The days of the Phoenix Coyotes may soon be at an end, as the fabled Winnipeg Jets may soon be returning to their rightful home. I would love to see the franchise returned to Canada, in what no doubt will be a blow to the pride of one Gary Bettman; after the voices in his head once said "if you build it in the desert, they will come". Where have you gone Jim Balsille, common sense turns its lonely eyes to you. I was trying to tell people in round one that if you like Winnipeg, you have to cheer for Detroit to beat Phoenix.
I am assuming that the city of Winnipeg would like their Jets back? Having a major sports franchise does help put the city on the map outside of Canada. I'm sure that very few Americans are aware that the Blue Bombers even exist. I hope that the Phoenix franchise fails and moves back to Canada. It was insane for Gary to allow this relocation in the first place, and with a Canadian dollar close to par, it is more cost effective and profitable. When Chretien and Martin devalued our currency in the 90s, that arguably cost Canada 2 NHL franchises.
Up next, Quebec City!
After that, Whitehorse!
AFTER VANCOUVER, WHICH CANADIAN CITY SHOULD HOST THE NEXT OLYMPIC GAMES?
Whitehorse (46%)
Regina (10%)
Ottawa (9%)
Toronto (9%)
Winnipeg (7%)
Quebec City (7%)
Edmonton (6%)
Halifax (2%)
Winnipeg would love to have their Jets back.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it will ever happen though.
Whitehorse?!
ReplyDeleteAre you people fucking crazy?
That's a recipe for a black sinkhole of tax dollars in perpetuity.
Like building a bridge over a prairie farm and hoping a river will form beneath it.
The winter olympics in Canada should be over.
We've wasted enough money on two games and the infrastructure there should be sufficient for our needs.
And any other location that doesn't have mountains is gravitationally challenged and should be given a swift kick out of any consideration.
Relax dude, Whitehorse is there as a joke.
ReplyDeleteEver the optimist, I'm certain that there will one day be another Winnipeg Jets. Who knows, at this rate it may very well be the Coyotes (with their tails between their legs).
ReplyDeleteAs for Whitehorse... 'tis obviously a joke. But if it would make Anonymous feel better, perhaps we could replace the Whitehorse with "2nd Montreal". After all, the city has two NHL teams before (twice!).
As it stands, all the cities you put forth (Whitehorse excepted) are worthy... and viable.
If that was a joke then fine.
ReplyDeleteBut you'll have to go a long way to convince me that some Liberal won't think that it is actually a good idea.
On the other hand, I think Saskatoon should have it's own CFL team.
How many Liberals will get behind that one?
I hope that someone like Brett Wilson will.
Can't get a ticket to see the Roughriders.
And I am a Bomber fan.
It's hard to switch horses after forty years.
Hey Iceman, you have a background in math and economics, perhaps you can weigh in on the debate surround MTS Centre and whether it is "too small" for NHL standards and if a Jets franchise can be profitable in the 'Peg.
ReplyDeleteHere's my take on it:
1. Yes, MTS centre is 15,000 or so capacity which makes it one of the smallest venues in the NHL. However, the MTS centre is very new and modern, it has luxury boxes and it is expandable if need be. I really don't see the MTS Centre hurdle being all that big.
2. If you draw only 15,000 (best scenario) you can't compete in the NHL. First, compare 10,000 paying customers to 5,000 in Phoenix. Clearly, a better scenario but is it profitable? I really don't know but, it is better than Phoenix. Second, with revenue sharing in place, Winnipeg may not be a dominant contributor to the pot but, it won't be a massive, league owned, drain like Phoenix. I can't see how this isn't good financial news for the NHL, especially given Canada's high dollar.
3. Leads to my final point. When the Jets left, the Canadian dollar was 73cents to the US dollar. In 2010, the Canadian dollar is about even. Is it a prudent decision to base the re-location of a franchise on the continued long-term strength of the Canadian loonie? Is this strong dollar a new normal or a short term abberation? I'm leaving this as the final question because I think it is the most important one. Canadian dollar value will dictate if those 10-15K fans that attend games are worth the same as American fans or whether Winnipeg has to draw 20% more fans just to keep pace with American venues. As with the value of revenue streams, the same applies to the value of their expenditures. Can Winnipeg afford American currency salaries based on Canadian revenues? At par, I'd say hell yeah; starting at 20% in the hole, it is a tough battle to overcome.
Herbie, aren't you on the waiting list for Hamilton season tickets? Your opinion is biased.
ReplyDeleteTo your point, Winnipeg is not the most immediately viable market, but it is more viable than Phoenix. The team would make more money playing out of Copps, but after Bettman cock blocked Jimmy from taking the team to Hamilton, he'd lose face moving the team. Winnipeg is the most immediate solution that Bettman will consider that can stop the bleeding of money from the current franchise.
The strong dollar will be the new normal, unless a new regime in Ottawa decides to deliberately deflate it. I am a fan of a strong Canadian dollar. The greater the value of our currency, the greater our wealth on the international stage. That has benefits beyond selling cheap manufactored goods.
ReplyDeletelol on Whitehorse. Although, no offense to the city. It's just, not exactly, a booming place. Anyway, I have no faith that Bettman and the NHL will even consider bringing another franchise to Canada. At least, not until they've conquered American television ratings.
ReplyDelete