Kansas City Still Not Viable for NHL Expansion, But Still Not for Dumb Reasons

Kansas City is too small for hockey? Is that a fat joke?

GUYS!  

THE KANSAS CITY STAR WROTE A STORY ABOUT HOCKEY!!!

I know, it sounds crazy.  But it's true, right there, on Sam Mellinger's blog.  And the story was only released about a week and a half after Gary Bettman's press conference announcing a new round of NHL expansion.  We're making progress here, folks.  Hockey town Kansas City, here we come!

Of course, there are problems with the logic in the article, so your resident "indignant" Kansas City hockey blog snaps into action!  But we will get to that in a moment.

Greg Wyshynski: Missing the Point

A few things I want to point out about Greg Wyshynski's lack of actual reporting, and why this gives bloggers something of a bad name among those in the dying, though somewhat still prestigious, mainstream print media.  Don't get me wrong, Greg has some fine articles from time to time, and I'm not debating his success as a sports writer/blogger.  I enjoy his site, and I think it's a great place to discover the hundreds of thousands of hockey blogs around the world.  Perhaps you discovered this blog from his site.  But I have to disagree with him on something, just like I've disagreed with him here, here, and here.

Here is the story is question.  Please read it first:

LA Kings fans boo injured rookie Avalanche goalie (Video)

First, here are a few things to keep in mind:

*Greg reaches a large audience with his blog.  This gives him influence among the casual hockey fan blog reader, whether he likes it or not.  What he writes resonates with a community of unique-minded individuals.

*Greg – I don't believe but someone can prove me wrong – does not profess to be a journalist, and is not held to the same Journalistic criteria as those members of the print and broadcast media.  He is a blogger, albeit one of the lucky few who get paid to talk about something they love for a living.

Okay, please jump for the Twitter log of Greg's realization and further understanding of the events as they unfold.  One more thing to keep in mind is that Greg has already written and published his Puck Daddy article at this time.

Chris Hansen: Sports Franchise Predator

Earlier today, it was announced that the prospective builder of a new Seattle arena and potential NBA team owner, Chris Hansen, has laid out plans for the construction of a $490 million facility.

The agreement states construction could only begin on a new Seattle arena as soon as it is guaranteed to have at least an NBA tenant.  No NHL franchise is required to start construction on the building, though Hansen has not ruled out an attempt to lure a hard-luck franchise having problems in their current home.  KING 5 in Seattle and Seattle PI have the goods on all of the particulars, and I encourage you to peruse them at your leisure.

Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski compiles both stories here, but he goes light on the "geek(ing) out" this time over the prospect of an NHL team in Seattle.  Of course, as you know, a wicked shade of green jersey does not a hockey team make.  Also, remember, Vancouver and Seattle are close.  So, that's always good.

Kansas Citians will remember an arena built a few years ago that was supposed to have a professional sports tenant blah blah blah.... you know the story.

So, anyway, I'm bad at segues, so after the jump potential Seattle arena builder Chris Hansen talks to Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen.  Because, you see, they share the same name.  Enjoy!

Quebec New Arena Deal -- Build It and Someone Might Come (ADDENDUM)

Read this first:

Puck Daddy: New $400 million, 18,000 seat arena in Quebec City to be ready by Sept. 2015

That's ridiculous!  What city would build an arena with one already, and no prospective tenant for --- what, uh, ohhhh...

In fairness, Kemper Arena is past its prime, and Kansas City wanted to embark on a huge downtown revitalization plan.  The Sprint Center was to become a showpiece, an arena that could lure any and all concerts, acts, sporting events, and performances and generate revenue for the city with nearby restaurants and watering holes (i.e. Power and Light District).  Sprint Center was a replacement for Kemper, and it has served that purpose and then some.  It doesn't have a permanent tenant, but it does bring big acts to Kansas City.  In the paraphrased words of Tim Leiweke, "it doesn't need a permanent tenant to be successful."  It can stand alone.  So, does Quebec need a new arena?

In March, Labeaume said that millions of dollars in upgrades would be completed this summer to Le Colisee, the former home of the Nordiques; so should the Phoenix Coyotes -- or any other NHL team given the sharp left turn that happened a year ago -- have to be relocated this summer, a temporary home in Quebec would be available for the next three years while the new arena is being built.

Just a quick look at the ExpoCite, or Colisee Pepsi website, one can see that the building is not short on events.  Pitbull is coming, and OH LOOK an evening with Bryan Adams!!!  Only an evening?!?!

My point is, does a metropolitian area with under one million residents need TWO arenas (or "amphitheaters," as Quebecers call it)?  Obviously, Quebec doesn't need a new arena, they just want a NHL team, again.  That is just a rather specfic use of money.

Good luck to Quebec and Quebecor in their quest for a NHL franchise, but if another team from Gary Bettman's southern influence zone (*cough* Phoenix *cough*) were to move north of the border, I think it might be time to search for a new commissoner.  And, yes, a lot of people will say Bettman sucks already and he has ruined the league blah blah blah, but spreading the game in American markets has been his plight since he started in the '90s, and failing that WILL make him a failure as a commissoner.

But, really, wouldn't we all be a lot happier if every NHL team played in Canada?

ADDENDUM
Okay, maybe not a failure, but it certainly will be a major goal he did not accomplish during his tenure.  Then again, if Phoenix or whoever moves to Quebec, you really can't blame league officials for trying to sustain the league for the future.  There is no doubt Quebec will take to a new team as well as Winnipeg (and a fan of the sport would hope that support will last), but what does the NHL care about more: large markets, or filled arenas?

Hey, When are the Coyotes Moving to Seattle?

Just a timeline of links of things that are going on with the Coyotes and Seattle and a possible new arena and all of that mumbo-jumbo.

NHL Denies Report That the Coyotes Have Been Sold
Despite a report from KING in Seattle (since taken down) saying that the 'Yotes have found an owner.  This means that they are neither staying in Glendale, nor are they moving anywhere.

NHL Denies that Greg Jamison's the Next Phoenix Coyotes Owner
Yes, Puck Daddy again, and yes, I could write another whole post on this article, but I will take the high road on this one.  The only part I will challenge is the final few sentences.

Everything I've heard is that this is the last year in the desert for the Coyotes.

Sources would be fantastic to list here, as Wysh has not given anything more than speculation in his previous articles.  Bettman thinks Seattle would be a fine place for a franchise, just like he thinks that of KC, LV, Glendale, etc., so yeah, he isn't a source.  Also, other like-minded people are not reputable sources if they report the same thing as you do without sources.

But guarantees have really never had a home in this drama, which seems to take a new turn every week.

No, it does not, because most of this "drama" was manufactured out of some guy in Seattle wanting to build an arena, but who is not in the team ownership business.  Plus, we have been talking about the same thing with the Coyotes ownership for a while now.  That is, there is no real front runner.  "Drama" implies an ownership situation has gone from one extreme to another.  If anything, this situation is droll.  So very, very droll.

NHL Denies Phoenix Coyotes Sale Report, Seattle Sports Fans Keeping Watchful Eye
Maybe if the Coyotes do move to Seattle, they can call the team the Watchful Eyes, or Sky Eyes, or Alan Parsons.  If some guy named T.J. Eckleburg purchases the Coyotes and moves them to Seattle, then I quit.

Concerns Raised About New Seattle Arena Plan
Why Seattle's Initiative 91 on sports subsidies may present some obstacles for a new arena.

Initiative 91 Explanation

Seattle Arena Proposal: Deal Contingent on NBA, NHL Franchise First
What a concept...  Article also explains how I-91 may not be a problem anyway.

NHL Relocation: Why the Phoenix Coyotes Won't Move to Seattle This Summer
Don't let the title fool you, this article does not do any of that.

Personally, I don't know why Seattle "is really the best location for (the Coyotes) to land" or makes the most sense than any other potentially interested city.  Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Quebec City, Hartford, etc. all have a hockey history, all have an interested fan base, all have no real ownership group, and hell, all have geographic rival cities.  What Travis Hughes, the author of the article in the last link, fails to argue is why Seattle is a better location than any other city.  Greg Wyshynski at least claims to have some sort of weird attraction to Seattle hockey.  I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, or just biased or whatever.  I'm not saying the Coyotes won't move to Seattle.  It could very well happen.  But, the reporting on an initial story (Coyotes ownership) and connecting it to a new Seattle arena proposal story does not a relocation make.

Consider this a Kansas City based Coyotes Relocation Open Thread.  Have an opinion on the relocation matter?  Think Seattle is a nice city to get a cup of coffee?  Think Quebec City is kind of cold this time of year?  I certainly do not share your opinion, so tell us your opinions in the comments.  Come on, everyone has a Google account nowadays, so it's really easy to comment.  To borrow and paraphrase a line from blog Jewels From the Crown, it's time to stop lurking and get the dialogue moving.

EVEN MORE Relocation Super Fun Time

"The building challenges for Seattle, Quebec City as NHL markets"

No longer is what Greg Wyshynski doing with these articles in any way constructive or informative.  Really, this article seemed to be damage control for the one he wrote the other day basically saying how great it would be if Seattle had an NHL team, and then posted a video with Gary Bettman saying nothing about Seattle.  It was some hard-hitting journalism, I tells ya!

Enough is enough, though, and Wysh is not the only one doing it.  Look, no one wants to move a team (the Coyotes) to Seattle right now.  No one (viable owners) wants to move a team to Kansas City right now, although the people that own the local arena (AEG) probably wouldn't mind.  Some people want to move a team to Quebec City, but they are not as forceful as True North and the city is dragging its feet on an NHL-caliber arena.  No one but maybe some guy Gary Bettman goes fishing with wants to move a team to Las Vegas right now.  It is what it is.  If anything, owners are selling teams.  The Blues, Stars, etc. to more or less operate in the same cities.  It's cheaper than moving.  The Devils and Coyotes fit into a category of NHL money hemorrhagers, but it is hard to see an established organization like New Jersey to just pick up and leave town to go to a market with more questions than answers.

The argument against KC and QC are "well they had a team and now it's someone else's turn."  Obviously, those arguments are ineffective and pointless, causing more arguments than actually giving evidence towards solving one.  So what?  Minnesota had their chance with the North Stars, right?  Winnipeg had their chance already?  Didn't Atlanta already get a chance?  What about Northern California?  Just by saying someone had their chance already does not make a city or area's hockey community any smaller or weaker.  Plus, that ignores the whole business-side of things.  If someone sees a good investment (i.e. no lease payments for an arena) with minimal risk, the deal can get done.  This also deflects from the reasons why Seattle has never housed an NHL team.  It's not like there is a pecking order, and Seattle drew the short straw in 1917 and are just now getting a crack at housing an NHL franchise.

What certainly doesn't help is our very own The Pitch's myopic view on things.  Wysh links to Jonathan Bender's article in The Pitch, calling KC "emo" due to the advent of the Seattle issue.  Although Bender's article does raise a good question (when is the Sprint Center too old to attract suitors?) it plays to the whole notion that Seattle is just lying in waiting for Bettman and the NHL to say "ohhh, I'm so sorry Glendale, but time is up.  You lose.  It looks like your team will be moving to Seattle.  But we have some lovely parting gifts..."  I use the term myopic to describe this article, but perhaps that is not fair.  It's not fair, because all Mr. Bender is doing is giving a very broad local reaction to an article from NBC Sports talking about how Seattle is such a great fit for the NHL.  The NBC Sports article is, like the multiple articles on Puck Daddy, PURE SPECULATION.  Observe:

"As we wrote back in December, there are lots of things Seattle's got going for it:
-- Large metro population
-- Plenty of rich people (editors note: BWHAHAHAHAHAA who writes this?!?!)
-- High-profile companies like Amazon.com, Starbucks and Microsoft
-- Close enough to draw from Portland and Vancouver
-- "Let's do something indoors" weather during the winter"

This is what passes for acceptable writing nowadays, folks.  And The Pitch's blog LINKS TO THIS!  So, now, nationally recognized writers (Greg Wyshynski) look at this reaction in KC, believe KC is bitter, and it fuels their argument that has no basis in fact and has taken on a life of its own.  The NBC Sports article even links to a story from the Winnipeg Free Press calling Seattle the "lead horse" when it comes to relocation cities, without giving any other reasons.  It just is, I guess.  It's just as baseless as any other article on the same topic.  It's like a bunch of media outlets got together to write the same story, then linked to each other's stories to generate buzz for something no one has talked about in the history of ever!

Ahem.

But, let's compose ourselves for a moment.  How about a few questions for the pro-NHL to Seattle crowd.  Who will own this team?  Do the citizens even want the NHL?  Are city officials even willing to ponder an NHL team?  Will an arena deal even get traction?  How will they pay for a new arena?  Is "Let's do something indoors" weather like "Rainy day" weather, or more on par with "Let's not go out to eat tonight, I had to work all day and am kind of tired" weather?  Why is Seattle housing many of the nation's rich people?  Aren't Seattleites too laid back to care about hockey?  And maybe the biggest question, will Gary Bettman let the Coyotes out of Glendale?

This is an injustice to actual Journalism, with a capital J.  This is a story for the sake of a story.  No city has ever been the "leader in the clubhouse" for the Coyotes; that is not a real thing that has ever existed.  Words of advice to our hockey loving friends in Seattle:  Don't get your hopes up.

This makes me lightheaded.


(P.S.: Wysh runs a great blog, but I just do not agree with this particular topic.  Read it for the other good work, though.  And Seattleites, I do not intend to be mean with my words of advice, but the citizens of Kansas City have seen this before firsthand.)