Why do I..
Alright...if you are in the CBA fight for your life to keep 30 healthy franchises, and maintain your small markets by revenue sharing, why would you add another small market to the fold? Because you like Winnipeg? The kids in Winnipeg are sad without a team? Because Winnipeg "deserves" a team?
So why Winnipeg? I tell you, I love hockey, I love my country, and I love Winnipeg. But honestly, there are several cities that would be more economically viable and the first thing they would do is NOT ask for revenue sharing.
Why Winnipeg before Quebec City? Why Winnipeg before Seattle? or Portland? or Houston?
Because a few people think that the average Joe in Manitoba cares about hockey than a cowboy in Texas. But that isn't hockey anymore. Hockey is big bucks, big dollars....so big that we have two ignornant...and I am thinking of a very bad word here....fighting over how to fairly split.....Two billion dollars. I tell you what...I could split $2 billion pretty well with anyone...(well maybe not my ex-wife...but anyone else
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On top of it, the Jets wouldn't make money. If they were losing money back when they moved, they would lose money now. They aren't in a better spot than Edmonton is now and I don't know how the Oilers will make money even if there is a cap at $38 million.
So the whole act is "Let us in the league and give us money to survive." From day one, you want a team and the high revenue clubs will have to give you a hand out to survive. To me, that is bad business. And as much as I love Portage and Main, the Winnipeg Zoo, Fort Garry, and some of the best people in the world, I wouldn't give them an NHL team.