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Report: Group seeking Thrashers

DrReality

By DrReality
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DrReality Rookie

DrReality

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Report: Group seeking Thrashers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, May 10, 2009

and news services

Thrashers co-owner Bruce Levenson would not comment Saturday on a newspaper report that a Vancouver-based group is interested in buying the NHL franchise and moving it to Hamilton, Ontario.

Levenson was contacted at Philips Arena before Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal between the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Hamilton Spectator newspaper reported that a group is interested in buying the team and relocating it in time for the 2010-11 season.

The newspaper also reported rumors that several other groups are interested in bringing a team to Hamilton. According to the paper, the city is already working on a proposed lease of the Copps Coliseum to billionare Jim Balsillie, who hopes to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to the city for the 2009-10 season.

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Joker Newbie

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It's probably more easier to get the Thrashers being that PHX is BKT and in a different country under their federal laws while ATL isn't BKT and can break must easier then PHX. This move could very well happen.

Edited by nbasuperstar40
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bird_dirt Grand Master

bird_dirt

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does anyone there go to thrasher's games? i used to go when i lived there, and it was the only sport that my ex-wife actually enjoyed going to. the whole heatly accident and trading destroyed everything this franchise had going for it.

it would be a sad loss for atl and the handful of real hockey fans who live there, but i could see how it could help out the hawks somewhat. by selling off the trashers, the owners would have a one time bonus infusion of money that they would ideally reinvest in the hawks, seeing as how (at least i think) they are one of the league's lowest payrolled teams. it would also free up the salaries and expenses associated with running the trashers. they would, however, lose a lot of money from concessions, ticket sales, merchandising, brodcasts, etc. don't know exactly how that would all balance out.

i really don't see how they could sell the team given the whole owner fiasco, though. how are they going to get all the owners to agree upon the selling price and percentages divied up to each owner? they can't even work out a sale amongst themselves, how are they going to do it with yet another party thrown in the mix?

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Popeye Newbie

Popeye

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honestly the Thrashers mean nothing to me... they have been prolific losers since establishing the team anyways.

Based on your theory only winners should have fans?

Were you a Hawks fan 5 years ago or you just became one when they made the playoffs?

Edited by Popeye
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Bahamut Newbie

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honestly the Thrashers mean nothing to me... they have been prolific losers since establishing the team anyways.

Thrashers won the division in 2006-2007 (got swept, but at least they made it), and they missed the playoffs the previous year by one point in the standings. They've clawed their way back after the death of a teammate (Dan Snyder), just like the Hawks did after Collier. Hawks haven't won the division in a while (never in the Southeast), but even my Thrashers fan friends weren't bashing the Hawks for that 13-win season.

I'm an Atlantan, so I cheer for ALL our teams!! :D

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LOL_Hawks Newbie

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2 words: Ain't. Happening.

First off, for this to even get into being seriously talked about, the owners would have to settle that little court thing that they've had going on for half-a-decade now. Then, whatever's left of the ownership would have to agree. Then, they'd have to get it approved by the NHL. Gary Bettman is trying like HELL to keep the Phoenix Coyotes where the are, to the point where he is getting bashed in Canada on a daily basis. (Which throws ANOTHER wrench in those plans since the NHL ain't gonna move 2 teams from their beloved sun-belt in the same time frame). So yeah, this is more of "Rich Canadian guy wants to buy terrible hockey team" rather than serious talk. All of this is basically TSN doing what they normally do and trying to take the NHL away from the south when there's obvious signs of success. (I mean seriously, if a major league HOCKEY team can succeed in RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, it can succeed pretty much anywhere if they have a winner and good ownership.) Basically, there are a BUNCH of complicated hoops that these folks will have to go through to move the Thrashers, and it's not gonna happen. Atlanta Spirit being in stupid court cases is actually one of those hoops that's keeping this from happening.

This really wouldn't help the Hawks, since I figure that they do get a share of their gate as dual-tenants in Philips.

Edited by LOL_Hawks
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LOL_Hawks Newbie

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That too. Unless the Thrashers and their owners go bankrupt like the Coyotes' did, then there's a better chance of me being bitten by a shark in the middle of the sahara than the Thrashers moving.

They do need a shakeup, though. I refuse to cheer for that team while Don Waddell is basically killing that team. He's like BK x10.

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Dejay Proficient

Dejay

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Agree with LOL; not gonna happen.

On top of what he stated earlier, there is the Philips naming rights to the arena which clearly states for BOTH teams to continue playing their home games here. That's a lot of $$$ to be losing each year.

Also, keep this in mind; the winner of the court case gets operating rights to Philips as well. You'd have 42 dates to replace if the Thrashers were sold and left town. There's only so many concerts, WWE events, circuses, and conventions one can find that's suitable enough to replace the $$$ the Thrashers would've brought in. Just ask any Omni official how easy it was to find a replacement (Atlanta Attack and Atlanta Knights ring a bell?) after Scalbania stole the Flames; if you can find any.

While I'm not a hockey expert, I firmly believe that it can work in this town; the one year they did reach the playoffs, they had the city and the arena rocking. The Flames set attendance records at the Omni until Nique and the gang started winning long after they were moved. But it won't work as long as Don Waddell continues to draw a paycheck from them every two weeks. He makes Billy Knight and Babs look like Jerry West in his prime with his jacked up draft picks and trades.

Regardless of the outcome, the Thrashers will likely be sold......

To local investors who will keep them in Atlanta.

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LOL_Hawks Newbie

LOL_Hawks

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Hockey can work in this town...it's basically the same as the other sports in this town; If they win, people will come. When they won the division a few years ago and hosted those 2 playoff games, that was honestly the LOUDEST that Phillips Arena has been for a sporting event. They're getting better since Waddell finally got smart and decided to build a younger team around Kovalchuk, rather than trying to bring the b-list of the NHL to surround Kovalchuk. If they continue that, then they're going to be the Blackhawks of the east.

But still, some of the decisions that Waddell made as GM + the Thrashers current ownership = one messed up franchise as of now. Still not moving, though. Snowball's chance in hell of that happening.

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coachx Newbie

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please, someone explain how this would help the hawks?

would it put more money in their pockets to spend???

Exactly !

They owners are losing money on hockey and so is Phillips Arena.

Phillips could be selling out for concerts but instead they have 5,000 fans in there watching hockey 40 nights a year.

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