For this conversation let's consider the Sun Belt teams to be the Southeast Division (minus the Caps), the California teams (minus the Kings) and add Phoenix and Dallas. I certainly don't hope we go back to a "Nothing in the South" NHL Jerseys, but if one or two of those teams* moved I wouldn't be too scared. If a third team moves then I start to worry. Whereas I'm certainly glad the NHL expanded southward, it did come at the expense of northern markets and I reluctantly have come to the idea it probably would be better for a couple of former markets up north to have NBA Jerseys again. I am hopeful a Thrashers move would be represent a small correction and not a mass exodus.certainly would be a more disturbed by a Lightning move, even if they did beat my Caps in the playoffs. To me they've been sort of the model of Sun Belt teams. Also, Chris, I want to expand on a point you made about the Cleveland Browns. The actual thing that happened from the NFL's standpoint is this. The Cleveland Browns suspended operations in 1995, while the Baltimore Ravens commenced play as a quasi-expansion team in the 1996 season. In 1999, when the Brown resumed operations, they were restocked using an expansion draft, but the team kept all records, and previous history associated with the team that had suspended operations. Finally, and I want to expand on this as well. Everyone speaks as though the Coyotes are out of the woods. They may not be. Goldwater is still reviewing as to whether the $25 million ($US) payment is legal under the Arizona Constitution. They may still press this matter into litigation. If it is found to be illegal, this really creates a problem for the NFL Jerseys. Now, for those that might say that as a Canadian I feel entitled, I don't. I just want to see teams play in front of a packed house every night. If fan apathy in Atlanta, Phoenix, or Florida has done this to where the team isn't financially viable, they should uproot, and go elsewhere. I mention Florida as that is easily the best example of franchise mismanagement in the history of the League, as the team began the wrong way, thus creating fan expectation that this will be a contending team every year. Advice to the current owner, treat it like an expansion team, blow it all up, start over, following an established template, like San Jose, or Detroit, or Nashville. The fans may put up with anothef half-decade out of the playoffs, but its worth it to see my team compete for the Stanley Cup for two decades or more. According to alot of my fellow canadians only canadians themselves possess heart and grit and other players are "soft" and inferior which is very laughable. It's so bad that politicians take advantage of it and use Wholesale Jerseys as a way to gain votes, which in my mind is wrong. It agitates me when I hear Canadians say certain cities and fans arent deserving of a hockey team. Okay the team (or sport) may not be popular in that area but who are you to judge and criticize the real hardcore fans of that team? the guys who actually do go out and attend games, buy the jerseys, and voice their opinions of wanting their team to stay in their city, these people are also fans of hockey, the only difference is they are not Canadian. I'm a huge fan of hockey so lets let the sport grow instead of trying to suppress it to one geographical location or just one group of people to sell MLB Jerseys.
The one point missed in all of this is that Atlanta has already lost a team, and it was a pretty good team when they did. The Flames were one of the few expansion era teams to have a level of success early. And of course, up here, every pundit and ignorant fan to the game will say that ''if they had no MLB Jerseys then, no wonder it's failed." Problem is, back then there were fans, and several contributing factors out of there control, how very relevant. The lack of a TV deal, the competeing WHA, rising operating costs with stagnant draws at the gate thanks to a state of the art yet undersized arena for hockey. However, the Omni had amazing site lines as well as a fervent hockey fanbase around the team. Hell, the team made the playoffs in 6 of the 8 seasons while there. To think the city could lose a 2nd team, this time thanks to abysmal ownership, not due to lack of NFL Jerseys, is heartbreaking. I honestly don't care how excited those in Winnipeg and elsewhere in Canada feel. You lost the Jets for a reason, lack of proper facilities, lack of corporate interest, puny TV market and little local money. You also had plenty of opportunity to help save the team, but rather than rally early, there was this mindset that "the team won't REALLY be moved." Then at the 11th hour, there was a rally that put little dent into how much money was needed to be raised to keep them. Yet somehow now the circumstances are apparently better? A new arena, that at capacity actually seats less than the old one with no plans to add seats based on this idea that every game will be sold out, so those extra 2-3000 seats wouldn't matter....apparently. According to some 'Peg locals I've spoken to, the city has more money now to support a franchise. Well, news flash....SO DOES EVERYWHERE ELSE!!! It's this fascinating little thing called INFLATION. Back to every seat being sold for every game. Funny thing is, with a capacity at the MTS center of 15,015, and all 41 selling at 100%....had they played there for the 2009-10 season, the team would still come in at a league average of 26th. That's with 41 sellouts, behind such "underserving" cities as Anaheim (25), Raleigh (24), Columbus (23), Tampa (22), Dallas (17), Los Angeles (16) and San Jose (15). The only teams they would have placed above were, Nashville (by about 850 NBA Jerseys), Florida (by about 10 000), Colorado, ATLANTA, Phoenix and the Islanders. Hmmm, 2 of those are actually "hockey markets" by Canadian standards, curious. And Florida's totals did not include the 1 game overseas they were credited for a home game, considering they averaged 15 146 a game that season.....they to would have placed higher than Winnipeg. Just for an existing Canadian comparison, the Oilers who also play in an out-dated arena with a capacity of 16,839, played to 100% in 09-10.....and were 19th in the league. So yeah, there it is sell NFL Jerseys. With the surprising successes of the Coyotes and the better numbers out of Colorado, I highly doubt much would change to these number with Winnipeg in the league. No matter what, they would be looking at around 25th or lower each season. So while the arena may be nice, it's still not appropriate for NHL Jerseys. And if you think the league hasn't looked at this, then you're blind. The arena size will likely be the axiom behind the board of governors nixing the relocation of the Thrashers. With that small an audiance even with 100% capacity, then how much of a draw would the 29 visiting teams really be?Good luck Atlanta, I know it is a longshot, but I'd rather see the Thrashers coming to the Saddledome over the Jets or Moose, or whatever incarnation of Winnipeg team.
Canadians are allowed to have stereotypes of you folks too. I was proven wrong the first time I visited 'sunny' San Fran ; On the topic of stereotypes, I actually don't think most Canadians are happy to see the Thrashers leave. This Canadian would love for Georgians to have a team to cheer for. I do want Winnipeg to have a team, but not at someone else's expense. You can't blame the Winnipeg fans for being excited though. What I can't figure out is why the NHL Jerseys has bent over backwards to keep the Jets - er, Coyotes - in Phoenix, but Atlanta doesn't get that kind of help. I can tell how the Atlanta fans would be feeling because my city is also a victim of relocation, but on a much smaller scale. In Saint John New Brunswick, we had the Saint John Flames of the AHL. In 2001 they won the Calder cup and not more than two seasons later they moved to Omaha, then to Illinios, then to Abbotsford. It hurt to have our team ripped away from us but the reason for the move was obvious. We didn`t have the space in our arena, on a sold out night for our Junior team the Sea Dogs, the arena only holds about 6000 people, and thats after we expanded our seating. Although now the pain has gone becuase of our now beloved Sea Dogs I still can`t help buw wonder if the fan support might have grown over the past few years. Just this past season, we had a Flames night in which the arena was sold out to watch the Sea Dogs play in Flames uniforms. The attendance that there was compared to what i`ve read in comparision to many Hamilton Bulldogs games is almost double. So I feel for the Atlanta fans but I am also pumped to see another Canadian team. Not because I think we deserve it more, but because I want to see new rivalries in the league (Maybe my Canucks will finally have a rival that they don`t have to share with another team), and of course new NFL Jerseys. I think that if the Thrasher do move, and Betteman expands the league, one of the first places he should consider to expand to should be Atlanta. Of couse if you had an expansion that would mean that they would mean they would need more AHL teams, and I know a city that woudl welcome them with open arms. Sorry for the lack of paragraphing and possible lack of grammar. Atlanta really got the short end of the stick. Poor ownership. Which led to bad management, player instability, and ugly uniforms with too many colours.On the topic of Winnipeg, the Jets name should be brought back without question. Besides the Cleveland Browns, the NBA SuperSonics name, colours, and history will remain in Seattle, should the Wholesale Jerseysreturn to that city. Major League Soccer did it as well with the San Jose Earthquakes when the original franchise moved to Houston. I also don't like the idea of the Jets/Whomevers to be called Manitoba. Time to put the Winnipeg name back on the North American sports map. Afterall, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers do not play the likesWholesale Jerseys of the NY Giants or the Chicago Bears. However, Winnipeg and not Manitoba, would play New York and Chicago.
I'd personally like to apologize for the vocal minority of Winnipeg idiots who have been disrespectful to the fans of Atlanta, Phoenix or southern US MLBe Jerseys. I'd bet good money that most of these half-wits weren't old enough to remember what it was like to lose the Jets, hence their lack of sensitivity. Us Winnipeggers have been through so much to get a team back. Since Darren Ford started the Jetsowner campaign 8 years ago, we've been working toward this moment. During that time, most of us that believe the Jets could actually come home were called some pretty nasty names, especially by those in our own city. Those of us that have followed this campaign for 8 years are hardcore fans, but are also pretty level-headed. However, the recent bunch that have jumped aboard the bandwagon - are the same people that called us "dreamers" and that "the Jets would never come back." And my gut tells me, that these are the same folks that have taken to verbally assaulting fans of Atlanta. They're idiots, they're a minority, and again, I truly apologize for their behavior. My heart goes out to the NHL Jerseys of Atlanta. I've been through this, and it was awful. With proper ownership, the NHL can work in Atlanta. I really appreciate those Canadians posting on this forum with some heart. It beats any other forum where I have seen responses from a lot of less-than-considerate folks, not just in Canada Wholesale Jerseys, but from some traditional hockey markets in the States as well. I am Thrashers fan, and have been one from the start. As an anecdote, I believe I got the first puck ever to fly into the stands during an official game setting. It was the very first preseason game, and the Thrashers were playing a game against the then-new Predators in Columbus, GA, home of the SPHL Columbus Cottonmouths. The puck flew into the stands during the pregame warmups, and my friend snagged it. I believe it was shot by Kelly Buchberger, and it caromed off the crossbar up over the glass. My friend gave it to me years later. I still have my ticket from the first game ever against the Devils. And I have articles from that first season talking about the new team. I went to the big party at Centennial Olympic Park where they revealed the logo and jerseys (which, admittedly, have always been really bad). Despite the never-ending disappointment of watching the team lose year after year, watching owners that don't care about the team let talent go for nothing, watching their marketing just fail to understand what makes NFL Jerseys great...despite all these things, I have some really fond memories of the Thrashers and Thrashers fans, and always will. I want people to know one thing about the Thrashers, it's this: NBA Jerseys could have thrived in Atlanta. I believe it still can if a miracle happens. This is not the same city that lost the Flames. This is an international city that hosted the Summer Olympics. It's the 7th largest market in the country. It's full of people from other places, many of which are other hockey cities. I'm from L.A. and have friends from Minnesota, Chicago, New York, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and yes, a few locals. NHL Jerseys could have been great here. But this organization just failed. There is lots of blame to go around, but it just failed. Ineptitude. I am happy that Winnipeg is going to get their team back. I am sure they deserve it and will support the team. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of my team. I am angry that the NHL didn't fight for Atlanta like it did for Phoenix and Pittsburgh. But mostly, I'm am just very sad that unless I move from the city where I have lived for the majority of my life, I will likely never have the opportunity to root for the home NHL team again. Atlanta will never get another shot, at least not in my lifetime.
Issues like these drive many Canadians crazy, because they feed into a perception, valid or not, that Canadians are treated like second-class fans of the game that dominates their hearts and minds. American media often treat the game like a joke, andMLB Jerseys is arguably not even a top-tier professional sport in the US, having long been supplanted by NASCAR in the pecking order. The argument of geography is often used, but is not a valid one because teams can be successful regardless of location as long as they win. The problem is that when they don't win, no one is buying merchandise, season-ticket sales dry up, and local TV contracts become a joke. I agree with Chris that too many Canadians have a sense of entitlement when it comes to Wholesale Jerseys. But Jesus, can you blame them sometimes? I am not happy that a city is likely going to lose a team, but that doesn't mean hockey-starved fans in Winnipeg should have to tone down their anticipation. At least they care! The games will be well-attended and the team will be able to compete in the new era. In 1995, 35,000 people showed up and rallied to keep the Jets in Winnipeg. In 2011, 200 people showed up and rallied to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta. It's not that the Canadian cities are more deserving than ANY American city for a NBA Jerseys, obviously they aren't. It's that this city in particular is more deserving than Atlanta and Phoenix, and probably more, sorry to say. When Winnipeg left, it was because they couldn't get an arena built. Not because there was no turn out. As for blaming the owners, ask any Leaf fan what they think of MLSE. There might be diehardNFLJerseys fans in Atlanta, but quite simply, there aren't enough. Same reason why the Expos moved to Washington. Grizzly's more to New Orleans. I feel really bad for the Thrashers fans that actually cared about the team. But, correct me if I'm wrong, hasn't Atlanta had attendance issues for quite a long time? That tells me that not enough people cared about the team in the first place. Being from Pittsburgh, I hate to see Atlanta fans go through this because it is the worst feeling in the world...Just the thought of not being able to go to a NHL Jerseys game makes me sick. But the NHL has made some stupid decisions when it comes to granting cities franchises. Maybe had the Thrashers had a winning team for longer than one season this wouldn't be happening, but lets be honest here...the NHL is a brand and that brand only succeeds when the people in a certian market embrace it. Tampa and Miami and Carolina have all had winning teams at some point and so its a bit different with them, but Atlanta didn't and so the brand never caught on. In Canada and anywhere in the Northern US the game catches on quicker since it snows and kids can actually go play without having to find a rink to skate at. Congrats to Winnipeg because they have patiently waited for a long time for the NHL but sorry for all of the Thrashers fans out there.
One point to your comment "I still have no patience for any Canadian who innately thinks their geography makes them more deserving of MLB Jerseys." - Its natural, and the same can be said about many US baseball fans. Try being a Jays fan watching the team in the "American" league. Regarding the Thrashers - bottom line is that sports fans in Atlanta have the Hawks, Braves, Falcons and college teams that place ahead of a Thrasher team that has struggled. I feel for the true fans, but you could get 5-10,000 fans in Kansas City or Portland if you wanted to move a team there. I have no problem moving the team to a community that where hockey will be #1, like the Packers are to Green Bay, and if that is Winnipeg or another US market then so be it. You can't blame it all on the owners, if the owners were so bad and the community (including the business groups) wanted to keep the team in Atlanta, someone would have bought Wholesale Jerseys for now, they been for sale for years. Fans are fickle, and loyalty is highest when a team is winning. Here in Vancouver, people tend to brag about the string of sellouts the Canucks have, but they forget about the salad days of the mid to late 90's when Rogers (then GM) Place was looking pretty bare on some nights. Tampa Bay is never part of the discussion of weak NFL Jerseys franchises for one simple reason: the team, despite some ups and downs, has consistently been a winner after some growing pains and has its name on the cup. If Florida, Phoenix, and Atlanta achieved similar levels of success, I doubt the prognosis would be so bleak for those teams. But here's the other perspective: Winnipeg lost its team in a no cap era when the Canadian dollar was weakened. The NHL did nothing to stem the bleeding, and certainly never did anything as drastic as buy and operate the team until a suitable buyer and arena deal could be reached. Phoenix, however, gets endless chances, while people in stronger markets (like Vancouver) get to subsidize the weaker teams with equalization payments. Ticket prices in weaker markets or 'non-traditional' hockey markets are far cheaper due to lack of demand. Bettman keeps discussing eventual league expansion, and the names that come up are places like Las Vegas and Kansas City. The league bends over backwards to satisfy the demands of NBC, who can barely be bothered to broadcast games (one time pre-empting an NHL playoff game because of the Preakness). The NHL Jerseys schedule for years clearly favoured eastern based teams in terms of travel.