Part 4: True North Sports & Entertainment's efforts to acquire an NHL team (Winnipeg)

[LadyJet26]

Who is talking about Hamilton??

If somebody can make the argument that press box renovations are directly tied to an NHL team showing up.....I'm all ears. When the people making the renos say it was badly needed regardless of what pro-team is playing there.....I have to believe the two aren't related.

They also upgraded visitors dressing rooms and the offices in their basement last year. For a 5 ish year old building it shouldn't need drastic upgrading like they've been doing.

 

[Faltorvo]

It does. Getting creepy. Twice we've agreed in last two days.



I wouldn't say he was BSing (as intentionally). He relied on a source that, in this case, was unreliable. Better he had called (or had a staffer call) NHL or COG to comment on what he heard before blurting out what has now been refuted. Might have stopped the hysteria that was yesterday.

Who refuted this? COG/Daley ? Sorry brother i'm not that naive. I'm on a low sodium diet , i can't consume their products.

Bobcat was at it again this morning and he is sticking to his story , the public auction is no longer a option.

 

[ATHF]

It does. Getting creepy. Twice we've agreed in last two days.



I wouldn't say he was BSing (as intentionally). He relied on a source that, in this case, was unreliable. Better he had called (or had a staffer call) NHL or COG to comment on what he heard before blurting out what has now been refuted. Might have stopped the hysteria that was yesterday.

He's standing by his source when he's talking about it all today and the league has been known to call things false and inaccurate before that actually ended up being found out to be true further down the road, so I wouldn't say that his source was unreliable. It's far too early to make that kind of assumption one way or the other as there is still plenty to fall into place regarding this bond issue.

I think his biggest mistake was using the word "failed", which implied that it had been tried and not succeeded. If, as the buzz is suggesting, the bonds weren't able to be underwritten and as such would be DOA on the public market, he would be right in his assessment of the situation, just wrong in his choice of words. He categorized his statement and also suggested that there are still options for the CoG to figure out the money situation that could possibly pass muster with the GWI, so I don't think there's any sort of malice or deception in what he's saying either.

It's far too early for either side to be claiming victory as of yet, but it's looking a little bit bleaker with every day that passes with the deal still unsigned. If it ultimately proves to be true that the bonds can't fly though, there doesn't seem to be much else that the CoG would be able to do at this point with the NHL nipping at their heels to get this mess finished once and for all.

 

[Faltorvo]

He's standing by his source when he's talking about it all today and the league has been known to call things false and inaccurate before that actually ended up being found out to be true further down the road, so I wouldn't say that his source was unreliable. It's far too early to make that kind of assumption one way or the other as there is still plenty to fall into place regarding this bond issue.

I think his biggest mistake was using the word "failed", which implied that it had been tried and not succeeded. If, as the buzz is suggesting, the bonds weren't able to be underwritten and as such would be DOA on the public market, he would be right in his assessment of the situation, just wrong in his choice of words. He categorized his statement and also suggested that there are still options for the CoG to figure out the money situation that could possibly pass muster with the GWI, so I don't think there's any sort of malice or deception in what he's saying either.

It's far too early for either side to be claiming victory as of yet, but it's looking a little bit bleaker with every day that passes with the deal still unsigned. If it ultimately proves to be true that the bonds can't fly though, there doesn't seem to be much else that the CoG would be able to do at this point with the NHL nipping at their heels to get this mess finished once and for all.

Thats what my gut is telling me, bobcats source is someone able to access the information that the underwriting has failed.

So Daley steps up and refutes bobcats loaded wording of it.

Phase 2 private option time , 9/10 % interest?

 

[GoJetsGo13]

The NHL has a history of straight up lying. Bettman said there was no problem in Phoenix right up until Moyes declared bankruptcy; said the JR sale was imminent; said the Ice Edge sale was progressing well; and said the MH sale was imminent for the past 5 weeks. Personally, I think it's foolish to believe anything Bettman or Daley says.

Bob McCown isn't the most reliable guy either. He said Mark Chipman made a presentation to the NHL BOG and was told to go home (that sure doesn't sound accurate now), and Bob McCown has also said the NHL will return to Winnipeg for a few years and then move to Toronto.

Bottom line is both sides are full of it.

Glendale has not issued the bonds yet after 5 weeks. That's a fact. The simplest explanation is that there is a problem with the sale of the bonds. Therefore, it seems more likely that McCown is on to something. Even if the bonds aren't dead, it seems like they are on life support right now.

 

[AllByDesign]

Thats what my gut is telling me, bobcats source is someone able to access the information that the underwriting has failed.

So Daley steps up and refutes bobcats loaded wording of it.

Phase 2 private option time , 9/10 % interest?

I'd buy in at that.

 

[Whileee]

It does. Getting creepy. Twice we've agreed in last two days.



I wouldn't say he was BSing (as intentionally). He relied on a source that, in this case, was unreliable. Better he had called (or had a staffer call) NHL or COG to comment on what he heard before blurting out what has now been refuted. Might have stopped the hysteria that was yesterday.

Yup... creepy indeed. I'll try to be a bit more obstreperous in the future.

I'm afraid that we have ample examples in this saga where the NHL and other principals have directly mislead the public on the status of negotiations. I have already given a direct example from July 26 when Daly directly contradicted rumours that the Ice Edge deal was in trouble. His pants are getting a bit charred through the process and are still smoldering from his previous prevarications.

 

[cbcwpg]

They also upgraded visitors dressing rooms and the offices in their basement last year. For a 5 ish year old building it shouldn't need drastic upgrading like they've been doing.

That's because the building was designed and built to be upgraded at a later date. They didn't go full out and put everything in the building the NHL might require when it was built because the AHL didn't have those demands. I've seen the original plans and there were some future this and future that built into the plans.

 

[OthmarAmmann]

The NHL has a history of straight up lying. Bettman said there was no problem in Phoenix right up until Moyes declared bankruptcy; said the JR sale was imminent; said the Ice Edge sale was progressing well; and said the MH sale was imminent for the past 5 weeks. Personally, I think it's foolish to believe anything Bettman or Daley says.

Bob McCown isn't the most reliable guy either. He said Mark Chipman made a presentation to the NHL BOG and was told to go home (that sure doesn't sound accurate now), and Bob McCown has also said the NHL will return to Winnipeg for a few years and then move to Toronto.

Bottom line is both sides are full of it.

Glendale has not issued the bonds yet after 5 weeks. That's a fact. The simplest explanation is that there is a problem with the sale of the bonds. Therefore, it seems more likely that McCown is on to something. Even if the bonds aren't dead, it seems like they are on life support right now.

Uh, I think it was a bit over two months since that word was first used around the middle of November.

 

[GoJetsGo13]

^
Haha, yeah I was just trying be a bit conservative, but you're right. I was using December 14 (day of COG vote) to come up with 5 weeks (which on second thought is now 6 weeks ago.)

 

[MountainHawk]

The NHL has a history of straight up lying. Bettman said there was no problem in Phoenix right up until Moyes declared bankruptcy; said the JR sale was imminent; said the Ice Edge sale was progressing well; and said the MH sale was imminent for the past 5 weeks. Personally, I think it's foolish to believe anything Bettman or Daley says.

Bob McCown isn't the most reliable guy either. He said Mark Chipman made a presentation to the NHL BOG and was told to go home (that sure doesn't sound accurate now), and Bob McCown has also said the NHL will return to Winnipeg for a few years and then move to Toronto.

Bottom line is both sides are full of it.

Glendale has not issued the bonds yet after 5 weeks. That's a fact. The simplest explanation is that there is a problem with the sale of the bonds. Therefore, it seems more likely that McCown is on to something. Even if the bonds aren't dead, it seems like they are on life support right now.

Bettman job is to lie to the fans about some things.

 

[wpgallday1960]

So would you call McCown irresponsible for spreading a false story? Can his "reporting" be trusted in the future since he claimed the bond sale failed when, as you say, it "hasn't happened?"

Yes I would. Remember, this is the guy who "had it on good authority" that Thomson was not part of any ownership group from Winnipeg. Lawless' article claims McCown is a reliable source. I would dispute that. When several credible media outlets say the bond sale failed I will believe it, but not until then.

 

[Ozzie Bear]

As to the continuing press box saga at MTSC;

http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/2011/01/26/17048746.html

I guess I can't get enough pictures of that neww press box. Oh well, here it is;

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2011/01/27/17055406.html

 

[pucka lucka]

I guess I can't get enough pictures of that neww press box. Oh well, here it is;

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2011/01/27/17055406.html

Those are some damn fine pictures of a pressbox

 

[CorbeauNoir]

Here's the key question: would these expansions to the press box be considered excessive for AHL hockey?

 

[pucka lucka]

Here's the key question: would these expansions to the press box be considered excessive for AHL hockey?

Yes. Quite excessive. How would they see a return on spending $2m on a pressbox expansion for the AHL? It's certainly hasn't been a problem the past 7 years.

 

[Jeffrey93]

Yes. Quite excessive. How would they see a return on spending $2m on a pressbox expansion for the AHL? It's certainly hasn't been a problem the past 7 years.

Odd...TNSE's Director of Corporate Communications and Hockey operations seems to think it has been a problem from the get-go....

“We’re doing it because one of the issues we’ve had since the beginning was the fact that the press box is substandard, no matter what level of professional hockey,†Brown said.

 

[Jets4Life]

How's Copps holding up these days Jeff?

 

[Puckschmuck*]

Who is talking about Hamilton??

I am. Hamilton will not recieve an NHL team for the long term forseable future, thanks in part to Baldsilly's bullying tacticts. And then there the Buffalo territory and MLSE issues as well.

If somebody can make the argument that press box renovations are directly tied to an NHL team showing up.....I'm all ears. When the people making the renos say it was badly needed regardless of what pro-team is playing there.....I have to believe the two aren't related.

Here is my argument. MTS Centre, IMO, is most definately upgrading the pressbox for the coming of the NHL. Why? Because this is the one thing that the NHL had told them needed upgrading for it to be an NHL Calibre arena. This would not be done just for the AHL Moose team. They are already at the top of their league and one of the highest (or the highest) profitable teams in the league. For TNSE to spend lots of money for little $$$ return from those press box upgrades does not make economical sense as enhancing media coverage for a lesser calibre hockey league (in comaprison the the NHL) will not likely lead to increased viewership and therefore increased profits. But you do it for the NHL, and whammo, your chances for getting a team are almost guarenteed (in TNSE's case anyways), which means once you get the team, your profits will significantly increase from AHL standards in comparison with the small amount of money you spent for the upgrades. NHL will likely mean more profit than AHL in the long term.


There. Happy now?

 

[CorbeauNoir]

Odd...TNSE's Director of Corporate Communications and Hockey operations seems to think it has been a problem from the get-go....

1) That doesn't answer my initial question of whether or not what they're upgrading the box to would be considered excessive for the AHL. If for the sake of argument a press box seating 100 was considered more than adequate for AHL coverage why upgrade it to seat 150?
2) If it was really that problematic why wouldn't they have upgraded it sooner? Or requested alterations when the arena was first being designed? How do you know they're not just trying to keep things low key with regards to questions from the media? After all, that's been TNSE's strategy this entire time.

 

[AllByDesign]

1) That doesn't answer my initial question of whether or not what they're upgrading the box to would be considered excessive for the AHL. If for the sake of argument a press box seating 100 was considered more than adequate for AHL coverage why upgrade it to seat 150?
2) If it was really that problematic why wouldn't they have upgraded it sooner? Or requested alterations when the arena was first being designed?

Scott Brown confirmed that while they were intending on bringing the pressbox up to snuff for the AHL in its main purpose they felt they would bring it to full NHL standard while they were at it. It isn't a mystery that TNSE has a goal of obtaining a franchise.

 

[dkehler]

Scott Brown confirmed that while they were intending on bringing the pressbox up to snuff for the AHL in its main purpose they felt they would bring it to full NHL standard while they were at it. It isn't a mystery that TNSE has a goal of obtaining a franchise.

Call me crazy, but I'm highly skeptical that the MTS Centre pressbox was significantly lower in quality than any, if not all of the other AHL rinks, which should tell us something.

 

[AllByDesign]

Call me crazy, but I'm highly skeptical that the MTS Centre pressbox was significantly lower in quality than any, if not all of the other AHL rinks, which should tell us something.

You're crazy!!!!! Hey... You asked for it.

That postulation is beyond the scope of my knowledge. I don't know what is considered adequate in upper level press boxes for any level of pro sport. I could speak about what is used under the bleachers for the press and MTS has everything necessary.

You should also consider that having international tournaments require more press space than what is available. I tend to agree with Brown's statement as he did confirm that they do want to go to full NHL standards.

 

[pucka lucka]

You're crazy!!!!! Hey... You asked for it.

That postulation is beyond the scope of my knowledge. I don't know what is considered adequate in upper level press boxes for any level of pro sport. I could speak about what is used under the bleachers for the press and MTS has everything necessary.

You should also consider that having international tournaments require more press space than what is available. I tend to agree with Brown's statement as he did confirm that they do want to go to full NHL standards.

Which international tournament would require more press space? Are there any? Winnipeg/Manitoba doesn't have the infrastructure to hold most large international tournaments. WJHC is probably too big for Manitoba now.

 

[King Woodballs]

Which international tournament would require more press space? Are there any? Winnipeg/Manitoba doesn't have the infrastructure to hold most large international tournaments. WJHC is probably too big for Manitoba now.

The world under 17 drew nearly as much as the coyotes while it was going on this past chistmas
and drew more then the coyotes for the final game