Just when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman thought he was finally getting out of the crosshairs of southern Ontarians verbal weapons, he finds himself right back in perhaps an even deeper pile of shit.
It has been made public over the past week or so that Bettman has been in discussion with Quebec City mayor Regis Lebaume about the possibility of moving the NHL back into La Vielle Capitale. It has also been reported that the talks involved former Nordiques president Marcel Aubut, and that Bettman has suggested that the Nordiques could possibly be reincarnated should a new arena be built.
The move comes shockingly close to the NHL’s refusal to allow Research in Motion billionaire Jim Balsillie purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton. As a result of this, I have decided to look at the differences both cities offer to housing a professional hockey team.
Quebec had a long-standing and good relationship with the NHL, playing in the league for sixteen years before being moved to Denver. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly also hinted at the importance of history. “We do have an interest in returning teams to Canadian cities that have supported NHL teams historically,” Daly told the Toronto Star last weekend. Hate the idea or love it, Quebec has done it all before, they know how the NHL works. And by bringing their former president on board, they won’t make mistakes similar to Balsillie, such as suggesting to move the team mid-season.
While Hamilton does have the Bulldogs, support was limited even during their 2006-07 season, which saw them win the Calder Cup. Attendance has dwindled since then, as has news coverage. In fact, when looking at the numbers of the current teams in these cities, Quebec’s Remperts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bring in an average of about 11,000 fans per game. The Bulldogs, classified as a pro team, averaged just over 4000.
Nordiques fans can still be found all over eastern Quebec. While some have since the move began cheering for the Colorado Avalanche or the Montreal Canadiens, an NHL return to QC would definitely draw back almost all of their fans. With a population similar to Hamilton, the Nordiques would have a market of over 700,000 just in the city alone. And don’t forget also that the Nordiques are the closest pro team to the Maritime provinces, so the market could easily be estimated to grow into the millions.
Then again, there’s Hamilton. A city that finds itself in southern Ontario, surrounded by Maple Leafs fans who have been so likely since birth. A city that is expected to lure in fans from Hamilton itself, as well as the many surrounding cities such as Niagara Fals, London and even Kitchener-Waterloo. How many of these fans will jump ship to support a new team? I doubt very many would.
While I by no means doubt that nearly every game would be a sell-out, that would be more a result of fans wanting to see NHL-caliber hockey, not the “home team”. Ticket sales would be through the roof, but this would in turn cause low merchandise sales, limited TV contracts (especially so close to the Leafs and Sabres markets) and large sponsorships, all of which would continue to go to the Leafs.
While I know that I may be tying my own knot writing this story in this market, I may actually have to agree with Bettman on this one. When you really look at the two markets, Quebec City is the better choice for an NHL franchise. Don’t be too upset though Hamiltonians, we all know that should this team ever sprout up in La Belle Province, they will travel down the same long, painful road that you did.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Which Blog Is Best
Now, in case you were unaware, there are many different forms of "news sites" across the internet, each one of which has its own features and elements to it.
The biggest and most noticeable are mainstream news sites, sites such as tsn.ca or nytimes.com. These sites deliver the news in an unbiased and ultimately strictly journalistic style.
Another type is meta-and-comment sites, which is a very predominant type of news site among journalism students. In short these sites reflect the way that the mainstream news is actually producing and presenting the news, and criticizes any stories or reporters who may be adding an element of spin or bias to stories.
Then there are share and discussion sites, which is what I am trying to create with this blog. Essentially, what it means is I will go out and try to find articles or news on a certain topic, and then provide summaries of what is going on in that issue, as well as providing my own personal commentary.
Now, I think this is the best type of blog because of the personal commentary it enables the author to use. While it is still important to not be just entirely one-sided in your writing, so as to exclude key elements of the news, it allows the author to put his input on why he thinks this is happening and the impact it may have, something that mainstream news sites may be unable to do as they must keep their personal objectivity out of it, and are usually restricted to just reporting on the news, not analyzing it in-depth.
These discussion sites allow the interested audience to come to their own conclusions on the news, and to try to gain different angles as to why exactly it may be news. I picked this type of site for following possible NHL relocation, so as to give my opinions as a (self-proclaimed) sports enthusiast, and someone who pays enough attention to sports to possibly see the story in the story. The whole issue of expansion and relocation in the NHL has been very mysterious, with many strange decisions from executives, and has caused mass confusion and, in some instances, unrest among hockey fans.
For that reason I am trying to give you my opinion and provide a little more analysis into what is happening, so as to help you come up with your own conclusions on the issue on potential NHL relocation.
Whether or not it is best, is up to you, the reader.
The biggest and most noticeable are mainstream news sites, sites such as tsn.ca or nytimes.com. These sites deliver the news in an unbiased and ultimately strictly journalistic style.
Another type is meta-and-comment sites, which is a very predominant type of news site among journalism students. In short these sites reflect the way that the mainstream news is actually producing and presenting the news, and criticizes any stories or reporters who may be adding an element of spin or bias to stories.
Then there are share and discussion sites, which is what I am trying to create with this blog. Essentially, what it means is I will go out and try to find articles or news on a certain topic, and then provide summaries of what is going on in that issue, as well as providing my own personal commentary.
Now, I think this is the best type of blog because of the personal commentary it enables the author to use. While it is still important to not be just entirely one-sided in your writing, so as to exclude key elements of the news, it allows the author to put his input on why he thinks this is happening and the impact it may have, something that mainstream news sites may be unable to do as they must keep their personal objectivity out of it, and are usually restricted to just reporting on the news, not analyzing it in-depth.
These discussion sites allow the interested audience to come to their own conclusions on the news, and to try to gain different angles as to why exactly it may be news. I picked this type of site for following possible NHL relocation, so as to give my opinions as a (self-proclaimed) sports enthusiast, and someone who pays enough attention to sports to possibly see the story in the story. The whole issue of expansion and relocation in the NHL has been very mysterious, with many strange decisions from executives, and has caused mass confusion and, in some instances, unrest among hockey fans.
For that reason I am trying to give you my opinion and provide a little more analysis into what is happening, so as to help you come up with your own conclusions on the issue on potential NHL relocation.
Whether or not it is best, is up to you, the reader.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Quebec Making More Progress For Their Bid
With the rumours of a possible return to Quebec City by the NHL, mayor Regis Lebaume has now announced plans to build a $400-million arena, capable of seating up to 18,000 for hockey games. When asked about the league's interest, Lebaume said that while no assurances were made, there is no doubt about the league's interest.
Again, this news is all very startling following how the Jim Balsillie incident was handled this off-season. Should Quebec City get a team, which it appears they just might, the millions of people in southern Ontario will be raising hell and asking questions. Was it Balsillie? Was it Hamilton? Was it the fact it was the Coyotes? No-one seems to know, as Bettman continues to be very close-mouthed about the whole ordeal.
Undoubtedly, this was also raise the idea of more expansion into Canada by fans in our nation. With the possibility of Quebec once again housing a franchise, many Canadians have already begun calling for expansion to Winnipeg, Halifax, and of course, Hamilton.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Quebec+City+build+size+arena/2114144/story.html
Again, this news is all very startling following how the Jim Balsillie incident was handled this off-season. Should Quebec City get a team, which it appears they just might, the millions of people in southern Ontario will be raising hell and asking questions. Was it Balsillie? Was it Hamilton? Was it the fact it was the Coyotes? No-one seems to know, as Bettman continues to be very close-mouthed about the whole ordeal.
Undoubtedly, this was also raise the idea of more expansion into Canada by fans in our nation. With the possibility of Quebec once again housing a franchise, many Canadians have already begun calling for expansion to Winnipeg, Halifax, and of course, Hamilton.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Quebec+City+build+size+arena/2114144/story.html
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Coyote Mess Not Over Yet?
Well, more news coming out of the NHL as Gary Bettman has now supposedly expressed interest in moving a team to Quebec City. While there was in fact a list of up to ten teams that could possibly be up for sale, Phoenix again was one of them and is at the top of the list in fan's eyes.
The news comes following proof that Quebec mayor Regis Lebeaume traveled to NHL headquarters in NYC and took former Nordiques president Marcel Aubut with him for a meeting with Bettman. Apparently Lebeaume came out of the meeting happy and saying it couldn't have gone better. He is now expected to pledge $100 million in municipal funds towards a $400 million arena. There have already been plans to build an 18,000-seat concert and event centre, so putting hockey in the picture should be no problem.
While Bettman's plans seem uncertain, Quebec City has since fought more for the idea of putting an arena in place. They have also expressed positivism that Quebecor has expressed interest in owning the team, after they tried to buy the Habs in the summer.
While it would seem that this would be a great move for the NHL to pursue, they must also approach it carefully. Many fans have stated a belief that the NHL mishandled the Phoenix situation, and therefore should they screw this up, they could lose many of their fans.
While reporters are not trying to say too much on the topic until more news is prevalent, it is obvious this will be a huge story in the following week. Bloggers will go crazy over this issue as they insert their input about what city would be best and the best way to go about working it out.
Source
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/mayor-meets-with-bettman/article1320582/
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/708668--nordiques-ready-for-a-rebirth-in-quebec
The news comes following proof that Quebec mayor Regis Lebeaume traveled to NHL headquarters in NYC and took former Nordiques president Marcel Aubut with him for a meeting with Bettman. Apparently Lebeaume came out of the meeting happy and saying it couldn't have gone better. He is now expected to pledge $100 million in municipal funds towards a $400 million arena. There have already been plans to build an 18,000-seat concert and event centre, so putting hockey in the picture should be no problem.
While Bettman's plans seem uncertain, Quebec City has since fought more for the idea of putting an arena in place. They have also expressed positivism that Quebecor has expressed interest in owning the team, after they tried to buy the Habs in the summer.
While it would seem that this would be a great move for the NHL to pursue, they must also approach it carefully. Many fans have stated a belief that the NHL mishandled the Phoenix situation, and therefore should they screw this up, they could lose many of their fans.
While reporters are not trying to say too much on the topic until more news is prevalent, it is obvious this will be a huge story in the following week. Bloggers will go crazy over this issue as they insert their input about what city would be best and the best way to go about working it out.
Source
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/mayor-meets-with-bettman/article1320582/
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/708668--nordiques-ready-for-a-rebirth-in-quebec
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