The Isle of PWNED!

[andre29bc]

Penguins future in further doubt

PITTSBURGH (CP) - The future of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins is uncertain after Isle of Capri Casino was denied a slots licence in the state capital Wednesday.

The state's Gaming Control Board in Harrisburg approved a licence for PITG Gaming Majestic Star of Detroit over Isle of Capri and a third bidder, Forest City Enterprises.

''Obviously, we are very disappointed that the Isle of Capri was not awarded the slots licence,'' Penguins CEO Ken Sawyer said in a statement, which began by congratulating the winning bid.

The licence was critical to the club's survival in Pittsburgh as Isle of Capri had promised to spend US$290 million to build the Penguins an arena. The Penguins need a new rink to replace the 45-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest facility in the NHL.

''Had Isle of Capri been selected, it would have ensured the long-term future of the Penguins in Pittsburgh and would have delivered a $1-billion development opportunity to the Lower Hill and Uptown,'' Sawyer said. ''At this point, our franchise enters a period of uncertainty, with our lease at Mellon Arena set to expire this summer. We will re-evaluate all of our options before deciding on a course of action and making further comment.''



The decision comes less than a week after a deal to sell the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie fell through.

PITG Gaming Majestic Star said previously it would contribute some money for a new arena over 30 years under a so-called ''Plan B'' being proposed by city and county officials that would include public funds. But that plan also calls for the Penguins to help pay for the rink and neither team owner Mario Lemieux or NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are believed to be fond of that plan.

''I am committed to what we said we were going to do,'' Don H. Barden, the head of PITG Gaming, said after winning the bid. ''We're going to fund $7.5 million a year for 30 years towards financing a new multipurpose arena.''

He said he will meeting soon with Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl to get the process moving.

''It will be the largest of our operations and we're going to put a lot of attention on this project,'' Barden said. ''We're going to get it going right away.''

It's been a bad week for the Penguins, whose sale to Balsillie fell through last Friday after he pulled the plug, uncomfortable with the NHL's list of conditions in the final sale agreement.

Balsillie, the co-chief executive officer of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd (TSX:RIM), says he's still interested in trying to purchase the team.

''All it takes is three motivated parties and a five-minute phone call to get this deal back on track,'' Balsillie told globeandmail.com in an email after the slots licence decision Wednesday. ''We've fully studied the situation, and are prepared to complete the purchase and immediately commence good faith `Plan B' negotiations with the government officials to keep the team in Pittsburgh.''

Balsillie didn't immediately return a phone call to his Waterloo, Ont., home from The Canadian Press.

Toronto brewery owner Frank D'Angelo officially declared his interest in the Penguins on Monday. And he said he's willing to build and pay for his own arena in Pittsburgh and commit to keeping the team there.

D'Angelo, whose bid for a CFL franchise in Ottawa was recently turned down, says he and billionaire partner Barry Sherman are teaming up to make an offer.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, a Pittsburgh native, is also believed to have contacted the league although it's not clear how serious he is about making a bid.

www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=189123&hubname=

[superfoe]

I voted stay in Pittsburgh. Bettman won't let the sale go through unless the owner keeps the team in Pittsburgh.

[starking18]

Kansas City

[andre29bc]

someonenew said:

I voted stay in Pittsburgh. Bettman won't let the sale go through unless the owner keeps the team in Pittsburgh.

That's what I thought until today. I don't think he has much of a choice anymore.

[DSR]

I don't give a crap. And I'm from Pittsburgh.

[Johnny Danger (Godz)]

I hope Pittsburgh

[andre29bc]

A friend of mine here is convinced that the NHL will file for bankruptcy within the next five years anyway, so it might not matter.

[Johnny Danger (Godz)]

andre29bc said:

A friend of mine here is convinced that the NHL will file for bankruptcy within the next five years anyway, so it might not matter.

Eh, I've got a friend who says the same thing about the MLB. But what does he know, he's a Nascar mark.

[superfoe]

I'm a huge Pens fan, and have been since I could remember. I feel that if the city doesn't want to help out the team and keep them, they deserve to be moved. But I'm still going to stick by my original thought that Bettman won't let a sale go through to someone who wants to move the team. There are a couple of interested buyers that want to keep the team in Pittsburgh, including Mark Cuban.

[andre29bc]

But the Cuban/Marino deal already fell through once, what do you think they have to do to improve it?

[superfoe]

I'm not sure they have to do anything to improve it. I think Lemieux and the league are a bit more desperate now. They're willing to sell it for a bit less than originally now that there is no real arena deal in place.

[Brain Of F'n J]

someonenew said:

Bettman won't let the sale go through unless the owner keeps the team in Pittsburgh.

We are talking about GARY Bettman, right? The guy who let almost EVERY Canadian team pull up stakes and move to such hockey hotbeds as PHOENIX, ARIZONA, thereby eliminating virtually half of the league's diehard fanbase? The guy who overlooked Cleveland, Cinnicinati, Seattle and Portland, Oregon for the sprawling metropolis of COLUMBUS, OHIO?

Bettman has been a cancer to that league. How he's kept his job this long is beyond me, but I would not only put it past him to allow the sale and the move, I expect him to supply the bubble wrap and the moving truck.

And send them to some other long-time hockey town like ... Las Vegas. Or Des Moines. Or Tijuana.

Jed Shaffer
~Gretzky for NHL Commish in 2007!

[superfoe]

I agree that Bettman has been bad for the league for the most part. However, the past couple of years he has really picked up his game. Ottawa and Buffalo both had major problems surrounding their ownership, and he found great owners for both of the teams. I agree that the move from Winnipeg to Phoenix was crap, and Quebec city to Colorado wasn't cool either, and the expansion into Florida and California wasn't well thought out, and that whole lockout wiping out a season thing wasn't the best thing... but he has been fairly careful with new ownership groups for a couple of years.

[andre29bc]

This may be overanalyzing things, but the only reason I can think of for keeping the Pens in Pittsburgh is based on an episode of SportsCenter from 3-4 years ago.

I think it was the last year that ESPN showed hockey, and the ratings were in the toilet, so they set up a poll on ESPN.com asking people which game they should show that night. There were 6-7 games people could choose from, and much to the shock of the ESPN crew, they picked the last place Penguins versus a mediocre Philly team, and it won overwhelmingly. I remember the anchor that night was Trey Wingo and he was laughing uncomfortably when announcing it because I think he thought the poll was hacked or this was some sort of message to ESPN that no one cares so we're voting to see the worst team in the league or whatever.

What I took away from it was that during the Gretzky Goes to LA era in the early 1990s, a lot of casual sports fans and even some non-sports fans got turned onto hockey. And the team they picked to follow was the team that was the best in the league during that era, The Pittsburgh Penguins. They had Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens, the Samuelsons and a host of other great players (although I'm sure Cam Neely would disagree), and for some reason, like it or not, the Pens still have a large fan base outside of Pittsburgh that if they had a choice to watch any team in the league, it would be the Pens.

Add in the Crosby-Malkin combo and you have a potential hockey dynasty waiting to be born in Pittsburgh in 3-4 years once they get some D. I think Bettman is loathe to move the Penguins, but I don't think he has much choice at this point. I can tell you, the old Jets fans in Winnipeg are SALIVATING right now. They have a brand new arena already build (yes, its on the small side but you can bet it will be sold out every single night) and a hockey base that knows the game. Move um there.

[superfoe]

andre29bc said:

This may be overanalyzing things, but the only reason I can think of for keeping the Pens in Pittsburgh is based on an episode of SportsCenter from 3-4 years ago.

I think it was the last year that ESPN showed hockey, and the ratings were in the toilet, so they set up a poll on ESPN.com asking people which game they should show that night. There were 6-7 games people could choose from, and much to the shock of the ESPN crew, they picked the last place Penguins versus a mediocre Philly team, and it won overwhelmingly. I remember the anchor that night was Trey Wingo and he was laughing uncomfortably when announcing it because I think he thought the poll was hacked or this was some sort of message to ESPN that no one cares so we're voting to see the worst team in the league or whatever.

What I took away from it was that during the Gretzky Goes to LA era in the early 1990s, a lot of casual sports fans and even some non-sports fans got turned onto hockey. And the team they picked to follow was the team that was the best in the league during that era, The Pittsburgh Penguins. They had Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens, the Samuelsons and a host of other great players (although I'm sure Cam Neely would disagree), and for some reason, like it or not, the Pens still have a large fan base outside of Pittsburgh that if they had a choice to watch any team in the league, it would be the Pens.

Add in the Crosby-Malkin combo and you have a potential hockey dynasty waiting to be born in Pittsburgh in 3-4 years once they get some D. I think Bettman is loathe to move the Penguins, but I don't think he has much choice at this point. I can tell you, the old Jets fans in Winnipeg are SALIVATING right now. They have a brand new arena already build (yes, its on the small side but you can bet it will be sold out every single night) and a hockey base that knows the game. Move um there.

Or Kansas City, who also has a brand new arena.

The only problem with moving them to either of those two places is that they would be in the Western conference. The biggest hockey markets are in the east, and I'm not sure they'd appreciate losing Crosby and the crew for attendance or tv ratings purposes.

[Brain Of F'n J]

someonenew said:

I agree that Bettman has been bad for the league for the most part. However, the past couple of years he has really picked up his game. Ottawa and Buffalo both had major problems surrounding their ownership, and he found great owners for both of the teams. I agree that the move from Winnipeg to Phoenix was crap, and Quebec city to Colorado wasn't cool either, and the expansion into Florida and California wasn't well thought out, and that whole lockout wiping out a season thing wasn't the best thing... but he has been fairly careful with new ownership groups for a couple of years.

Cancer in remission is still cancer. I'll just leave it at that. Maybe I'll watch again when he gets the boot. Until then, between the Canadian wholesale slaughter, the senseless expansion, and the lockout ... the NHL is dead to me.

Jed Shaffer
~The Kansas City Penguins ... yeah, that makes sense. Penguins love the plains.

[andre29bc]

Bettmans worst sin is allowing the TV contract to get to the state its in. Versus? That's the best he can do? Really? I don't care if he had to pay ESPN to show the games, you keep them there, no matter what. If ESPN refused, you keep lowering your price until a major network picks you up. Seriously, Versus??

[superfoe]

brainofj said:

someonenew said:

I agree that Bettman has been bad for the league for the most part. However, the past couple of years he has really picked up his game. Ottawa and Buffalo both had major problems surrounding their ownership, and he found great owners for both of the teams. I agree that the move from Winnipeg to Phoenix was crap, and Quebec city to Colorado wasn't cool either, and the expansion into Florida and California wasn't well thought out, and that whole lockout wiping out a season thing wasn't the best thing... but he has been fairly careful with new ownership groups for a couple of years.

Cancer in remission is still cancer. I'll just leave it at that. Maybe I'll watch again when he gets the boot. Until then, between the Canadian wholesale slaughter, the senseless expansion, and the lockout ... the NHL is dead to me.

Jed Shaffer
~The Kansas City Penguins ... yeah, that makes sense. Penguins love the plains.

I think Las Vegas Penguins would be better.

[andre29bc]

If they move to Vegas, they should take Orlando's old IHL team name:

The Las Vegas Solar Bears

I still love that frickin name and when I go to Vancouver Giants (WHL) games here, I wear it. I get at least one comment per game. It's pretty cool.

[superfoe]

andre29bc said:

If they move to Vegas, they should take Orlando's old IHL team name:

The Las Vegas Solar Bears

I still love that frickin name and when I go to Vancouver Giants (WHL) games here, I wear it. I get at least one comment per game. It's pretty cool.

Hey, since you're from Vancouver and all, could you get people to stop voting for Rory for the all star game? He's ahead of Lidstrom in the voting. That shouldn't happen.