Cropduster
Registered User
does anyone remember or have a link to which cities were bidding for teams back when Minnesota, Atlanta, Columbus, and Nashville got their awarded franchises? The city's who tried but didnt get them?
Houston would almost certainly have gotten a team in the last round of expansion if they had had an appropriate venue at the time - the Summit (later the Compaq Center, and now home to the Lakewood Church mega church) was built in 1975 and only seated 15K for hockey. The Toyota Center (new home of the NBA Rockets) was not even in the planning stages back then, and didn't open until late 2003.I wouldn't mind seeing a team in Houston. The WHA Aeros were relatively sucessful in the 70's, and they have a good history of supporting minor league hockey.
That apparently was not a factor in the rejection of Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city with the 11th-largest TV market.
"Houston has the demographics and the television market, all the ingredients that are so essential," McMullen said. "But I think the league just did not wish to commit themselves to play in the Summit."
Wha..? Who....? Where....?
Hampton Roads has a decent minor league hockey tradition - they lasted some 11 years in the ECHL as the Hampton Roads Admirals from 1989 until 2000 when they bolted for the AHL and changed names to the Norfolk Admirals. Prior to that, the Hampton/Norfolk area has been home to several teams - in roughly chronological order:
Tidewater Wings (AHL) 1971-1972
Virginia Wings (AHL) 1972-1975
Hampton Gulls (SHL) 1974-1977
Tidewater Sharks (SHL) 1975-1977
Hampton Gulls (AHL) 1977-1978
Hampton Aces (NEHL) 1978-1979
Hampton Aces (EHL) 1979-1981
Hampton Roads Gulls (ACHL) 1982-1983
Hampton Roads Admirals (ECHL) 1989-2000
Norfolk Admirals (AHL) 2000-present
Did they have an arena in the planning stages when they put in the bid? I assume the league probably thought they were too close to Washington or the market wasn't big enough.
Wasn't Hampton Roads vying for the Washington Nationals' new stadium to be built there too? Thought I they were one of the choices along with Alexandria.
http://www.canoe.ca/97NHLExpansion/zexex5.html
Houston (3 bids; only one got to the final round)
Oklahoma City (got to the final round)
Hampton Roads, VA
Hamilton, Ontario
Raleigh-Durham, NC (offer rescinded when Karamanos announced the Hurricanes would move to Raleigh)
The call for expansion bids went out in June of 1996. The Nordiques left Quebec in 1995. The Jets left Winnipeg in 1996. The Whalers left Hartford in 1997.Interesting Winnipeg, Hartford, and Quebec DID NOT put in Bids and did not get teams. Funny how everyone thinks they should have been granted teams without even applying for franchises. Bettman just hates them I guess
Nothing was stopping Winnipeg or Quebec.The call for expansion bids went out in June of 1996. The Nordiques left Quebec in 1995. The Jets left Winnipeg in 1996. The Whalers left Hartford in 1997.
No. But given the timing, I think it's easy to understand why they did not (and obvious to understand why Hartford could not). The fact that none of the three submitted an expansion bid is, when you get down to it, not that interesting.Nothing was stopping Winnipeg or Quebec.
If memory serves, the team (but not the arena) was to be owned by George Shinn and would have been called the Hampton Roads Rhinos.
Even if any of them had, it would have been a complete non-starter. None of them had an acceptable arena and none of them had any plans in place to build one.No. But given the timing, I think it's easy to understand why they did not (and obvious to understand why Hartford could not). The fact that none of the three submitted an expansion bid is, when you get down to it, not that interesting.
Interesting Winnipeg, Hartford, and Quebec DID NOT put in Bids and did not get teams. Funny how everyone thinks they should have been granted teams without even applying for franchises. Bettman just hates them I guess
Now, due to lack of fan support, the team can leave in 2008.
Actually Bettman wanted a salary cap in '94 and very well might have led the lockout for a full year, but the Big Market owners cut a deal over Bettman's objections in 1995. That was why GB got the supermajority clause put into his contract when it was renewed - to prevent the same thing from happening again.Yeah that is interesting.
It's also interesting Bettman didn't go a full year of a lockout in '94 to get a salary cap and revenue sharing to help Winnipeg, Hartford or Quebec.
You forgot to include, "and a chance to bash Nashville/Carolina/Phoenix while touting how Winnipeg would allegedly do better."Actually Bettman wanted a salary cap in '94 and very well might have led the lockout for a full year, but the Big Market owners cut a deal over Bettman's objections in 1995. That was why GB got the supermajority clause put into his contract when it was renewed - to prevent the same thing from happening again.
But why let facts get in the way of a perfectly good anti-GB rant.
It's the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a top-level professional sports team.Wha..? Who....? Where....?
Isn't that what every town says now? I hear it way too much.It's the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a top-level professional sports team.
Isn't that what every town says now? I hear it way too much.