Quote:
Originally Posted by ThrashATL
The team won't last long in Winnipeg either. They will not be able to field a team with what they'll get from that market that will compete, it will be worse than Atlanta. How can a team survive on an eighth (population and disposable income) of what it had in Atlanta?
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Sorry to say, but this team will never be relocated once planted in Winnipeg. We learned the harsh realities of losing a team once, and we certainly won't let that mistake happened twice. And you are mistaken if you think the economics aren't here to keep this team in the city.
We have a very strong corporate community, one that has supported the Moose since their inception with a waiting list for season tickets. And they are doing the exact same thing with our new NHL team. Also, the fans have put their money where their mouths are. Firstly, with Moose Season Ticket holders snatching up more than half of the available 13,000 STs since they were given first dibs, then the public gobbling up the rest in under 4 minutes when they were made available, with a waiting that was at 20,000 one point but capped at 8k. All of this with some of the highest ticket prices in the league. Not too bad for a city of under one million, eh? Our income levels are much higher than in the 90s and we can afford to splurge more than we ever did in the past. Not only this, but we also set a record with our CFL team for season ticket sales at 20K, and this is with a team that has been the shits for about a decade!
Where were the fans in Atlanta? Why is it with a city of what, 5 million people, that it failed not only once, but TWICE? You can blame poor managment for everything, but the bottom line is hockey doesn't work on a large scale in Atlanta. Fans in your city didn't put their money where their mouths were and as a result lost the team.
Maybe one day you'll get a third shot at hockey, but not at our expense. We are a strong hockey market and our team is here to stay. I would say Atlanta should get some form of minor league hockey team, say an AHL team, and continue to introduce the sport to people in that area. Once tickets sales prove that there is a fanbase in Atlanta, then try another expansion team and see how that works out. But don't get a team unless you are sure that you have a fan base willing to support it, and decent owners as well. Learn from your mistakes in the past, like we have.