From: hammerl@acsu.buffalo.edu (Valerie S. Hammerl)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: The Anaheim Mice and the Miami vICE may be in!
Date: 15 Dec 92 20:48:59 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <allan.724371881@st-lina> allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan) writes:
>hujic@ecf.toronto.edu (HUJIC DAMIR) writes:
>
>>In article <1992Dec11.161527.3370@bmers145.bnr.ca> macauley@bmerh760.bnr.ca (John MacAuley) writes:
>>>In article <1992Dec11.124224.19160@abo.fi>, MLINDROOS@FINABO.ABO.FI
>>>(Marcus Lindroos INF) writes:
>>>|>
>>>|>Wrong again, Gerald! Hamiltonians already have the Maple Leafs and
>>>Sabres (OK,
>>>|>some distance away though). The three established franchises around the
>>>|>Southern Ontario area (Toronto, Buffalo, Detroit) don't need another team
>>>|>stealing their fans. 
>>>|>
>>>|>MARCU$
>
>If I lived in Hamilton, I would feel insulted... What you would be
>telling me is "You can't have a team... You have to make a 2 hour trip
>to watch NHL hockey. So there..."

Hamilton is NOT two hours from Buffalo.  Toronto is a little more than
that.  Since Hamilton is essentially between the two cities, as one 
generally drives around lake Ontario rather than sail over it
(particularly in hockey season), Hamilton is perhaps a little over an 
hour from Toronto, I think, and about an hour and forty five minutes
from Buffalo at worst.  A lot of fans have to drive a lot more than
that to see their "home" team play.  With Buffalo and Toronto on their
doorstep, it's going to be an uphill battle securing a team in
Hamilton.  I don't see much effort anymore on the part of Tim Horton's
or any other company to bring in a team.

>The NHL was brain-damaged when they scheduled Neutral-site games
>in Hamilton. One of the neutral-site games featured, guess who, the
>Buffalo Sabres! Now, Buffalo had just screwed Hamilton out of a francise;
>how many Hamilton hockey fans are going to be keen on seeing the Sabres play?
>(Also, there was a game the previous night, featuring the Leafs in Hamilton,
>which DID go well.)

Well, there's another game, Vancouver against the Sabres, scheduled
for March in Hamilton.  The curious should also note that Seymour
Knox, owner of the Sabres, is on the record stating that if the new
arena is not built for Buffalo and the team does move, it will NOT be
to Hamilton, and it will probably be to Milwaukee.

>>>Having lived
>>>in Niagara for all my life I can say that a team in Hamilton would not hurt
>>>Detroit (4hrs. away), Toronto (1 hr of hell driving), or Buffalo (1.5hrs to one
>>>of the worst facilities in hockey).  

If Hamiltonians wanted to watch hockey, they still have three options,
which are considerably closer than a lot of fans must drive to watch a
game.  Having lived just south of Niagara all my life, I have some
idea what the area's like.  It MIGHT be able to support a team,
provided sufficient interest remains, ticket prices are inexpensive, 
and the owners work hard to keep the team competitive.  Having an
arena is not enough.

>>>I say let's move the Whalers from that GOD forsaken hockey hell to the
>>>steal capital of Canada!

The whalers have an agreement with the city of Hartford, and they
won't be moving for many years.

[...]
>What do you base this on? The Hamilton fans were ready to pack Copps
>Colesium with season ticket holders. There are millions of people
>in Ontario who want to watch hockey. Hamilton would probably do
>better than Toronto in the long run, since Toronto fan support
>is reduced thanks to baseball.

The Hamilton fans have several cities nearby with teams.  There are
two hockey teams in Ontario, plus two in border US cities.  Are there
millions of people in Ontario that want to drive out to Hamilton to
watch a game?  Hamilton claimed that it had support for an expansion
team.  Its AHL team is dying in terms of attendance, its exhibition
games do not sell out.  Don't forget too that thousands of
Hamiltonians will be losing their jobs shortly, due to GM plant
closings in the city.  The numbers I heard of individuals who'll soon
be looking for a job is shocking.  The city is in an economic
downspiral;  Coupled with the aforementioned apathy, is it any wonder 
that the NHL is overlooking Hamilton?  Yeah, I know, I'm a Buffalo fan
and of course Seymour Knox singlehandedly blocked Hamilton's bid for a
team, so naturally I'm biased, right?  Seriously, I realize Hamilton
has some fans who want a team of their own.  Unfortunately for
Hamilton, the NHL has decided to go elsewhere, to cities that pursued
a team during the meetings this year.


-- 
Valerie Hammerl 	       John Sr. would lift Pat over the boards, grab 
hammerl@acsu.buffalo.edu       his hand, and start running around the outside,
V085PWPZ@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU  faster and faster.  "I wanted to learn how to 
get that feeling, and the only way was to learn how to skate."  P. LaFontaine
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey