Group offered $500 million for Hawks/Philips Arena/Thrashers on May 20

[tarheelhockey]

Tarheel, it seems we had read two different articles. It shows that the Mis-information was supplied by the Atlanta sports collumnists. They had boasted of the knowledge of multiple "exclusivity agreements" that has been now been refuted by Wadell.

That is indeed an interesting angle that I didn't pick up the first time through. Looks like Dreger isn't the only "insider" with egg on his face in the Winnipeg saga.

He also stated that there wasn't anything more solid than passing interest.

All By Design

From the article...

The Hawks owners have spent the last two to three years seeking minority investors in the NBA team.

Weren't they using that same line about the Thrashers not long ago? Maybe I'm misremembering.

 

[BrianL*]

The fact is, there were options here, the NHL could of used, but never did.

http://grammartips.homestead.com/couldof.html

 

[knorthern knight]

The other shoe dropping?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/06/23/hawks.sale/index.html

If I was a member of the tinfoil brigade, I'd guess the sale would be to a group wanting to move the Hawks to Vancouver or Kansas City. ASG probably figures they can make more on shows/concerts/conventions/tractor-pulls/etc than from a major league team, hockey or basketball.

 

[GreenHornet]

The fans in Atlanta along with everyone else who ever cared about hockey down there are demanding answers. Not to somehow reverse the sale, not out of spite, simply to bring some closure to whats been an obvious collapse of the ideals & covenants as promised & constantly repeated by the NHL in its mantra that :"we dont run out on the fans in any city".

Actually, what some of us REALLY want is another shot at the NHL if A$G ever leaves the picture at Philips — the true, honest shot we never really had. Don't know if we'll ever get it, but if the truth ever comes out...

One thing we can rest assured of, no matter what, the truth will eventually come out. Maybe not today, next week or even next year. But like every other skeleton rattling away in the closet, it'll get out, eventually.....

One can only hope.

 

[Killion]

— the true, honest shot we never really had.

And therein lies the sadness GreenHornet. Im hoping the depths of Gary Bettmans facile & disingenuous nature knows shame. In clearing his conscience, he acts swiftly and appropriately in restoring Atlantas' place in the league at the first opportunity. Alternatively?. Resign in disgrace.

 

[AllByDesign]

That is indeed an interesting angle that I didn't pick up the first time through. Looks like Dreger isn't the only "insider" with egg on his face in the Winnipeg saga.

Dreger is the king when it comes to egg on his face... so much so he legally changed his middle name to "yolk".

Somthin darn funny happened down there ABD. TNSE was given an audience, negotiated & closed off-market, whereas it would appear everyone else was told to come back "later" after the Great & Magnificent Oz had recuperated from his remonstrations. The facade of sincerity about as thick as a piece of Saran Wrap. If your going to pull stuff like that, at least get it right. Like the time I shot a commercial for a major car company in downtown Toronto without any permits whatsoever. The Cops & public falling into line without question because we looked like we were legit, we were, and who in their right mind would pull such a brazen stunt?. Yers truly. Traffic blocked up University, Queen & King for miles during the afternoon rush hour by illegally parked 48' location trucks?. Papers?. What papers?. I dont need no stinkin papers.

I know what you mean... when I was a private investigator it was part of my duties to mix into the situation in order to observe in places that I may not have had granted permission. The Cloak and Dagger antics that you and I have perpetrated in efforts to do our work aren't akin to what I see in Atlanta...

Maybe you can add Glendale into being an accomplice in your theory. Like the "Eye of Sauron" gazing at the battle in Phoenix, while little Sam and Frodo are tap dancing with Gollum above the fires of mount Doom throwing Atlanta's "precious" to its pre-destined fate.

I don't buy it... even if it makes for good theatre.

 

[Killion]

... even if it makes for good theatre.

Christopher Lee is an "inebriate" held up by Gin & Embalming Fluid. I know. I've worked with the man & became a Combustible running dialogue one on one in rehearsals.. Thank god there was foam in the extinguisher. Your theory is incorrect & absolutely of WC Fields caliber, akin to his "I like children".... quotes. Furthermore, Sir, your delivery is sorely lacking in the lilt of iambic pentameters in terms of execution & delivery. We expected more upon your hire.

 

[Steve Passless*]

And therein lies the sadness GreenHornet. Im hoping the depths of Gary Bettmans facile & disingenuous nature knows shame. In clearing his conscience, he acts swiftly and appropriately in restoring Atlantas' place in the league at the first opportunity. Alternatively?. Resign in disgrace.

Oh, for Christ's sake, Browns fans didn't get this worked up about the Browns!

 

[Killion]

Oh, for Christ's sake, Browns fans didn't get this worked up about the Browns!

You again huh?. No worries. Ive memorized your number. Burned into my brain. Funny things can happen in a game Steve.

 

[Blasto]

The best, I think, ATL fans can hope for is that no one else has to go through what we've had to deal with.

There will always be bad owners, but for the sake of the sport, let's hope A$G will forever be known as "the worst of the worst" & no other team/fanbase will suffer these fools again. (sorry for the Hawks b-ball team fans)


If the NHL ever does come back to ATL, hopefully it will have it's own arena, in a better location, with better owners that actually have some pride & heart to put something decent on the ice.

 

[William Satterwhite]

Tarheel, it seems we had read two different articles. It shows that the Mis-information was supplied by the Atlanta sports collumnists. They had boasted of the knowledge of multiple "exclusivity agreements" that has been now been refuted by Wadell.

Just to clarify, no one ever said there were any exclusivity agreements in place at any point, even with True North as they put the deal together. The only thing reported in Atlanta was that certain groups had signed non-disclosure agreements which just gave them access to the team's numbers (as furnished by ASG, of course). That was basically just the first step in the process, actually getting exclusive negotiating rights would have been the last step (if it ever even came to that, again, True North sealed the deal without ever gaining exclusivity).

 

[William Satterwhite]

Weren't they using that same line about the Thrashers not long ago? Maybe I'm misremembering.

Yes, that is the exact same line used with the Thrashers. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if it comes out that this isn't at least partly true both then and now- some of the owners (Gearon and the Atlanta faction) are indeed only looking for additional investors while some (Levenson and the Washington crew) don't care if it's just investors signing on or if someone comes along and buys everything. For Gearon and the Atlanta guys, they actually have ties to the city and the team (the Hawks, at least) while for Levenson and his crew it's just about dollars and cents. Since Gearon can't afford everything on his own either way, Levenson is basically holding all the cards- if no new investors sign on (who would still leave ASG in charge), the whole thing gets sold.

 

[William Satterwhite]

If the NHL ever does come back to ATL, hopefully it will have it's own arena, in a better location, with better owners that actually have some pride & heart to put something decent on the ice.

I'm not sure they would even need a new arena, just a full partnership in Phillips as opposed to just being a rent-paying tenant. Something similar to the arrangement in Dallas should be able to work in Atlanta.

 

[codswallop]

Oh, for Christ's sake, Browns fans didn't get this worked up about the Browns!

The secret to being a good troll is not being blatantly obvious about it.
This is about as obvious of a falsehood as you can get.

The Thrashers and the fans got royally screwed by ASG and/or the league; no ifs, ands or buts about it. Accept it or don't, your choice. But please don't pander to the masses like some of us are delusional.

 

[Killion]

The secret to being a good troll is not being blatantly obvious about it.

I tend to put a little too much mustard on some of my posts which often draws that ones wrath. He's cool.

 

[headsigh]

Oh, for Christ's sake, Browns fans didn't get this worked up about the Browns!

You'd be surprised. I remember literal human fences trying to block off the moving people that were attempting to get into Cleveland Muncipal. To put it into layman's terms, it was a (laugh) riot.

All we want is closure.

 

[Grudy0]

Oh, for Christ's sake, Browns fans didn't get this worked up about the Browns!

The secret to being a good troll is not being blatantly obvious about it.
This is about as obvious of a falsehood as you can get.

The Thrashers and the fans got royally screwed by ASG and/or the league; no ifs, ands or buts about it. Accept it or don't, your choice. But please don't pander to the masses like some of us are delusional.

You'd be surprised. I remember literal human fences trying to block off the moving people that were attempting to get into Cleveland Muncipal. To put it into layman's terms, it was a (laugh) riot.

All we want is closure.

Oh, how it is completely forgotten how badly the fans in Cleveland were in revolution mode about the Browns.

The only reason that the "Browns" were able to keep their history and receive a new team was because of the outstanding business arrangements. The Browns still had a lease to play in Municipal Stadium. Many fans were adamant that the team should play out its lease. The Browns were let out of the lease simply because the City of Cleveland was guaranteed to keep the Browns records until a new team was secured, replete with a new stadium. It was the first time a team's records remained with the City where they played, and it only happened again when the NBA's Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City, for almost the exact same reasons.

And the relation to the Thrashers is staggering. Because the Thrashers lease was controlled by the same entity that was selling the team, ASG controlled the fate of the Thrashers. If they wanted the team to remain, they could have renegotiated their own lease so that the Thrashers kept more of the revenue generated by Philips Arena. If the Coyotes had been sold to TNSE, ASG would have probably bit that bullet and sold everything to a local interest.

However, the City of Glendale ponied up the money to keep the Coyotes, and the very first action of both TNSE and ASG was to start talking about a sale.

 

[pucka lucka]

The secret to being a good troll is not being blatantly obvious about it.
This is about as obvious of a falsehood as you can get.

The Thrashers and the fans got royally screwed by ASG and/or the league; no ifs, ands or buts about it. Accept it or don't, your choice. But please don't pander to the masses like some of us are delusional.

Umm, his comment was directed at a particular poster, not the fans of the team in general.

 

[AllByDesign]

Christopher Lee is an "inebriate" held up by Gin & Embalming Fluid. I know. I've worked with the man & became a Combustible running dialogue one on one in rehearsals.. Thank god there was foam in the extinguisher. Your theory is incorrect & absolutely of WC Fields caliber, akin to his "I like children".... quotes. Furthermore, Sir, your delivery is sorely lacking in the lilt of iambic pentameters in terms of execution & delivery. We expected more upon your hire.

If I knew that my post would be measured by poetic sequence, I would have more carefully articulated my sentences. On the other hand if you are using gibberish to try and "skate" around my point, and its effectiveness, you have failed, my friend. As much as I love your command of the english language, and your infinite knowledge of the irrelevant, I eagerly await a rebuttle planted somewhere in the land of reality.

Just to clarify, no one ever said there were any exclusivity agreements in place at any point, even with True North as they put the deal together. The only thing reported in Atlanta was that certain groups had signed non-disclosure agreements which just gave them access to the team's numbers (as furnished by ASG, of course). That was basically just the first step in the process, actually getting exclusive negotiating rights would have been the last step (if it ever even came to that, again, True North sealed the deal without ever gaining exclusivity).

Bill, I think you may be correct as I may have confused non-disclosures with "exclusivity" in my mind. I will now commence hours of research into this... thanks... I thought I was going to have a "fun" evening with Rye and conversation... buzz-kill

 

[Killion]

....and your infinite knowledge of the irrelevant, I eagerly await a rebuttle planted somewhere in the land of reality.

.... so, what was the point, topic, bone of contention?.

 

[AllByDesign]

.... so, what was the point, topic, bone of contention?.

I don't remember either!!!

 

[StatesideSensFan]

seems that with the proliferation of other venues in Atlanta in recent years(been to all 3 and they are great venues for concerts), it might be harder than ASG thinks to fill the 43 extra nights.

http://www.ajc.com/business/philips-43-night-problem-989878.html

 

[headsigh]

I hope ASG can book nothing but Rebecca Black concerts.

 

[orangethrasher]

I like how they are excited about replacing Thrashers games with WNBA games

 

[Tekneek]

I like how they are excited about replacing Thrashers games with WNBA games

I don't know if any (former) owner of an NHL team ever hated hockey more than those guys.