Calgary city council approves arena deal (UPD: new deal upcoming?)

[KingsFan7824]

Bettman is so full of it. Anything to get the taxpayers to buy him a new building.

We are midway between CBA negotiations. The league needs to start crying poor on every front they can find in order to set the ground for Gary's next lockout.

Dear Uncle Gary,

We've built you a 370 million $ (CAD) arena in Quebec City, arena that you still haven't filled with an NHL team. Calgary doesn't need to spend a dime on a new arena because you don't keep your promises.

Sincerely,
The 30+ millions of Canadians

Bettman does certainly earn his money.

 

[cptjeff]

Yet Forbes says Calgary Operating Income: $5.4 M

For the 30 zillionth time, Forbes numbers are complete and total fiction.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

For the 30 zillionth time, Forbes numbers are complete and total fiction.

It's an educated guess. The Flames have over 70 suites a 19,000 seat arena that mostly sells out and reasonably expensive tickets (especially single game tickets). Combined with their share of the national tv deal and a probable respectable local tv deal and its likely the team is a middle income team in the NHL with a slight profit.

 

[Mike Jones]

These owners don't become rich by being loyal. It's all about the almighty dollar. Look what Stan Kroenke did to St. Louis......
I don't think Calgary will lose there team, but council has to realize, you have to pay to play. Edmonton just got a sweetheart deal, Calgary council and the Flames will have to get back to the table and meet somewhere in the middle

"Somewhere in the middle" is a really bad deal for the City of Calgary and us taxpayers. Why should my tax dollars go towards an arena for an organization who wants all of the revenue for themselves, don't want to bother operating or maintaining the arena they're using (Which will become a money put the city will have to pay for and do something with) or paying taxes back to city taxpayers who have helped make them so much money? We need more cops. We need increased services. We need libraries, increased snow removal etc. The Flames' owners can pay for everything themselves and if they can't then they should hit up folks like Brett Wilson and get him to sell his share in the Predators so that he can help build a new arena here. If the Flames don't like the idea of building and maintaining their own arena there are lots of maps showing them the way to Seattle.

 

[cutchemist42]

Yeah Im sorry Gary but cities have much better options to make a city healthy than what you're trying to sell.

The public is more educated than in the past.

 

[McDLT]

Can someone please correct me if I misunderstand, but isn't Bettman comparing the flames' situation to the oilers' situation completely wrong?

I thought that Katz got the arena because he built the billion dollar+ ice district to revitalize that part of downtown Edmonton. The team ownership actually contributes in a very real way to the City of Edmonton. The Flames haven't done anything like that. Seems like Ken King wants the same deal that Katz got without having to put in anywhere near the same level of investment into the city.

 

[Warden of the North]

Is 5.4m operating income a lot?

Like how much do the Leafs or Habs make?

 

[JMROWE]

Here we go again Gary Bettman making relocation threats to Canadian team or should I say teams because he has made same threats to Ottawa to while he goes above & beyond to save teams like the coyotes , panthers & hurricanes that teams far more financial trouble than Calgary & Ottawa are in fact the flames & senetors are profitable where they are .

So Gary Bettman should keep his big mouth shut because the flames & sens are not going anywhere & if they have to move they will stay on this side of the border in Quebec City & Hamilton .

 

[Bookie21]

Here we go again Gary Bettman making relocation threats to Canadian team or should I say teams because he has made same threats to Ottawa to while he goes above & beyond to save teams like the coyotes , panthers & hurricanes that teams far more financial trouble than Calgary & Ottawa are in fact the flames & senetors are profitable where they are .

So Gary Bettman should keep his big mouth shut because the flames & sens are not going anywhere & if they have to move they will stay on this side of the border in Quebec City & Hamilton .

Stop with the Bettman USA bias. He's already threatened The Coyotes saying they're not viable in Glendale. He also moved the Thrashers to Winnipeg. Gary is nothing more than a puppet for the BOG. Ken King told him to come to town and say the Flames are in trouble because he didn't want to. Gary gets thrown to the wolves by the BOG because that is his job. That's why they pay him the big bucks

 

[cbcwpg]

For the 30 zillionth time, Forbes numbers are complete and total fiction.

And I am more libel to believe those numbers than anything Bettman says. An educated guess vs a man with an agenda.

 

[Jeffrey93]

Anyone that is able to tie their shoes knows that this franchise is fine in Calgary.....and they're fine playing at the Saddledome.

Could a new venue increase their profits? Absolutely.

Are they going to leave town? Pffft, no.

 

[Mike Jones]

Anyone that is able to tie their shoes knows that this franchise is fine in Calgary.....and they're fine playing at the Saddledome.

Could a new venue increase their profits? Absolutely.

Are they going to leave town? Pffft, no.

I agree. The only thing I would add is that if they want those profits they're more than welcome to build a new arena and pay for everything themselves.

 

[VikingAv]

Stop with the Bettman USA bias. He's already threatened The Coyotes saying they're not viable in Glendale. He also moved the Thrashers to Winnipeg. Gary is nothing more than a puppet for the BOG. Ken King told him to come to town and say the Flames are in trouble because he didn't want to. Gary gets thrown to the wolves by the BOG because that is his job. That's why they pay him the big bucks

It mesmerizes me that so many people don't understand this or just don't want to because of their blind hatred.

 

[bbud]

Bettman supposed to be a business whiz why can't he and his franchise figure out a plan that does not require taxpayers to fund it .
It is simple mr commish show Calgary fans you are as good as your inflated salary and help the team get to a new facility without public money .
It's a game great one but it's not a hospital where lives are saved a school where kids get a future its a multi million dollar sport adventure yes its fun but it's not up to taxpayers to furnish do your damn jobs.

 

[Gnashville]

It mesmerizes me that so many people don't understand this or just don't want to because of their blind hatred.

He is a lawyer at heart and does exactly what his clients (in this case the team owner) want him to do. But yeah screaming “OMG he hates Canada and would never do this to any US franchise!!!” is helpful to some.

 

[Killion]

He is a lawyer at heart and does exactly what his clients (in this case the team owner) want him to do. But yeah screaming “OMG he hates Canada and would never do this to any US franchise!!!” is helpful to some.

.... yeah, that comments not helpful Gnash.... your assuming no one in Canada pays attention, that their unaware that he's made the exact same kinds of comments (and worse) in the US... targeting cities, muni's, county & or State authorities. Anyone suggesting this is all exclusive to Canada, that he's "got it out for Canadian franchises" hasnt been paying attention & if they suggest such.... will be educated.

 

[varano]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/bettman-says-flames-finances-impacted-by-the-aging-saddledome-1.3826477

Bettman said that Calgary used to be a top 10 team that made money for the league, but now over the past few years, the NHL has been the one writing cheques.

“The cheques are getting bigger and that means the situation, financially, continues to deteriorate and that will affect, I suppose, the competitiveness of the organization.”

***

Yet Forbes says Calgary Operating Income: $5.4 M

Bettman is so full of it. Anything to get the taxpayers to buy him a new building.

And what cheques is the NHL writing? The revenue sharing cheques like half the league gets.

Operating income is not the same thing as net profit. We don't know what bills and commitments the flames have to pay.

 

[oldunclehue]

I gotta give it to Gary, he has no pride in self image, I guess making however many million a year works. But come on, at some point this league has to learn or move forward from threatening to leave and move franchises to other cities just to get their way.

Calgary and the NHL should look at the Wpg model, build an arena and invest in renewing the area around it. The ownership group owns half the buildings in the area and are killing it in real estate. This is why Wpg got a team back...solid plan, and revenues streams coming from several different ventures in the area. I'm sure that could work in most cities...

 

[Gnashville]

.... yeah, that comments not helpful Gnash.... your assuming no one in Canada pays attention, that their unaware that he's made the exact same kinds of comments (and worse) in the US... targeting cities, muni's, county & or State authorities. Anyone suggesting this is all exclusive to Canada, that he's "got it out for Canadian franchises" hasnt been paying attention & if they suggest such.... will be educated.

See above comment from JMROWE

 

[Killion]

See above comment from JMROWE

... saw it.... read everything Gnash. Thats absolutely a minority opinion & obviously born of frustration, subjective as opposed to being entirely objective.... Carry on.

 

[Gnashville]

Is the Saddledome the oldest arena in the league? Would MSG not be older?

 

[cptjeff]

Is the Saddledome the oldest arena in the league? Would MSG not be older?

MSG is technically older, but a few years ago they entirely rebuilt it within the old shell, so in practical terms it's a brand new arena.

 

[TOGuy14]

I give no sympathy or damns until the Flames want to open up their books. If they want to show line by line what their revenue and profit looks like, they may make a case with the public.

I'm pretty sure though the books will show they make quite a bit of money and want a corporate handout.

 

[MNNumbers]

I don't know. I think we all are making a bigger deal of Betman's comments yesterday than is necessary. Really, he was caught off guard, and was answering a bunch of questions. It's not like he specifically went out of his way to make this proclamation.

And, what he said was totally, and in reality quite understatedly, in agreement with what was said a few months ago.

I have a problem with the way the Flames and Bettman have handled this whole thing, including compaigning for his opponent in the mayoral election, so I can see many arguemnts about that. But, this particular statement is pretty soft, really.

 

[mouser]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/bettman-says-flames-finances-impacted-by-the-aging-saddledome-1.3826477

Bettman said that Calgary used to be a top 10 team that made money for the league, but now over the past few years, the NHL has been the one writing cheques.

“The cheques are getting bigger and that means the situation, financially, continues to deteriorate and that will affect, I suppose, the competitiveness of the organization.”

***

Yet Forbes says Calgary Operating Income: $5.4 M

Bettman is so full of it. Anything to get the taxpayers to buy him a new building.

And what cheques is the NHL writing? The revenue sharing cheques like half the league gets.

Various comments and observations:

- Bettman seems to be saying that Calgary is receiving Revenue Sharing cheques, which is notable independent of everything else.
- Revenue Sharing is based purely on team revenue, not operating or net income.
- Even if the Forbes Operating Income numbers were accurate that doesn't tell us everything about the state of the finances. Also I'm not sure if Forbes uses EBIT, EBITDA, or some other definition for Operating Income. It's not impossible to have positive Operating Income and negative Net Income for example.
- Forbes estimates on Operating Income place Calgary in a tie for 20th, just escaping the bottom 10. Estimate for revenue is 21st, in the bottom 10.

The Forbes historical estimates are enlightening. If you look at their past numbers they have Calgary revenue pretty much flat the past 4 seasons, player expenses climbing, and Operating Income at its lowest since 2011.

Forbes Revenue / Player Expense / Operating Income for Calgary (numbers in Millions)
2011: $105, $68, $0.7
2012: $117, $68, $11
2013: $89, $43, $11.5
2014: $122, $59, $22.3
2015: $130, $62, $25.9
2016: $121, $65, $18
2017: $129, $79, $5.4