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Doohicksie

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It would be a crime if the Pens left Pittsburgh. Being from Buffalo looking at Pittsburgh is like looking in a mirror. Pittsburgh is a great sports town and the NHL will be lessor if they were allowed to leave.

 

Teams that should move are the Devils, Washington and the Islanders. Their attendance this year is sad and it brings the entire NHL down. 19 of the 30 NHL teams are at 91.2% of capacity or greater. While New Jersey is

at 69.4 down from a sad 74.7. This a team the contends every year. Since 2000-2001 the Devils have averaged only 77.7 capacity. For the record Buffalo is at 89.18 for the same time period.

 

And for those who say hockey doesn't work in the south. Tampa Bay is 3rd in attendance with 19,828 tickets sold per game. Even Florida is over 15,000 per game. Not bad for a team in yet another rebuilding program. Atlanta is over 16,000 per game and the Canes are over 17,000 per game.

 

A note about the Sabres. They are 8th in home attendance and 8th in home & away combined attendance.

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West Seneca East. West? No fuggin way!

 

Where I grew up... Early on kids went to "East"... Then the boundary switched and they went to "West"... I went to WSW... My sister went to WSW (born '63) and was one of the first to switch to WSW in our neighborhood... Right now I heard that shortly after I left (I think within 10 years of my '86 graduation?) that it went back to WSE...

 

Speaking of hockey... WSW v. WSE... Such a great rivalry... There was a reason why back in the day they had to have cops stationed around the rink!

 

I would have to say... West basically owned East on the ice and in the stands! :nana:

 

 

:D

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It would be a crime if the Pens left Pittsburgh. Being from Buffalo looking at Pittsburgh is like looking in a mirror. Pittsburgh is a great sports town and the NHL will be lessor if they were allowed to leave.

 

Teams that should move are the Devils, Washington and the Islanders. Their attendance this year is sad and it brings the entire NHL down. 19 of the 30 NHL teams are at 91.2% of capacity or greater. While New Jersey is

at 69.4 down from a sad 74.7. This a team the contends every year. Since 2000-2001 the Devils have averaged only 77.7 capacity. For the record Buffalo is at 89.18 for the same time period.

 

And for those who say hockey doesn't work in the south. Tampa Bay is 3rd in attendance with 19,828 tickets sold per game. Even Florida is over 15,000 per game. Not bad for a team in yet another rebuilding program. Atlanta is over 16,000 per game and the Canes are over 17,000 per game.

 

A note about the Sabres. They are 8th in home attendance and 8th in home & away combined attendance.

 

In Pittsburgh, it's all about the arena. There's no way the Sabres could survive if they still played in the Aud, and that's what the Pens are facing in the Igloo. Conversely, Newark is building the Devils a new arena, and hopefully they can find a following now that they're in an actual city.

 

I've been to several Lightning games, and I don't believe their numbers. There were hundreds of empty seats at the Sabres game last December, while almost 20% of the fans were wearing blue and gold. I constantly get calls from the Lightning ticket staff, even though I live 85 miles away from Tampa, soliciting me to buy tickets. They also sent me a $10 gift card for food at the Forum, and that was before I purchased tickets for the game.

 

That's working awfully hard for ticket money for a team that's claiming to be over 100% capacity for the season.

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Folks, COMMON SENSE PREVAILS when thinking about where an NHL franchise does or does not belong. Pardon the harshness, but:

 

Doohickie, the only reason Dallas lasted so long, and I really mean this, is because of the Cup award (not win). Absent that, the Stars are a forgotten passing fancy.

 

PTR, Oklahoma City is NOT a hockey town, nor will it be. Let's not be silly. It's no more a hockey town than Buffalo is a rodeo town--and I lived in Okla. for too many years to think differently.

 

Deluca, stop looking at inflated attendance records (tickets distributed vs. tickets sold vs. actual folks in the building) and start going to arenas. No way is hockey more popular in Florida than in New Jersey. And pass me the pipe while you're at it.

 

SCSabres, what, are you kidding? The Pens are hardly the red-headed stepchild of Pittsburgh. To most of that city, hockey is more important than baseball; where else with those two sports do you find that--outside of the other Pennsylvania city, that is.

 

Look, where in the US can the Pens relocate to more passionate hockey fans than the group they already have? Nowhere. The Pens would cut off their nose to spite their face to relocate domestically. Seattle? Portland? KC? OKC? Come on. None will have, or ever will have, the base of puckheads that Pitt has. Witness Florida, Tampa, Atlanta, Phoneix, etc.

 

Across the border? Winnipeg, fine. Hamilton, the Sabres and Leaves will oppose; Waterloo, well, we already saw that shot down.

 

From the economic standpoint, really, the Pens' best moves are to (1) stay or (2) move to Manitoba.

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SCSabres, what, are you kidding? The Pens are hardly the red-headed stepchild of Pittsburgh. To most of that city, hockey is more important than baseball; where else with those two sports do you find that--outside of the other Pennsylvania city, that is.

 

Eleven,

 

We'll agree to disagree. If the Pens are so important to the city, then why no new arena? They been clammering for over a decade with no movement. Mario bought the team and saved it already. You'd think alarms would be going off in the 'Burgh. The baseball Pirates did get the new PNC Park built in that time. A majority of my friends who live in and have lived in Pittsburgh all say the same thing - "Go Steelers." Yes the Pens have passionate fans, but so did the Cleveland Browns when they left in the mid 90s with no new stadium.

 

Its all about the green.

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Deluca, stop looking at inflated attendance records (tickets distributed vs. tickets sold vs. actual folks in the building) and start going to arenas. No way is hockey more popular in Florida than in New Jersey. And pass me the pipe while you're at it.

 

 

That would mean that the Devils 13,206 per game is inflated. Watch a Devils home game and it looks like a preseason game. The Devils themselves talk about how it's so quiet they can hear fans talking.

 

Does New Jersey get a pass because they are in the northeast? If they were anywhere else in the country they would be laughed at. You are right. Attendance numbers are inflated. I doubt the Devils have over 10,000 on some nights.

 

Arenas only have to do with the amount on income a team can bring in. It shouldn't have any reflection on the actual attendance. Since most new arenas are built with the luxury boxes in mind. Having a new arena wouldn't help the Devils draw over 14,000.

 

Other teams have real excuses for their buildings having empty seats. Smaller markets or poor on ice products come to mind. The Devils are part of the country's largest market and the team is a contender every year. They have no excuse.

 

But lets not have any of that get in the way of taking a team from a great sports market and let's leave a team in a market that hasn't drawn over 15,000 in four seasons.

 

There may be more hockey fans in New Jersey than Florida. But they don't appear to be Devils fans. Maybe they are heading to the Garden to watch their hockey.

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Doohickie, the only reason Dallas lasted so long, and I really mean this, is because of the Cup award (not win). Absent that, the Stars are a forgotten passing fancy.

 

 

Actually youth hockey has taken root in Dallas and in turn is developing a decent fan base for the Stars.

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Across the border? Winnipeg, fine. Hamilton, the Sabres and Leaves will oppose; Waterloo, well, we already saw that shot down.

 

Winnipeg is not the answer. The NHL won't even consider it. Their brand new arena only seats 15k. That's smaller than the Igloo. Yes, there are other issues with that arena, but a move to Winnipeg would be placing the team in an almost identical situation.

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F $hittsburgh, that dump of a city doesnt deserve a hockey team.

To be honest they dont even deserve to have a baseball team, they draw about as well as the Bisons do. That is one of the filthiest, dirtiest, disgusting cities Ive ever been to. I cant stand that $hittsburgh dialect either, wtf is "yins" supposed to mean? And how about "don-ton" instead of downtown. They also say things are "slippy", instead of slippery, and say "neby" instead of "being nosy". The list goes on and on. Not to mention all of those dumpy houses built right on top of each other everywhere you look. That city is a MF-in cest-pool. I hope they leave, and take the baseball team with em.

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West Seneca East. West? No fuggin way!

 

now that's comedy, dc.

 

Folks, COMMON SENSE PREVAILS when thinking about where an NHL franchise does or does not belong.

 

 

great post, eleven.

 

after reading it, though, i had the nagging feeling that there was a fundamental fallacy in the predicate of your argument. so, i looked back and re-read the post, and found it. ;)

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F $hittsburgh, that dump of a city doesnt deserve a hockey team.

To be honest they dont even deserve to have a baseball team, they draw about as well as the Bisons do. That is one of the filthiest, dirtiest, disgusting cities Ive ever been to. I cant stand that $hittsburgh dialect either, wtf is "yins" supposed to mean? And how about "don-ton" instead of downtown. They also say things are "slippy", instead of slippery, and say "neby" instead of "being nosy". The list goes on and on. Not to mention all of those dumpy houses built right on top of each other everywhere you look. That city is a MF-in cest-pool. I hope they leave, and take the baseball team with em.

Tooth, you seem to have an unhealthy level of hatred for Pittsburgh. Why is that? Did someone from Pittsburgh steal your dog? Push grandma down in a snowbank? Or is it just the "sending Tom Donahoe to screw up the Bills" thing? Enquiring minds want to know...

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Sabretooth73.....

 

I see you have some ill will towards the city of $hittsburgh..... I am a Buffalo native, and live in Pgh now, and find your last post very hillarious, and I could not agree with you more!!!!

 

But, that being said, I look at this Pens sitauation two ways. One, I would not like to see them move....remember when the Sabres were up for sale, and it looked like the NHL future in Buffalo was coming to an end. No NHL franchise and their fans should have to go through that.

 

On the other hand, take the team out of town as punshiment for all the greif they give Clevelanders for losing the Browns, a defeinite attrocity by Modell and freinds.

 

I say at this point Lemiuex, and his group, have to do what is fiscally best for them....they have waited around long enough, from a business side. As a side note, they had a "save the pens" rally befroe their last home game at the arena, 300-400 people showed up...... They do not have a huge following here, Steelers news on is on 24-7 all year, and typically the Pens game is a side note in sports, unless Crosby does something highlght worthy.

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F $hittsburgh, that dump of a city doesnt deserve a hockey team.

To be honest they dont even deserve to have a baseball team, they draw about as well as the Bisons do. That is one of the filthiest, dirtiest, disgusting cities Ive ever been to. I cant stand that $hittsburgh dialect either, wtf is "yins" supposed to mean? And how about "don-ton" instead of downtown. They also say things are "slippy", instead of slippery, and say "neby" instead of "being nosy". The list goes on and on. Not to mention all of those dumpy houses built right on top of each other everywhere you look. That city is a MF-in cest-pool. I hope they leave, and take the baseball team with em.

 

Why the anger Tooth? Pittsburgh is a great city.

 

I say at this point Lemiuex, and his group, have to do what is fiscally best for them....they have waited around long enough, from a business side. As a side note, they had a "save the pens" rally befroe their last home game at the arena, 300-400 people showed up...... They do not have a huge following here, Steelers news on is on 24-7 all year, and typically the Pens game is a side note in sports, unless Crosby does something highlght worthy.

 

Bingo! You are right on the money and correct. Mario has put up with YEARS of empty promises from the city. In his heart, he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, but businessman Mario knows that won't work without a new arena. Again, the Pens are a distant afterthought to the Steelers.

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F $hittsburgh, that dump of a city doesnt deserve a hockey team.

To be honest they dont even deserve to have a baseball team, they draw about as well as the Bisons do. That is one of the filthiest, dirtiest, disgusting cities Ive ever been to. I cant stand that $hittsburgh dialect either, wtf is "yins" supposed to mean? And how about "don-ton" instead of downtown. They also say things are "slippy", instead of slippery, and say "neby" instead of "being nosy". The list goes on and on. Not to mention all of those dumpy houses built right on top of each other everywhere you look. That city is a MF-in cest-pool. I hope they leave, and take the baseball team with em.

 

Nice rant. You're quite hostile. :)

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Its not just a "rant"

Well, maybe it is, but so what.

My in-laws live there, and I dread every visit to that dump.

To me, ifs by far the filthiest, most disgusting cest pool ive ever visited.

They have the "steelers", and "pirates"

Both have won wr=orld championships.

Buffalo has none

My father inlaw says Buffalo is a dirty city, and thinks $hittsburgh is the greatest city on earth.

Ive never seen so many filthy, uneducated people in one area.

"yins"....WTF is that?

maybe i dont see all the "good parts" or dont wanna see em bc im so upset about being there, with my inlaws. Who knows.

Even the guy from $hittsburgh who lives there now said he agrees with me.

Buffalo, to me, is a far greater city than that dump. And what the F is a "stiller"? They cant even pronounce their own teams name correctly. F that dump, give NYC a 3rd team for all i care, as long as $hittsburgh dont have one anymore.

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I couldn't agree more about Pittsburgh-ians being sh!tty. Only Philly sports fans are bigger a$$holes than Pittstain sports fans. They made fun of Browns fans for losing their team, then made fun of us Sabres fans for almost losing ours. The ultimate revenge joke would be seeing them lose their 2-time SC champion Penguins.

 

With Crosby and Co. sure to be very successful in future seasons, the Penguins franchise would be ideal for helping to increase the NHL's popularity on a national scale in a place like Houston or KC. And ultimately, the league's popularity is more important than hurting the feelings of a small handful of die-hard Penguins fans who bother to care about their hockey team the same as they do the Steelers.

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KC would be a good market for one main reason.......RIVALRIES!!!!

 

How many teams are within driving distance to this area detroit,denver,st louis, dallas, minnesota,

maybe others i cant think of and there is nothing this town likes more than its rivalries. And to answer a previous question yes this city would be a hockey town eventually. of course it wouldnt happen overnight but with the talent that would be coming in and the excitement behind the new downtown the team would gain a fan base very quickly.

Dude, how far do you think someone will drive for a hockey game? I mean, it takes a full day to drive from Dallas to KC; I can't see too many people driving it for a hockey game. And some of those distances are even further than that I think. I mean, how many people drive to Pittsburgh from Buffalo (or the other way around)? That's not really a rivalry, imo.

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exactly, F the penguins

why the f should we feel bad for them, they have a football team thats won5 SB's. a baseball team thats won the world series and just hosted an all star game, got a college hoops team in the top 10, a college football team thats light years better than UB..... WTF?

Seriously, F them, i wouldnt care where they went, as long as it aint in that dump anymore.

"YINS"=filthy white trash chain smokin bums

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good to hear blugold, tired of hearing about people "feeling sorry for them"

like that dump hasnt had their share of championships, undeserving as they are, WTF!

Time for Buffalo to start winning some, starting with this years sabres, then the Bills making the playoffs next season, and doing a F of a lot better than the jets and chefs did this year.

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It's got nothing to do with feeling bad for them. It has everything to do with where they'll be playing in a few years.

 

Okay, fine, some of you don't like the City of Pittsburgh. We got the idea. You can shut up now, or start your own Pittsburgh Hate thread where you can tear the city limb from limb for all I care. I've never been there and the point of this thread is not to determine whether they are a good city or not; it's to discuss where their team will be playing in a few years.

 

As for Dallas not being a hockey city, I'll tell you when it turned the corner: the year after they won the cup. Because of the Cup, they drew in a lot of new fans. In the years since that Cup win, they have become very knowledgeable. The reason I say it was the next year is that Dallas loves their winners. Texas in general has a "win at all costs" attitude (see the movie Friday Night Lights for an idea of the mindset), and in general they hate, HATE losing teams. But the year after the cup win, they got a huge ovation from the fans when they were eliminated. They appreciate the team they have, and appreciate what they accomplished. They built a new arena. Dallas is a sports-crazed city, and having a quality team of any sport is important to them. They love their rivalries with Edmonton (probably the most heated rival of the Stars, believe it or not), Colorado, and of course within their division.

 

And as was said earlier, youth leagues are popping up everywhere around here. In the Dallas area, the percentage of youth in organized leagues has got to be comparable to the percentage in Buffalo a generation ago when I was growing up there. Yeah, it's that big.

 

A smaller percentage of the population at large is into hockey than in Buffalo, but Dallas is the 9th largest city in the U.S. at 1.2 million and when you add in the Fort Worth, Arlington, and the suburbs that goes up to 5.8 million. (Unlike Rochester, which is a potential draw area for Buffalo, Fort Worth is truly part of the metro Dallas area without empty space in between.... although I hate to admit that). So given that fan base, and the success they've enjoyed, Dallas is here to stay with respect to hockey.

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