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

[mapleleaf1389]

I don't claim to know anything personally about this situation, but Greg Brady has been on Toronto radio for quite some time, formerly with 640AM and now with sportsnet 590. My guess is that he may be slightly connected to one of the former maple leafs on the Thrash, either Stapleton or Antropov. I would think more Tim Stapleton given 640 toronto had very strong connections to the Marlies. I am not personally a Greg Brady fan, but I don't know him to really make stuff up.

With that being said, I have heard a lot of things come out of Toronto that are shades of the truth. I'll wait for something official

 

[UnknownEric]

I am not personally a Greg Brady fan, but I don't know him to really make stuff up.

I prefer his sister Marcia.

 

[OthmarAmmann]

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


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

monorail

 

[LadyStanley]

DarrenDreger 12:03pm via Twitter for BlackBerry® A source involved in the process says there is absolutely no chance of an announcement regarding Atl to Wpg...this week.

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

I don't claim to know anything personally about this situation, but Greg Brady has been on Toronto radio for quite some time, formerly with 640AM and now with sportsnet 590. My guess is that he may be slightly connected to one of the former maple leafs on the Thrash, either Stapleton or Antropov. I would think more Tim Stapleton given 640 toronto had very strong connections to the Marlies. I am not personally a Greg Brady fan, but I don't know him to really make stuff up.

With that being said, I have heard a lot of things come out of Toronto that are shades of the truth. I'll wait for something official

He's since written a blog entry clarifying what he was told and in what context:

http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/fan590_gregbrady/2011/05/12/this-is-not-an-exityet-nhl-style/

Of interest:

It’s not exactly Woodward & Bernstein stuff, given that a conference call is/was taking place today (May 11th) between at least three parties: 1) True North Sports & Entertainment, 2) Gary Bettman, and 3) The Thrashers ownership group, headmanned in part by Atlanta Spirit LLC. They aren’t having this conference call to decide where the best places to canoe will be this summer in Cottage Country.

 

[Ryan34222]

Maybe because eventually there won't be sucker owners and sucker governments willing to take huge losses and subsidize operations? At some point, maybe real soon with Atlanta, an existing owner is going to force the league's hand and just sell to a TNSE for relocation. You think the NHL will go to war in court with an owner to force a local sale when a bigger offer for moving the team to Canada is on the table? Ain't happening. You can't fight your own league partners, especially when doing so will drop franchise valued across the board.

uhh... JB,Moyes,Yotes,Bankruptcy ring a bell?

 

[Winnipeg Jets]

DarrenDreger 12:03pm via Twitter for BlackBerry® A source involved in the process says there is absolutely no chance of an announcement regarding Atl to Wpg...this week.

Two weeks?

 

[DeathToAllButMetal]

uhh... JB,Moyes,Yotes,Bankruptcy ring a bell?

Totally different scenario. Balsillie wasn't an owner, he was trying to force his way into the club, and move to a supposedly protected area that would have sparked a war with MLSE, the owner of the NHL's most valuable franchise. Easier to fight an outsider who wants to start a civil war within the league than, say, an insider like Wang or ASG, who wants to cut and run after years and years of huge losses.

That ring a bell?

 

[Ryan34222]

Totally different scenario. Balsillie wasn't an owner, he was trying to force his way into the club, and move to a supposedly protected area that would have sparked a war with MLSE, the owner of the NHL's most valuable franchise. Easier to fight an outsider who wants to start a civil war within the league than, say, an insider like Wang or ASG, who wants to cut and run after years and years of huge losses.

That ring a bell?

a court battle involving the NHL an Owner and a buyer wanting to move North, totally different,gotcha!

 

[DeathToAllButMetal]

a court battle involving the NHL an Owner and a buyer wanting to move North, totally different,gotcha!

If you don't get the difference between:

1. Bankruptcy, lease issues, city politics, multiple bidders, relocation to a very controversial area, the NHL running the franchise, sham parking studies, bond sales, breaking a state constitution, and the involvement of a taxpayer watchdog,

and

2. a sale from one free and clear owner to a billionaire,

you need to stop watching hockey and, I dunno, crack open a book.

 

[BB79]

Two weeks?

You beat me to it...I was just going to say, here we go again with "two more weeks". That one day of sanity yesterday was a nice break

 

[Ryan34222]

If you don't get the difference between:

1. Bankruptcy, lease issues, city politics, multiple bidders, relocation to a very controversial area, the NHL running the franchise, sham parking studies, bond sales, breaking a state constitution, and the involvement of a taxpayer watchdog,

and

2. a sale from one free and clear owner to a billionaire,

you need to stop watching hockey and, I dunno, crack open a book.

cool story,
the bolded were not an issue at the time of JB's involvement.

i don't really wish to argue this though on WPG's thread..i do apologize for sounding like a jerk though

 

[Hank Chinaski]

We've only got 38 posts left in this thread guys! Enough with the Hamilton nonsense!

EDIT: Oops, make that 37. Fugu, please delete this useless post if you so wish.

EDIT2X: In the interest of making this post even slightly meaningful, here's a recent tweet:

@JeffSchultzAJC: My Q to Bill Daly of #NHL: Can you guarantee #Thrashers in Atlanta next season? His answer: "Nope." Full Q and A coming.

Really nothing of substance there. However, I will be interested to see this Q and A.

 

[hydromel]

We've only got 38 posts left in this thread guys! Enough with the Hamilton nonsense!

EDIT: Oops, make that 37. Fugu, please delete this useless post if you so wish.

Useless post? I don't think so. When I rearrange the letters of the words in your post, delete a few and add a few more, it becomes clear that what you are saying is " The Thrashers are moving to Winnipeg. Teh deal is done!"


hmmm. i am gonna tweet that and see what happens.....

 

[Gump Hasek]

hmmm. i am gonna tweet that and see what happens.....

Just be sure to wait a few days prior to sending it and you'll eventually soon be proven correct.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

Let's say the Peg does get the Thrashers. Imagine how strange it would be when the Yotes play in Winnipeg. Granted with Doan being the only player left who played for the Jets, it might not be as awkward.

Now what had to have been weird was being a Washington Senators fan in 1961. That's when a brand new Senators team came in after the old one went to become the Twins. Imagine how weird that had to have been seeing the Twins go down to RFK stadium.

 

[PitbulI]

All I know is the Free Press is silent so no news coming from there.

Let's say the Peg does get the Thrashers. Imagine how strange it would be when the Yotes play in Winnipeg. Granted with Doan being the only player left who played for the Jets, it might not be as awkward.

With Doan saying he wouldn't want to go to Winnipeg, I don't think the fans at MTS Centre would cheer for him at all.

It will be more hostile than a Edm/Wpg round 1 series.

 

[crazed323]

Heard on Twitter.

"Sorry ... Bill Daly's response to AJC question, can he gaurantee Thrashers will be in Atlanta next season: "Nope."

 

[peter sullivan]

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.

Fugu. What kind of news are you looking for exactly? How are tsn, espn, sportset, HNIC, fan590, globe and mail, AJC, etc. Etc. Etc. Not 'legit news outfits'? They are all reporting the exact same thing from a wide range of cities and sources.

I'm not sure why, but it is obvious that it upsets you to have discussion about Atlanta but with TSNE's way of doing business, it is very likely that the first statement that 'something is happening' will be the statement that it has happened.

Do you really think that all of these reports are fictional? Even journalists in Atlanta are talking about it. There is a lot happening worthy of discussion. It's hiding your head in the sand to suggest nothing is going on because the NHL hasn't made a press release. What do you expect any of the three participants to say exactly? This is a closed door negotiation and confirmed information will only be released at it's conclusion. Does that mean we can't talk about it though?

The whole point of an Internet forum is to be a place for interesting discussion and debate, not simply a repository of press releases. There are a number of people here who know a lot more than any reporter anywhere on a number of fronts. Why not simply allow us to discuss it.

In my opinion there should be Atlanta and Winnipeg threads so if people from each place want to discuss issues without seeming like trolls they can.

We obviously all want to talk about this. Why shut it down? Simply because you believe that all of these reports are nothing but rumour? Even if they are is it at least not fun to talk about it?

 

[Confucius]

Let's say the Peg does get the Thrashers. Imagine how strange it would be when the Yotes play in Winnipeg. Granted with Doan being the only player left who played for the Jets, it might not be as awkward.

Now what had to have been weird was being a Washington Senators fan in 1961. That's when a brand new Senators team came in after the old one went to become the Twins. Imagine how weird that had to have been seeing the Twins go down to RFK stadium.

Yeah somehow I think Winnipeggers won't have much of an allegiance with Doan.

 

[straka91*]

Bob Mckenzie on his twitter said there is no done deal or close to done yet. Said check back next week. Sorry if someone already posted this.

 

[Fugu]

Fugu. What kind of news are you looking for exactly? How are tsn, espn, sportset, HNIC, fan590, globe and mail, AJC, etc. Etc. Etc. Not 'legit news outfits'? They are all reporting the exact same thing from a wide range of cities and sources. I'm not sure why, but it is obvious that it upsets you to have discussion about Atlanta but with TSNE's way of doing business, it is very likely that the first report that 'something is happening' will be the report that it has happened.

Do you really think that all of these reports are fictional? Even reporters in Atlanta are talking about it. There is a lot happening worthy of discussion. It's biting your head in the sand to suggest nothing is going on because the NHL hasn't made a press release. What do you expect any of the three participants to say exactly? Thus is a closed door negotiation and confirmed information will only be released at it's conclusion. Does that mean we can't talk about it though?

The whole point if an Internet forum is to be a place for interesting discussion and debate, not simply a repository of press releases. There are a number of people here who know a lot more than any reporter anywhere on a number of fronts. Why not simply allow us to discuss it.

In my opinion there should be Atlanta and Winnipeg threads so if people from each place want to discuss issues without seeming like trolls. If people from Atlanta don't like winnipeggers talking about relocation they can stay in their own thread.

We obviously all want to talk about this. Why shut it down? Simply because you believe that all of these reports are nothing but rumour? Even if they are is it at least not fun to talk about it?

No, because the mods end up deleting about half the posts as OT, flaming, bashing a city, bashing a fan group, trolling..... I may have left something out.

The noise:content has gotten worse. Also--- other than the COG vote and result, what other news has come out? We've had two years of:

1. So and so will buy the Yotes imminently.
2. TNSE will buy a team and move them, imminently.
3. The Thrashers, who have been available for five years, will be sold to a Serb/Greek/Macedonian/Bulgarian/Croatian, along with the Hawks.... imminently too.





And seriously..... wait for it ....... if something is brewing, you'll have a thread about in less than two weeks. How long should we let two weeks of rumors at a time go?

 

[Acesolid]

Fugu. What kind of news are you looking for exactly? How are tsn, espn, sportset, HNIC, fan590, globe and mail, AJC, etc. Etc. Etc. Not 'legit news outfits'? They are all reporting the exact same thing from a wide range of cities and sources.

I'm not sure why, but it is obvious that it upsets you to have discussion about Atlanta but with TSNE's way of doing business, it is very likely that the first statement that 'something is happening' will be the statement that it has happened.

Do you really think that all of these reports are fictional? Even journalists in Atlanta are talking about it. There is a lot happening worthy of discussion. It's hiding your head in the sand to suggest nothing is going on because the NHL hasn't made a press release. What do you expect any of the three participants to say exactly? This is a closed door negotiation and confirmed information will only be released at it's conclusion. Does that mean we can't talk about it though?

The whole point of an Internet forum is to be a place for interesting discussion and debate, not simply a repository of press releases. There are a number of people here who know a lot more than any reporter anywhere on a number of fronts. Why not simply allow us to discuss it.

In my opinion there should be Atlanta and Winnipeg threads so if people from each place want to discuss issues without seeming like trolls they can.

We obviously all want to talk about this. Why shut it down? Simply because you believe that all of these reports are nothing but rumour? Even if they are is it at least not fun to talk about it?

I agree.

However in the past something huge has always happened in the next few days after a particular line of threads has been shut down.

So, fingers crossed for Bettman, Atlanta, The Balkan (whoever he is) or True North to say something meaningfull soon!

 

[AllByDesign]

Message boards get taken way too seriously by some mods.. geeze.

Or some board members under-estimate the patience and immense efforts of our mods, which keep the board an enjoyable place to return to for our leisure time. The mods in the BOH section deserve a pat on the back for their service.

 

[peter sullivan]

If every sports news outlet on the continent thinks it is a worthy topic of discussion why do you not? These are not bloggers in their basement. Why does it upset you to have discussion. We have 7000 posts on this topic. Obviously it's interesting to people. Why can't this be a place of discussion even if it is discussion about unconfirmed issues. Reading someone elses point of view or analysis even on a rumour can be quite informative when trying to piece it all together.

Even if we are all just chasing rumours (which I can assure you we are not). Why is that bad?

If you let us have our thread and tell Atlantans to stay out of it if they don't want to hear our opinions then it isn't trolling or bashing another set if fans.

This is a very important issue to us in Winnipeg. Having one thread to discuss what is happening is not an unreasonable request.