Goodbye Calgary Flames

[elk396]

Looks like the start of the end to our beloved hockey team. Make sure all you Calgarians remember that when you cast your ballot next time.

[artie]

Ken King thinks he is more important than all the fires burning in Alberta. Waterton is under attack and King comes out with I am taking my ball and going home. I was thinking we need a change but with this third group who do not have to identify themselves and now the flames I sure will vote for Nenshi again.

[badger]

I still find it hard to stomach that billionaires expect and get subsidies from taxpayers. Civic pride has value but not to the point of enriching the super wealthy.

[elk396]

Originally Posted by artie

Ken King thinks he is more important than all the fires burning in Alberta. Waterton is under attack and King comes out with I am taking my ball and going home. I was thinking we need a change but with this third group who do not have to identify themselves and now the flames I sure will vote for Nenshi again.

It's the same deal that went on in Edmonton, but we need a new rink, plain and simple or we won't have a team in a few years. Having a pro hockey team in Calgary is a must. It's great for Calgary and it's great for Alberta, not to mention all the other venues we will miss out on because of the Saddledome. Will be a pretty sad day if they pull out of here. It's tough to watch both sides dig in their heels on this. Nenshi is just as stubborn as Gary Bettmen. Going to get interesting.

[Echo-Gecko]

Ken King thinks he is more important than all the fires burning in Alberta. Waterton is under attack and King comes out with I am taking my ball and going home. I was thinking we need a change but with this third group who do not have to identify themselves and now the flames I sure will vote for Nenshi again.

Makes me want to vote for Nenshi even more

[elk396]

Originally Posted by Echo-Gecko

Makes me want to vote for Nenshi even more

I guess if you'd rather build a cultural centre than a hockey rink, go for it.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by elk396

It's the same deal that went on in Edmonton, but we need a new rink, plain and simple or we won't have a team in a few years. Having a pro hockey team in Calgary is a must. It's great for Calgary and it's great for Alberta, not to mention all the other venues we will miss out on because of the Saddledome. Will be a pretty sad day if they pull out of here. It's tough to watch both sides dig in their heels on this. Nenshi is just as stubborn as Gary Bettmen. Going to get interesting.

Why is a pro team in Calgary a must, they obviously can't make it without a civic hand out. So long, see you, find another sucker to subsidize yourselves.

[elkhunter11]

I am not in favor of the taxpayers paying to subsidize a privately owned franchise, but I would rather see that than wasting $500k on an abomination along the roadway that they call art.

[elk396]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Why is a pro team in Calgary a must, they obviously can't make it without a civic hand out. So long, see you, find another sucker to subsidize yourselves.

Ya, why have any sports i guess, who cares about all the kids that dream of making that team, it gives them something to dream about. Hockey provides a lot of entertainment in the long winters we have here, for a lot of people. Gets people out doors and gets people off the couch. I've seen money spent on a lot worse things. Head up to Edmonton and talk to the folks up there, they wouldn't give up their new arena for anything.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by elk396

Ya, why have any sports i guess, who cares about all the kids that dream of making that team, it gives them something to dream about. Hockey provides a lot of entertainment in the long winters we have here, for a lot of people. Gets people out doors and gets people off the couch. I've seen money spent on a lot worse things. Head up to Edmonton and talk to the folks up there, they wouldn't give up their new arena for anything.

I bet I could add the words, some folks and be right on the money.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Why is a pro team in Calgary a must, they obviously can't make it without a civic hand out. So long, see you, find another sucker to subsidize yourselves.

Its not a "must" in the sense that the world would end if Calgary doesn't have a major pro team, but its difficult to name a city of any significance in NA that doesn't have one. Again, nothing really wrong with it, but they would be, by far, the biggest city in NA not to have one. It seems to me that if they didn't benefit the city, this wouldn't be the case.

[elk396]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

I bet I could add the words, some folks and be right on the money.

I'm sure you could. I think you should run for mayor, lol. There's not much point you and i arguing this, we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. My boys grew up idolizing the flames and it kept them working hard in the rink and off the street. So it worked in my house and I think the flames organization has done many good things for this city/province. I don't know the financial numbers on this deal, how much it is taxpayers would be expected to come up with, do you know those stats?

[kevinhits]

[QUOTE=artie;3620967]Ken King thinks he is more important than all the fires burning in Alberta. Waterton is under attack and King comes out with I am taking my ball and going home. I was thinking we need a change but with this third group who do not have to identify themselves and now the flames I sure will vote for Nenshi again.[/QUOTE

Ken King and taking his ball home is old news and has nothing to do with Waterton....It was Nenshi's comments yesterday which said " Do we really need a new arena? His response "NO"....Has nothing to do with the management....

[The Cook]

Yeah I just love donating so other people can put a Porche or BMW in their driveway. Nothing against sports but have you seen the size of some of the million dollar contracts. Too bad people that lay their life on the line on a daily basis don't see a pay cheque like that.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by elk396

I'm sure you could. I think you should run for mayor, lol. There's not much point you and i arguing this, we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. My boys grew up idolizing the flames and it kept them working hard in the rink and off the street. So it worked in my house and I think the flames organization has done many good things for this city/province. I don't know the financial numbers on this deal, how much it is taxpayers would be expected to come up with, do you know those stats?

I would make a terrible mayor, and no I don't know the stats. I do know Ken King is trying to play hard ball with the hard working people of Calgary and it will come to bite him in the butt. Brian Burke tried the same thing and ended up apologizing for his stupidity. Things are not going well fro Alberta, the last thing we want is some millionaire owner threatening to take his ball and go home. If he thinks he can get a better deal somewhere else, well good luck Ken. Hockey is a game played by millionaires payed for by the minions, the minions I think have had enough.

[vcmm]

[QUOTE=kevinhits;3621009]

Originally Posted by artie

Ken King thinks he is more important than all the fires burning in Alberta. Waterton is under attack and King comes out with I am taking my ball and going home. I was thinking we need a change but with this third group who do not have to identify themselves and now the flames I sure will vote for Nenshi again.[/QUOTE

Ken King and taking his ball home is old news and has nothing to do with Waterton....It was Nenshi's comments yesterday which said " Do we really need a new arena? His response "NO"....Has nothing to do with the management....

NAILED IT!!

[Dubious]

Let them go, they get a cup run once a generation and try to hold the city hostage. Oil is down, construction is down but ticket and beer and parking prices are up. I would rather watch the Hamilton or Quebec flames once a decade on a cup run for free from my house.

[elk396]

Originally Posted by Dubious

Let them go, they get a cup run once a generation and try to hold the city hostage. Oil is down, construction is down but ticket and beer and parking prices are up. I would rather watch the Hamilton or Quebec flames once a decade on a cup run for free from my house.

you could always move to butt---- alberta and watch a junior c team play while you cried in your beer about the economy. Those places don't ask tax payers for handouts for pro teams. Big cities need pro teams to draw other big players to town that provide jobs and invest here, a guy earlier in the thread nailed it, why do all big cities have pro teams? There's a reason. I wouldn't expect a guy like nenshi to understand why Albertans like hockey. It's no big deal to him if he ever sees a game.

[SlightlyDistracting]

I personally would hate to see them go. Its usually a pretty easy 2pts!



Sorry I had to

[Gray Wolf]

Originally Posted by elk396

. . . Having a pro hockey team in Calgary is a must. . .

Made my day!
.

[Trochu]

We could argue all day about the wisdom involved in utilizing tax dollars to subsidize/benefit a billionaire's business. Generally, I tend to disfavor using tax dollars to subsidize private business, from Bombardier to Greyhound's northern routes. However, given how governments spend money these days, federally and locally, I tend to think that a new arena, and by association the Calgary Flames, benefit the city to a much greater degree than the vast majority of non-public works projects council spends money on. For example, a single event hosted last year, the Calgary Flames Charity Golf Classic, raised $400,000 for local charities including Ronald McDonald House, the Calgary Food Bank, and the YWCA. The Flames Foundation isn't limited to a single event however, and once you incorporate the Lottery, Italian Open, Celebrity Poker Tournament, etc. we are talking about millions raised annually for local charities, not to mention visiting sick kids in hospitals, dropping in and practicing with some minor hockey team, the enjoyment thousands get out of watching the team, the hundreds of jobs created, the revenue brought to the city by out of town fans, individual players charities (of one whom recently won a humanitarian award), the inspiration provided to kids to participate in sport, etc. etc. I'm not an economist and can't perform a cost analysis weighting the monetary pros/cons the Flames provide, but I would sure think they provide a greater benefit to the city than a $3 million reno to council's boardroom, the blue orb, the latest rock tower, LED's at Forest Lawn lift station, etc.

[1stLand]

If the Flames actually put forward a plan and presented it to Calgarians (like what the arena would look like and what would go into it) then maybe Calgarians could get on board with the project and voice their opinion to city hall.

Unfortunately, the Flames have done a poor job with that.

[MoFugger21]

This is nothing more than political posturing by Ken King, the Flames and Gary Bettman. They're trying to make it an election issue. So all of the 'sky is falling' (read: bullshirt) reporting by the Calgary gossipers (see Eric Francis) is completely ridiculous.

If/when the Flames relocate, I'll eat my shoe. It's not happening and for King to keep "hinting" at that possibility is an insult to the Flames' fans. King needs to go.

[Dewey Cox]

Katz did the same thing in Edmonton.
Where are they supposed to take the flames that will make them more money?
The hockey market in Alberta is ridiculous.
There's nowhere to move to that will make more money.
Don't be a sucker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Talking moose]

Seattle.

[Suzukisam]

Arena's are like new cars. The smell wears off after 6months and your neighbour will have next years model in his driveway in 9 months.

[Skoaltender]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Katz did the same thing in Edmonton.
Where are they supposed to take the flames that will make them more money?
The hockey market in Alberta is ridiculous.
There's nowhere to move to that will make more money.
Don't be a sucker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was reported yesterday that the Starbucks CEO is now a front runner for a NHL and NBA franchise in Seattle. If I could take an uneducated guess I'd say Flames shouldn't have to worry just yet but if I was an Islanders fan I'd be getting a little worried.

[hayseed]

Regina.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Where are they supposed to take the flames that will make them more money?

One major problem with the Canadian market is that the players salary's are in USD, so for a level playing field, Canadian teams need to make about 20% more than their American counterparts. So, I could conceivable see Seattle and Kansas City being viable US markets and Quebec City, and definitely Hamilton, being good Canadian markets.

[Klondike]

Originally Posted by elk396

Ya, why have any sports i guess, who cares about all the kids that dream of making that team, it gives them something to dream about. Hockey provides a lot of entertainment in the long winters we have here, for a lot of people. Gets people out doors and gets people off the couch. I've seen money spent on a lot worse things. Head up to Edmonton and talk to the folks up there, they wouldn't give up their new arena for anything.

......who cares about all the parents that dream of their kids making that team, they dream of the day they can ride the kids gravy train ......:

would be a more accurate statement