ZoomZoom18 Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hock...e.ap/index.html I'm not really too surprised by this as the rumour popped up during the season, but I did find the buyer VERY interesting... Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold reached an agreement to sell his franchise to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie after 10 years of losing money. I wonder how long its gonna be before moving rumours pop up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/hock...e.ap/index.htmlI'm not really too surprised by this as the rumour popped up during the season, but I did find the buyer VERY interesting... Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold reached an agreement to sell his franchise to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie after 10 years of losing money. I wonder how long its gonna be before moving rumours pop up. Yes, very interesting. The rumors could pop up sooner than ya think. http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208704&hubname=nhl http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208661&hubname=nhl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 The announcement was made today. $220 million. My money's on Kitchener/Waterloo. I don't think Hamilton can work because of the proximity to Toronto. I'd LOVE it if they end up in Winnipeg though. Bring back the Jets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomZoom18 Posted May 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 That'd be sweet if they ended up in Winnipeg. I'd love to see another Canadian team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Well the deal is pending league GM approval but there's a good possibility that it'll go through. Nashville has to average less than 14,000 in attendance next year too for them to be able to opt out of the lease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabreFaninNYC Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 Well the deal is pending league GM approval but there's a good possibility that it'll go through. Nashville has to average less than 14,000 in attendance next year too for them to be able to opt out of the lease. Mirtle and Jim Kelley both have very interesting articles on the situation. I am really surprised that the situation in Nashvegas has deteriorated as much as it has... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 I really don't like the idea of a pro sports team in Vegas. Unfortunately though, it's only a matter of time. I think a really good idea would be to put a team in Seattle. It would create a natural rivalry with Vancouver and would help to realign the divisions properly by moving Colorado to the Pacific and Dallas to the Central. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 I really don't like the idea of a pro sports team in Vegas. Unfortunately though, it's only a matter of time.I think a really good idea would be to put a team in Seattle. It would create a natural rivalry with Vancouver and would help to realign the divisions properly by moving Colorado to the Pacific and Dallas to the Central. This would just cause mental anguish for me as I would start cheering for a Seattle based NHL team and become a fan. Though the fact that it would be a Western Conference team would mean they would only play Buffalo every 3 years unless it was the Finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabreFaninNYC Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 I have heard Portland mentioned as a good city. If a team can't survive in a Southern city like Nashville (which is very cosmopolitan compared to the rest of the South) what does that say about the other Southern franchises? We might see a wholesale relocation in 5-10 years (Texas not included). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 New twist in the story. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2889504 Just a guess, but pretty soon those Nashville Predator jerseys are gonna be something only found in vintage programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 I have heard Portland mentioned as a good city. If a team can't survive in a Southern city like Nashville (which is very cosmopolitan compared to the rest of the South) what does that say about the other Southern franchises? We might see a wholesale relocation in 5-10 years (Texas not included). Florida is pretty much the only team I see that would up and move in the next few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomZoom18 Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 Florida is pretty much the only team I see that would up and move in the next few years. I still don't understand what's going on there. It seems like everytime they start getting good, they go and rebuild again. They really had a chance to do something special when Luongo was there, but didn't seem like they wanted to build around him. I'm not familiar with the attendance numbers down there, so I don't know what's up in that department but am sure it has something to do with their rebuilding all the time. I wonder how much longer does that experiment last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 I don't think Florida has much longer. They have to get good and go on a run to keep that team there. It worked for Tampa Bay and it can work for them. That being said, I don't think that franchise has the type of talent OR management sense to field a team like that. I say put them back in Winnipeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Gotta wonder if Balsillie is gonna try to resign any of the Predators big Free Agents. Unrestricted Free Agents: C Peter Forsberg, LW Paul Kariya, D Kimmo Timonen, RW Scott Hartnell, C Scott Nichol, D Sheldon Brookbank, C Jerred Smithson, RW Patrick Leahy, G Karl Goehring, C Kim Staal, LW Eric Belanger. If he makes no effort to resign the big names, that would lead me to believe he is tanking a season to guarantee the attendance will be below the necessary 14000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomZoom18 Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I gotta wonder if they're gonna get the necessary support this season anyway? Would you want to try to keep the team in town knowing the owner is wanting to move them? Interesting dilemma for Nashville really. Florida has always been a mystery to me. After they made the Finals in 96, I thought they may have many good years ahead of them. It seems like they'd get good, then start trading people away. After they got Bure, it seemed like they did it again. After awhile, to me, its like what's the point? I liked them when they debuted, but now, its just pull the plug on the thing. Kind of like the Marlins... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Well, if the Predators can average more than 14,000 in paid attendance this year, then Balsillie can't opt out of the lease for the arena. That way he'd basically be forced to stay in Nashville. I think if the team averages less than 14K paid for three years in a row, then he can get out of the lease and move the team if he wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 Looks like the fans are doing everything they can to make sure that they have the 14000 paid attendance average this upcoming season. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../706060418/1028 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Talk about crazy, Ticketmaster in Canada is already taking deposits for the NHL in Hamilton. http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/news/Detai...sp?xml=h061428A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 The deposits are refundable, which you don't see a lot anymore these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabreFaninNYC Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 The deposits are refundable, which you don't see a lot anymore these days. Here are the unbelievable numbers from the first day at Ticketmaster there in Hamilton- wow! (via Mirtle) By the end of yesterday, Balsillie and company reeled in about $6.25-million in deposits on season tickets and luxury suites at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Sixty of the 70 proposed suites were booked at $5,000 each, according to The Canadian Press, while 4,700 lower-bowl seats went for $1,000 each and about 2,500 upper-bowl seats went for $500 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted June 22, 2007 Report Share Posted June 22, 2007 Balsillie is apparantly out as the prospective owner of the Predators now. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211577&hubname= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomZoom18 Posted June 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I think it was Allan Muir just recently on cnnsi.com who made a comment about Baisillie's actions before the sale was even finalized. This was probably a good move, as much as I want to see Canada get another team, he was getting a little ahead of himself with this. I gotta wonder now if anyone would even consider selling their team to this guy after this and his last attempts to buy a team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 I think it was Allan Muir just recently on cnnsi.com who made a comment about Baisillie's actions before the sale was even finalized. This was probably a good move, as much as I want to see Canada get another team, he was getting a little ahead of himself with this. I gotta wonder now if anyone would even consider selling their team to this guy after this and his last attempts to buy a team. Here's a Muir article... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...tors/index.html Balsillie seems extremely shady to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabreFaninNYC Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Doesn't Leipold want a formalized agreement before going forward? That means Blackberry is still in it. The league will have to deal with him and Hamilton eventually regardless on how this actually ends up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat Posted June 29, 2007 Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Looks like Balsillie is really out of the picture now. Report: Leipold finds new suitor of Predators June 29, 2007 TORONTO (TICKER) -- Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold finally may be finished with Jim Balsillie once and for all. According to a report by the National Post on Thursday, Leipold has informed Balsillie that he no longer is interested in selling the Predators to the Canadian billionaire and will attempt to strike a deal with California businessman William DelBiaggio. Citing undisclosed sources, the Post is reporting DelBiaggio's offer is nearly $50 million less than Balsillie's bid of $238 million for the team. Leipold signed a non-binding agreement with Balsillie on May 24. However, Leipold responded to the Post's report in a statement. "We are currently free to explore any and all options regarding the sale of the Nashville Predators," Leipold said. "However, until and unless there is a binding agreement in place, we do not plan to comment on the status of Predators ownership. We will not comment on rumors and speculation." That speculation has DelBaggio moving the Predators to Kansas City once the team's lease at the Sommet Center in Nashville expires. Balsillie had planned on relocating the club to Hamilton, Ontario, going so far as to accept thousands of deposits for season tickets through a company he owns that signed a 20-year lease at the Canadian city's Copps Coliseum. Leipold reportedly has become agitated by Balsillie's reluctance to reach a definitive agreement on the purchase of the Predators. DelBiaggio currently owns a minor share of the San Jose Sharks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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