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Bring Back The Whale!!!


GHartford

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I just read this on another site.

Doesn't sound good...

You've taken quite an interest in the Hartford area. Pulling posts from the Hartford Whalers Booster Club forum and reposting them on urbanplanet.org. I have no desire to start another flame war here. Can you please not fan the flames. If you don't have any positive input or an actually factual article related to this thread (not a booster club members interpretation of an event from an outside website), then please do not post here any further. North Carolina and Connecticut are wonderful states and with lots of exciting happenings. This is not an ESPN NHL forum!

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You've taken quite an interest in the Hartford area. Pulling posts from the Hartford Whalers Booster Club forum and reposting them on urbanplanet.org. I have no desire to start another flame war here. Can you please not fan the flames. If you don't have any positive input or an actually factual article related to this thread (not a booster club members interpretation of an event from an outside website), then please do not post here any further. North Carolina and Connecticut are wonderful states and with lots of exciting happenings. This is not an ESPN NHL forum!

No honestly, I hope you guys get a team it would make for a good rivalry, but I just thought that sounded like the mayor wants to keep the Civic center.

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No honestly, I hope you guys get a team it would make for a good rivalry, but I just thought that sounded like the mayor wants to keep the Civic center.

Actually, the Mayor (Eddie Perez) is on record stating he wants a new arena and an NHL team for Hartford. Marie O'Brien is head of the CDA (Connecticut Development authority) which is a Quasi-Public entity that manages the city owned Civic Center. There is a study being conducted right now on the future of the HCC and it's usefulness along with possible uses. Personally I feel like the 1mil number is pretty darn good for an arena not housing a pro sports team. At some point or another the Civic Center will be replaced... it's my opinion that this study is the first step towards that. Outside of us landing the Penguins, this will likely take some time.

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I'm really not worried at this point. I truly think we are gonna get a team. The mayor wants one, honestly I think if Rowland were still gov. we might have it a little easier. But hey, let's see what Rell can do. We just need to have a little patience, but big change is coming. I can feel it. Can you?

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Rowland is the one that let the Whalers go in the first place, he thought he had the Pats in his back pocket, and never cared for hockey to begin with. Rell was the one that was really doing all the dirty work trying to keep the team here. I think we are in infinitely better hands with her. She is also on record saying she wouldn't mind a new arena either. Now all we need is some money to pay for it, and we are on our way...

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with all this new residential going up all over DT....how far up do you think Hartfords population will get in the next 5-10 years? Does anyone think it'll ever get as high as it did in the 50's?

I think it will take much more than downtown development to approach the same levels as the 1950's. However, there are many out there that believe Hartford (and numerous) urban areas were grossly under counted in the last census so maybe it really isn't all that far off??? If a new arena is built on the other side of 84 which in turn spurs some new development (maybe the arena district?) while the old Civic Center is converted to more housing it'll certainly help. To see larger growth I would think existing neighborhoods would need to see substantial redevelopment money.

As far as the "Face the State" discussion. I did watch on Sunday and I didn't interpret the interview to be anti-new arena by any means. I took it as being early in the discussion, with the expectations the CDA will be approached with all sorts of proposals that could mean a, renovated, rebuilt, or new arena/site. Basically it looks like a "let's see what developers throw at us" approach. While it might not be on the fast track the discussion is more open than it was a year ago. One important statement from the show-a hockey team is going to be a major tenant.

My personal opinion is the powers that be (MSG, CDA, Northland, City of Hartford,etc). knows the existing Civic Center will not be able to compete for top flight events much longer if it shows its age.

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I think we can achieve greater population in the city, particularly downtown if they plan it effectively. I see spots every single day that I (in my infinite wisdom) could see being residential apartments or condos. To name a few:

Walnut St/Edwards St

Homestead Ave/Albany Ave

Homestead Ave/end of Baltimore St

Linden St/Hudson St

Capitol Ave around Hudson St

Ford St/Asylum St

All around the Colt Building (Van Dyke Ave)

Capitol Ave/Broad St

Flower St (around I84 overpass)

Upper Ann/High St

Myrtle St/Spring St

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with all this new residential going up all over DT....how far up do you think Hartfords population will get in the next 5-10 years? Does anyone think it'll ever get as high as it did in the 50's?

All Northeastern cities have experienced population losses since the 1950's. There is a reverse migration trend now towards the NE cities, but it will never rebound to the way it was.

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  • 3 weeks later...

While I'm more of an NHL guy... I could probably get into a local NBA team. However, without an arena I can't see this happening. It's the whole chicken or the egg scenario.

New Arena will be a tough sell without the promise of a full time pro tenant, but without and arena we will never be on anyone's radar.

Should the arena become a serious issue and actually gain momentum and secure funding Hartford moves to the top of either league for expansion (unlikely as it may be) or relocation.

On a side note, I read somewhere, and now I can't remember, that in the state of the city address, Perez brought up the NHL and seems to be a big supporter of pro sports and a new arena. It will be interesting as things progress further with this CDA study. It's my personal opinion that the CDA study is a shill to garner support for an eventual replacement to the HCC. Much easier to pursued people with this study in your back pocket... that's assuming I'm correct.

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Personally, I would prefer both. Our market has more than enough population and income to support the NHL and the NBA. I'm tired of being underestimated. Give us a new arena, and some owners who can truly market the teams to the whole state of CT and Western MA, and it's a go.

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Our Metro could easily take care of the NHL....Hartfords metro makes an estimate of 77.8 BILLION dollars a year....anyone who says that we don't have the money for it ;) ....riiiiiiiiiiighhhhttttt

Absolutey! An NHL team would definitely work out great here. Plus with the popularity of UCONN basketball and the sport of basketball in CT, the NBA would do great here.

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Absolutey! An NHL team would definitely work out great here. Plus with the popularity of UCONN basketball and the sport of basketball in CT, the NBA would do great here.

I don't doubt that an NBA team would do well here, but the one problem I would see is funding. I know I just said that we have plenty of money for a Pro team, but for two? questionable....There are quite a few cities with 2 Pro sports teams and all of the ones I can think of (with the exception of Buffalo) show that it would take more money than we have to afford two teams.

city: price of two teams: Franchises:

Buffalo/ 68.7 Billion/ NHL, NFL

Cincinnati/ 122.2 Billion/ NFL, MLB

Milwaukee/ 127.6 Billion/ NBA, MLB

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With UConn being so popular up there, I think it would overshadow the NBA big time. Who is going to pay out of their *** to watch a team that doesn't really play like a team when college basketball is more exciting and way cheaper? Its happening in charlotte and places like memphis, atlanta.

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With UConn being so popular up there, I think it would overshadow the NBA big time. Who is going to pay out of their *** to watch a team that doesn't really play like a team when college basketball is more exciting and way cheaper? Its happening in charlotte and places like memphis, atlanta.

Didn't charlotte get another NBA team though when the hornet's left?

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Connecticut is the richest state in the nation. We can afford UConn Men and Women's Hoops, UConn Football, the NHL, and the NBA. I have not one doubt about it.

Canes Fan, you have probably never been here so you really have no idea about the environment. We embrace UConn because it's all we have, trust me, most sports fan up here only want more options and could easily afford them. Not to mention that we may see some population growth and a more lively region in general if Downtown improved exponentially and we get professional sports and all that come with them.

In my opinion it's only a matter of time. Downtown Hartford this time next year will be a totally different landscape and alot misconceptions will change. We will have the NHL return, and I think we have a good chance at getting the NBA if we get a new arena built. This is a rich market and money talks. The only problem is that the Hartford of today is not a major league city, although the Hartford Metro and surrounding metros are major league. We have work to do, but we will be. Mark my words.

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot about the travel factor. Hartford is so close to other markets that fans will follow their teams from Boston, NYC, NJ, and Philly. Also CT fans will come out to watch former UConn players on other teams and especially if we get any UConn guys on our team. The list goes on and on as to why it would work. Can't think of too many reasons why it wouldn't to tell you the truth.

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I dont know what the ticket prices are like down in North Carolina for College basketball, but at UConn if you want good seats you are going to pay top dollar. If you want good seats as a season ticket holder expect to spend a good amount also. UConn basketball in these days is not cheap anymore, now that it is all corporate.

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I dont know what the ticket prices are like down in North Carolina for College basketball, but at UConn if you want good seats you are going to pay top dollar. If you want good seats as a season ticket holder expect to spend a good amount also. UConn basketball in these days is not cheap anymore, now that it is all corporate.

UCONN offers a quality product and it is well worth the money if your big on college basketball, which is pretty much king around here.

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There is no way a smaller market like Hartford can support the NHL and the NBA because the seasons conflict with each other. Sure Hartford has money, but how many people are going to support both teams at the same time? It works well in places with huge populations like New York, LA, Chicago Dallas, Philly and Toronto, but not small market cities.

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Hartford is geographically small but don't be fooled. It's inner ring of 'burbs has 260,000 people, and it's second ring of suburbs has 240,000 people.

So Hartford and and its close in suburbs (still a smaller geographic foootprint than Charlotte) is home to 630,000+ people.

The area is more populus and richer than most folks realize.

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There is no way a smaller market like Hartford can support the NHL and the NBA because the seasons conflict with each other. Sure Hartford has money, but how many people are going to support both teams at the same time? It works well in places with huge populations like New York, LA, Chicago Dallas, Philly and Toronto, but not small market cities.

That's where you are wrong. Hartford is not a small market city. Over 4 Million people live within about an hour of Hartford, if you count the population of the State of CT and Western MA. All who share much of our media market and who would support teams in Hartford. UConn gets alot of support outside of Metro Hartford which is 1.3 M in the CSA and 1.2 M in the MSA, just to let you know. They draw from the entire state. When you go to UConn Football or Basketball games there are people from all over the state, Fairfield County, New Haven County, Hartford County, and every other county in CT. This is fatal flaw in your argument, Canes Fan. This would be the exact same pattern for a returned NHL team and an NBA team. Don't think of Hartford as a small market city. That's the real problem, that perception. We are in the geographic center of one of the most dense, most wealthy, most underserved, and largest urban areas in the U.S. I don't blame you as an outsider there is no way for you to know that, and that is one of our marketing problems. But Hartford and CT are big time.

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