Sur le› gelé de Blog sur des mulets et des fourgons mobiles

Mais le renversement de mercredi a compté deux choses dévastatrices pour les pingouins : (1) As far as the eye can see, there’s no white knight riding into Mulletville ready to pony up $300 million in hard cash on top of the Pens’ sale price to build the new rink, and the PA taxpayers are already getting Andy Sutton-ed with the financing of the Steelers’ and Pirates’ new homes; and (2) now there’s zero chance of there being a rink ready in PA by 2008-09, meaning — to any investor thinking about buying the club — at least two more seasons without luxury box revenue . . . at precisely the time some vital, high-profile contracts (Sid, Marc Andre) are up. Oh, and Malkin’s is up after next season. Have fun trying to appease those stars with Igloo cash flow.

Really it’s hard for me to view the development dispassionately and take the high road and root for TeamMullet prosperity rooted in western Pa., and thereby a continuation of the rivalry. The team has simply thrust too many daggers into my Capitals’ heart, particularly during springtime; and worse, they’ve bused down for invasion too many loudmouths in black sweaters and sullied my home rink viewing experience. Count my biceps in for the boxing up. I can certainly live without a few dates with The Diver-Whiner, so long as I get more with Philthy and the Rags. There are Schadenfreude tears of joy streaming down my cheeks as I type.

Gustafsson: I guess I’m kind of split on this one. There was a time that the Capitals were mired in their own crisis of possible relocation until the Save the Caps campaign assured their home in Washington. I’d hate for that Karma thing to bite me in the @ss for pointing and laughing. With that being said, pucksandbooks’ second paragraph strikes a chord with me as well, and I would not sign a petition to keep the team where they are.

I suppose you have to look at this as: TeamMullet WILL be relocating. I briefly commented on this a while ago and some details have changed. It seems that the odds-on favourite to land TeamMullet would be Kansas City. Kansas City is currently building a beautiful new arena that will be ready for the start of the 2006-2007 season. In my perfect scenario, TeamMullet would occupy the Sprint Center in the Western Conference’s Central Division. Nashville would then move to the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division (before you even comment… I am fully aware that the Red Wings apparently have the first right of refusal to move to the Eastern Conference. Is this in fact true? or “internet rumour”?). The Capitals would then be able to move to the Atlantic Division renewing the past rivalries with the Devils, Flyers, Islanders (their first nemesis from the ’80s), and Rangers. We wouldn’t see the diver-whiner-babysitter as much, but so be it. Cue the music …. “I’m going to Kansas City… Kansas City here I come…”

OrderedChaos: Normally I’d hate to see a passionate fan base lose its team, in any sport. It’s one thing if a team has no support in its city; it’s another to have the team relocated due to incompetant politicking and league boondoggling. Was the NHL’s irrational insistance on never moving the Pens (and thus chasing away Jim Balsillie’s ownership bid) due to a newfound loyalty to fans? Or was Bettman simply ceding to Lemieux’s demands? I suspect it’s the latter — I doubt Bettman will show the same support to future teams in danger of relocation.

But this is the Penguins — the team that has broken many DC hearts over the years. The Capitals may miss the revenue provided by Penguins fans flocking to the Phone Booth. But will any Capitals’ fan miss the black-and-gold taint on those nights? I’m all for exciting rivalries; but with the number of transplanted Pittsburghians that have fled their city to live in DC, it barely feels like a home game. I’d have no problem to see the Penguins move far, far away.

If the NHL’s aggressive divisional realignment proposal passes, any Penguins relocation could easily fit into one of the new divisions without impacting other teams. According to TSN: Kansas City (KC Masterpiece BBQ’d Penguin!), Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Houston and Portland have been mentioned as potential U.S. sites. Other talk is of Winnipeg or Hamilton. I’d love to see another NHL team north of the border . . . true, another Canadian team does not bring more U.S. advertising dollars, but TV revenues are paltry, and one team won’t make the difference. With the gate-driven revenues of the NHL, does anyone doubt the Canadian passion for the sport will fill seats?

Can you say Winnipenguins? I knew you could!

Empty Maybe: The Pens have a bad building, aren’t getting enough corporate cash coming in from luxury boxes, and now there will be no government money for construction of a new venue. The NHL turns the tables on a buyer after he’s made his deposit, suddenly insisting on clauses and conditions that no sane business person would agree to. Then the casino bid that would fund a new arena at no taxpayer cost is passed over. It seems to be one thing after the other.

No other team fires up Caps’ fans like Pittsburgh, and that would be a loss, but it just doesn’t seem in the cards for the Penguins to stay in Pennsylvania. However, this could do remarkable things for Fighting Walleye attendance, so there is a silver lining. Western Pa. is in reasonably close proximity to Ohio, which we now know is to be the home of the Fighting Walleye — at precisely the time the Penguins are revving up the moving van engines. It’s a win-win situation, from every vantage, except it actually means cheaper hockey tickets for Pens fans . . . and less diving on the ice.

7 Comments

Gustafsson wrote:

Of course, this article comes out after I put my thoughts to “internet paper“.

The current Atlantic Division (the three New York area teams plus Philadelphia) would be melded together with four teams from the current Southeast Division (all but one of Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Florida).

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 2:52 pm | Permalink
TG wrote:

C’mon guys, having lived in Washington for my entire life, there’s one thing I’ve learned about the movement of sports teams: Don’t count on it until you actually see it happen.

How many baseball teams was this area supposed to get? Let’s see, not including the multiple expansions, teams that were supposed to move here include the Padres, Marlins, Devil Rays, A’s and yes, I think even the Pirates of western Pennsylvania.

Right now, Lemieux and the NHL are sitting there pouting because they didn’t get what they wanted. They’re making a lot of noise about, “Hey, we’re going to consider moving, and this time we mean it!” while stomping on the floor to get some attention. And all the media is playing right into their hands.

But until the moving vans show up and the first game is played in Kansas City, or wherever, I ain’t gonna believe it.

And besides, if they do move to Kansas City, wouldn’t a divisional switch of Columbus and the Penguins make more sense than any of these other grand plans? Columbus isn’t even 30 minutes farther by plane than Pittsburgh from NY, just have them switch and it’s all OK.

Of course, this is the NHL. Counting on them to do the logical thing is asking a heck of a lot.

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 3:46 pm | Permalink
usiel wrote:

The pens have plunged to many daggers into my capitals heart to have any sympathy at the possibility of their team moving. And even if they did move I could see them getting a awarded an expansion franchise a few years down the road. Sometimes that is what it takes for city/state government to get off their ***.

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 4:07 pm | Permalink
Meza wrote:

TG don’t forget Winnipeg, Quebec City both pulled up stakes and left because money was tight up there. It is more than plausable. In terms of division switch move them to a western canadian city and move Nashville to the east.

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 6:23 pm | Permalink
ClcHky wrote:

In regards to the “Fighting Walleye”, Pittsburgh fans are better off going to Youngstown to see the Steelhounds of the CHL. It’s a lot closer, people in Youngstown actually like Pittsburgh, you can see former Pen Jeff Christian, and its very affordable and entertaining for a minor league hockey experience. Nice new arena, intimate and decent concessions and affordable merchandise. As far as Cleveland goes, you’re just going to be paying near NHL prices for an AHL product. Save your money and time.. they’ve really blown it in terms of knowing who their real market is. You can’t build a fanbase from the ground up for minor league hockey in a major league city by putting a premium price tag on tickets. Unbelievable.

http://www.myspace.com/saveclevelandhockey

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 9:30 pm | Permalink
CapsChick wrote:

This is a team that has inflicted so much misery on the Caps, both on the ice and in the stands, that I won’t shed a tear if they were forced to leave the ArmPitt. Lemieux gambled and lost - now he has to suck it up, pack it in, and slink off to one of the square states.

I will happily help the Penguins pack up their mullets, their ugly yellow and black jerseys, their loud, obnoxious fans who spread through the Phone Booth like a disease. I’ll hire a moving truck. I’ll tape boxes. I’ll even carry their sofa. Just get them the heck out of here.

Buh-bye, oh flightless ones - happy trails, bon voyage, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

(I’m not bitter, I swear…)

Friday, December 22, 2006 at 10:54 pm | Permalink
Caps Nut wrote:

TG is right invoking Yogi Berra. It isn’t over until it is over and it is not over by a longshot. Mary-OH!’s recently proclimation that he’s exploring relocation is nothing more than an extortion attempt at this point in time.

That being said, should the Penguin Scum move, AMF! I won’t worry about it one bit because we all know that the Detroit Bandwagon fans will be more than happy to replace the Penguin Scum in our building twice a year. And the Detroit Bandwagon fans will come in larger numbers too.

Finally, what is the bigger “injustice” the Caps playing in the Southeast Division or the Dallas Stars being placed in the Pacific? Please drop this nonsense about divionsal allignment, we have shorter legs to stand on than other cities.

Saturday, December 23, 2006 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

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On Frozen Blog | Update: Project Pennsylvania Moving Vans on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 12:26 pm

[...] We are no Johnny-Blogger-come-latelys when it comes to reveling in the agony of the mulleted. Weeks back we published an internal roundtable discussion of the Pens’ dire straits. Today we renew our pledge not only to keep you informed of developments as they rev up out West but also that OFB will volunteer some of its own moving van muscles should that blessed day arrive. [...]