kimmo Timonen, Peter Forsberg and Scott Hartnell will sell their homes now and look to move elsewhere. Forsberg will just check out of the local Hampton Inn.

There is too much uncertainty with the team. Will they be in Nashville one more season? Two? Three? Will they find a way to leave in July?! Who knows? We do know that losing those four players will change the Predators' place in the standings. The Predators can then bring up the financial losses and shed more payroll by trading existing contracts for draft picks. ( The Preds do not have a first-round pick this June.)

The message will then be clear that the Predators want to move. Neither the fans nor the city will continue to shell out hard-earned money in an attempt to play a game of financial chicken with a billionaire. "Let's all buy Predators tickets, watch them lose to Columbus 5-1 and keep the Preds in Nashville!"

It will be a lost year.

Listen, I don't care what Balsillie does with the team. Nashville has shown it probably isn't an NHL city. Fewer than 9,000 season tickets for a 110-point team might be good for arena football or indoor lacrosse or the WNBA, but the NHL isn't like any of those leagues. There are other markets that will produce much larger season-ticket numbers. I've been writing for years that I'm all for another team moving to Canada. That's where the NFL-like passion is, and certainly Ontario can support another NHL team. Kansas City is the favorite because it has a rent-free arena ready to go and Balsillie can hook up his boys in the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG).

If the arena in Winnipeg is NHL caliber in terms of amenities and revenue, it has a shot. Otherwise, Balsillie has to get going and get an arena deal soon for it to be built in time for the 2008-09 season. Perhaps, he already has the framework in place. One way or another, things will likely take shape soon.

Whatever the case, turn out the lights Nashville, the party's over.

One more series
Well, after eight months, here we are. The final series. A best-of-seven for the Stanley Cup. Both teams won 48 games during the regular season and both have won 12 playoff games. One team, one coach, one city will be changed (for the near NHL future, anyway). One team will be able to say, for the rest of their lives, I am a Stanley Cup champion. That is huge. Unbelievably huge.

The ASH line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley has separated themselves from every other line in hockey. If Ottawa wins this finals series in five games, then it will be an ASH Wednesday. It's hard, however, to believe Anaheim could possibly lose four of five games to anyone.

I'm picking Ottawa in this series because of the big line, and the fact that Anaheim continues to lean on 22-year-old Ryan Getzlaf, which is always dangerous. That's a lot of responsibility for a young player.

Anaheim has the better goalie and two Hall of Fame defensemen. They have a Hall of Famer in Teemu Selanne, who should find some holes in Ray Emery if he can get quality chances. And that's the question. Ottawa has lots of speed, lots of jam and plays terrific defense. Anaheim does not have a prolific offense. That sets up well for the Senators.

But Ottawa has yet to face a scary, physical team this postseason. Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo are not scary teams. Anaheim is scary. Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson won't have it easy against the Ducks. They will get physically pounded in this series. Chris Neil will enjoy playing the Ducks because he becomes an important figure in terms of responding to their physical play. I also get a sense Mike Fisher is going to do something big in this series. It seems tailor-made for him, too.

These are two great teams. I'd love to see a seven-game series and the thick drama it would provide as players on both teams look for their first Stanley Cup. Anaheim can win this series if Jean-Sebastien Giguere is out of his mind, but I think Ottawa will win because:

• The Senators are a very good defensive team that can score.

• Their defense is very rugged. More rugged than Minnesota, Vancouver and Detroit.

• Ottawa has had easy travel. You could hitchhike to Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo.

• Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza are top-shelf players, possibly Hall of Famers. They have good size, good reach and are flying right now. They will score power-play goals.

In the end, it's a coin flip. These are two great teams. The games will probably be low scoring and close. I think if Ottawa splits in Anaheim, it will come back home and win two there and control the series. Anaheim will be looking to punch Ottawa in the face, kill some early-series power plays and wear down a Senators team that hasn't had a street fight. How the games are called is a huge factor. If the game is called close, it favors Ottawa. If the refs let them play, it favors Anaheim.

I'll say they call it close and Ottawa wins in six.

chagrin · 05-28-2007, 04:36 PM

Would be a good time, prolly a better long term choice than the Penguins.

Pitt Gorilla · 05-28-2007, 04:47 PM

I would like to have the Preds, but I'm surprised there isn't more talk about the Sonics.

Ultra Peanut · 05-28-2007, 04:59 PM

Kinda sucks. I haven't really been into the NHL for years, but the Preds are sort of 1b to the Coyotes' 1a for me. The fans in Nashville are good, the previous ownership just did a piss poor job of getting a bigger number game in and game out. Those fans are finally getting a really good team to root for and building some rivalries, and then this happens.

Eleazar · 05-28-2007, 05:09 PM

I don't think the uniforms are hideous. I think they are kind of cool.

Any NHL team >>>> NBA so hopefully, this works out.

keg in kc · 05-28-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochise

Any NHL team >>>> NBA so hopefully, this works out.

Hear that.

Silock · 05-28-2007, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chagrin

Would be a good time, prolly a better long term choice than the Penguins.

Why do you say that?

**Predarat** · 05-28-2007, 05:50 PM

Don't take my team dammit! But if the Preds do have to move KC would be a place I wouldn't mind. But im almost 100% positive if the new owner moves the Preds it will be to Southern Ontario, about 1 hour outside of Toronto. If not to Winnepeg.

**Saulbadguy** · 05-28-2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochise

I don't think the uniforms are hideous. I think they are kind of cool.

Any NHL team >>>> NBA so hopefully, this works out.

I respectfully disagree.

ChiefsCountry · 05-28-2007, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Predarat

Don't take my team dammit! But if the Preds do have to move KC would be a place I wouldn't mind. But im almost 100% positive if the new owner moves the Preds it will be to Southern Ontario, about 1 hour outside of Toronto. If not to Winnepeg.

Why in the hell would you want to move a team to Canada?

**Predarat** · 05-28-2007, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Why in the hell would you want to move a team to Canada?

Ask Jim Balsillie, if he does I hope it tanks!

PunkinDrublic · 05-28-2007, 07:55 PM

If they move to KC can they please change the team name. Predators sounds like a team filled with pedophiles.

Pitt Gorilla · 05-28-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

If they move to KC can they please change the team name. Predators sounds like a team filled with pedophiles.

**Predarat** · 05-28-2007, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

If they move to KC can they please change the team name. Predators sounds like a team filled with pedophiles.

May I suggest the Scouts, Comets, Kings or Blades?

BWillie · 05-28-2007, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

I would like to have the Preds, but I'm surprised there isn't more talk about the Sonics.

It's pretty evident that Sonics #1 choice is Oklahoma City. If there was some fall out there, then we would have a chance. It looks to me that it will be the Oklahoma City Sonics sooner than KC gets any NBA team. A year ago the Sonics were purchased by a group headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett.

05-28-2007, 04:31 PM
Marco Polo Veteran Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: 41°59.4′N 87°39.6'W Casino cash: $5648908	Hockey in KC: Kansas City Predators? Brief mention of KC that it's the fave: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playof...ohn&id=2884769 Nashville, we hardly knew ye. Owner Craig Leipold bought the Predators for $80 million and could sell the team for $220 million. That's a $140 million profit. A silo full of milk and cheese. Leipold said he lost $70 million during his tenure, so that's a $70 million profit for buying a hockey team in Tennessee and living in Wisconsin. Imagine not being laughed out of a bar in 1972 if you said, "Someday, a guy who lives in Wisconsin will get an expansion team in Nashville, sell it a few years later and make $70 million." I bet you would have gotten a can of Blatz or Schlitz shoved up your left nostril out of sheer stupidity. So, as Leipold prepares to leave with his $70 million bag of money, Predators season-ticket holders are out tens of thousands of dollars in tickets, parking, bad beer and hideous uniforms. It's the same old story. And look who is back in town. Our boy, Jim Balsillie! After agreeing in principal to buy the Predators from Leipold this past week, it is seems likely that he will work hard to get his team and move it to Kansas City, Las Vegas, Winnipeg or Ontario. He can help his boy Phil Anschutz get his team in Kansas City, get a state-of-the-art arena built for him in Vegas with the huge potential for revenue stream or bring a team to Canada and receive hero worship. One of those things will likely happen, whether it's after next season or in the future. Bet on the Preds leaving after the 2007-08 campaign. That was the plan in Pittsburgh, and now that's the plan in Nashville. If paid attendance in Nashville does not average at least 14,000 next season, and the city can buy all of those tickets, the Preds can pay an exit fee of $18 million to get out of their arena lease and leave Music City USA. Balsillie has $18 million in his glove compartment. Also, the Preds had fewer than 9,000 season-ticket subscribers despite the success of the team, which amassed 110 points this season (tied with Anaheim for third best in the NHL). Next season, the Predators will not be the third-best team in the NHL. I would suspect nearly all of their key unrestricted free agents will walk. Paul Kariya, Kimmo Timonen, Peter Forsberg and Scott Hartnell will sell their homes now and look to move elsewhere. Forsberg will just check out of the local Hampton Inn. There is too much uncertainty with the team. Will they be in Nashville one more season? Two? Three? Will they find a way to leave in July?! Who knows? We do know that losing those four players will change the Predators' place in the standings. The Predators can then bring up the financial losses and shed more payroll by trading existing contracts for draft picks. ( The Preds do not have a first-round pick this June.) The message will then be clear that the Predators want to move. Neither the fans nor the city will continue to shell out hard-earned money in an attempt to play a game of financial chicken with a billionaire. "Let's all buy Predators tickets, watch them lose to Columbus 5-1 and keep the Preds in Nashville!" It will be a lost year. Listen, I don't care what Balsillie does with the team. Nashville has shown it probably isn't an NHL city. Fewer than 9,000 season tickets for a 110-point team might be good for arena football or indoor lacrosse or the WNBA, but the NHL isn't like any of those leagues. There are other markets that will produce much larger season-ticket numbers. I've been writing for years that I'm all for another team moving to Canada. That's where the NFL-like passion is, and certainly Ontario can support another NHL team. Kansas City is the favorite because it has a rent-free arena ready to go and Balsillie can hook up his boys in the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). If the arena in Winnipeg is NHL caliber in terms of amenities and revenue, it has a shot. Otherwise, Balsillie has to get going and get an arena deal soon for it to be built in time for the 2008-09 season. Perhaps, he already has the framework in place. One way or another, things will likely take shape soon. Whatever the case, turn out the lights Nashville, the party's over. One more series Well, after eight months, here we are. The final series. A best-of-seven for the Stanley Cup. Both teams won 48 games during the regular season and both have won 12 playoff games. One team, one coach, one city will be changed (for the near NHL future, anyway). One team will be able to say, for the rest of their lives, I am a Stanley Cup champion. That is huge. Unbelievably huge. The ASH line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley has separated themselves from every other line in hockey. If Ottawa wins this finals series in five games, then it will be an ASH Wednesday. It's hard, however, to believe Anaheim could possibly lose four of five games to anyone. I'm picking Ottawa in this series because of the big line, and the fact that Anaheim continues to lean on 22-year-old Ryan Getzlaf, which is always dangerous. That's a lot of responsibility for a young player. Anaheim has the better goalie and two Hall of Fame defensemen. They have a Hall of Famer in Teemu Selanne, who should find some holes in Ray Emery if he can get quality chances. And that's the question. Ottawa has lots of speed, lots of jam and plays terrific defense. Anaheim does not have a prolific offense. That sets up well for the Senators. But Ottawa has yet to face a scary, physical team this postseason. Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo are not scary teams. Anaheim is scary. Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson won't have it easy against the Ducks. They will get physically pounded in this series. Chris Neil will enjoy playing the Ducks because he becomes an important figure in terms of responding to their physical play. I also get a sense Mike Fisher is going to do something big in this series. It seems tailor-made for him, too. These are two great teams. I'd love to see a seven-game series and the thick drama it would provide as players on both teams look for their first Stanley Cup. Anaheim can win this series if Jean-Sebastien Giguere is out of his mind, but I think Ottawa will win because: • The Senators are a very good defensive team that can score. • Their defense is very rugged. More rugged than Minnesota, Vancouver and Detroit. • Ottawa has had easy travel. You could hitchhike to Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo. • Alfredsson, Heatley and Spezza are top-shelf players, possibly Hall of Famers. They have good size, good reach and are flying right now. They will score power-play goals. In the end, it's a coin flip. These are two great teams. The games will probably be low scoring and close. I think if Ottawa splits in Anaheim, it will come back home and win two there and control the series. Anaheim will be looking to punch Ottawa in the face, kill some early-series power plays and wear down a Senators team that hasn't had a street fight. How the games are called is a huge factor. If the game is called close, it favors Ottawa. If the refs let them play, it favors Anaheim. I'll say they call it close and Ottawa wins in six.
Posts: 2,511

05-28-2007, 04:36 PM	#2
chagrin Giggitty! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Missoula, Mt Casino cash: $9914905	Would be a good time, prolly a better long term choice than the Penguins.
Posts: 13,394

05-28-2007, 04:47 PM	#3
Pitt Gorilla Banned! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: NOT Columbia, MO 65201 Casino cash: $2640194	I would like to have the Preds, but I'm surprised there isn't more talk about the Sonics. __________________ Your son is a bench warmer because of your weak genetics not because of the coach Norlin Mommsen is disgusting.
Posts: 46,196

05-28-2007, 04:59 PM	#4
Ultra Peanut v^V^v^V^v^V^ Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Holland* Casino cash: $10005177	Kinda sucks. I haven't really been into the NHL for years, but the Preds are sort of 1b to the Coyotes' 1a for me. The fans in Nashville are good, the previous ownership just did a piss poor job of getting a bigger number game in and game out. Those fans are finally getting a really good team to root for and building some rivalries, and then this happens. __________________
Posts: 39,518

05-28-2007, 05:09 PM	#5
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	I don't think the uniforms are hideous. I think they are kind of cool. Any NHL team >>>> NBA so hopefully, this works out.
Posts: 80,659

05-28-2007, 05:50 PM	#8
Predarat Run Chiefs fans, run!! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Nashville, TN Casino cash: $9973863	Don't take my team dammit! But if the Preds do have to move KC would be a place I wouldn't mind. But im almost 100% positive if the new owner moves the Preds it will be to Southern Ontario, about 1 hour outside of Toronto. If not to Winnepeg.
Posts: 10,776

05-28-2007, 07:55 PM	#12
PunkinDrublic Stay down bitch! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $6260670	If they move to KC can they please change the team name. Predators sounds like a team filled with pedophiles. __________________ Disappointing my parents since 1976
Posts: 9,189