Same place, new name. According to WKRN in Nashville, The Nashville Predators, who currently stand in seventh place in the Western Conference, have reached an agreement with Bridgestone Americas, Inc. for naming rights to the Predators’ current home.
The arena originally opened in 1996 under the name “Nashville Arena,” naming rights were sold to Gaylord Entertainment in 1999. The arena remained under the name “Gaylord Entertainment Center” until 2007, when it became the Sommet Center.
Last fall, the Predators sued the Sommet Group, claiming it wasn’t making its payments. The Group argued the franchise was not fulfilling its part of the agreement by purchasing products and services from competitors. Since the dispute could not be worked out, the rights were sold to Bridgestone.
In Nov. 2009, as the announcement of the lawsuit came down, bizjournals.com reported that president of business operations said, “For months, Sommet Group has not met its payment obligations under our naming rights agreement. We repeatedly reached out to Sommet Group and sought its compliance with these obligations. Unfortunately, Sommet Group did not do so, or give us any indication that it would. We regret that Sommet Group left us no alternative but to terminate the agreement and seek legal redress.”
Predators’ management said they had no idea why Sommet Group stopped paying. T-shirts. They probably wouldn’t have guessed T-shirts. But, as managing partner Brian Whitfield said, the T-shirts were the straw (or cotton?) that broke the camel’s back. Whitfield said, “The reason we have withheld payments is because our supposed partner in naming rights is not acting like one,"Whitfield said. "We entered into the agreement with the understanding that in partial exchange for our payments, our business units would be the preferred provider of certain products and services.
"The most recent straw that broke the camel’s back was their order of thousands of T-shirts from out of state instead of from Sommet’s BrandCentrik business unit. That in our view is not being a good partner as was promised.”
The Bridgestone Arena will be officially announced as the new arena name on Tuesday.
In other Predator news, the team has extended its affiliation with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League through the 2011-’12 season. The teams have a mutual option for the 2012-’13 season.
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The RBC Center in Raliegh, NC, home to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) and North Carolina State University men’s basketball program, recently installed a unique centerhung display provided by Daktronics Inc. (Nasdaq-DAKT). The new display boasts Daktronics LED (light emitting diode) technology.
“We are looking forward to the quality that we didn’t have with our old board,” said Dave Olsen, Vice President and General Manager RBC Center. “This upgrade will significantly enhance fan’s experiences at the arena by taking advantage of the advances in video technology since the building opened in 1999.”
The new centerhung display is highlighted by four 10-foot high by 17-foot wide LED video screens utilizing 10 millimeter resolution. Providing further entertainment and information, the centerhung will also feature eight additional video screens located above. All of the video boards can operate as independent displays showing single large images or be divided into multiple zones (windows) to show a wide variety of statistics, information, graphics, animations and live and recorded video.
Separating the two tiers of video displays is a three foot high digital LED ring display measuring approximately 84 feet in circumference. Another ring display is located below the main video screens. These displays provide fans with in-game information, out-of-town scores, promotional messages and crowd prompts that create an interactive experience. Sponsors of the RBC Center will also have creative opportunities to get their messages across through motion graphics and other eye-catching content.
“This business is all about relationships. Daktronics has provided the support and equipment necessary for the RBC Center to stay competitive with other facilities within our market,” said Olsen. “I have done business with Daktronics for over fifteen years and have never been disappointed. They find the solutions to meet your needs and follow the project through from start to finish.”
“All of us at Daktronics are proud to continue our relationship with the RBC Center,” said Brent Stevens, Daktronics Regional Sales Manager. “We have been a partner with them since the facility opened and look forward to continued success in the years to come.”
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The story that leaked in May will become official on Wednesday: the Boston Bruins will play in the next NHL Outdoor Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 1.
The scheduled 2PM ET press conference, where the announcement will be made, will be simulcast on NHL Network and NHL.com.
While it has not been announced, the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers are expected to be the Bruins' opponent for the game.
Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said in May that the official announcement of the Bruins game at Fenway would be made in July.
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The new Copps Coliseum would feature a soaring atrium-style entrance lobby, a range of luxury boxes, new lounges and restaurants, food and bar amenities throughout and capacity for more than 18,000 spectators. The design also fully addresses requirements the NHL has previously communicated for Copps Coliseum.
The design is by BBB Architects and its subsidiary group, Stadium Consultants International (SCI), which is also currently working on renovations at Madison Square Garden in New York (home of the New York Rangers) and Nassau County Coliseum (home of the New York Islanders). The design for Copps Coliseum is aimed at improving the fan experience, from proximity to players, to viewing positions and entertainment options. Full details will be posted at www.makeitseven.ca.
“A new team for the best new hockey market deserves spectacular new home ice, and that’s exactly what the upgraded Copps Coliseum would offer,” said Balsillie. “This facility will deliver unparalleled excitement and bring fans closer than ever to the action.”
The revitalized Copps Coliseum would also offer a year-round state-of-the-art venue for concerts, conferences, and trade shows, adding to Hamilton’s already impressive conference hosting capabilities through its Hamilton Place facilities.
The estimated cost for the long-term renovation of Copps Coliseum is $150 million in 2007 dollars (the year the last detailed construction estimate was calculated). The estimate could vary significantly based on timelines, approvals and access to the facility for construction purposes.
Highlights include:
- New atrium-style lobby with major ticketing area and new street-level retail
- New main concourse with new finishes throughout and direct access to lower seating bowl
- New Club Lounge and Club Seating Section
- 50 Mid-Level Private Suites, 20 new “Bunker Suites” with prime seats in first six rows “between the blue lines”
- 4 Group Suites at mid-level plus Group Sales/Party Deck in upper seating bowl
- New Home & Visitor Hockey Club Locker Rooms
- All new rink surface, ice plant and climate control systems
- All new upholstered seating throughout
(*See backgrounder for full details)
“When completed, the BBB Renovation Plan will transform Copps Coliseum into a first class professional sports and entertainment facility, which will in turn promote a first class experience for visitors through the redesign and transformation of the building,” said Chris O’Reilly, Principal with BBB Architects.
“This would be a jaw-dropper of an attraction for Hamilton,” said the City’s mayor, Fred Eisenberger. “What I’ve seen would make the new Copps Coliseum a magnet for sports fans and concert-goers across Ontario and North America. It would be a tremendous new asset for our city, and a major part of the revitalization of downtown Hamilton.”
Click on the images below to see details of the renovation in high-resolution:
 Existing Exterior - Copps Coliseum | |
 Renovated Exterior |  Interior View of Club Lounge |
 Interior View of Seating Bowl |  Interior View of Main Lobby Atrium |
|  Interior View of Main Lobby Atrium |
Source: BBB Architects
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When the joint venture was announced in August 2007, Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman said the arena was part of the casino’s master plan in Vegas. The site, one block east of the Strip outside the city limits, is key because it’s within walking distance of 200,000 hotel rooms, Leiweke said.
One year later, Harrah’s is out as arena developer in part because NHL executives believe it needs to be a stand-alone project, one source said. If one casino operator is exclusively involved, it would be difficult to sell arena inventory to its gaming competitors, knowing that Harrah’s would keep part of that revenue.
AEG has set 2010 as the targeted opening date for the facility to open, but as Daren Libonati, general manager at Thomas and Mack Center who has been involved in talks with AEG about the project said, “It’s been a rough scenario,” in reference to getting through dissecting Harrah’s and Bonderman’s group, adding,“Nobody’s in a hurry to fail.”
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Today marks the beginning of the end for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mellon Arena, and the beginning of a new age for hockey as groundbreaking for the new $290 million arena along Centre Avenue is scheduled for today. The arena is slated to open for the 2010-2011 season.
(See high resolution computer renderings of the new Penguins area)
As reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, selling off parts of Mellon Arena could fetch handsome prices:
The biggest item could be the Mellon Arena's iconic stainless steel roof -- 170,000 square feet in eight retractable leaves. With a street value of 70 cents a pound, the stainless steel could bring more than $400,000 after it's cut into 5-foot-by-2-foot sections and recycled, according to some estimates.
A Mellon Arena estate sale surely wouldn't stop there, however.
Before Three Rivers Stadium was imploded in 2001, the Stadium Authority made $1.17 million by auctioning off everything from the Sony JumboTron (part of a lot that went for $519,000) to the bullpen home plate ($3,100) to a U.S. flag that flew at the stadium ($650).
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Comcast SportsNet reported last night that the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks will play this coming January at Wrigley Field in a continuation of the NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic. According the report, the announcement could come as early as this week. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times:
Hawks president John McDonough has been pushing for an outdoor game after the success of this season's Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. A league-record 71,217 fans saw the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout.
Yankee Stadium had been seen as a likely location for the next Winter Classic, but Gary Bettman saw the site as an unlikely location.
Last year saw 71,217 fans attend the Winter Classic in Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
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Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
"future-proof" the new facility.
The Penguins and the Council jointly will explore technologies and advancements that include but are not limited to:
- on-demand televised replays and touch-screen food menus in luxury suites at the new arena.
- video technology throughout the arena
- video gaming stations
- electronic ticketing
- computerized and integrated lighting and sound systems
On April 17, a live remote video stream was webcast from the Council's offices over the Penguins' Web site and currently remains archived there for further reference. (Visit http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/techcouncil for details)
Pittsburgh Technology Council President Audrey Russo hosted Penguins' Vice President of Sales and Marketing Dave Soltesz during the interview format video, and they discussed the types of innovations the Penguins desire to incorporate into the new arena. Beside the Penguin's games, emphasis also was placed on the fact that the new facility also will be a venue for in excess of 150 shows and events each year, like concerts, ice shows, circuses and other entertainment. Council member companies were invited to view the video, and more than 400 unique visitors viewed the live and archived webcast.
Each participating Council member company thereafter was invited to submit a 200-word description detailing ways their company could provide innovative technology solutions that the Penguins could embed into the design, construction and operation of the new arena. By the May 1 deadline, the Council had received 60 submissions, which the Penguins staff is reviewing prior to one-on-one meetings that are scheduled to take place during the second and third weeks of May.
"We are looking for the latest and best advancements in technology to incorporate into the new arena and our overall business plan," said Dave Soltesz, the team's vice president of sales and marketing. "We are excited about the chance to work with the Tech Council and benefit from the knowledge of some of the most creative minds in the country right here in Pittsburgh."
Source: The Pittsburgh Technology Counci
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Groundbreaking for the home that will replace Mellon Arena will occur this Summer, with the intent of having it available for play before the start of the 2010-2011 NHL season. As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Penguins sought to counter some of the criticism yesterday by unveiling nighttime renderings of the arena that pictured the structure in a more favorable light. One showed the building's centerpiece -- a brightly lit glass atrium running along Washington Place and facing Downtown.
Those drawings, Mr. Sawyer said, really tell "the story of the design."
"The atrium in the front allows everyone to see the energy and electricity inside the building during events. When you're inside, you get to see the most beautiful city skyscape in the country," he said. "That's really the signature part and it came out today in those renderings."
Among the modifications to the design, architect HOK Sport reduced the amount of glass on the Fifth Avenue side of the arena and varied the storefronts to make the proposed spaces more individualized.
To see ultra-high resolution versions of the images you see in the above image, check the updated Penguins Arena page of our Arena Renderings section.
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The Detroit Red Wings are entering their 17th consecutive Stanley Cup playoff appearance, and to help cheer the team to victory, the Fabulous Fox Theatre tower sign will shine red during the entire playoff run, which begins Thursday, April 10 when the Red Wings take on the Nashville Predators. The tower has switched from its standard multi-color display to all red."No other team in major professional sports has a longer playoff streak," said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. "With such an amazing track record, we really have something to be proud about and we want to show that 'we are in!' The Red Wings need all fans to show their colors to give the team an edge in this year's playoffs."
The Fox tower sign, originally restored and unveiled in January 2006 in anticipation of Super Bowl XL, can be computer programmed to perform over a million different color and light variations. The 18-foot sign will run completely in the color red in support of its hometown Red Wings team. The LED light tubes used to light the tower use less than half the power of an incandescent bulb and can last 10 years.
The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Nashville Predators on Thursday, April 10 at a special start time of 7 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in the Opening Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 2 will be held at the Joe at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
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Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel, the commissioner of the study, was pleased with the result, but placed responsibility for the next step squarely on the Oilers. In an address to a local business organization, he observed, “It's up to Northlands and the Oilers to see what they can put together. If at the end of the day they need to come for other kinds of government support ... we'll go from there."
The new arena would succeed Rexall Place arena, current home of the Oilers. The older facility is only 500,000 square feet, and seats 16,680. Edmonton has a rich legacy in the NHL, but constructing a new facility will require a unified effort among builders, financiers, politicians and voters. Darryl Katz, prospective new owner of the team, has committed $100 million, and at least another $30 million can be raised privately. One of the research committee members, Charlotte Robb, observed that a realistic government contribution, in conjunction with the private resources, might add up to a total of $270 million, leaving the additional 40 percent to be funded…from where? Loans and bond issues are the most likely, but the debt incurred would eventually need to be repaid.
Several city council members believe the report is too thin on detail and too long on optimism. A copy of the report may be downloaded from the Edmonton Journal website.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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- Donnie Walsh, Pacers Longtime CEO, Leaving Organization At End of Year - The Biz of Basketball
Bill Johnson is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network
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The Biz of Hockey has been with high resolution renderings of the new Pittsburgh Penguins arena design.Five images, courtesy of HOK Sport can be viewed from the following location:
Details on funding, configuration, and other statistics of the arena will be forthcoming.
Remember, you can access these images, and any others we publish in the future, by selecting our Arena Renderings catagory under "Venues"
Maury Brown is the founder and president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football ,The Biz of Basketball, and The Biz of Hockey. He is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus, Basketball Prospectus and is an available writer for other media outlets.
Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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