Hockey in the Sun Belt (outside of Dallas) has been an indisputable failure. The fans don't care, the players don't want to come, and everything from the uniforms to the team names screams "minor league."
Except for Carolina, San Jose, Dallas, and Phoenix when they didn't have completely inept management. Then again, when Canadian clubs had inept management, like Calagary Edmonton and Ottawa, they struggled too. Or American teams in the north, like Buffalo, Pittsburgh and others.
But that's just a coincidence. It's certainly "Sun Belt"and not piss-poor management that's the problem here.
@bubbaprog: Better success story: I've been in Raleigh for a year and a half and have been very impressed. The Canes do fine in attendance (very well considering their metro-market size), put out a competitive team (Cup and EC finals in last four years), turn a profit, players love playing there (just resigned Canada's national goalie, 25-year-old '06 Stanley Cup MVP Cam Ward long term, kept all important pieces from last year's run and added a few), and they have created a unique, loud, affordable atmosphere complete with the best tailgating in the sport.
Not every sun-belt team has been a failure. Arbitrary, yes, but being rated No. 2 on ESPNs list of all sports franchise hardly cries failure for the move from Hartford.
Miami, Atlanta and Phoenix? Meh. Toronto can have 'em.
@bubbaprog: Wha wha what? By the last 5 years you mean the year after you won the Cup (notice I didn't say the year you won it) and the year after that right? Hell I'll even give you the lockout year. I was at opening night last year and there were sections upon sections that were completely empty. Opening night! The advertisements on the boards were for the Lightning and arena events. They couldn't get anyone to give them money.
When the Hurricanes are lousy, nobody goes. That's the difference.
Also, it's been said, but Cam Ward will be lucky to make Canada's Olympic team. Luongo and Brodeur are virtual locks to be 1-2. Ward will be fighting with the likes of Steve Mason and Marc-Andre Fleury for the right to watch from the stands.
@Kid Canada: Team's been in this non-hockey region for what, a decade? That's a pretty short time to build a sport AND a franchise up.
In 2007-08, a second-straight non-playoff year, they were still in the middle third of attendance (over 16,600) and outdrew Boston, Los Angeles, the Isle, and Washington (all MUCH bigger markets than the one-million metro area of the Triangle). Sounds like there are a lot of teams that don't draw too well when they aren't winning; including some teams you would never consider relocation candidates or market failures. StL (where I once lived) and Chi also have a Post Lockout 13,000 season.
Carolina, in the PL era, has never drawn less than 15,500 per. No one is saying its the best market on the planet, but you can't say its not viable and you can't say its a failure.
Hundreds of fans great players at the airport at 1 am or whatever at every return flight during the playoffs... I don't think that tradition exists anywhere else. So don't cast this team off with the rest of the nameless expansion/relocated masses just yet.
@Kid Canada: And you know more about the Canada national team than I do, but I do know that statistically, Ward and Brodeur all had identical .916 save percentages and near identical GPG.
I'm sure Marty will be on Canada's roster as long as he wants to, but I don't know of a lot of goalies more highly regarded than Cam, especially in big games. Plus at 25, Ward is much younger than either. Locking him up long term is huge for the 'Canes, and really that was my only point.
And I echo Ausoleil on the playoff record. Cam has lost one playoff series out of 7 career, and a brick wall wouldn't have stopped the onslaught of Pittsburgh (combined with the Canes' inept offense.) MAF? Great young talent but not as established as Cam Ward. Also almost lost the series against the Caps with some bad goals. Did not carry his team like Cam did in 06 or 09.
The NHL will have an expansion team in SW Ontario within 5 years, and will be able to auction it off to the highest bidder, raking in more coin than they would receive through the process of moving the Coyotes there.
@TheTick: Only half-true. Approval is required from the town of hempstead, whose hand-sitting ways have been the lone reason that the Lighthouse proposal has not been approved to begin with.
@Pedro Cuatro Cinco: "Under"-served? Not necessarily. But the "Greater Toronto Area" has a population of about 5.5 million people and could EASILY support two teams. You have to appreciate that the same kind of reverence that Americans have for the NFL is what Canadians have for pro hockey. TSN aired a mock fantasy draft among their experts last night in PRIME TIME TELEVISION. The Leafs sell out every game and rake in cash hand over fist in part because they are the only game in town. Buffalo requires a border crossing which is harder to do nowadays (need a passport to cross into the US, whereas a driver's license used to be sufficient).
I still think this cunt and her lawyer are only ratcheting everything up during the season so Ben will fold and pay the settlement.
As for the Pittsburgh girls line, so says the man whose never been there. And their even hotter then normal girls since their Steeler's fans. -1 to anyone posting that old ass picture of Bens biggest fan, that bitch was from the South and you all know it. Pitt has too many hills for girls to get that large.
That Pittsburgh girl line... That is SO funny. What a witty, imaginative writer you are! So clever and original! How do you do it? Where do you come up with such fresh material? Because like you're saying Pittsburgh girls are so ugly Ben couldn't find a single one to fuck in the whole city. Now that's cutting edge. You're taking sports writing into an exciting new direction. You're a visionary. And so hysterical. Oh my God, I do believe I've wet myself.
@CaliCheeseSucks: Take your pick. The Hammer would sell out for an NHL team in about 3 minutes, without impacting the Leafs at all. Why Bettman is intent on maintaining the Southern Strategery at all costs is beyond me.
@cromartie: I'm not even convinced that Bettman's doing it to preserve the Southern strategery. I think it has more to do with Balsillie initially trying to make the move without asking Bettman's permission first. Which, I guess, favors the antitrust violation.
11/13/09
The conclusion of the statement is justified if which of the following is true:
[I just put a gun in my mouth] #phoenixcoyotes
11/13/09
That's because Leinart's party shuttle has a stop at Lot 17. #phoenixcoyotes
11/13/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
Except for Carolina, San Jose, Dallas, and Phoenix when they didn't have completely inept management. Then again, when Canadian clubs had inept management, like Calagary Edmonton and Ottawa, they struggled too. Or American teams in the north, like Buffalo, Pittsburgh and others.
But that's just a coincidence. It's certainly "Sun Belt"and not piss-poor management that's the problem here.
10/01/09
10/01/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
Not every sun-belt team has been a failure. Arbitrary, yes, but being rated No. 2 on ESPNs list of all sports franchise hardly cries failure for the move from Hartford.
Miami, Atlanta and Phoenix? Meh. Toronto can have 'em.
09/30/09
[sports.espn.go.com]
09/30/09
10/01/09
Still not backing down re: the Lightning, though.
10/01/09
10/01/09
When the Hurricanes are lousy, nobody goes. That's the difference.
Also, it's been said, but Cam Ward will be lucky to make Canada's Olympic team. Luongo and Brodeur are virtual locks to be 1-2. Ward will be fighting with the likes of Steve Mason and Marc-Andre Fleury for the right to watch from the stands.
10/02/09
In 2007-08, a second-straight non-playoff year, they were still in the middle third of attendance (over 16,600) and outdrew Boston, Los Angeles, the Isle, and Washington (all MUCH bigger markets than the one-million metro area of the Triangle). Sounds like there are a lot of teams that don't draw too well when they aren't winning; including some teams you would never consider relocation candidates or market failures. StL (where I once lived) and Chi also have a Post Lockout 13,000 season.
Carolina, in the PL era, has never drawn less than 15,500 per. No one is saying its the best market on the planet, but you can't say its not viable and you can't say its a failure.
Hundreds of fans great players at the airport at 1 am or whatever at every return flight during the playoffs... I don't think that tradition exists anywhere else. So don't cast this team off with the rest of the nameless expansion/relocated masses just yet.
10/02/09
I'm sure Marty will be on Canada's roster as long as he wants to, but I don't know of a lot of goalies more highly regarded than Cam, especially in big games. Plus at 25, Ward is much younger than either. Locking him up long term is huge for the 'Canes, and really that was my only point.
And I echo Ausoleil on the playoff record. Cam has lost one playoff series out of 7 career, and a brick wall wouldn't have stopped the onslaught of Pittsburgh (combined with the Canes' inept offense.) MAF? Great young talent but not as established as Cam Ward. Also almost lost the series against the Caps with some bad goals. Did not carry his team like Cam did in 06 or 09.
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
10/01/09
09/30/09
09/12/09
As for the Pittsburgh girls line, so says the man whose never been there. And their even hotter then normal girls since their Steeler's fans. -1 to anyone posting that old ass picture of Bens biggest fan, that bitch was from the South and you all know it. Pitt has too many hills for girls to get that large.
09/11/09
That Pittsburgh girl line... That is SO funny. What a witty, imaginative writer you are! So clever and original! How do you do it? Where do you come up with such fresh material? Because like you're saying Pittsburgh girls are so ugly Ben couldn't find a single one to fuck in the whole city. Now that's cutting edge. You're taking sports writing into an exciting new direction. You're a visionary. And so hysterical. Oh my God, I do believe I've wet myself.
09/11/09
09/11/09
08/26/09
The antitrust violation or the NHL having a team in Phoenix?
08/26/09
08/26/09
08/26/09