"For some, the financially strong, individual ownership approach of Katz seems precisely right going forward both for the Oilers in the New NHL and the evolving, increasingly confident city they play in.
Count me among that group. There is boldness in what Katz seeks to do and this city and the Oilers could use a major injection of boldness."
--John MacKinnon, Edmonton Journal
"Cuban is finding that the world of sports ownership is essentially attempting to join a club that will not have you as a member...
Cuban's hardly the only one to run into an old-money, new-money fight in the sports world. Paul Allen had his own issues after buying the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks, and Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsillie has run into nothing but brick walls with his attempted purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins and continued moves to try to move the Nashville Predators to Hamilton, Canada. These are new thinkers, with new ideas and new ways of doing business. This is not how professional sports operate, so they are shunned as radicals, or rejected all together. Most often, their idealistic notions of "changing the game" are crushed under the unceasing inertia of The Norm. Owning a sports team doesn't turn out to be nearly as fun as they thought. What is new and different must be crushed."
--Will Leitch, Valleywag
"The engines of finance and technology are driven by innovation; sports runs away from it, terrified."
ReplyDeleteButler looked pretty scared at that last press conference.
I'm reminded of the story around the formation of the World Hockey Association, which only got off the ground basically because John Davidson and Bill Hunter told those new money guys "would you rather be the guy who makes bras in Muskegon or the guy who owns a hockey team in Detroit", and the NHL wouldn't have a damned thing to do with them.
ReplyDeleteIf a couple Katzes, Allens, and Balsilles were able to get in a room, the sports world is rapidly approaching the point where history could repeat itself. Just saying.
(P.S.: GOILERS!)
i read that story this morning and almost pissed myself laughing. i was hoping it would pop up here at some point. seems like the media has drawn their lines on both sides (depending on what paper you read) and have started the propaganda. what ever happened to providing the public with pure facts and allowing them to make their own informed opinion. screw that...i'm lazy...tell me what i should think so i can go for a few more beers.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, has anyone seen this? http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/01/24/peddie_fletcher_lipsynching/
ReplyDeleteRelative to Leafnation, we have nothing to complain about.
/threadjack
Why do people think that pro sports should be innovative?
ReplyDeleteI'm not from Edmonton; I don't know a lot about Katz. But I was under the impression that most of his money comes from drug stores. Is he really 'new money' in the way that Balsille or Cuban are?
ReplyDeletewhat ever happened to providing the public with pure facts
ReplyDeletehar har, hardee har har
jameso: he's a self-made billionaire at a relatively young age (mid-40s), so that would qualify him in my books.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Andy's post, all I keep hearing is "meet the new boss, same as the old boss"
ReplyDeletehe's a self-made billionaire
ReplyDeleteBy self-made I assume you mean he had the good sense to choose his drugstore chain founding father?
Actually, by "self-made" he means taking your father's half-dozen local drug stores and growing the business into an international multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical empire.
ReplyDeleteOh - and becoming one of Canada's wealthiest and most respected businessmen in the process.
I'm not saying Daryl is a bad businessperson, just let's give dear old Dad just a soupcon more of the credit, 'kay?
ReplyDelete