NHL 2005-06

[JesseVader08]

Nah, I don't actually want the Pens to leave Pittsburgh, I just think that Winnipeg deserves to have a team again.  Besides, I think it would do a lot more harm than good to lose a team in Pittsburgh, especially when it's so synonymous with Lemieux.  That man has done so much for the league, so I think it would really hurt league morale.

[Rob]

Well that was fun.  The lightning beat up on the Stars tonight.  Turco gave up 4 goals in the first and got pulled... Lots of booing from the home crowd.

Good stuff.

[Morgbug]

Penis?  Can I have it BBQ?  That oughta kill the flavour.


Don't worry Jesse, it's mostly just a bluff IMO.  The city has been reluctant with the gambling/arena, so they're (i.e. Mario) throwing it out there as a tease or threat, depending on your point of view.  As I said above, I don't really see them moving be it Winnipeg, Quebec City, Vegas, Cincinatti or whatever.  Pittsburgh should have a team regardless, it's a good hockey city and I'd be as sour about them leaving there as I was about teams vacating Minneapolis (North Stars) and QC (Nordiques).  It simply belongs in those towns.  That, however, may not be an economic reality. 

I'm not really a fan of governments/tax dollars being thrown at professional franchises even if it is the norm.  Sink or swim is my view, but clearly I'm in a minority (maybe not on this board) but if they are worth having, then support them and quit looking for handouts.  That may come across as a condemnation of the Pens, but it's nothing different than the Jets did as well.

Probably the key factor is a comment I made earlier.  Bettman hates Winnipeg and there's no way this side of hell freezing over that Bettman would let the future of the NHL (Crosby) play in a small market like this.  On the very, VERY extreme outside chance we got something, there'd probably be a stipulation that Crosby would have to be playing somewhere else.  Not all that different from the WHA Jets being raped of their stars when they entered the NHL.

I'm mostly having fun with this but there's probably 100,000 people locally that are all hot and bothered by the real possibility of the Jets (or NHL Winnipeg ______ if you prefer) returning.  I'm a traditionalist so I'd like to see it as the Jets, but the name and the uniforms were kinda lame by modern standards.  That said a lot of people will be disappointed. 

[Jesse James]

I think it's more a bluff too or false information, but you never know...  I think they're going to stay because, if the slots license didn't go to Lemieu'x group at this point there'd be political hell to pay I think.  Who knows though, I just wish that they'd **** or get off the pot finally so I can know if we'll have this team or not.

I'm not upset if the state spends money on sports franchises for their respective cities...  Some things were figured about what events for the new stadiums can generate financially for the city, and it's impressive...  They're good parts of the city.  The Pirates are getting the All Star game here soon and that's expected to really generate a ****load of cash for Pittsburgh...  The Steelers are a money juggernaught...  The Pens in their heyday in the early and mid 90's made tons of money for Pittsburgh...  A new arena that more or less redeveloped all of our uptown area in one swoop would do a lot of good, so I think the state SHOULD be helping some but from what I gathered Lemieux's group actually can privately fund their building, they just need the Slots license to offset the costs they'll incur building the building, which it's gotta go to someone in our city...  The question now is who gets it.

One group wants to build a Casino on the NOrth Shore between PNC Park and Heinz Field.  It would essentially sit where 3 Rivers used to be which is now parking lot...  There's like 90 different plans for that part of the shoreline though so it's kinda stupid to throw the Slots license to a part of the city that doesn't need it.

The real contention for the license is a guy that owns the other shoreline across from downtown on Pittsburgh's southern and western end.  It's a small nightlife/retail complex called "Station Square" (a renovated train station almost as old as the city is).  The complex has an amphitheater, it is set under Mt. Washington and the famous Incline railcars we have, it's got clubs, restaurants, hotels, etc...  It's got a lot of land it could develope where the Amphitheater is, however this area is prone to traffic jams already so I don't think expanding Station Square is wise.  They don't have a major highway artery past them, but instead you get to them via 2 lane streets on Pittsburgh's southside or the numerous bridges that connect downtown to the SouthSide/Station Square.  It'd be dumb to really expand this place.

Uptown though borders Pittsburgh's Hill District.  The HD is violent, run down, economically and socially depressed...  It's a ****hole that shows what happens to a town when it's driving force in its economy dries up.  The Civic Arena is more or less what separates Downtown from the Hill District...  It is Uptown more or less, and Lemieux wants to basically tear the CA down to put in the parking area where it now stands, and tear down an old church and 2 large buildings to put in the new Casino/Arena...  It would revitalize a part of town that NEEDS it.  So I think the city would be wise to back it, to put political pressure on the governor to lean this way instead of to Station Square...  It just makes more sense for the city at this point, plus the Pens do generate revenue for the city, they deserve the slots license then if it means them staying permanently.

It's just frustrating with all this posturing going on...  It's BS.

[Morgbug]

I'm not upset if the state spends money on sports franchises for their respective cities...  Some things were figured about what events for the new stadiums can generate financially for the city, and it's impressive...  They're good parts of the city.  The Pirates are getting the All Star game here soon and that's expected to really generate a ****load of cash for Pittsburgh... 

That's a good point Jesse.  I was just at a meeting in Fort Lauderdale (Entomological Society of America if you're bored and want to Google it) and it was big enough that they'll waive the Convention Center rental because it generates enough business for busses, hotels, restaurants, etc. that it's worth it for the city in general.  Here in Winnipeg now that we have an arena it's probably worthwhile as well as I suspect it is in Pitt. 

[Jesse James]

Makes one wonder what C3 did for Indianapolis financially...  When I think about what I spent out besides my hotel, I really blew a LOT of money out there...  I drank a lot, I had one of the most expensive meals I've ever eaten one night there...  Multiply that by however many people and it probably really did a service to the area.

[Holographic Elvis]

God I love when the Wings beat the Avs!     Stellar PK in the 3rd and great goaltending got us those 2 points. 

[Ryan]

God I love when the Wings beat the Avs!     Stellar PK in the 3rd and great goaltending got us those 2 points. 

Man it has been a crappy weekend here in D-Town.

It was a really good game though. I was hoping the Avs could find a way to pull it out, but the second that first 5-3 was over I knew we lost it, even though it was 3-3 at the time. You don't win games if you don't score on the 2 man advantage, especially when you don't score on two of them. We've got such a hard schedule now. We play Calgary, Dallas, and Vancouver our next 3 games. Then Minnesota who always plays us close.

[Holographic Elvis]

Mario Lemieux is set to announce his retirement today.   

[JesseVader08]

What a crummy way to retire, with all the threats of moving the team hanging over his head. 

[Jesse James]

It's more his health than anything I think.  He's a real family guy...  I think his eratic heart beat has him concerned and that he's more interested in getting control of the team from off the ice because he's said he can't do both effectively, and obviously nobody else can get control of the team for him, so it's probably for the best.

The guy was among the top scorers when he was playing early this season...  He can play with the best of them still, so it's definitely not that he's needing to retire I think, but it is more that he's just wanting to do this for his own health and well being.  I respect that, and he has said it's guys like Crosby that are going to be the spokespeople for the NHL now...  Not him.  I like that just fine.    I'll forever wear my Lemieux Jersey though...  That'll be the jersey I most cherish in my wardrobe and the reminder of why I played the game myself.

[JesseVader08]

I'd say Lemieux is leaving the team in very capable hands (your reference to Crosby) and he has accomplished so much in his career, so it makes sense that it's time for him to focus on his health.  It's amazing what he has gone through and persevered through it all to be one of the best ever.

[Jesse James]

I didn't get to see reports till tonight's news...  Saw Lemieux's press conference and it was beyond sad.  He sorta was crying towards the end...  I think it hurt him greatly.

Bill Cowher took some time out of his press conference today to address Lemieux's retirement and show respect for what he's done for not only Pittsburgh but what Lemieux did for the sport of Hockey.  He's a MAJOR reason the NHL is a better entity today than it was 1 or 2 years ago.

Paul Steigerwald (Radio guy, used to do color commentary for TV on the Pens) said today that the best thing he'd like to see is the new arena built, and right in front a large statue honoring Mario Lemieux and his contributions to hockey and Pittsburgh. 

Lemieux is every reason I ever picked up a stick and played the game.  I've been through his retirement once before so maybe it didn't hit me quite as hard this time.  The first time I was almost devastated though inside...  It was watching an icon step down, a driving force in my motivation steppping aside...  This time it's still the same but I think it's the right call.  His heart problem's scary for him and he has a wife and kids to think of...  He's able to compete, he proved that at the beginning of the season...  He's as good as he ever was, he's a dominant player when he's healthy, but he just can't trust his body to hold out for himself and peace of mind.  You have to respect anyone who did what he did...  If he'd been healthy throughout his career with only the "regular" health problems plaguing him, I have no doubt in my mind Lemieux would have been the record holder Gretzky is.  I'll miss him, but at the same time I know Mario Lemieux will still be a major part of hockey in the city of Pittsburgh, and just a major part of the city of Pittsburgh overall.  I hope the city renames one of our more prominent landmarks for him as they did with Clemente.  He's certainly earned that I believe.

I hope he has a good golf game his first day out on the links during retirement.

[Jeff]

Well, tonight is a big game night for me:
Wild vs. Detroit

I've got great Club level tickets and I think it should be a fun game.

I do hope it goes a bit better then the last game I went to... Ottawa 6, Wild 1.     Don't get me wrong - it was great fun watching Redden, Heatly, and Alfy skating circles around my squad, but I would like to see the Wild win again this year.

So far, I've seen:
Vancouver 3, Wild 1
Phoenix 4, Wild 2
Wild 5, St. Louis 3 
Ottawa 5, Wild 1

After the Dead Wings tonight, I've still got 1 more game left this year (vs. Calgary in March), so it's still possible that I might see the Wild break even in games this year... 

[jjks]

I ran out at lunch and grabbed tickets to this Thursdays game against Colorado, as well as next Thursday vs. the Wings. Looking forward to both, and seeing what NKOTB Sillinger can do for us.