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The Winnipeg Jets....who cares?

Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
edited May 2011 in All Encompassing Trip
I'm so sick of hearing about this. For the past 6+ odd years, since the MTS Centre was built, all people in this city can talk about is having an "NHL ready arena". The one we didn't build back in 95 to support the team we loved so dearly.

I'll admit it: I'm not a hockey fan. I went to some Jets games now and again back in my teens. But I'm so sick and tired of hearing the speculation of Phoenix moving or Atlanta moving and Winnipeg being Bettman's first choice and all that shit........how many people REALLY care? When people realize how much tickets are going to cost, I'll bet the ones that care now, won't care so much when they have to shell out the kind of cash that the NHL players and owners are looking for now.

Winnipeg is a great city. But we don't have ENOUGH people that are both big hockey fans AND wealthy enough to fill the barn every home game.

Maybe we'd do better than Phoenix or Atlanta, but really, that's not hard to do.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • eddieceddiec Posts: 3,941
    Canada needs more teams. It's a shame when teams leave Canada. The NHL needs to treat the Canadian teams differently because of the smaller population and smaller economy. Ticket prices around the states vary depending on the regional economy but ticket prices are high everywhere so you can't complain about that. I'm sure most of the people of Winnipeg disagree with you. You're not a hockey fan so don't worry about it.
  • rb115565rb115565 Posts: 222
    I think the biggest thing regarding the Jets is that people are tired of waiting for it to happen, It has been talked about for years. I think the city would be able to support the franchise but that is up to Gary Bettman who in my opinion does not want more teams in canada even though the 6 NHL teams in Canada provide 1/3 of the revenue for the league. The Phoenix issue is a joke they have a good team but people are just not interested.
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  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,899
    Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner in any sport and he's an idiot for putting all these teams in places like Phoenix & Miami, at the expense of places that actually care about hockey.

    If the ticket prices are too high they'll have to lower them. There's a salary cap.
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  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    eddiec wrote:
    Canada needs more teams. It's a shame when teams leave Canada. The NHL needs to treat the Canadian teams differently because of the smaller population and smaller economy. Ticket prices around the states vary depending on the regional economy but ticket prices are high everywhere so you can't complain about that. I'm sure most of the people of Winnipeg disagree with you. You're not a hockey fan so don't worry about it.


    ticket prices are high everywhere so I can't complain about that? that's ridiculous. I'm not complaining about the ticket prices. I don't give a shit because I won't be going regardless. my point is, people here aren't prepared to support the team the way they need to in order to be a viable organization. It's expensive enough to go to a frickin' Moose game, and that hockey sucks ass. It's boring. I'd rather go to a AAA junior game than the AHL.

    I went to the Save The Jets rally. I think it would be awesome to have a team here. I just am getting tired of the NHL dragging its collective ass on the issue.

    And when I said "who cares?", it's because it's a tiring issue. you see it in the goddamn papers every single day for years. You don't know what it's like to live in a city that acts like a pathetic ex-girlfriend waiting for her boyfriend to come back.

    And I highly doubt that Bettman or any of the American owners would ever swallow a "let's coddle the canadian teams" proposal. that's not good business.

    Bring back the Jets. Or don't. Either way, Bettman, just get it DONE.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Are there enough big companies in Winnipeg to buy out the luxury boxes?
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  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,768
    well Quebec is doing their best to cut in line.

    The fact is, it is going to happen. Whether it is Phoenix, Atlanta, Florida, or any of the other various land mines in the NHL set to go off in the next 5 years.

    I believe the man looking to buy the team for Winnipeg would instantly become the 2nd wealthiest owner in the league. I dont think he is going to be set to gouge the fans there. The tickets will be priced at the point that they can sell out the building every night. Phoenix also has a glut of young talent. With an owner with deep pockets and the right moves, they could be very good for a nice stretch of time... something Winnipeg was never really able to enjoy in their past existence.
  • gvn2fly12gvn2fly12 Posts: 793
    Johnny Abruzzo wrote:
    Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner in any sport and he's an idiot for putting all these teams in places like Phoenix & Miami, at the expense of places that actually care about hockey.

    If the ticket prices are too high they'll have to lower them. There's a salary cap.


    Bettman has just anounced he had signed a new five year 7.2 Million contact :shock:

    Canada needs more teams, or they need to contract, but that will never happen, I would love to have 24 teams in the league.
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  • Phantom PainPhantom Pain Posts: 9,876
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  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    Johnny Abruzzo wrote:
    Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner in any sport and he's an idiot for putting all these teams in places like Phoenix & Miami, at the expense of places that actually care about hockey.

    If the ticket prices are too high they'll have to lower them. There's a salary cap.
    those markets weren't stable enough for a hockey team to survive. same as hartford. when a team goes south so does attendance and thusly teams can't stay above the red.

    bettman isn't the worst owner in sports, goddell and stern and selig are.
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  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,305
    i used to love the jets, and the nordiques, and the whalers....growing up i had jerseys for all of those teams at one time and they all moved lol....i have been a lifelong Blues fan and have purposely avoided buying a jersey for fear of them moving as well lol...although they have sucked ass the last 5 years or so..

    i think having teams in winnipeg and quebec would be good for Canada and good for the league, but if the cities can not or will not support a franchise why allow them to move there and in 10 years maybe talk of moving again? to me there is nothing worse than moving a franchise....i was 12 when my beloved st. louis cardinals moved to AZ.....i never forgave their ownership for that...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

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  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    i but if the cities can not or will not support a franchise why allow them to move there and in 10 years maybe talk of moving again?
    and thats exactly what will happen
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  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,768
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    i used to love the jets, and the nordiques, and the whalers....growing up i had jerseys for all of those teams at one time and they all moved lol....i have been a lifelong Blues fan and have purposely avoided buying a jersey for fear of them moving as well lol...although they have sucked ass the last 5 years or so..


    I wouldnt worry one bit about the Blues leaving. Dont they draw really well?

    The fact of the matter is, there are so many problem children in the NHL, teams with a good history and fan base (St Louis, Buffalo, Islanders) have nothing to worry about.

    Also mind you, the NHL should get a more lucrative US television deal after this season, which should help out all the teams at or near the break-even mark.
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,689
    Short answer? People in Winnipeg, and other Canadians.
  • kenshuntkenshunt London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,863
    Rygar wrote:
    Short answer? People in Winnipeg, and other Canadians.
    I Agree
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  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    of course there are. maybe I should have worded the thread title better. my point is:

    a) the constant media barage is annoying, hockey fan or not (and I know many hockey fans that are also tired of it)
    b) do you really believe that Winnipeg has changed that drastically that we can now support a major league hockey team? I'm not so sure.
    kenshunt wrote:
    Rygar wrote:
    Short answer? People in Winnipeg, and other Canadians.
    I Agree
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  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,768
    support is a moot point here, even though that isnt the primary reason they left. It was the big arena craze of the 90's. Winnipeg, Minnesota, and Hartford couldnt get arenas built and their owners were enticed by juicy arena deals in the Southern US. Minnesota got their team back and people have grasped onto the team. Buffalo almost moved in all this too, but got HSBC Arena built. I wouldnt say they 'werent supported'. Edmonton and Calgary have also had close calls. Pittsburgh, Ottawa, The NY Islanders now (although they will never move). It is the economics, really out of people's control.

    The big ticket in the NHL, is either be one of the 6-10 teams that actually turn an OK profit... or be an owner willing to take a bath in losses. That is the issue with Phoenix and soon to be Atlanta. They cant find a US businessman who is willing to buy the team and keep them in location, while losing $20 million a year.

    In Buffalo's case, we had an owner who saved the franchise and he is worth about $2 Billion. He wanted to make the Sabres stand on their own. They had no scouting dept really, skimped out on arena and player amneties, didnt hit the salary cap for player salaries... the team sold out the building and still would lose a couple million a season and it is always doom and gloom. The Sabres have been bought by a fan now who is worth $3 billion. He says there is no cap on what you can spend off the ice, and after a couple weeks he is improving the arena, taking suggestions from fans and players and reading each one and following through. He is doing it because he is passionate about it. The team might lose $5-$10 Million a season now, but that is peanuts to a billionaire. Terry Pegula (new owner) said in regards to the Sabres: "if I want to make money, Ill go drill an oil well" Phoenix just doesnt have that kind of fan with passion, and that is an issue all over the league.

    This is applicable to Winnipeg on a much greater scale. This David Thomson is worth $23 Billion dollars. That is ridiculous. Winnipeg doesnt need to be a profitable franchise. This guy is going to love to be the king of Winnipeg and its going to be a hobby. He could lose $30 million a season (probably not close to that much) and it is like nothing to him. $23 billion dollars is an obscene amount of money. It probably makes enough in appreciation and interest in one year to keep the Jets afloat for decades.

    Personally, I think the team will pack that building. Losing the team does that. Minnesota is a good example. Buffalo too, we almost lost our team and it kind of made us appreciate it a lot more. The Canadian Dollar on such equal footing with the US dollar also gives Winnipeg a better chance to make money than they had up to 1995 (or 96?)



    I think there is such a media ruckus because a lot of people are passionately interested in this happening. I almost lost the Sabres, it was a real sickening feeling. I know that if they left, my eye would catch every news story about an NHL team having financial difficulties and start hoping. I have seen people in the background of Hockey Night in Canada for 15 years wearing Winnipeg gear and holding signs that say things like "Bring Back the Jets". Fans of the Jets still post in the business forums on HF Boards, hashing out 1,000 times the different scenarios. There are more Jets fans concerned with the situation than there than Phoenix.

    People in Winnipeg have to be pretty excited (guardedly) with this. I believe Glendale will end up selling the Bonds and the team will stay put (for now). There are still storms ahead though and I dont believe the Commissioner, Owners, and the NHLPA are going to want to keep a guy with $23 Billion on the sideline while teams are blowing up without owners left and right.


    sorry, I kind of rambled, and this is the talk the thread is created to complain about.
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,305
    MayDay10 wrote:
    gimmesometruth27 wrote:
    i used to love the jets, and the nordiques, and the whalers....growing up i had jerseys for all of those teams at one time and they all moved lol....i have been a lifelong Blues fan and have purposely avoided buying a jersey for fear of them moving as well lol...although they have sucked ass the last 5 years or so..


    I wouldnt worry one bit about the Blues leaving. Dont they draw really well?

    The fact of the matter is, there are so many problem children in the NHL, teams with a good history and fan base (St Louis, Buffalo, Islanders) have nothing to worry about.

    Also mind you, the NHL should get a more lucrative US television deal after this season, which should help out all the teams at or near the break-even mark.
    there was serious talk of the blues leaving 3 years ago when the lauries ran the team into the ground in mass salary dump moves. this was the team that won the president's cup only 2 or 3 years before and had always had a great win/loss record. this franchise had made the playoffs for 26 consecutive years, the longest stretch in any professional sports league, and they dumped all of our marquee players to make the team worth less to lure potential buyers. then dave checketts came in and bought the team and started a youth movement that has gone reasonably well, with the exception that all of our good young talent have had significant long term injuries the last 2 years. i guess it doesn't help when the fanbase is getting really restless and demanding results which has forced the team to make major moves again....they do draw well, but a lot of those tickets are discounted or free because ownership would rather have a full building with hugely discounted seats than have a half empty arena every night.

    hopefully a better tv deal will help the league. losing the espn deal really damaged the league because how many people really have the Vs. network?
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

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  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    I appreciate all your insight. you didn't ramble at all. I understand there's a passion here for it. that has never waned. As you said, you can still see it. People still buy Jets merch here all the time. Nearly 15 years later. Part of me, as a proud Winnipegger though, is I wish this would either happen or go away for good. I hate that this city is clamoring to be more than it is right now. I wish people would be proud to be the city that we are. People have this inferiority complex JUST because we don't have an NHL team, and I think equating living in a good city with having a major sports team to be utterly ridiculous.

    Of course that guy is a gajillionaire. But he's still not going to price tickets at $30 for decent seats. Yes, that building will be full for, I'd say about 5 years. Then the honeymoon will be over. If they are a decent team, then the honeymoon might last longer. If not, this city will turn on it's hockey team like it does with its football team. Go to any other Canadian city with a professional sports team, and more often than not those cities stay with that team through thick and thin. Not here. When the Bombers suck, so do the fans. They only show up when the team is doing well on a consistent basis.

    Back when the Jets were really bad, they had trouble with attendance. And once the dust settles, I don't see how it will be any different this time. Believe me, I hope it is. I really do. It would be embarassing to lose a team TWICE.

    It was bad enough when Billy Corgan made fun of us losing the Jets during a concert at the very arena where we said goodbye to them only a few months after it happened.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • RygarRygar Posts: 8,689
    Paul David wrote:
    of course there are. maybe I should have worded the thread title better. my point is:

    a) the constant media barage is annoying, hockey fan or not (and I know many hockey fans that are also tired of it)
    b) do you really believe that Winnipeg has changed that drastically that we can now support a major league hockey team? I'm not so sure.
    kenshunt wrote:
    Rygar wrote:
    Short answer? People in Winnipeg, and other Canadians.
    I Agree
    Constant media barrage makes most topics run their course fast, so no argument there.
    You have a good point on number 2 as well, but even if it hasn't it will outdo Phoenix' income on it's (Winnipeg's) worst night.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,162
    Johnny Abruzzo wrote:
    Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner in any sport and he's an idiot for putting all these teams in places like Phoenix & Miami, at the expense of places that actually care about hockey.

    If the ticket prices are too high they'll have to lower them. There's a salary cap.
    Gary Bettman is a fucking idiot.
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  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    Paul David wrote:
    of course there are. maybe I should have worded the thread title better. my point is:

    a) the constant media barage is annoying, hockey fan or not (and I know many hockey fans that are also tired of it)
    b) do you really believe that Winnipeg has changed that drastically that we can now support a major league hockey team? I'm not so sure.

    I actually do believe that Winnipeg has changed due to the fact that Canada has changed. 1 of the biggest issues concerning the jest in the past was the Canadian dollar being so low. I believe that with the dollar being higher makes Winnipeg much more attractive to the NHL. also, with the potential owner that is lined up to but the team will be 1 of the riches in the NHl and he will bring in cope rate sponsorship.
  • Cree NationsCree Nations Posts: 2,247
    I wish the Jets would come back but eddiec is right, somehow the smaller market canadian teams need to have a break and get a better deal. The playoffs between the jets and the oilers in the 90s were some of the best.
    Garry Bettman is probably the most hated man in hockey
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  • PatrickBatemanPatrickBateman Posts: 2,243
    if Winnipeg gets their team back , we want the Whalersback too!!!
    If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
  • eddieceddiec Posts: 3,941
    PatrickBateman wrote:
    if Winnipeg gets their team back , we want the Whalersback too!!!

    It is a great arena. Saw Def Leppard there Hysteria Tour i think!!!???
  • Brain of mJBrain of mJ Posts: 786
    Enjoy my Thrashers, f@ckers. Atlanta Spirit killed hockey in my town forever.
  • brother123brother123 Posts: 792
    TRODAT_JETS.bmp
    <a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v44/brother123/?action=view&current=thewh0.png&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/brother123/thewh0.png&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
  • kenshuntkenshunt London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,863
    brother123 wrote:
    TRODAT_JETS.bmp
    Sweet logo
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  • smarcheesmarchee Windsor, Ontario Posts: 14,539
    PatrickBateman wrote:
    if Winnipeg gets their team back , we want the Whalersback too!!!

    haha, love the avator

    loved the Whalers back in the day, and one of the best logo's ever made

    Would definitly want to see Hartford back in the league with those green uniform's played the Bruins, Sabres and Habs regularly.
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  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,899
    Shit, this is a nightmare scenario. Thrashers out of the East, Red Wings in. :twisted:
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  • smarcheesmarchee Windsor, Ontario Posts: 14,539
    sounds like something might be in the works with the Thrashers going to Winnipeg
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    2014 - Detroit
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