You have two options.
1) go to the next most bankrupt team and do this over again,
2) "if you build it, they will come",
If you have the money to spend, go buy the piece of land right beside the 401 that is immediately outside of the Leafs "territory" and build the stadium, which can still generate revenue without a NHL team. Build it, and they will come.
There, I said it. Hamilton if necessary, but not necessarily Hamilton...
3) follow the rules, mend some fences and work the charm offensive.
ReplyDeleteOut of the options available, 2 has the most traction. As was mentioned very early on in this saga, the only thing Hamilton has going for it is expediency. It has a Coliseum that can be used tomorrow if necessary but, as we've seen, not necessarily tomorrow.
If Jim is smart about it, he'll break down Option 2 into two sub-options: (a) work with Hamilton to bring Copps up to snuff or (b) build a new barn in a cornfield by the highway. He'll have to hire some lawyers and accountants and engineers to figure out the cost-benefit analysis to this.
My gut tells me he won't make a decision until the Pam-Am games are given out (most likely to the Toronto-Hamilton bid). He can ride the wave of infrastructure bonus dollars to building an upgraded arena, that follows Green Belt/Environmental/Smart Growth laws and all three levels of Government will chip in for him to do it - in downtown Hamilton.
Then again, he's stubborn enough to screw the free money and build RIM rink in his own backyard. Who knows!
The 401 is a serious traffic corridor. They could easily generate revenue before they get the team in the building. I don't care if you host Hannah Montana concerts every other week, there are lots of ways to make money and a ton of money and commuters with easy access.
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