From: golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy)
Subject: Re: Fight over the Oilers
Organization: University of Toronto Chemistry Department
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:16:00 GMT

In article <allan.726773093@st-lina> allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan) writes:
>
>I agree that trading Gretzky was a good thing, and trading Messier
>was probably also a good thing. However, the trades brought almost
>$20 million to Edmonton; that money basically went into
>Pocklington's pocket. People would probably feel different if
>that money went into player's salaries, or if Edmonton got more
>quality players instead of just cash.
>

The Oilers were in the middle of the pack in team salaries last year,
and if the big market clubs are removed...Detroit, the Rangers, LA,
Chicago, Toronto, Montreal...the Oilers probably fell into the top
third of salaries of small market teams, with the fourth lowest
ticket prices, and probably the worst arena deal in the league.

Pocklington could be saving the $20 million for building the
new arena...that money, plus preselling the private boxes (if 
people and Edmonton decide to buy them) will go along way to
financing the modern facility necessary to be competitive.

The city and Northlands are vampires sucking the Oilers dry with
a lousy lease arrangement with the Oilers.

As I said before, only Pittsburgh has won more playoff series in
the post-Gretzky era than the Oilers...and only 1 more at that.

>>>Will a buyer step up and buy the team, should the need arise? Or
>>>will the Oilers move? And how much is the attendance problems related
>>>to people's low regard for Pocklington? 
>>>
>
>>The hockey fans in Edmonton are being spoilt and stupid if they let
>>their personal feelings cost them the city's hockey team.  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...
>
>Actually, I disagree... I think Sather has put a winning product
>on the ice.

Pocklington gave Sather the job, and let him do his job...he paid
Sather the big bucks last spring when McNall was attempting to
lure him away.

>
>By the way, do people from any other team have the same attitude?
>(ie. boycott a team because the owner is just there to make a quick
>buck?)
>

The Oilers have not missed the playoffs in 13 years, have 5 Stanley 
Cups, and have emerged from the division 8 times...is that a record
motivated by a quick buck?

>>If the Oilers are sold, even locally, then the city probably loses
>>Sather, who is the man most responsible for saving hockey, by
>>tranforming the game away from goonery, and by demonstrating that it
>>was not only the Flying Frenchmen who could fly.  Even if Sather
>>could put together an ownership group to buy the franchise from
>>Pocklington, which would be the most desirable scenario, the
>>problem of the lack of a modern hockey facility in Edmonton remains.
>
>Northlands is an OK building... It needs more private boxes, for sure,
>but it does have a good seating capacity, and the ice itself is probably
>the best in the league. A better deal for the francise on concessions/parking
>might help a little.
>

Northlands is obsolete as a modern facility...there isn't enough
parking, nor to the Oilers get enough of the concession or parking
revenue...   

Pocklington is an asshole...but he and Sather have not once shrunk
from the commitment to win...even against teams that have twice
the revenue, and when Chicago and Philadelphia and Boston and Anaheim
get their new buildings...it will be three times the revenue.

The Oilers have an unprecedented record of success, and all Edmontonians
can do about it is complain...just because the owner is not a very nice
human being, and the GM is an arrogant genius.  The obligation of the
owner and GM is to put a winning team on the ice, not to be nice.

Pocklington and Sather may leave Edmonton, but they will leave because
they want to win, not because they want to watch a prima donna on a
team that can't get remotely close to the Stanley Cup...and Gretzky
hasn't gotten remotely close to the Stanley Cup in LA.  Only this
fall, Gretzky made the enlightened admission that he never thought
coaching was very important (Sather and Muckler of course made sure
that Jari did all of Wayne's backchecking)...that's why the set of cronies he
encouraged McNall to surround him with in LA haven't gotten anywhere.

Gerald
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey