Bobby Burgers

[CycloneSweep]

Did anyone else hear the rumor where Katz wants to go over Nicholson and hire a POHO so Nicholson can back off and deal with the business side directly

 

[Wretched Oil]

What caught me off guard was hearing that hitch has a 2 year contract and would be involved with the team in some capacity after this year. That drives me crazy. If the individual isn’t good enough in the role they were hired in then kick them to the curb.

Why do we have to keep everyone on board?

The last 2 firings left, just to say.

 

[rboomercat90]

One of the biggest issues that i see with Katz is that he is willing to spend to the salary cap and believes that this is what leads to having a competitive team. It should if you have competent management, which we clearly haven’t had in many years.

Unfortunately Katz appears really cheap when it comes to spending on the things that will increase the likelihood of the organization being successful. We have a microscopic pro scouting department, we don’t even have an analytics team, we seem understaffed in player development roles (working with prospects in developing training and nutrition as e.g.), i sense we have a smaller than average amateur scouting department (I have no proof of this just a gut feel), and I never hear about us focusing on R&D (optimizing sleep, mental training, vision training, etc).

If revenue declines through the loss of season tickets my worry is that Katz will further reduce roles that are pivotal to developing a strong organization which will put us further behind the rest of the league. The areas I hi-lighted above are where he can spend unlimited money to increase the likelihood of sucess if he was truly interested in winning and not just making a buck.

Proof is in the pudding, I guess.

I don’t think Katz cares one way or the other whether or not the team is successful on the ice. His goal is doing enough to keep the people in the seats and spending their money. I suspect he spends to the cap just so the organization can say they’re doing everything they can. That’s been enough for him since he bought the team because he’s always had some kind of hope to sell. They’ve run out of hope to sell and I think they’re at a crossroads now.

The way I see it there are three possible outcomes here.
1)He realizes he can’t operate the club with his buddies anymore and brings in a strong hockey guy, allows him to actually clean out the organization and starts fresh with a new group.
2)He goes the route you fear. He continues to operate with his friends staying where they are with a puppet as the face. He scales back on everything and runs this organization like a budget club while the attendance continues to drop.
3)He decides he’s already milked the market for everything it’s going to give him and decides he’s going to sell and we get to go through whatever mess that brings.

 

[rboomercat90]

The last 2 firings left, just to say.

Fired people always leave. That’s how it works. The problems are with the ones that are being reassigned instead of fired.

 

[yukoner88]

Did anyone else hear the rumor where Katz wants to go over Nicholson and hire a POHO so Nicholson can back off and deal with the business side directly

Given the negative press Bob has caused lately I'm surprised the rumour isn't that Katz is currently filling out a pink slip

 

[PBandJ]

Did anyone else hear the rumor where Katz wants to go over Nicholson and hire a POHO so Nicholson can back off and deal with the business side directly

If Katz is that smart, then it'll be the first time he's ever shown it.

 

[PBandJ]

I say we get a bunch of patch business owners together, form an ownership group and put a bid together to buy this team from Katz. It would only take 500 of us at $1mil or 1000 at $500k. Green bay is a good comparable.

I don't think the NHL allows that sort of ownership, my understanding is Bettman actually bent the rules for the EIG to keep the team here. And honestly, a group ownership doesn't really work for me, there's too much potential for bickering and infighting like what hit the EIG.

 

[rboomercat90]

Did anyone else hear the rumor where Katz wants to go over Nicholson and hire a POHO so Nicholson can back off and deal with the business side directly

He has to do something. He can’t leave him in the position where he’s the face of the organization. He might actually be worse than anybody that’s come before him. I find it hilarious that the guy that was brought in here to bring credibility and professionalism to an organization that was perceived to have none has been such an inept disaster and a step backwards. I doubt Katz finds it as funny.

 

[MikeYEG]

What caught me off guard was hearing that hitch has a 2 year contract and would be involved with the team in some capacity after this year. That drives me crazy. If the individual isn’t good enough in the role they were hired in then kick them to the curb.

Why do we have to keep everyone on board?

Yeah, same reaction I had, another dinosaur added to the OBC, just what we needed

 

[yukoner88]

I don't think hitch is as bad as some people think he is. I get where a lot of frustration with many of his on ice decisions but frankly, he's dealing with a roster where 2-4 players out of 23 are showing they can compete on a nightly basis. The team will probably reach 36 or 37 wins to close out the season which is really the max potential this team as a whole has.

 

[Soundwave]

He has to do something. He can’t leave him in the position where he’s the face of the organization. He might actually be worse than anybody that’s come before him. I find it hilarious that the guy that was brought in here to bring credibility and professionalism to an organization that was perceived to have none has been such an inept disaster and a step backwards. I doubt Katz finds it as funny.

They'll have a new GM and maybe a new POHO is a couple of months, those two will be the new face of the management of the franchise anyway.

 

[Drivesaitl]

And that MIGHT be our saving grace. If he truly puts winning (winning = more $) over his love for the clowns that have kept us in this position for the last decade plus, it might actually turn the ship around.

You haven't been in DT Edmonton in awhile. you wouldn't recognize a lot of it.

I've mentioned this earlier but Katz has won regardless of how the team comes out. He's made an absolute killing on the Arena district and associated developments in his portfolio, He has already flipped Edmonton Tower for a reported hundreds of Millions in profit. After already having had the benefit of COE leasing the tower as a primary tenant. Interesting he sold the tower to a provincial crown corporation. Revealing in that he gets so much help from Public entities and much more than just the arena deal itself. People should be shocked at how much public dollar is helping this man. Starting with the Arena deal he hasn't stopped laughing, financially, since. I could see him being easily on the plus ledger of 1-2B when all this development is said and done. What he made on Edmonton Tower alone would counter 10 seasons of Oilers losses (if there were any, how could there be?) Katz has already recouped his initial investment in team several times over and the net worth of the Oilers, should he ever sell, is much more than he bought in for. Due to the sweet arena deal Katz isn't incurring a lot of addon expenses. Mostly added revenue profits from the arena, in which he gets all proceeds.

The team is a prop. The sideshow distraction preventing people from seeing the real story. To this end the team being a fireshow actually services as damn good distraction. People get caught up in all the minutiae of the team and management instead of being concerned about much larger associated problems,

Again people think Slapshot is just a movie. Its amazing how much it outed the lack of interest of typical owners but people thought that was side story instead of the biggest pro sports story. In the end the sports teams themselves don't matter. They are an avenue to leverage profits, moves, write offs etc.

 

[MikeYEG]

I don't think hitch is as bad as some people think he is. I get where a lot of frustration with many of his on ice decisions but frankly, he's dealing with a roster where 2-4 players out of 23 are showing they can compete on a nightly basis. The team will probably reach 36 or 37 wins to close out the season which is really the max potential this team as a whole has.

And why does he have to be part of this team? The new GM should decide that, not this f***er. More proof of the OBC's involvement and how dysfunctional this organization is. And some fans are always "fine" with these shit decisions lmao

 

[yukoner88]

And why does he have to be part of this team? The new GM should decide that, not this ****er. More proof of the OBC's involvement and how dysfunctional this organization is. And some fans are always "fine" with these **** decisions lmao

Calm down there pal, I never said he HAS to stick around or that I'm "fine" with how the team is run. I just stated an OPINION that hitch is no where near the biggest problem.

 

[Up the Irons]

i dont kno that we need a new owner, or POHO. They just have to get the GM position right... FOR ONCE!!!!

They've blown that task the last 2 times, at critical (crushing) moments. I dont include Tambo b/c he did what he was tasked to do. and the team was trending up under him and Kruger.

IMHO, there were 2 absolutely debilitating moves:
1. Making Mact gm who promptly fires Kruger for Eachins
2. Hiring Chia, who was behind the times.

U could possibly say it was making BN the POHO, who promptly hired Chia without a proper search.

or u could go deeper and say the organization puts rookies in critical positions. but those are just my 2 mistakes that I point to as direct setbacks. in both cases, they put a rookie in, who's first decision sinks the team.

 

[McBeastMode]

If Katz is that smart, then it'll be the first time he's ever shown it.

Two phone calls during interviews, seems like the heat is starting to make some inroads into him, actually giving a shit...

 

[DrDrai]

The last 2 firings left, just to say.

They did, but they also had no connection to the OBC. Hitch though... his heart has always been in Edmonton, a dream to coach his hometown team blah blah blah. Anyone who "bleed oilers" gets a job, but there is no real plan to progress this club.

The game passes this organization by on a daily basis, what seems to be a obvious choice isn't with this management group.

Now Bobby goes and makes a public comment about a player proving how dysfunctional they are. Who honestly takes a job here knowing that they have to work with hitch in some capacity, among others. The person (POHO) who gets hired need to be able to step up to the podium and say: Today we start fresh, Mac T, Bob Green, Ken Hitchcock, Scott Howson, etc are no longer with the organization in any capacity.

 

[McDrai]

Two phone calls during interviews, seems like the heat is starting to make some inroads into him, actually giving a ****...

The only thing Katz gives a shit about is people's opinion of him and his organization. He doesn't actually give a shit about the team winning. We're all supposed to shut up and enjoy the garbage product that is iced every season while paying top dollar.

 

[CycloneSweep]

i dont kno that we need a new owner, or POHO. They just have to get the GM position right... FOR ONCE!!!!

They've blown that task the last 2 times, at critical (crushing) moments. I dont include Tambo b/c he did what he was tasked to do. and the team was trending up under him and Kruger.

IMHO, there were 2 absolutely debilitating moves:
1. Making Mact gm who promptly fires Kruger for Eachins
2. Hiring Chia, who was behind the times.

U could possibly say it was making BN the POHO, who promptly hired Chia without a proper search.

or u could go deeper and say the organization puts rookies in critical positions. but those are just my 2 mistakes that I point to as direct setbacks. in both cases, they put a rookie in, who's first decision sinks the team.

We currently don't have a POHO though. Chia was that and a GM

 

[McJadeddog]

And that MIGHT be our saving grace. If he truly puts winning (winning = more $) over his love for the clowns that have kept us in this position for the last decade plus, it might actually turn the ship around.

The problem is that it is REALLY obvious that he cares more about protecting the OBC than he does about winning. The Oilers are the worst professional sports franchise in North America over the past decade, but yet the same idiots are still in charge of everything. That is more than enough evidence to prove that his love of the clowns is greater than his love of winning.

 

[McJadeddog]

It could be our saving grace or it could be something entirely different. Again, we’ll see. The last thing I expect him to do is nothing. I don’t see him as the kind of guy that would sit by year after year with thousands of empty seats in his building every night. He very well might lash out at the fans and cut the budget. He could cut and run and try and sell the team. Maybe we’ll find out how strong that location agreement in the arena deal is at some point. Either way I’m curious to see what he’ll do.

A fan could dream.

 

[McJadeddog]

I don't think the NHL allows that sort of ownership, my understanding is Bettman actually bent the rules for the EIG to keep the team here. And honestly, a group ownership doesn't really work for me, there's too much potential for bickering and infighting like what hit the EIG.

As an Oilers fan who doesn't live in Edmonton anymore, I could really care less if the team moves. If the team moving is what gets rid of Katz, then I am all for it. I can watch the Quebec Oilers (or whatever) on TV just as easily as I can the Edmonton Oilers. Whatever it takes to get rid of the OBC and Katz.

 

[North]

Did anyone else hear the rumor where Katz wants to go over Nicholson and hire a POHO so Nicholson can back off and deal with the business side directly

They mentioned that on the panel yesterday.

Short of letting Nicholson go that would be the best for everyone.

 

[Del Preston]

So even Katz recognizes Nicholson is in way over his head?

If they are hiring a POHO it should be done first so he can help with the GM hire.

 

[Beerfish]

They will hire a poho after they hire a gm and after the draft because we are the oilers.