CHRDANHUTCH
Registered User
Squiddy said:oh I know, but im just trying to save you some time and a headache.
Oh Please Squid----you're the one who denigrates the AHL by saying it's not a pro league every chance you can
Squiddy said:oh I know, but im just trying to save you some time and a headache.
CHRDANHUTCH said:Oh Please Squid----you're the one who denigrates the AHL by saying it's not a pro league every chance you can
Squiddy said:Well I did support a team while I was living in Canada. They were the jets, so I know a thing or two about the so called "great" fanbase in winnipeg. I also know that back in the day living in Saskatchewan I could easily drive up to the Winnipeg arena and by tickets in almost any section I want. They were a lot cheaper than they are now too! As for a canadian team? I could really care less because I'm not as patriotic as a lot of homers on this site are. I consider myself not american and my canadian blood seems to be running out, so I would think of myself as north american. However I was born in Canada so on my birth certificate it says Vancouver B.C.
BTW: Who says all canadians HAVE to like a Canadian hockey teams? Ignorant much?
Resolute said:I love jetsowner. Great example of how the internet powers delusions.
Shame he redesigned it a while ago (and went with the ever buisness like domain of "beerforbreakfast.com"), because my favorite "fact" of all time was on the old site when he compared the MTS Centre to the (Canadian Airlines) Saddledome, and commented how MTS had 50 luxury suites, while the Saddledome only had 40. Of course, he kinda failed to mention that the Saddledome only had 40 suites until 1994. Since those renovations, the Dome had nearly 80 suites.
He also kinda failed to mention that the Saddledome holds 19,289, while the MTS Centre was always expected to hold 15,000.
Yet somehow becuase Calgary could do it, Winnipeg could too, in a much smaller arena.
Resolute said:Except that in Calgary, "a hard time" still represented more tickets sold than Winnipeg's arena holds. Still represented a far superior corporate base than Winnipeg could dream to have. And, the Flames play in a tax and buisness friendly market.
Of course, this is the problem. Winnipeg's best case scenario is below the Flames worst case scenario. What happens if the Jets stink for seven years like the Flames did? Once the shine or having another NHL team wears off? Will 15,015 people continue to flock to the MTS Centre to watch a terrible team lose?
They dont anywhere else. They wont in Winnipeg.
jet228 said:so I guess since you know everything about the MTS Centre... you also know it's was built to be easily reconfigured to grow to 17,100 seats... right?
Did you also know that since Izzy Asper, Winnipeg resident and owner of Global, passed away and his son David took over... it has been suggested he may be part of the Jets renaissance... that's big money!
Please don't think I'm some kind of jetsowner puppet who reads that site and only that site for my information on this subject. I was a die hard fan of the Jets, and I read about this subject everywhere I can. I just suggested jetsowner because it's a good resource for articles pertaining to this subject. Winnipeg was not the only city in Canada that was very worried about thier franchise in the mid to late 90's... remember that Calgary had thier struggles and Edmonton nearly lost thier team. It's a new world now in the NHL... the improved CBA coupled with the strong dollar means alot for EVERY Canadian franchise.
I'm not a fly by night fan, I consider myself to be very knowledgable of the events, so please don't blow off my posts as rediculous. I also understand that not everything you read on the internet is true.. but thanks for the heads up!
Resolute said:No, it cant. And I would ask you to show me a link that would prove otherwise..
Resolute said:It has been suggested by hopeful people dreaming of the return of the Jets. They have named any and every person in Canada linked to Winnipeg as a possible owner. To the best of my knowledge, Izzy Asper has never once suggested he is interested in taking on an NHL club, and again, I would ask that you show me a link where he does state an interest..
Resolute said:I'm sorry, but I've read Jetsowner long enough to know that it is not a good resource. As I said, it is a delusion powered by the internet...
Resolute said:I'll continue to blow off jetsowner as a means of support as ridiculous, but otherwise I have not made any comment about your support, passion or desire. Rather, I respect it. I would like to see the Jets return, but quite frankly, I do not see it as likely. Certantly not until some other markets have had their chance. IMO, not within the next ten years at least, and in that time, the brand new MTS Centre will become just another arena.
Resolute said:What happens if the Jets stink for seven years like the Flames did? Once the shine of having another NHL team wears off? Will 15,015 people continue to flock to the MTS Centre to watch a terrible team lose?
jet228 said:Unfortnately, the site where I originally read about the expansion capability was on the construction site while MTS Centre was bieng built, so there's no link. Saying 'no it can't' is calling me a liar.
Google Cached Link of MTS News Release said:MTS Centre will feature seating for up to 15,015 for hockey and have a maximum capacity of 17,144 for centre stage concerts. The facility will boast superb acoustics, and the ability to host a wide array of entertainment, sports, performing arts and community events. MTS Centre will include fifty private suites and rental party suites, feature a theme restaurant and lounge, and will be home to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
The finances extend well beyond even getting the new building, because the key to any arena or stadium in professional sports these days is the revenue stream that flows from corporate boxes.
A lot has changed since the Whalers last played in the Civic Center. Rentschler Field, home to the University of Connecticut's Division I-A football team, opened in 2003, and the team would continue to compete for that corporate dollar. The UConn facility has 38 luxury suites that sell for $50,000, but only 21 have sold.
http://beerforbreakfast.org/Jets/The_Sun_Feb_13_C.jpg (large jpg file, a scan of the Winnipeg Sun article).Resolute said:It has been suggested by hopeful people dreaming of the return of the Jets. They have named any and every person in Canada linked to Winnipeg as a possible owner. To the best of my knowledge, Izzy Asper has never once suggested he is interested in taking on an NHL club, and again, I would ask that you show me a link where he does state an interest.
jamiebez said:http://beerforbreakfast.org/Jets/The_Sun_Feb_13_C.jpg (large jpg file, a scan of the Winnipeg Sun article).
I'll save you the trouble of clicking on it:
"If it makes sense, I think there would be a high level of interest among people who can afford to invest in a hockey team to do so in this city. There are a lot of people and I'd probably have some interest in exploring the feasibility of it" - David Asper, Winnipeg Sun, Feb 13, 2004
And he's not the only one: Wellington West Capital CEO Charlie Spiring is also on the record as being interested: he's the head of a $1B (that's billion) capital investment firm based in Winnipeg.
As far as the business climate in Winnipeg goes, don't believe everything you hear about how Winnipeg is such a bad place to do business. A very business-friendly mayor is in place (he reduced business taxes in the downtown core by 2% last spring, with a plan to eliminate them altogether in 4 years), and the city's economic health indicators - like unemployment rate, new housing starts, population growth - have all improved dramatically in the last 2 years. The economics in the city are changing rapidly, and it's a little irksome to hear people continue to spout the same hearsay about Winnipeg's "bad business community" like it's the gospel truth.
Sorry, I don't. I've been under the impression that they could cram maybe 500-1000 more seats in there, but that's about it with the existing architecture. Anything more would necessitate a major engineering project, and they'd likely have to close at least one city street. There have been many threads on this at the discussion forums at jetsowner.com.jet228 said:THANK YOU for your help! I felt like a man on my own on this board! I had all these facts about the situation but unfortunately didn't have any links for them... as for the size of the MTS centre and expansion ability... Montrealer posted something that said that it could be expanded to 17,000 for concerts, which I already kenw about. I also remember that when the place was being built, it was said on the construction site that the building could be expanded to 17,000 for hockey too. Do you remember this and do you know of a link to this info? Thanks!
It is sad, but it was a long time in coming. If they'd done this in 1979 we might not be having this debate right nowjet228 said:I can't wait till the NHL comes back to Winnipeg so we can prove all the naysayers wrong! As an aside, isn't it depressing to see the Winnipeg Arena being torn down?
jet228 said:Montrealer posted something that said that it could be expanded to 17,000 for concerts, which I already kenw about. I also remember that when the place was being built, it was said on the construction site that the building could be expanded to 17,000 for hockey too.
GWhale said:Apparently, in the years since I last followed the NHL, the fans have changed from nice knoledgable people who take our their aggressions on the ice playing the sport, and having a couple beers in the locker room.... to loudmouth southerners who take out their aggressions on internet messageboards. If this thread is any indication.
If Hartford does get the NHL back.. one thing is sure, it won't be as fun as it used to be. Sometimes I wonder why I even care. The one rule I'll follow is that I won't buy tickets just to please an owners' threats. The whole "buy tickets or we're going to move" thing didn't fly in Connecticut, thankfully. I'll buy tickets if I find the product is worth paying for, and staying home in protest to a crap team is always an option. Sorry, NHL, but I have integrity. I'm not going to try and compete with the clowns of our cities just because we're competing for the honour of having a team in your league. I'm not going to support a Peter Karmanos-type owner, ever.
GWhale said:Apparently, in the years since I last followed the NHL, the fans have changed from nice knoledgable people who take our their aggressions on the ice playing the sport, and having a couple beers in the locker room.... to loudmouth southerners who take out their aggressions on internet messageboards. If this thread is any indication.
GWhale said:If Hartford does get the NHL back.. one thing is sure, it won't be as fun as it used to be. Sometimes I wonder why I even care. The one rule I'll follow is that I won't buy tickets just to please an owners' threats. The whole "buy tickets or we're going to move" thing didn't fly in Connecticut, thankfully. I'll buy tickets if I find the product is worth paying for, and staying home in protest to a crap team is always an option. Sorry, NHL, but I have integrity. I'm not going to try and compete with the clowns of our cities just because we're competing for the honour of having a team in your league. I'm not going to support a Peter Karmanos-type owner, ever.
Squiddy said:Sorry, but YOU should know this Mr Know It All. Nice way to trash the loud mouth southerners.. when there are plenty of more loud mouth notherners.
SLake said:More B.S.
Squiddy said:Let me ask you this GWhale.. If you do get a new arena who is going to televise the game? NESN? That was another issue with the whale. Don't forget Corporate support either.