From: allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Fight over the Oilers
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:24:53 GMT

golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:

>In article <allan.726724600@st-lina> allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan) writes:
>>
>>I don't know how well people outside Edmonton are aware over
>>the feud between the Oiler's owner (Peter Pocklington) and the
>>city of Edmonton, but things are getting pretty nasty.
>>
>>Edmonton attendance is down this year. Of course the team has
>>been playing pretty lousy lately, and the economy has suffered.
>>Season ticket sales are down, and the most common reason given
>>for not renewing ticket packages is lack of money.
>>

>The last time I checked, I'm pretty sure I read that the Oilers
>had the fourth lowest ticket prices in the league overall...

That doesn't suprise me... I hear the average ticket price all
across Canada is lower (on average) than that of the U.S.

>>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.
>>

>The Pocklington owned Oilers have yet to miss the playoffs, and have
>won 5 Stanley Cups, and been to the finals 6 times, and won their
>division in the playoffs 9 times...all in 13 years...Pocklington 
>is an asshole, but to complain about the productivity on the ice
>is ridiculous.  Even in the post-Gretzky era, only
>Pittsburgh has won more playoffs series than the Oilers.

I give full credit to the Oiler success to Sather and the coaching
staff, who have kept the team running in SPITE of Pocklington.

>>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.)
>>

>Gretzky hasn't won any Cups in LA and Messier hasn't won any in NY...
>neither has gotten their team even out of their divisions in the
>playoffs...the Oilers have a Stanley Cup, and come out of their division
>3 times in 4 years...spoilt fans...Edmonton fans deserve Harold Ballard.

Yes, Edmonton fans are probably spoiled. Its also that way with
the Edmonton Eskimos... They are a competative team, but their glory
days with Moon are over.

>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 have paid Lowe.
>And with Ranford, Fuhr becomes expendable...Ranford is the second
>best goaltender in the world and a few years younger, so it is
>justified to trade away the best goaltender in the world.

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.

>>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.

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?)

>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.

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