Quote:
Originally Posted by JTSMOOTH
I'm probably the only one here and I'm certainly not gloating, but I was happy to here the ruling given out today. Now hopefully they can find an ownership group that actually knows what they are doing.
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If I was in your shoes I wouldn't be. So far that was the only offer that was more then just name dropping, and the NHL had a piss poor track record of getting quality owners (the Nashville fiasco comes to mind....Los Angelas...I'm sure there's others that are not coming to my caffeine starved brain right now), and anyone that invested in the Coyotes is guaranteed to lose cash now (barring the NHL finding someone else will deep pockets...that's a laugh)
Pretty much you had someone that knew what they were doing (you don't' make billions in the IT industry for being dumb...corrupt maybe, but not dumb). Now? Who knows. Bankruptcy judges are to my understanding supposed to do what would repay as much of the companies debt as possible. Unless there's an offer of greater value that he knows about that hasn't been released to the public (which I doubt), this judge failed the team's creditors, and in his job itself.
I also wonder if the rejection of moving the team is part and parcel to some group in Toronto that has stated they would want to put an expansion team in Hamilton, hence putting more money in the leagues coffers instead of it being moved to a potential expansion area. At the very least it'll prevent the league from getting it's extortion fee of a hundred mil to move the team (I wonder if the folks that moved Dallas, Carolina, Colorado and Phoenix had to pay that? I wouldn't bet money on it)
Overall it's a great circus, gets the NHL some headlines for all the wrong reasons (apparently the league just had a championship, but I bet folks know about this more then who won the Cup), and gives it's detractors another round of ammo. Hell if you believe the comments sections on news websites (and they're as reliable for intelligent conversations as youtube comments) there's a growing movement of folks that are looking to boycott anything NHL next year because of what they perceive as consist incompetence and double standards that seem to highlight Bettman's tenure on a regular basis. (Remember when the biggest scandal was Alan Eagleson skimming off the pension fund? Those were the days).
Personally I wish you luck, and if fans down there can grow and multiply hey so much the better, but to be honest I predict the league will be looking to move this team, in one year or in a few. Whether it's from a combination of poor management, lack of revenue, or other factors that are not coming to mind, I'm thinking there's a good chance of it happening. I'll also predict that if they are moved, it'll be to a) An american market, and b) there will be no delay or legal snafus, c) it'll go to some market that everyone except the league office knows that it cant' support, Like Kansas City, d) no league resistance, "relocation fees" or the like, and e) it'll just push more of the folks that help to subsidize the league to flip the NHL the bird and keep their money. And if enough of that occurs, we all lose.