Penguins Arena Talk (merged)

[jb**]

Pens arena news:

City's slots task force won't tie revenue to arena
Some argue money should support community projects
Friday, December 09, 2005

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, which is expected to carry some weight with Harrisburg regulators, isn't ready to jump on the bandwagon to use slots revenue to finance a replacement for the aging Mellon Arena.......

Click to read more...

 

[Mr BLUEandWHITE]

i dont feel like reading all that so....is pittsburgh staying or going?

 

[st5801]

Neither. All they are saying is that IF the Pens dont get the license, the person who does get the license doesn't have to give money for an arena if they dont want to.

Several of the applicants have pledged money for an arena. Obviously, if the Pens get the license it wont be an issue.

 

[Artyukhin*]

how long till the penguins are gone?

first off let me say this isnt a slight against the good fans of the Pitsburg Penguins!!!!
im not starting the move the pens to Kanas city or Winnipeg thread here .

i hope this all works out for the best and the pens stay in pitsburg for another 100 years ..... i guess this comes down to politics


intresting comment from bob mckenzie
12/9/2005

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Sources say it's looking more and more like the Penguins won't get an all-important gaming license that would be the financial spark that could lead to the construction of a new building in Pittsburgh.
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Without a new arena, it's generally conceded the Penguins are a losing proposition in Pittsburgh. If that gaming license doesn't come through and the prospects for a new building to replace Mellon Arena aren't great, it's believed Lemieux will start investigating the possibilities of relocating the franchise or selling the franchise to a new ownership group that would move it elsewhere.




http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp

 

[Riggs]

how long till the penguins are gone?

The way it's going right now, season after next.

 

[StevenintheATL]

Building a new arena for the Pens supports the community. The arena means jobs, and if the Pens don't get a new arena, there will be less jobs as if the Pens move, they won't need as many workers @ Mellon Arena, and then there's the trickle down effect of the loss of the team as well. The slot parlors will be able to take some of that hit, but not all of it.

 

[Jacob]

The Penguins are putting together a proposition that will basically revitalize the area around the current arena with shopping and restaurants and stuff as well as the slots parlor. Basically giving the gaming board an offer they can't refuse.

And if it is refused, we know that the fix was in.

 

[Artyukhin*]

mario says ''We probably ran out of time already"

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=146628&hubname=

very intresting quotes from mario espically this one sabre rattling? i dunno pretty strong words tho ..

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''I think we're really running out of time,'' Lemieux said. ''We probably ran out of time already. It's been unfortunate that the city and the county haven't been willing to work with us over the last two or three years.''
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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Penguins owner-captain Mario Lemieux said he is doubtful that the team will remain in Pittsburgh after its Mellon Arena lease expires in 2007, citing a lack of progress on a new arena.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Considering everyone agreed in 1999 that it was important to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh because of the team's economic impact and a study released in 2001 showed that the Penguins needed a new arena b/c the current one couldn't be renovated for less money and might still be insufficient, I think the area has pretty much backed Lemieux and the Penguins into this position.

They're in a spot where they can't afford to put a decent product on the ice. The *only* way they might break even would be to slash payroll to $21.5 million - but then they'd still have to draw full houses and make the playoffs. They estimated they'd lose $7 million with a $31 million payroll this year - and that was assuming they drew full crowds and went to the 2nd round of the playoffs and had at least 6 home games in the playoffs. They've done everything they can to at least break even - they need a better lease, a better facility, *something* to at least have a shot of earning a profit on a year-to-year basis.

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Cue the "Nordiques or Jets" posts.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Hmmmm ... private financing anyone ???

 

[nomorekids]

Cue the "Nordiques or Jets" posts.

The Houston Nordiques and the Portland Jets?

 

[Guy Legend]

Where's Mark Cuban when you need him....

 

[Michael Morbid]

I could see the Penguins moving to another city and then down the road a new arena & a new team in Pittsburgh again.

Examples:
Minnesota North Stars to Dallas Stars / expansion Minnesota Wild
Atlanta Flames to Calgary Flames / expansion Atlanta Thrashers

Pittsburgh has good fanbase, it's just a bad situation now.

My two cents, anyways.

 

[_habsfan9]

move the team to winnipeg

new arena and some harcore fans

jets buy back rights to team name off of the coyotes and everything is good to go just like the cleveland browns.

move detroit to the east move the jets to the west and everything is set. however break up the north east division

make it so its

detroit,montreal,toronto,ottawa,buffalo

and get rid of the new nhl schedule well there at it.

 

[Artyukhin*]

i hope they stay in pittsburg.

but if there on the move garry betmen is probally the man who keeps them outta canada.

 

[Jack Canuck]

Honolulu Sea Turtles

Seriously though, I think if the team moves it will stay in the U.S.

 

[PACaptain]

This is not good news but not the end of the world either. There is no way that the city of Pittsburgh can look good if the Pens leave. Mario has been dropping hints for years that the team would move without a new arena. The city seems to be calling his bluff and unfortunately, he's definitely got the nuts (for my fellow poker players out there). The Pens just became a whole lot more marketable with Sidney Crosby and their young talent performing well. I will never forgive the city of my birth if the Penguins move out of town because we have watched this situation continue to get worse for years without any government support.

 

[Resolute]

Hmmmm ... private financing anyone ???

An American sports owner spending his own money on a building?

Surely you jest!

 

[jb**]

Hmmmm ... private financing anyone ???

My thoughts exactly. Mario and his group are so dependent on the slots for an arena.seems like no matter what he doesn't want to go down this road and secure private funding. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume they have done due dilligence regarding going this direction and gettign funding for an arena but it seems like his group really has no plan and they lack direction. They seem to be much to passive and quiet.

 

[Osprey]

They're in a spot where they can't afford to put a decent product on the ice.

Perhaps in past seasons, but their inability to ice a decent product this year has nothing to do with financial problems and everything to do with poor allocation and management.

 

[Troy McClure]

but if there on the move garry betmen is probally the man who keeps them outta canada.

Simple economics will do the job for Bettman.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

An American sports owner spending his own money on a building?

Surely you jest!

The buildng in Philadelphia was privately financed, with the only real concessions being that the city privided the land and paid for the demolition and cleanup of J.F.K. stadium, which used to sit on the site.

 

[Artyukhin*]

Simple economics will do the job for Bettman.

canadain dollar now 87 cents vs the us dollar and climbing .
the econimics are looking alot better than they were at 64 cents i must admit . i just dont think betmen wants to go back to the same markets that were left not so many years ago in canada . he probally see's others usa markets that are more attractive ( in his mind)

 

[Gumby]

An American sports owner spending his own money on a building?

Surely you jest!

They did it in D.C. (twice...redskins & wiz/caps) and is workin out quite well for em. Personally one name pops immediatly to mind when thinkin of a Pit sale...Paul Allen. It'd really be a shame for such a good fan base and a big rival of my Caps to get moved (especially with the future they look to have), but if it happens my $'s on them winding up in Portland....and I'm pretty sure he's got the $ to handle an arena.

I really hope this is all just some pressure bein put on by Lemuix.