Friday, February 16, 2007
Where’s the Penguins’ Decision?
Back in early January the Penguins’ ownership made headlines by visiting Kansas City to discuss relocating the team. They toured the under-construction Sprint Center and listened as City and arena officials made a pitch to lure the team. The team’s owners allegedly came away impressed with the offer and said they would give Kansas City an answer in thirty days.
Well, thirty days (and then some) have passed and there still has been no decision. The team has obviously used Kansas City as a pawn to put pressure on Governor Rendell, who is leading the negotiations on the arena deal. If Kansas City’s offer of a rent-free, 50-50 partnership were really superior, the team would have committed to move by now. Maybe the realization has set in that Pittsburgh is the better hockey market. Or maybe the offer given by Pittsburgh officials really is the best they’re able to get and moving to Kansas City is a fool’s errand.
One thing’s for sure, there is no help coming from the NHL Commissioner. The Commissioner was steadfast in denying the team the approval to move when they were up for sale last year. Now that the sale has fallen through, he has flip-flopped and now supports ownership’s decision to relocate if a suitable arena deal cannot be reached in Pittsburgh. But who will decide what “suitable” deal is. Sounds like the Commissioner is in Lemieux’s pocket.
Either way the team’s saga is frustrating not only local hockey fans, but officials in Kansas City as well. As one Kansas City reporter noted, as the deadline approached it was “…just another day in the continuing story of ‘As the Penguins Turn’”.
To repeat our earlier admonition; let the Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) take the promised Plan B money, issue arena revenue bonds for the remaining $62 million needed to build the new facility. If the Penguins want to stay they can negotiate a rental agreement with the SEA. If they leave, Pittsburgh can easily recruit a replacement team from the financially struggling franchises around the country to play in the new arena. It is by all accounts a great hockey town. Or is it only a good hockey town when it has attractive young stars?
Well, thirty days (and then some) have passed and there still has been no decision. The team has obviously used Kansas City as a pawn to put pressure on Governor Rendell, who is leading the negotiations on the arena deal. If Kansas City’s offer of a rent-free, 50-50 partnership were really superior, the team would have committed to move by now. Maybe the realization has set in that Pittsburgh is the better hockey market. Or maybe the offer given by Pittsburgh officials really is the best they’re able to get and moving to Kansas City is a fool’s errand.
One thing’s for sure, there is no help coming from the NHL Commissioner. The Commissioner was steadfast in denying the team the approval to move when they were up for sale last year. Now that the sale has fallen through, he has flip-flopped and now supports ownership’s decision to relocate if a suitable arena deal cannot be reached in Pittsburgh. But who will decide what “suitable” deal is. Sounds like the Commissioner is in Lemieux’s pocket.
Either way the team’s saga is frustrating not only local hockey fans, but officials in Kansas City as well. As one Kansas City reporter noted, as the deadline approached it was “…just another day in the continuing story of ‘As the Penguins Turn’”.
To repeat our earlier admonition; let the Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) take the promised Plan B money, issue arena revenue bonds for the remaining $62 million needed to build the new facility. If the Penguins want to stay they can negotiate a rental agreement with the SEA. If they leave, Pittsburgh can easily recruit a replacement team from the financially struggling franchises around the country to play in the new arena. It is by all accounts a great hockey town. Or is it only a good hockey town when it has attractive young stars?
