the 4th star

Let’s set the record straight:

We all would love to see the NHL to come back to Winnipeg. OK, maybe not all of us (the guy who makes the foam antlers might be pissed) but most of the locals who check this site out would enjoy watching Matthew Lombardi squeeze another year out of his limited hockey ability. It would be fun. Hell, for hockey fans, for sports writers, for puck bunnies looking to move up a tax bracket or two — it would be a blast. We all can agree on that. That is indisputable. Good times party times. YEAH!

But while we agree that our winters will no longer have any trace of discontent with the addition of the NHL, there seems to be a huge disconnect between people who continue to feed the hopes of a team landing here and the reality of the situation. That reality includes the factual evidence of nothing being announced tomorrow. That’s not to say an NHL announcement won’t happen in the future – my betting slips show I cannot predict the unpredictable – but why get all lathered up over a big bunch of maybes? All it does is raise the level of anticipation into unmanageable levels, and then when someone (who, don’t forget, would like to see a team come back) differs in their thinking about a particular issue or doesn’t meet those expectations, emotions take over. People get upset. Some become angry. Others get confrontational. How dare you suggest this won’t happen! If you’re not with us then you’re against us. No, I don’t think questioning things will prevent a team from coming back. But I see you do. Interesting.

Please sit tight as I flip this broken record over to Side B. Or to put it another way, I’ll wait until the announcement before I crash Portage and Main. I like showing up late, anyway.

Tuesday, I wrote this post, wondering where the some extra seats might go in MTS Centre if the NHL does come back — you know, if the NHL owners were concerned with maximizing their potential profits and making the endeavor work long-term, etc. Just asking the question. What if? Wondering out loud. Speculation is the name of the game in Winnipeg these days, in case you haven’t been listening to the classic rock or reading the classic message boards.

I did receive a rare comment on the post from a loyal reader, but it seems the WordPress filter doesn’t really believe that his/her actual name is ‘Winnipegger’ and that his/her actual email is ‘email@hotmail.com.’ Who knows? Maybe they are correct. If his/her name is Winnipegger, then he/she would certainly have a vested interest in what happens in Winnipeg. In the practice of being fair (and to avoid future accusations of whatever I’m going to be accused of), here’s the comment:

Mark Chipman wants an NHL franchise in Winnipeg and believes it can work. Sorry Wazoo, I’ll take his (and even Darren Ford’s) word over yours ANY day.
Where’s your source or figures that state MTS Centre needs 3,000 more seats? You have none.
And how many empty seats are there in Ottawa, Edmonton, and Calgary on a Wednesday night when Carolina or the L.A. Kings are in town? None. So why would there be in Winnipeg? Oh, I forgot, you have that permanent “Winnipeg inferiority complex” syndrome.
If they’re only getting 6,000 paid for Florida, Tampa, Nashville and Phoenix (despite what “announced” attendance has you believe), I’m pretty sure 15,000 paid will be just fine.
Oh, and here’s the websites for everyone that you seemingly hate to plug: (because, I suspect, they have the facts and you don’t?)
www.manitobamythbusters.com……..www.jetsowner.com

A few responses to the points made:

1. What exactly is Mr. Chipman supposed to say when asked about an NHL team coming to Winnipeg? Do you honestly think he would ever say, “We have no interest, it will not work here, and that’s that.” Of course he wouldn’t. Not painting yourself in a corner (on either side of the room) is the name of the game and non-committal answers are not signed contracts or a reference of intent. As for Ford, has he recovered from the Taylor blind-side yet? We have to get those head shots out of the game!

2. Source? A friend of a friend saw some guy wearing a True North golf shirt measuring a couch at the Brick, so this friend immediately put down a deposit for two in the lower bowl at the visitor blue line. That pretty much covers that definition of what a source is these days. Seat source revealed! Oh, I’m sorry, did I not mention this new thing called speculation? Yo, Steve Jobs just invented it.

(And by the way, that is not a shot at any bloggers out there or anything like that. As someone who enjoys the medium, and someone who rolls their eyes at the tired and pathetic old ‘mother’s basement in their underwear’ label, the reality is that quality blogs out there have made a huge positive impact on the reporting game.)

3. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure there are empty seats in Edmonton. Same with Ottawa. You say those are paid for? Oh, well then my bad. This is so complicated. Per Calgary, residents there have no culture to draw on, so they’re forced to go. And as far as my WIC syndrome goes, I’m told it’s seasonal.

4. Southern numbers. So when the Panthers say they have 12,000 they only have 6,000? Wait a second – you mean someone (or a business) would lie about or skew their figures towards a more favourable position? I find that hard to fathom. Why would anyone want to strengthen their argument that way? Thank God we live on the Internet. That never happens here.

5. And I encourage all to visit those sites. Worth the price of admission.