Part 7: True North Sports & Entertainment's efforts to acquire an NHL team (Winnipeg)

[cheswick]

The parallels are quite stunning, yet they seem to have escaped the attention of most people ...

I don't think the two are very similar at all. Westgate is absolutely paramount to the economic succes of the entire city of Glendale.

The SHED is one of several zones being proposed for downtown Winnipeg and has nothing to do with the NHL as it is planned to go ahead with or without and NHL franchise.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

The parallels are quite stunning, yet they seem to have escaped the attention of most people ...

Can't say I really agree with this. Winnipeg's proposed SHED is in the most heavily trafficked part of downtown, whereas Westgate is somewhat out of the way (or, better put, Greater Phoenix does not appear to have a centralized layout). Westgate is touted as completely and utterly dependent on the pro sports franchises playing there, whereas the SHED is being built under the guise of 'downtown revitalization' and apparently will go ahead regardless of whether or not there's an NHL team.

 

[cheswick]

Can't say I really agree with this. Winnipeg's proposed SHED is in the most heavily trafficked part of downtown, whereas Westgate is somewhat out of the way (or, better put, Greater Phoenix does not appear to have a centralized layout). Westgate is touted as completely and utterly dependent on the pro sports franchises playing there, whereas the SHED is being built under the guise of 'downtown revitalization' and apparently will go ahead regardless of whether or not there's an NHL team.

Westgate was developed as a sports district and didn't exist prior to the arena/stadium. The SHED is simply a special taxing district to try getting old abondanded building redeveloped.

They are not even close to being the same thing

 

[Free Edler]

Dun dun duuuun. Well, this should get interesting

Greg Brady has no credibility on this.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Greg Brady has no credibility on this.

Curious why you'd say this. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't established a track record either way WRT relocation talks.

 

[Free Edler]

Curious why you'd say this. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't established a track record either way WRT relocation talks.

Haven't we been down this road before WRT reporters who pop up out of nowhere - or seemingly nowhere - who suddenly have hot news about this, or other potential relocation stories? Brady deserves the same level of scrutiny #TheBalkan got, if not higher. Hell, he's not even giving his source a far-off nickname.

 

[straka91*]

Greg Brady has no credibility on this.

And him saying he is slightly connected compared to other people dont help is case.

 

[SK13]

And him saying he is slightly connected dont help is case.

To be fair, he did (kinda) source his information to an Atlanta Thrashers player.

It's not like he said "they're moving", either.

 

[straka91*]

To be fair, he did (kinda) source his information to an Atlanta Thrashers player.

It's not like he said "they're moving", either.

True

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Haven't we been down this road before WRT reporters who pop up out of nowhere - or seemingly nowhere - who suddenly have hot news about this, or other potential relocation stories?

True enough. I was more trying to get some insight on who this Brady is (and if he had a Sunnuck's-esque track record) than disagreeing with your comment.

With some of these fly-by-night radio personalities, I have auto-filter based on prior track record. Most recent example was when Scott Taylor "broke news" of the Thrashers being sold to TNSE during the Winter Olympics. Guy doesn't have a shred of journalistic integrity (got canned by the Free Press for plagiarism) left, and thus had nothing to lose by spewing that crap.

The same can be said for all the other clowns at 92 CITI FM. What a joke that station is.

 

[Whileee]

Haven't we been down this road before WRT reporters who pop up out of nowhere - or seemingly nowhere - who suddenly have hot news about this, or other potential relocation stories? Brady deserves the same level of scrutiny #TheBalkan got, if not higher. Hell, he's not even giving his source a far-off nickname.

Excellent point. I think that we, the public, should demand that whenever a reporter wants to come up with some unnamed source or savior, they have an obligation to assign an intriguing nickname. Not only will this help the breathless followers to efficiently share their views on the topic, it will permit the development of Twitter hashtags that are so vital in modern information dissemination.

Since we know that not all media folks have as much panache as Kincade, I am recommending that the HFBoards establish a special discussion thread whereby board members can quickly provide suggested nicknames to help out the "ink-stained wretches", who are just trying to get as many visits to their various internet venues as possible.

 

[Free Edler]

True enough. I was more trying to get some insight on who this Brady is (and if he had a Sunnuck's-esque track record) than disagreeing with your comment.

Ah, makes a bit more sense now. From what I can tell he's not really someone with any established track record either way, which makes me very leery of anything he puts his name to, especially on a medium like Twitter. I worked as a reporter for the better half of a decade, so it kind of burns me when these guys post unnamed sources and people take it as gospel.

 

[btn]

Westgate was developed as a sports district and didn't exist prior to the arena/stadium. The SHED is simply a special taxing district to try getting old abondanded building redeveloped.

They are not even close to being the same thing

The idea to build a mixed use development project around a sports stadium? It's why sports stadiums were invented centuries ago. Sometimes they work, but when they fail they usually fail in a most spectacular fashion.

 

[PitbulI]

It happened back in 1995 and again in 1996 with the Jets and Nordiques and many more dedicated fans.

I feel that due to the size of the market. If the Thrashers move to Winnipeg, Atlanta will most likely get a team within 5-10 years once the economy is back to normal.

I too am wondering if this Balkin is real but if someone said "The Balkin is going to buy the Jets and keep them in Winnipeg and build a new arena" without proof back in 1995/1996, I would believe in it too.

 

[Ondrej The Giant]

This saga is so much better than the crap on TV nowadays. I would absolutely love to see the NHL in Winnipeg again but not at this expense of this amazing entertainment we have received over the years. Since Phoenix is almost in cruise control and status quo for another year, at least we have Atlanta drama to discuss.. It really is amazing just how tight-lipped TNSE can be about stating their intentions though. truly remarkable.

 

[CBJ goalie]

Let's put the 'shoe' on the other foot, shall we?

If TNSE was never identified, but Lawless said he knows of an interested businessperson (let's affectionately call him The Chipper) wanting to bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg - and only gave you a photo of his foot or his backside - hell, any epidermis will do - would you have taken him seriously?

 

[cheswick]

Let's put the 'shoe' on the other foot, shall we?

If TNSE was never identified, but Lawless said he knows of an interested businessperson (let's affectionately call him The Chipper) wanting to bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg - and only gave you a photo of his foot or his backside - hell, any epidermis will do - would you have taken him seriously?

No, but when 3, 4, 5 or 6 different reporters say the same thing it gains relevance.

The fact that only one reporter is mentioning the Balkin I believe is the issue. If several indenpendent reports of an interested buyer then its much more believable.

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

Let's put the 'shoe' on the other foot, shall we?

If TNSE was never identified, but Lawless said he knows of an interested businessperson (let's affectionately call him The Chipper) wanting to bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg - and only gave you a photo of his foot or his backside - hell, any epidermis will do - would you have taken him seriously?

To add to that, let's say Lawless is a frequent twitter user and constantly teases that he will reveal more information about #theChipper and/or they will come forward very shortly. In addition, Lawless constantly discusses the #theChipper on his radio show.

The end result, a legion of new Twitter followers and listeners to his radio show. Not to mention he has put his name on the map. Would anyone outside of Winnipeg really have known (or cared) who he was if he hadn't started reporting about #theChipper?

 

[Fugu]

There may or may not be anything brewing right now.

All I know is that there is NO NEWS about Atlanta from any reliable source and no names.

Furthermore NOTHING has come out of TNSE or the NHL for a very long time either.

Once this thread hits 1000, I'm shutting this down because I don't want to read about the credibility of tweeters, bloggers and our own posters.


No new threads on Winnipeg or Atlanta until a legit news outfit reports something IS happening. Not interested in any "may happens" after this either.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Quick retort to that earlier Brady report:

http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-thrashers/2011/5/12/2167489/atlanta-thrashers-winnipeg-nhl-moving-canada

Shortly after Toronto radio host Greg Brady reported an Atlanta Thrashers player had been told by someone to ready for a franchise relocation, Aaron Portzline, who covers the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch-Journal, said he's "talked to a few players/staff," and that "so far they've heard nothing. All is being kept very quiet."

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I would like to point out that the players where gathered in December 2010 and had a meeting about relocation. This has been confirmed.

Maybe that is the meeting Brady is referring to?

 

[kdb209]

There may or may not be anything brewing right now.

All I know is that there is NO NEWS about Atlanta from any reliable source and no names.

Furthermore NOTHING has come out of TNSE or the NHL for a very long time either.

Once this thread hits 1000, I'm shutting this down because I don't want to read about the credibility of tweeters, bloggers and our own posters.


No new threads on Winnipeg or Atlanta until a legit news outfit reports something IS happening. Not interested in any "may happens" after this either.

Damn - between this and this:

Note: Seeing that the Coyotes are staying for at least one more year, I don't see the point to continuing these numbered threads.


I may let this one play out, but we'll more than likely move to just having individual threads IF something develops with a named ownership candidate and terms/conditions with the NHL and COG.

FYI.

It's gonna be damn quiet around these parts.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Fugu's dream of a one thread BoH forum is about to be realized.

Perhaps now we can devote most of the talk about the business of hockey?

 

[Fugu]

Damn - between this and this:




It's gonna be damn quiet around these parts.

Yup. I plan on taking the summer off. You could volunteer to become a mod and then I'd leave it up to you to figure out.

 

[Fugu]

Fugu's dream of a one thread BoH forum is about to be realized.

Perhaps now we can devote most of the talk about the business of hockey?

You have me confused with LS. I've threatened to inactivate her merge options in her mod settings.


I despise the catch-all threads. These becomes magnets for flotsam on slow news days.