NY Islanders owner Charles Wang has moved from making veiled threats, to now outright saying it: If Nassau Coliseum isn't upgraded, the Islanders are relocating.
Actually, it’s a tale of one city and a county. The city is Newark and the county is Nassau. And it is the tale of two New York area hockey teams who play in the shadows of the ‘greatest’ arena in midtown.
Last season, the New Jersey Devils moved from nowhere-land (the swamps of the Meadowlands) to a sparkling new, state of the art facility in downtown Newark. The building is the Prudential Center (after Prudential Insurance) but it’s known by fans as The Rock (as in a ‘piece of The Rock; the long-time slogan of the insurance firm).
Skepticism regarding whether the Devils largely suburban fan base would trek to an urban landscape to watch has been answered. Due to the nearby access to PATH and New Jersey Transit at Newark Penn Station, fans from away as Brooklyn are coming to watch NHL hockey. Even fans from New Jersey are leaving the car home and taking mass transit. (Do you believe in miracles? Yes!!)
Meantime, Charles Wang has told Nassau County he is out if he doesn’t get a new arena as part of his Lighthouse real estate venture. The plan is to eventually have housing, retail and transportation on the Coliseum site. The Coliseum sits within shouting distance of the LIRR Hempstead station. However, a bus or rail link was never put into place. Any fan taking the LIRR must take a cab from the station to the arena and back. That costs $$. Perhaps building the Coliseum in downtown Hempstead would have been the answer but back in 1972, many arenas were built in the suburbs where the land was plentiful.
It would be a shame if the Isles left the Island. In these tough times of foreclosures, job losses and stock market dives, a night out at the arena or ballpark is just what folks need. And the Islanders have providing that for millions of Long Islanders since 1972. And all at the much-maligned Nassau Coliseum or ‘mausoleum’ or white elephant. Or whatever you want to call the facility that sits on a former airfield. (My wife went to Nassau Community College and used to drive on that scared bit of land.)
I’ve been Rangers fan since the games were on WOR television and Win Elliot was behind the mike. Think Ralph Kiner. And the Rangers /Islanders rivalry is the hockey version of the old Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and the Yankees; all rolled into a nice package. (And you can throw in the Devils)
I remember watching a show called ‘Sports’ Extra; a half-hour wrap-up show on Sunday nights that was hosted by Bill Mazer. Stan Fischler was a frequent guest and Bill would say, “What about this kid Bossy.” He was ‘Boss’ before we ever heard of Springsteen. Even Rangers fans had to give this gritty squad headed up by Al Arbour credit as they won Stanley Cup after Stanley Cup in the shadow of their more famous rivals.
I don’t know what the answer is for Mr. Wang. But this is a franchise that has survived John Spano and the fisherman uniforms. Whatever is determined, let’s hope the team will be singing “Isle” Be Home for Xmas” this year and for many years ahead. You can’t spell Islanders without Long Island.
Steve Viuker is a Brooklyn, N.Y. based freelance business journalist. He is old enough to recall sports before ESPN but young enough not to recall sports before television.
Steve can be reached at
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The NHL had to be feeling great Monday morning. Sunday’s All-Star game, a wide-open offensive celebration, saw its first overtime game since 2003, with Alexei Kovalev of the Canadians getting two huge goals in regulation, and then one in the shootout to give the East a 12-11 win over the West.
The game’s excitement was an extension of the sunny outlook from the league. As television popularity continues to increase, and sponsors continue to get on-board (the NHL activated $10 million in sponsorship dollars alone for the ASG), the NHL would appear to be rising above its larger Big-4 brothers, in some senses, as the NFL, NBA, and MLB deal with the downturn in the economy.
The All-Star Game seemed to add more zing to the NHL’s increasing popularity coming off the Outdoor Winter Classic game between the Red Wings and Blackhawks on New Year’s Day from historic Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Yes, the NHL is touting a slight increase in revenues this year, which flies in the face of the recession gripping the U.S. and Canada, and the NHLPA reps, seeing how the economy has gripped the sports world, wisely voted 30-0 late last week to extend the current CBA through 2010-11 when the current CBA will expire.
Yes,things seem great for the NHL at the moment... And yet, there are signs that beyond the rosy view, there are clouds within certain quarters of the league.
On the same day that the NHL player reps voted to not opt out of the CBA, they also decided to increase escrow payments from the current 13.5 percent to as possibly 25 percent for the remained of the season. The players have been setting aside their salaries into the escrow fund in case league revenues as part of the salary cap. The last two seasons, the players have received their funds out of escrow, but this year, with league revenues slowing to approx. 2 percent, players will most likely not see their full salary.
There also warning signs with more than one team in the U.S. While the Canadian teams remain the most robust, stateside it’s been a whole other story.
The Phoenix Coyotes are hemorrhaging money, and expect to lose $30 million this season after reportedly losing $60 million over the course of the past two seasons. To add insult to injury, Phoenix will not receive all their revenue sharing due to a 25 percent penalty for not hitting certain attendance and revenue marks. The penalty means that instead of the Coyotes receiving $25 million in revenue sharing, the figure is more likely to be $10.5 million. The Coyotes are trying to restructure their lease with the city of Glendale for Jobing.com Arena. Glendale covered $180 million of the $220 million price tag, but in return, key revenues, such as parking, are controlled by the city. Instead of collecting parking revenues, the Coyotes are actually paying a surcharge of $2.70 per vehicle. This while Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes struggles to find investors.
To the east, the Nashville Predators are seeing similar problems, as well. In danger of not meeting revenue-sharing attendance thresholds, David Freeman and the other owners of the Predators may purchase thousands of unsold tickets to allow them to collect their full revenue-sharing check. This while Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has looked to purchase the team with the transparent intent of moving it to Toronto/Southern Ontario. While Balsillie has gone so far as to take advance deposits in Hamilton, Ontario, the expected destination for Balsillie, Commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear that Balsillie would not have a monopoly on the Predators citing 75 percent owner approval for an ownership transfer, and a majority for relocation. He also sent a clear message that others could be in play. "No one has a divine right to that franchise (in southern Ontario)," Bettman said during a press conference on Saturday before the All-Star Game.
But, as mentioned, the NHL does have marks that show that in many areas they are growing as an industry. Whether that is the benefit of coming out of a work stoppage that nearly dropped the NHL in its tracks, or not, the fact is, corrections in the past are paying dividends in the face of the gloomy economic news. As they say, you are only as strong as your weakest link, and the NHL certainly needs to address franchises such as Phoenix and Nashville. Unless the plan is to move the bulk of the league into Canada with only stable stateside teams like the Red Wings, Bruins, and Blackhawks holding down the fort in the U.S., small-to-mid markets will need tending to. As the second half of the season begins, the NHL is that perfect example of the glass being either half empty, or half full.
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As the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings are preparing for the Stanley Cup Finals, the other 28 NHL franchises are already preparing for the 2008-09 season with several teams currently looking to fill their Head Coaching positions. The interesting aspect of the search for three teams is that their GM’s are looking to replace themselves as coach. Don Waddell in Atlanta, Jacques Martin in Florida, and Bryan Murray in Ottawa all have been behind the bench this season, but each looks set to relinquish this role for the upcoming season.
In addition, two other playoff teams are searching for a new coach, with Colorado and San Jose making moves after disappointing second round exits. Meanwhile, the drama in Toronto continues as the Maple Leafs not only search for a coach, but also a new GM.
The following is a look at the current openings and who may fill these positions:
Atlanta Thrashers
After the club’s first playoff appearance during the 2006-07 season, a slow start to the past season led to the dismissal of Coach Bob Hartley. GM Don Waddell took the position on an interim basis but was unable to lead the team to the playoffs. For the upcoming season a new coach is a top priority. The recently fired trio of Ron Wilson, Paul Maurice, and Joel Quenneville have been suggested as possible replacements.
Ross McKeon of Yahoo! Sports suggests that Wilson may be the best choice as his experience in the Southeast Division with the Capitals and offseason home in Hilton Head, SC may be factors which see him move to Atlanta.
Colorado Avalanche
After three seasons in Denver, Head Coach Joel Quenneville was relieved of his duties following the team’s defeat in the second round of the playoffs by Detroit. Quenneville reached the playoffs two times during his tenure with the Avalanche, reaching the second round both times.
Pat Burns has been one high profile name inked to the job, while the AHL’s Portland Pirates coach Kevin Dineen and Avalanche Assistant Tony Granato are other possibilities. One other interesting name mentioned recently has been Patrick Roy.
Florida Panthers
Like Waddell in Atlanta, Jacques Martin is also looking for a new coach as he will step down from his role as coach and will focus on his duties as GM. Martin had been behind the bench since 2004 and became GM in 2006. He stated a few weeks ago that the coaching search has not yet been started in depth and said he was interested in looking at candidates from several playoff teams.
Several coaches with NHL experience have been mentioned in connection with the Panthers job, with Doug MacLean, Paul Maurice, Bob Hartley, Pat Burns, and Pat Quinn among them.
A number of NHL assistants have also been mentioned and Martin says that Florida assistants Guy Charron and Mike Kitchen will be interviewed.
Ottawa Senators
Bryan Murray is the third GM who will look to replace himself as a coach this offseason and with plenty of young talent in Ottawa, this would be a dream job for many candidates.
Pat Burns has been the recently mentioned following a stint on the Team Canada staff which saw Senators forward Dany Heatly set record marks for scoring.
Other possibilities are Detroit’s Mike Babcock, who is out of contract following the Stanley Cup Playoffs and is top of Murray’s wish list. But with Babcock likely to stay with the Red Wings, another interested candidate is former Colorado and Atlanta coach Bob Hartley.
San Jose Sharks
Despite being the winningest coach in franchise history, as well as sitting in 9th on the all time wins list, Ron Wilson was let go following three consecutive exits in the second round of the playoffs, this year losing to the Dallas Stars in six games. Wilson’s Sharks reached the playoffs four times during his time in San Jose, a stint that also included two Pacific Division Titles and a trip to the Conference Finals in 2002-03.
While Wilson looks certain to be picked up by another club quickly, the direction of the Sharks is more uncertain. According to Sharkspage.com on Wednesday at the 2008 State of the Sharks meeting, GM Doug Wilson answered questions about the coaching position and he reportedly:
“[M]entioned a list of 40 potential candidates that will be narrowed down, noting that many were still under contract. He said he wanted a head coach with a blue collar work ethic, one that will not shy away from being hard on players when needed. Wilson said that he could not go into specifics, and that the only time you will hear the new coach's name from him will be during the announcement of his hiring. Wilson also said that there are a lot of suggestions and speculation from fans and the media, but Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle and Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock are similar to the type of coach he wants in San Jose.â€
Toronto Maple Leafs
Last but not least are the openings in Toronto, which have been by far the most intriguing with numerous high profile names linked with their jobs.
Brian Burke, Wayne Gretzky, and Steve Yzerman are just a few of the names that have turned down interest from the Leafs, while former Canucks GM Dave Nonis has met with Toronto officials about the GM position. Current Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough is another name the Leafs may be interested in.
John Ferguson was fired from his role as GM in January, being replaced on an interim basis by former Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher. Head Coach Paul Maurice followed after missing the playoffs.
For the coaching position, Quenneville has been one possible replacement mentioned, while Craig Hartsburg, a former head coach in Chicago and Anaheim, has also expressed interest in the position.
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Last week, it was reported that former NHL enforcer Rob Ray, a 15 year veteran who played for the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, filed a suit against the NHLPA , saying the union purposely deceived him in an earlier case which was settled in September 2005. Â The suit, filed in January in the State Supreme Court in Buffalo, is seeking punitive damages of $2 million.
Ray’s first suit against the NHLPA, filed in December 2004, claimed that the union had refused to pay him a stipend during the 2004-05 lockout, which saw the union pay between $5,000- 10,000 a month to Player Association members.Â
Ray has suggested that the NHLPA was acting in retaliation for comments he made saying he would be willing to cross the picket line if the NHL decided to use replacement players in games.
Ray and the NHLPA reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount of money in September 2005. Part of the agreement forbids Ray from seeking more money in the future.  Ray claims the Player’s Association told him they would not distribute any more money to players after the lockout ended.
However, the NHLPA did in fact give the surplus of its compensation fund to current and retired players, and Ray says the NHLPA "falsely, fraudulently, and with the intent to deceive and defraud," got him to settle the first suit.Â
On the other hand, The NHLPA have asked for the case to be dismissed and counter the claim with the 2005 agreement which states, “It is understood that in this agreement, Ray is waiving any claim to future payments that may be made by the NHLPA to former members."
 For the union the case causes another headache for an organization which is eager to put all the controversy and conflicts of the past few years behind them.Â
The bitter struggle between the union and the NHL owners during the lockout, led to the ousting of long time NHLPA chief executive Bob Goodenow. His successor, Bob Saskin, held the position for less than two years, in a reign full of trouble.  Saskin immediately made enemies with several players during the hiring process where he tried to bypass a mandatory secret vote with representatives of all 30 teams.Â
Saskin’s relationship with the players continued to deteriorate with what was seen as a cozy relationship between him and NHL leaders Gary Bettman and Bill Daly. Saskin’s time in charge of the union ended following a scandal where he was found to have read player’s emails without their knowledge.
Paul Kelly, a lawyer from Boston’s firm of Kelly, Libby and Hoopes was appointed chief executive in October 2007 and inherited an organization which badly needs stability and does not need any more conflict with its members.
Ray, now a reporter during Buffalo Sabres games, has not commented on the case and a court date has not yet been set.
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In January of this year, I had written an original article for Maury Brown’s bizofhockey.com web site entitled Are New Year’s Day Bowl Games Standing on Thin Ice? In the article, I discussed how crucial it was for the National Hockey League to capitalize on the overwhelming success of the Winter Classic in Buffalo. Not only did we see a highly competitive game that featured the sport’s brightest star, but America was also introduced to a new pastime on New Year’s Day. As confusion and ambiguity continues to surround the Bowl Championship Series in college football, the National Hockey League has a unique opportunity to establish itself on a holiday that was once dominated by pig skins, floral parades and marching bands.
Over the past few days, various periodicals and sports radio programs have dissected a business initiative that involves an Original Six hockey club, the House that Ruth Built and an outdoor hockey game. The National Hockey League is in the process of revisiting the immensely popular outdoor hockey games by conducting conversations with the New York Rangers and historic Yankee Stadium about the possibility of hosting a Winter Classic on New Year’s Day in 2009. This event would be the final sporting contest ever held at baseball’s version of the Sistine Chapel.
(See The Biz of Baseball article on ticket prices at Yankee Stadium)
Without hesitation, there is a genuine and sincere excitement emanating from the National Hockey League’s offices on Sixth Avenue. The league would have an opportunity to market a hockey contest that is truly “once in a lifetime†to potential sponsors, advertisers, television networks and ticket buyers. The characteristics that normally distinguish a price sensitive fan from an insensitive fan would almost disappear due to the finality of the event. A contest of this magnitude at Yankee Stadium would surely attract a substantially large viewing audience who would not necessarily be admirers of hockey. The diverse objectives of the audience could be beneficial to a sport looking for an identity and brand equity.
Before a zamboni exits Monument Park and the National Hockey League’s “Ice Guru†Dan Craig creates a rink in Derek Jeter’s back yard, there are numerous details that the league must address before a puck is dropped. While the New York Rangers are the ideal participant in this event, there are several dilemmas involving their potential opponent. It is no secret that both the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils would relish an opportunity to showcase their intense battles with the Rangers on such a grandiose stage. However, any decision involving either one of the two teams is problematic for the National Hockey League. The league needs to focus on a national audience even though the regional match ups are rather appealing. While any contest involving the Rangers and one of their local rivals would do well in the tri-state area, a contest of this magnitude would surely alienate a national audience and potentially diminish the viability of future outdoor contests on New Year’s Day. The idea of promoting an “Original Six†contest as the final sporting event at Yankee Stadium is a logical and appropriate decision due to the circumstances surrounding the House that Ruth Built.
While many consider the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings as the front runners to secure the cherished role as opponent to the Rangers, the National Hockey League should seriously consider a long forgotten member of the “Original Six†fraternity, the Chicago Blackhawks. In recent years, the Blackhawks have struggled mightily. Longtime team owner William Wirtz passed away last fall and was frequently vilified for various management decisions that have adversely affected a franchise that won its last Stanley Cup in 1961. The Blackhawks haven’t had a winning season or playoff appearance since the 2001-2002 campaign where the team had won forty-one games, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the St. Louis Blues. Between the 2001-2007 seasons, the Blackhawks have played 246 regular season games at the United Center. During this time, they have averaged 14,110 fans per game in a facility whose maximum capacity for hockey is 20,500. In other words, the Blackhawks have only been utilizing approximately 69% of the United Center’s seating capacity for hockey games. To make matters worse, the Blackhawks have experienced an 18.3% decline in overall attendance since the 2002 season. The precipitous decline in attendance does not properly represent a cosmopolitan city that is deeply infatuated with the greatest game on ice. The city of Chicago is yearning for an opportunity for the Blackhawks to take center stage in a sports crazed town. An invitation to the Winter Classic would not only energize a city, but it would motivate a franchise to awake from its decades’ long infatuation with frugality.[1]
Besides the selection of an opponent, the National Hockey League will have to address other pertinent issues. The television contract between the National Hockey League and NBC expires at the end of this season. When NBC broadcasted the New Year’s Day game a few months ago, the contest between the Sabres and Penguins drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share for the network. These numbers were even better than FOX’s broadcast of Wayne Gretzky’s final game in April, 1999. If the National Hockey League is unsuccessful in renegotiating a contract with NBC, the league could turn its attention to an old acquaintance. It is no secret that the National Hockey League would like to rekindle its relationship with ESPN even though the league’s cable rights in the United States are exclusively controlled by Versus. Any potential deal involving ESPN would also include a negotiation with Versus for compensation and rights fees. While the deal would make sense for the National Hockey League, it could actually be detrimental for Versus. Currently, Versus enjoys its control over the cable television market when it comes to hockey. If ESPN begins to broadcast hockey games on any of its networks, Versus could conceivably lose a lion’s share of their advertising dollars and possibly their identity. While Versus covers several outdoor sports from hunting and fishing to bull riding, their relevance as a sports network is tied directly to the National Hockey League. Therefore, it is imperative that a television deal is firmly secured before the league proceeds with any discussions about another outdoor game. [2]
To many, a visit to Yankee Stadium is a religious experience that touches every fiber of a person’s being. Whether you are an admirer of the New York Yankees or just an average baseball fan, Yankee Stadium was, is and always will be the center of the baseball universe. It is a required pilgrimage for all who devoutly worship at the altar of baseball. Every crack and crevice in the cathedral on 161st Street and River Avenue contains volumes of history that a library could never appropriately capture. Yankee Stadium is not just another sports venue that has become obsolete due to attrition and technology. It is a piece of Americana that has aged gracefully over time. While Yankee Stadium will forever be synonymous with twenty-six world championships and iconic athletes who wore the pinstripes, its contributions to American history goes well beyond Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Yankee Stadium has hosted events that run the gamut from football games and boxing matches to papal visits, religious events and memorial services.
The National Hockey League’s infatuation with Yankee Stadium as a potential venue for another Winter Classic is intriguing and disturbing all at the same time. Barring a playoff appearance by the Yankees this fall, the franchise is scheduled to host their final game at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008. If the National Hockey League can successfully negotiate a deal with the Yankees, New York City and the Parks Department, the final event at Yankee Stadium will be its first ever hockey game. In the eyes of many, this is a blasphemous act that falls just short of being sacrilegious. While a hockey contest at Yankee Stadium would be a spectacle of epic proportions, a strong and volatile resentment could percolate over the coming months.
One of the most endearing qualities of the outdoor hockey games is the physical and psychological confrontations with inclement weather. The National Hockey League’s first attempt at a regular season outdoor game in 2003 between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadians saw temperatures hover around zero degrees with a wind chill of fifteen below. This past January’s contest in Buffalo was a winter wonderland. In both instances, the freezing temperatures and steady snow fall did not deter exuberant audiences from enjoying themselves. While the winter months in New York City aren’t as intense as the ones in Buffalo and Edmonton, the weather will still play a pivotal role in the planning and execution of the event.[3]
After years of atrophy and ineptitude, the National Hockey League has finally begun to utilize various marketing strategies and ingenuity in order to resurrect a sport that has been unfairly saddled with obscurity. While the idea of hosting an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium is absolutely brilliant, the league must be prepared to encounter a kaleidoscope of emotions and obstacles from appalled baseball fans. The polarizing opinions surrounding this event are worthy of attention, but the National Hockey League needs to forge ahead and make this dream a reality.
Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr. is a clinical assistant professor of sports management at the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University.
Los Angeles Kings captain Rob Blake made it public knowledge Monday that he will not waive his no-trade clause in the upcoming days prior to the National Hockey League’s trade deadline, a fact that bears much more interest than it probably should in this day and age of the NHL.
Ever since the lockout ended a few seasons ago, ever since the salary-cap era began, and ever since larger and larger magnifying glasses have been placed upon player contracts and their writings-up, the no-trade clause (or no-movement clause, as it pertains to the cases of a select few players) has gained a certain degree of notoriety, and wrongfully so.
Approximately 90 players, which figures to be just less than an eighth of the league, currently have the clause ( in one form or another) embedded into their contracts. So, it stands to reason, they are catching on in popularity, or, rather, players are catching on as to how to better negotiate their contracts. Really, having a no-trade clause helps players maintain some semblance of control in a business in which the winds of change are as common as a goal being scored. Hockey, after all, is a game of streaks.
So, one has to wonder, if all these players intend on staying put for better or for worse, at least intended initially, why do their names keep reappearing in trade rumors and why do they, time after time, need to justify to journalists and fans alike their desire to not be shopped? Sure, like most anything else in the legal world, should both parties be in agreement, the clause can be waived. But these players asked for the chance to stay put with their respective teams for a reason. Why for the love of God would they willingly let such a crucial building (or stumbling) block to their deals be swept out from under them? Out of the goodness of their gentle hearts?
That’s what most fans, particularly in Toronto with regards to forwards Mats Sundin and in Los Angeles with defenseman Blake, are hoping for, that their captains bite the bullet and allow their rights to be sold the highest bidder as the playoffs approach. Both are unrestricted free agents at season’s end (meaning they could sign another contract with whatever team in the league, even their current ones if they are eventually dealt… if they so choose) and the Kings and Maple Leafs are each well out of any race to the postseason. Thus, the prospect of getting a hefty return on their most valuable commodities, losing them for merely the remainder of what is already a lost season seems like quite a bargain. But wait! Blake just cried foul at the media’s attempt to ship him off prematurely and Sundin has continuously reiterated similar feelings in Toronto the past few months. Neither wants to leave their basement-dwelling teams, even if it means a chance at playing for a contender for the Stanley Cup, even as the two aged stars ever approach the ends of their careers (Blake has already won one with the Colorado Avalanche; Sundin, playing for the drought-ridden Leafs for the past 14 years has never reached the league final).
Select Read More to see the rest of this Biz of Hockey Original article
To complement the new poll question (Should the All-Star Game Be Put on Hiatus?), I'd like to quickly share my idea to enhance the overall experience of the annual ritual.
With the success of the NHL Winter Classic, a game played on an outside rink in front of football-size crowds, why not combined this event and the All-Star Game to create a fantastic showcase for the sport and the current wave of young talent?
Imagine the spectacle:
More than 40 of the best players the National Hockey League has to offer, in front of a drooling 60,000-fans crowd, celebrating the game in its most stripped-down and primal state. The excitement, buzz and overall media coverage could probably be the most exciting thing to happen to this event and the game in a long, long time.
Visit this NHL.com web page for videos of the Classic and pictures of the rink preparation.
On top of that, I believe that the game, if played in less-than-friendly markets, can actually help the home team in the short and long run. It creates awareness among sports fans of a given region and also becomes a media darling that could help with the coverage in the future.
Also, let's not forget that this happening has an impact on the economy of a region, with the national and international exposure and all the participants that need a hotel room, food and entertainment. From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:
"With four days of festivities surrounding it, the NHL All-Star Game is expected to create an economic impact of $20 million, according to Atlanta Sports Council estimates.
In fact, Atlanta Sports Council President Gary Stokan thinks it could go as high as $25 million.
"We do actual economic impact surveys afterwards," he said. "It's the best information we've been able to gain, which is a nice hit for the city."
That's not as much as is projected for 2008's Chick-fil-A Bowl ($30 million) or Southeastern Conference football championship ($25 million), but as Philips Arena has a sell-out capacity of 18,545 compared to the nearly 70,000 seats of the Georgia Dome, that means people in this crowd will spend a lot more money."
I'd like to hear your views on my idea and the whole concept of the All-Star game, by first voting on the poll question in the right sidebar and then head here to comment on Ballhype.
The term "enforcer" does not appear in the 2007 – 2008 NHL rulebook. However, every player, coach and manager knows what that term means. With most of the sports world focused on the Mitchell Report and the Rogers Clemens’ defamation lawsuit filed against his former trainer, little attention has been given to what will most likely become one of hockey’s most famous lawsuits if not its most notorious. Steve Moore, former Harvard captain, and his parents have sued NHL tough man Todd Bertuzzi, the Vancouver Canucks and the partnership which owned the Canucks for an on-ice incident which occurred between Moore and Bertuzzi on March 8, 2004. Dedicated fans have followed the lawsuit but with the ‘incident’ almost four years old many have forgotten about the vicious hit Bertuzzi rendered to Moore. However, the legal bickering is now gaining speed and a trial is within the litigants’ foreseeable future, most likely twelve to eighteen months away.
The Moore-Bertuzzi Incident
The dispute between Moore and Bertuzzi actually began on February 16, 2004 when Moore checked the Canucks captain, Markus Naslund in a regular season game between the two clubs. As a result of the check, Naslund received a concussion, facial lacerations and suffered soreness to his wrist. No penalty was called on Moore and after a review by the NHL the hit was ruled a clean hit. Naslund missed three games as a result of the hit by Moore. The next game scheduled between the two teams was March 3, 2004. Leading up to the March 3, 2004 game Todd Bertuzzi made several statements to the effect that he or his teammates or both would retaliate against Moore. In fact, the threat became so publicized that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations of the NHL, Colin Campbell, attended the March 3, 2004 match. However, no retaliation took place in that game. Bertuzzi was questioned after the game about why nothing occurred and he said that the game was too close but other situations would present themselves.
The final regular season game between the two clubs was played just five days later in Vancouver, British Columbia. Moore’s parents were watching the game from their home in Ontario. Although the commissioner was not at the March 8, 2004 game there was still concern by the league that an incident might occur. The NHL director of officiating contacted the game officials and warned them about possible retaliation against Moore. The Avalanche took an early 5 – 0 lead. With the score 7 – 2 in the final period the Canucks were in the middle of a line-change when Bertuzzi confronted Moore. When Bertuzzi tried to get him to fight, Moore merely skated away. Bertuzzi continued to follow Moore the length of the ice and halfway back up the ice in the opposite direction. Bertuzzi finally struck Moore from behind dropping him to the ice face first.
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The NHL had to be feeling great Monday morning. Sunday’s All-Star game, a wide-open offensive celebration, saw its first overtime game since 2003, with Alexei Kovalev of the Canadians getting two huge goals in regulation, and then one in the shootout to give the East a 12-11 win over the West.
