From: FELSKE@ERICH.TRIUMF.CA (FELSKE, WAYNE W.)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Fight over the Oilers
Date: 12 Jan 1993 17:12:14 GMT
Organization: TRI-UNIVERSITY MESON FACILITY
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: erich.triumf.ca
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

(Gerald Olchowy) writes:
> 
> >In article Allan Sullivan writes:
> >>
> >Pocklington is absolutely right about this...
   	Well half right!!

> ?this is why most
> >NBA owners are or have built their own buildings, because the
> >entire revenue stream from the building is necessary to generate
> >the revenue to be competitive...
> Since (so far) Northlands (who control the Coliseum and reap the
> rewards of parking, concessions, etc. at Oiler games) management
> is unwilling to renegotiate the lease with Pocklington, I agree that
> Puck should build a new arena.  In fact, even IF Northlands does
> renegotiate, it would probably be far better in the long run for
> Pocklington to have his own arena anyway.  
> 

	 I think the revenue stream has little to do with it. I think it has
more to do with empire building. If your going to pay huge amounts of cash 
for a place to play it would make sense to pour it into your own mortgage 
payment. On the other hand the initial years of a new place will actually lose
money so the team will be no better off but the owner will be building his
empire. Nothing really wrong here, it's just business.

> >Vancouver is building a new building...Winnipeg is being subsidized by
>
	The Griffith's in Van are building an empire too!
     They just play that part of the game and stay out of the day to 
     day job of building a winner. They leave it to Quinn. Pock used to do
     that too. Slats built the team around Gretzky and Pock tore it down.
> 
> >>In the meantime, a sports columnist for the Edmonton Journal
> >>(I don't know who it was; I rarely read the journal)  has encouraged
> >>fans to write letters encouraging Puck to sell the team. So far,
> >>80% of the people writing in have agreed.
> >>
	If only He would sell.
	I have for a long time thought that Slats is the best
	G.M./whatever  (anything but coach) in the league. And now 
	he has to put up with the cheapest and by far the worst owner
	in the league. I wonder if Slats is getting a cut when he sells
	 a player rather than trades?
		
> >>Although people acknowledge the problems involved in running a
> >>small-market team, they are fed up with Puck selling the best
> >>players in order to earn money for his own pocket. Trading vetran
> >>players isn't bad; just make sure you get good players for them.
> >>(or at least put the money earned back into the Oiler's organization.)

	Thats just it. Sather must be sick at all the talent he has let go
       for cash and not for other talent.                       
 >...the Oilers have a Stanley Cup, and come out of their division
> >3 times in 4 years...spoilt fans...Edmonton fans deserve Harold Ballard.
> 
	No... but they deserve better than Pock !!

> >I am sentimental too, but the Gretzky trade was unequivocally a good
> >thing, the Oilers could not afford to pay a declining Messier $2.5
> >million...it would be a waste of money..., 

	I would agree with that except that the trades were done to feed 
pocks pockets and basically ignored any kind of respect which needs to go both
ways. After the obvious crap in the 99 trade it's no wonder Mess wanted out
irregardless of the money.
         
> However, there is at least the *appearance* of a poor job rebuilding
> the team, especially this year.


  Pocklington
> >may have failed to produce with his trust company and with Gainers,
> >and taken the taxpayer for a ride in those enterprises, but with
> >the Oilers, he has put a winning product on the ice...
>
       


	It would seem to me the poor job is more than appearence.
	Pocklington has been slowly stripping the team in a cash grab for 
	years and now it's catching up with the team.

	When it comes down to it I guess all the owners are in it for thier 
own interests but most at least try to run a respectable operation and try to
give the appearence of being good corporate citizens while they become filthy
rich. Pock has ignored everything but the filthy rich part.

	Wayne Felske
	felske@erich.triumf.ca
 
> Bart, Edmonton AB Canada

Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey