I have a bad feeling about this...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/truth-and-rumours-84557287.html

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-thrashers/thrashers-shoot-down-la...

If course DW will deny anything - what's he going to do, say "we're leaving, but be sure to buy playoff tickets before we go!" His hands are kind of tied no matter what.

I do worry when rumors warrant denials in the media...

Thoughts?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Biscuit on February 17, 2010 at 10:01pm: Anybody who wants to take up a fund to purchase a billboard in downtown Winnipeg or Toronto, count me in for a donation.

The closer it says: "Hey Canada blow me. Somos pocos pero locos. GO THRAHSERS!" the more I'll give.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dj Nowhere on February 17, 2010 at 10:15pm: Honestly, I like your idea. I might just have to look in to doing a fundraiser for this. Of course it might have to say something slightly more pc.
I'm not worried simply because it doesn't make much sense on many levels. Why would the AS have bothering trying to sign Kovy if they were selling the team? Plus the group supposedly interested in doing it has denied this. Also the NHL has said that neither Atlanta nor Winnipeg have come to them about relocation. Another thing is why would Bettman comment on the AS recently if he wasn't going to have to deal with them much longer? It's just another rumor and I love how a bunch of the Winnipegians (?) are going to get their heart broken when it doesn't come true.

Biscuit said:
Anybody who wants to take up a fund to purchase a billboard in downtown Winnipeg or Toronto, count me in for a donation.

The closer it says: "Hey Canada blow me. Somos pocos pero locos. GO THRAHSERS!" the more I'll give.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Biscuit on February 17, 2010 at 10:37pm: If you do, spell Thrashers correctly - unlike me.
Blow me - very thinly associated with their blow hards calling us out all the time.
Spanish phrase - contrasting their french language duality and accentuating our own southern locality while describing us perfectly
Go Thrashers to keep it obvious.

I'm sure we'll be stuck defending our franchise while our ticket sales suck and the canadian economy doesn't.

Dj Nowhere said:
Honestly, I like your idea. I might just have to look in to doing a fundraiser for this. Of course it might have to say something slightly more pc.
I'm not worried simply because it doesn't make much sense on many levels. Why would the AS have bothering trying to sign Kovy if they were selling the team? Plus the group supposedly interested in doing it has denied this. Also the NHL has said that neither Atlanta nor Winnipeg have come to them about relocation. Another thing is why would Bettman comment on the AS recently if he wasn't going to have to deal with them much longer? It's just another rumor and I love how a bunch of the Winnipegians (?) are going to get their heart broken when it doesn't come true.

Biscuit said:
Anybody who wants to take up a fund to purchase a billboard in downtown Winnipeg or Toronto, count me in for a donation.

The closer it says: "Hey Canada blow me. Somos pocos pero locos. GO THRAHSERS!" the more I'll give.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dj Nowhere on February 17, 2010 at 11:18pm: I was thinking of something that looks like a tourism sign that says something like "Come to Atlanta and come see NHL hockey. Go Thrashers"

Biscuit said:
If you do, spell Thrashers correctly - unlike me.
Blow me - very thinly associated with their blow hards calling us out all the time.
Spanish phrase - contrasting their french language duality and accentuating our own southern locality while describing us perfectly
Go Thrashers to keep it obvious.

I'm sure we'll be stuck defending our franchise while our ticket sales suck and the canadian economy doesn't.

Dj Nowhere said:
Honestly, I like your idea. I might just have to look in to doing a fundraiser for this. Of course it might have to say something slightly more pc.
I'm not worried simply because it doesn't make much sense on many levels. Why would the AS have bothering trying to sign Kovy if they were selling the team? Plus the group supposedly interested in doing it has denied this. Also the NHL has said that neither Atlanta nor Winnipeg have come to them about relocation. Another thing is why would Bettman comment on the AS recently if he wasn't going to have to deal with them much longer? It's just another rumor and I love how a bunch of the Winnipegians (?) are going to get their heart broken when it doesn't come true.

Biscuit said:
Anybody who wants to take up a fund to purchase a billboard in downtown Winnipeg or Toronto, count me in for a donation.

The closer it says: "Hey Canada blow me. Somos pocos pero locos. GO THRAHSERS!" the more I'll give.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Thrashfan01 on February 18, 2010 at 6:21am: An invention floating around this week, masked as a rumour, that the Atlanta Thrashers will be sold and moved to Winnipeg -- with the announcement right after the Olympics -- was met with a mild scowl and a response of "patently false" from True North officials at Friday's game.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/moose/Highlight-REEL...

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Billsen how many times have we heard this? There are a number of factors that speak to this franchise not being moved.

1. Winnipegs size. It is a small town, about 600,000. There is very little industry or much in the way of large companies that would become sponsors.
2. Wonder which population makes more money? That directly relates to cost of tickets, which relates to revenues.
3. The union would be loath to lose revenues, a seventh team earning the Canadian dollar cut about 9% of every dollar earned and the Canadian dollar is currently strong.
4. In Winnipeg the MTS center hold 15,003 as a max. The city Privince would have to spend huge dollars to get it to NHL standards or a new barn would have to be built.
5. The City of Atlanta hold the Thrashers lease, the naming rights of the Phillips are tied to having two full time tenants. Yes Philips is getting out of North America but does anyone really think another sponsor will pay as much per year for one team as two? Where is the icentive for the City of Atlanta which holds the lease to break it?
6. I know very few people like Bettman but the SOB is the ace in the hole for a fan base of any existing city with an NHL team. If every a team should have been moves it was Phoenix and look at the lengths the NHL went to retain the Yotes in Arizona. This is the 10th largest market in North America walking away from it makes very little sense.
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I think Spirit LLC is actively looking for a inverstor to buy Belkins 30%. As they contact possible buyers, many of whom are Canadian, these rumors will continue. The fact of the matter is Spirit holds no outstanding debt and the court battle with Belkin is essentially over. He is responsible for the cash calls he missed while the court battle was ongoing. That is the reason Spirit was able to offer Joe Johnson a almost max NBA contract and Kovy a huge NHL contract. Dispite all rumors Spirit LLC is in a better situation than it was 18 months ago. Do not thik anyone would call our ownership group great and yes they probably need a influx of cash, calling Mr. Blank, Mr. Turner, Anyone with Atlanta ties.... but not having outstanding debt is a huge plus and is actually rare in sports.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JayMyster on February 18, 2010 at 2:09pm: Gary B. just said on NHL Live, that it is not true.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bobbleted on February 18, 2010 at 3:57pm: Like Billsen said, the denials give it credibility. Don't think it would happen tho.

JayMyster said:
Gary B. just said on NHL Live, that it is not true.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by StanMolsonMan on February 18, 2010 at 5:11pm: I know this is just a coincidence but I could have done without this.

http://www.winnipegthrashers.com/; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by hockeyfanjosh on February 21, 2010 at 9:15pm: Thrashers shoot down latest rumor of move to Winnipeg

"NFL commissioner tells AJC the league is committed to keeping a franchise in Atlanta"

Talk about credibility of the article. The sub heading states that the "NFL commissioner"?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dj Nowhere on February 22, 2010 at 12:10am: Ugggggghhhhhhhhh.

hockeyfanjosh said:
Thrashers shoot down latest rumor of move to Winnipeg

"NFL commissioner tells AJC the league is committed to keeping a franchise in Atlanta"

Talk about credibility of the article. The sub heading states that the "NFL commissioner"?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Andyman on February 23, 2010 at 2:35pm: There's a winnepeg sharks team, too. Maybe San Jose is about to lose their team...

StanMolsonMan said:
I know this is just a coincidence but I could have done without this.

http://www.winnipegthrashers.com/; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ILoveLamp on February 23, 2010 at 2:39pm: I'm just wondering why the "NFL" commissioner is talking about the Thrashers...; ▶ Reply to This