Preds appear to be sold

[dandy82]

This is scary...... Jim Balsille, co owner od Research in motion (makes Blackberries) and a billionaire, appears to have purchased the Preds.... Sounds good, right???? Wrong.... His dream is to have a team in canada.....

 

 

Well, hope e does not move the team but there is every indication, after this season, he will....

[wingman10]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2880877

[fromthetop2]

My emotions? Stunned, shocked, empty, a little bit angry.

 

I can't fault Leopold for selling the team, if Balsillie walked in and said "how much do you want for your team?" How many of us would sustain losses when there would appear a remedy? It's just business.

 

That being said, a sports franchise gives more of an emotional attachment because you invest emotion in their existence; happy when they win, which draws you in further, excited when they start becoming better, proud when you hear your city discussed on the national level in positive terms- or conversely if they lose, you start losing interest (I've always thought that is how we protect our emotional well-being; we become disinterested).

 

I've invested emotinally into this team. Not as much as others (I only have so much emotional capital); but I've been a season-ticket holder because: A. I am a sports fan, B: It is important to Nashville and this is my home, C: I have an acquaintance with hockey.

 

Now, there is a strong potential for them to leave. It would be the perogative of the new owner. He doesn't owe us anything.

It would be a sad day for this region (first Opryland, then no new Sounds stadium so they could leave as well, no more golf tournaments, now maybe no Preds). I am mad at local businesses who didn't support it, mad at the Preds who didn't sell it better, mad at our provincialism that makes this sport a tough buy, mad at the Preds who seemed to have no PR savvy at all, just a little bit mad like a jilted lover.

 

I am ticked off at Leopold for this reason: Basillie is a prospective owner who is MOST likely to move the team. Why HIM???

Is it a "first offer, best offer" thing?

 

I guess I'll see how this plays out- but, boy, are tickets going to be a tough sell now. . .

[ERA]

QUOTE(dandy82 @ May 23 2007 - 10:00 PM) 826465725[/snapback]This is scary...... Jim Balsille, co owner od Research in motion (makes Blackberries) and a billionaire, appears to have purchased the Preds.... Sounds good, right???? Wrong.... His dream is to have a team in canada.....

Well, hope e does not move the team but there is every indication, after this season, he will....

 

Preds are Dead! Book It!! /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

[rappy]

Finally, good news, Craig Leipold is gone. I know some or most of you all are doom and gloom, not so fast my board friends. Let me lay out why this is a very positive move and as always, listening to the new media will lead this doom and gloom attitude.

 

The low down:

As a business man, Craig Leipold is not totally stupid. Craig invested $80M and his net return in profits was $68M. I’ll take that to the bank any time. Craig bought the Preds for $82M, lost $70M in 10 years, and sold the franchise for $220M.

 

Preds paid attendance is 13,815 of loyal fans, not business fans. Why is this important, it is one of the best in the NHL. Craig wanted 14,000 for breaking evening and a couple of more playoff game would have secured it. A few years back, Leipold ticked of the Nashville business community with his antics. He tried to bully and embarrass the business community. The word was out on him as being a bad partner in business. It was his way or no way. Gaylord wanted out and no other partners wanted to do business with this clown. I know he smiled to the fans and acted like a buddy. It was all an act. Starting up any business, you have to loose money to make money. It has to be nurtured along until it can become profitable or sell at profit. Leipold decided to "Cut & Run" like some lawmaker on Capital Hill and take a hefty profit on the way out. If Leipold had half decent marketing skills and try not to tick of the local business community, the Preds would have been in better shape today.

 

Nashville let me tell you something about the city and surrounding area. I’m a business person in the marketing business. I talk daily with business people across this nation. Nashville has a very positive image as place businesses and people would like to live. It is a growing and thriving metropolitan area. If you don’t believe it, just ride around as see what has happen in the last 10 years. My own management tells me Nashville is the place to be and my marketing numbers don’t lie as they keep looking to this area of growth. Would my company waste it time in bring in 10,000 people to Nashville and Opryland Hotel for a convention is this was not a hot place for the business climate? I don’t think so.

 

Jim Balsillie is a rich man of the Blackberry handheld. He has much more money than Leipold. How did he get so wealthy, by making smart investments. Like stocks, you don’t buy for the dividend paid out to the stock holder, you buy for the growth potential of the stock price. Sport franchises are the same way.

 

It was said Balsillie withdrew his offer to buy the Pittsburg Penguins for $175K so he could move them to Kitchener - Waterloo, Canada. This is true except for moving them to Waterloo. Pittsburg is not an up coming city like Nashville. Business climate is flat and in a down turn in Pittsburg. Nashville was a better investment and the price paid was worth much more for his future investment return for this franchise. A smart marketing person can bring the business community to support the ticket sales. Leipold was not this person.

 

As for concern about Kitchener - Waterloo, it sits between Detroit on the southwest, Buffalo to the southeast, Toronto to the east. It’s not major Metropolitan area (450K) even with Cambridge. I’ve been to this area a few times over the last several years. The people are great in the area but it is not Nashville in comparison with over 1.5M people in the area. So to move to team to area population the size of Chattanooga is nonsense. By the way, NHL board of governors will not allow this franchise to move at this time due to the growing interest and development of hockey in the south.

 

I honestly believe this deal is the best interest for the Preds. Jim Balsillie is the best answer for the Nashville Predators to win the Stanley Cup. Welcome Jim and thank Craig Leipold for his time in Nashville but don’t let the door hit you in the rear on the way out with the $68M profit.

[dandy82]

My first reaction was the Preds were gone...But now, I'm not so sure.... First of all, the NHL does not want a senario of Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo and Edmonton plus our team in close proximity...It goes against what the NHL is attempting to create with thier product. Additionally, teams such as Buffalo and Toronto have protected areas around their franchise and the issue would need to be settled....

 

There is no up to date stadiums and Nashville seems to be in the mood to put up a fight if Mr Basillie attempts to move the franchise as there a a few legal issues to work out, but that would not be an option I would want to see because of the hard feelings that would result.

 

Mr Basillie is no dummy and he has stated he wants his name on Lord Stanleys Cup.....Now, in his attempt to purchase the Penguins, he was shot down by the NHL in his quest to move the franchise...So, I don't forsee the NHL giving permission to move our franchise, unless we do not average the 14000 fans we need....So, as far as I can see, the power of this franchise lays in the hands of our fanbase. There is also a clause in any new owners contract with the NHL that the new owner cannot move a franchise for 7 years,,,Unless, of course, we do not average the fans and the city would not be willing to buy up the remainder tickets. I do not want the city to buy tickets, I want the corporate community to step up and some of the fence riders.... The Sommet group and its president is taking a proactive approach to contacting corporate nashville..so is the sports authority and other groups..... I see plenty of positive steps taken....

 

I have been plesaently surprised by the reaction of the local sport talk media.... Very supportive and willing to urge fans to buy tickets...And after listening to mayor Purcell, I believe the city would pony up if needed. The Preds mean more to the business downtown, with 41 home dates plus exhibition games, than the 8 home games of the Titans.

 

I realize Nashville is considered a non traditional market for hockey....and I would agree with that assessment 5 years ago, but not today. When the Preds first arrived, there were maybe a couple of high schools that had programs and a few pee wee teams....Now, the high schools fight for a state championship (Predators Cup) and there are many schools that have teams, plus all the travel teams and leagues in Nashville...It has been truly amazing growth and acceptence of the sport...

 

Nashville does not need to lose this team....I don't care if you are a fan or not, to lose a professional sports franchise is never good for a city. The Preds have been nothing short of model citizens but the marketing of this team, imo, has been weak.....

 

 

So my opinion is, unless Mr Basillie guts the team, the Preds are not going anywhere.....He will get used to the idea of the NASHVILLE Predators.....And if canada isn't careful, we may bring his business here, instead of losing our team to canada....

 

So buy your tickets nashville, support this team...It is absolutly best sport to watch live, bar none....

[Solomon]

ESPN article

[ERA]

QUOTE(Solomon @ May 28 2007 - 04:00 PM) 826468496[/snapback]ESPN article

 

Dang Sol, I was just getting a warm fuzzy having read RapB's superb post and then you throw water on it with this link. Dang, I guess we'll just have to cross our fingers and wait to see what happens.

[Solomon]

QUOTE(ERA @ May 28 2007 - 07:10 PM) 826468563[/snapback]Dang Sol, I was just getting a warm fuzzy having read RapB's superb post and then you throw water on it with this link. Dang, I guess we'll just have to cross our fingers and wait to see what happens.

 

 

Sorry ERA, the non-hockey guy on the boards had to come in with a dose of reality about the situation.

[dandy82]

You can be a hockey guy or a non hockey guy, but a lease is a lease and if the provisions of the lease are met then the team stays....Bettman does not want another team in such close proximity to Ottowa, Buffalo, Edmonton and Toronto. It would require several teams giving their approval.

 

 

Mr Basillie was shot down once in an effort to move a team...In our intance, there is an opportunity to move if we do not average enough fans. The new owner could accomplish this by not signing restricted free agents, trading away good players, etc...But he alienates the league office and gives hockey a bad name.... Not to mention players he may want to sign in the future questioning his motives.... All bad senarios, imo....

 

If he wants to move the team, the better senario for him, since he is loaded and can afford the loss, is be honest with Nashvillians in his desire to move the Preds...tell us, no sugar coating. Then, offer every season ticket holder the opportunity to receive a refund. Wouldn't take too many to keep the average attendence under 14,000....

 

 

He could still put a good product on the ice, still have reasonable fan support and move the team after next year.

[fromthetop2]

The truth (as least as I see it):

 

I am so sick of people saying, this is not a Southern sport, we're into football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR. What a copout! What a load of bull! Where the heck did we get so dang provincial?

 

Let us examine it closer:

 

Football fan: The Titans TECHNICALLY are sold out every game. REALITY is that unless they are doing well, the stadium is one-third empty. So much for the FAN aspect of it. Oh, so you say I am a college football fan, huh? Let me see. . .Middle has trouble drawing flies to its game, Vandy never sells out (unless a big team plays there), TSU can't fill the lower bowl of the stadium, so I guess you're saying you're a big SEC team fan, like UT, Bama, etc. Fine-those games aren't played in Nashville or Middle Tennesse. I assume ALL of you have season tickets.

 

Baseball; great, how are your Sounds season tickets? I thought so. They filled it up with 9,000 the other night. Most nights are between 2-4,000. The tickets are dirt cheap, yet you still don't come. MLB, with 82 home dates? You think you could get 20,000 every home game- keep dreaming.

 

NASCAR fan: If you count listening on the radio or watching on TV, that is wonderful. How many times does NASCAR come to your town? Best case scenario is twice, Nashville, zero. Guess that occaisional NASCAR race that you go to prohibits you from buying anything else. But wait, NASCAR runs when the Preds aren't playing (unless they were in the Cup finals). I guess that's too much to have to concentrate on.

 

Basketball fan: You sure are filling out that arena in Memphis aren't you? Or are you filling up the gyms for the local teams here? Doesn't look that way. The NBA can't fill up in Memphis, Atlanta, Charlotte, so I guess it isn't as much a Southern sport as one would think. Oh, nice to see UT is SHRINKING their arena. There are always tickets to Vandy, Belmont, TSU, MTSU, Lipscomb, etc. so I guess the fan base is BUSY all of those nights.

 

It doesn't seem to be that we are as much a sports fan as we think we are. We are a fan- as long as nothing more than an acknowledgement that it exists is required. Just because you didn't grow up with a sport does not prohibit you from learning a new one. I didn't grow up knowing golf, but I learned it and now I play it. I didn't grow up with soccer, lacrosse, rugby, track and field, tennis, or any number of things- but I learned about it and appreciate them as a SPORTS fan. But I am a bigger fan of Middle Tennessee and Nashville.

 

Bottom line: We are too fickle for our own good. Middle Tennessean's (Nashvillians in particular) have seen the following leave: Summer Lights, Dancing in the District, Starwood, Opryland, minor league hockey, two LPGA tournaments, a Senior PGA tourney; maybe the Sounds, maybe the Preds, the list goes on. We want good restaurants, nice shopping venues, quality entertainment- as long as someone else supports them.

 

We want to have these attractions but we don't want to have to support them financially. That is the truth. This potential Predator non-support or move has more to do with a mindset of provincialism and inertia, and to a lesser degree about hockey. We also don't want to go downtown; yet they are building condos to have people live there? What are they planning on doing for entertainment- go to Cool Springs?

 

Next rant is against Nashville businesses who want the traffic the Preds games bring in- but don't want to support them by buying tickets.

[dandy82]

QUOTE(fromthetop2 @ May 29 2007 - 10:34 AM) 826468725[/snapback]The truth (as least as I see it):

 

I am so sick of people saying, this is not a Southern sport, we're into football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR. What a copout! What a load of bull! Where the heck did we get so dang provincial?

 

Let us examine it closer:

 

Football fan: The Titans TECHNICALLY are sold out every game. REALITY is that unless they are doing well, the stadium is one-third empty. So much for the FAN aspect of it. Oh, so you say I am a college football fan, huh? Let me see. . .Middle has trouble drawing flies to its game, Vandy never sells out (unless a big team plays there), TSU can't fill the lower bowl of the stadium, so I guess you're saying you're a big SEC team fan, like UT, Bama, etc. Fine-those games aren't played in Nashville or Middle Tennesse. I assume ALL of you have season tickets.

 

Baseball; great, how are your Sounds season tickets? I thought so. They filled it up with 9,000 the other night. Most nights are between 2-4,000. The tickets are dirt cheap, yet you still don't come. MLB, with 82 home dates? You think you could get 20,000 every home game- keep dreaming.

 

NASCAR fan: If you count listening on the radio or watching on TV, that is wonderful. How many times does NASCAR come to your town? Best case scenario is twice, Nashville, zero. Guess that occaisional NASCAR race that you go to prohibits you from buying anything else. But wait, NASCAR runs when the Preds aren't playing (unless they were in the Cup finals). I guess that's too much to have to concentrate on.

 

Basketball fan: You sure are filling out that arena in Memphis aren't you? Or are you filling up the gyms for the local teams here? Doesn't look that way. The NBA can't fill up in Memphis, Atlanta, Charlotte, so I guess it isn't as much a Southern sport as one would think. Oh, nice to see UT is SHRINKING their arena. There are always tickets to Vandy, Belmont, TSU, MTSU, Lipscomb, etc. so I guess the fan base is BUSY all of those nights.

 

It doesn't seem to be that we are as much a sports fan as we think we are. We are a fan- as long as nothing more than an acknowledgement that it exists is required. Just because you didn't grow up with a sport does not prohibit you from learning a new one. I didn't grow up knowing golf, but I learned it and now I play it. I didn't grow up with soccer, lacrosse, rugby, track and field, tennis, or any number of things- but I learned about it and appreciate them as a SPORTS fan. But I am a bigger fan of Middle Tennessee and Nashville.

 

Bottom line: We are too fickle for our own good. Middle Tennessean's (Nashvillians in particular) have seen the following leave: Summer Lights, Dancing in the District, Starwood, Opryland, minor league hockey, two LPGA tournaments, a Senior PGA tourney; maybe the Sounds, maybe the Preds, the list goes on. We want good restaurants, nice shopping venues, quality entertainment- as long as someone else supports them.

 

We want to have these attractions but we don't want to have to support them financially. That is the truth. This potential Predator non-support or move has more to do with a mindset of provincialism and inertia, and to a lesser degree about hockey. We also don't want to go downtown; yet they are building condos to have people live there? What are they planning on doing for entertainment- go to Cool Springs?

 

Next rant is against Nashville businesses who want the traffic the Preds games bring in- but don't want to support them by buying tickets.

 

 

 

 

Fromthetop2..... This is probably the most truthful and articulate post I have ever read.....And so true....