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Bring Back The Whale!!!


GHartford

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Another article today about the RFPs regarding the Civic Center...I like how this is in the news daily. The CDA has now heard all three of the proposals and will make a decision in March. We'll see where this goes. It would be unfortunate if Baldwin and Larry G could not join forces on some level. I think the idea of creating a Connecticut Sports Network is a great idea with potentially a large amount of return. However, I really think the Larry G plan of temporarily running an AHL team and to agressively go after an NHL team now, is the better idea.

Courant Article 1/11/07

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Another article today about the RFPs regarding the Civic Center...I like how this is in the news daily. The CDA has now heard all three of the proposals and will make a decision in March. We'll see where this goes. It would be unfortunate if Baldwin and Larry G could not join forces on some level. I think the idea of creating a Connecticut Sports Network is a great idea with potentially a large amount of return. However, I really think the Larry G plan of temporarily running an AHL team and to agressively go after an NHL team now, is the better idea.

Courant Article 1/11/07

Then you had better write to the CDA today! My sources are telling me that the CDA is leaning toward extending their arrangement with MSG because it is the cheapest alternative.

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I second that. No guts no glory. Let's go for something big and stop settling. Jeez.

Oklahoma City did it. Kansas City did it. New Orleans did it. Memphis, Columbus, Nashville, and Salt Lake City have professional teams without having "to build a market". There are brand new arenas going up in all sorts of markets. Build it, integrate it, market it, and they will come.

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Oklahoma City did it. Kansas City did it. New Orleans did it. Memphis, Columbus, Nashville, and Salt Lake City have professional teams without having "to build a market". There are brand new arenas going up in all sorts of markets. Build it, integrate it, market it, and they will come.

I agree. I highly recommend dropping Marie O'Brien, Antonio Roberto, and David Willis a note at the CDA. Their emails are at the CDA's website: www.ctcda.com

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I believe that at the Metro breakfast yesterday that Mayor Perez said that a plan is in place to build a new arena and that an arena designer has been retained by the city.

whalerscomehome:

I wonder who the designer will be -- HMK of Kansas City? Did he say? I'd love to see seating for 22-23K.

Build it and they will come -- Hartford's Ice of Dreams -- the Whalers return!!

JimS

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I second that. No guts no glory. Let's go for something big and stop settling. Jeez.

Tycoon:

A new state Motto -- 'Connecticut: We are only Conservative when it comes to the Civic Center!' :)

Really, the CDA needs to take a risk with either Larry or Howard (or both) because MSG didn't fulfilled its promises! Rangers and Knicks exhibition games...

CDA, don't make a mistake -- do something BOLD!!

JimS

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whalerscomehome:

I wonder who the designer will be -- HMK of Kansas City? Did he say? I'd love to see seating for 22-23K.

Build it and they will come -- Hartford's Ice of Dreams -- the Whalers return!!

JimS

Hopefully they won't make the mistake Winnipeg did and make it only 15,000 seats.

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I agree, 23 is a bit much, 19 creates a better atmousphere. I think the Arena in Tampa may be that much, but I'm not sure. Regardless, most of those new arenas that are 22+ don't have the greatest atmousphere, and only get loud in the biggest games. A slightly more intimate setting with a load of luxury boxes would be ideal, in my opinion.

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I agree, 23 is a bit much, 19 creates a better atmousphere. I think the Arena in Tampa may be that much, but I'm not sure. Regardless, most of those new arenas that are 22+ don't have the greatest atmousphere, and only get loud in the biggest games. A slightly more intimate setting with a load of luxury boxes would be ideal, in my opinion.

My preference is for something along the lines of mid-17,000-18,000 max. I think of the arena in Buffalo and how I think the atmosphere didn't change for the better with a new building. I haven't been since 2003 but I started going to games the last year at the Aud(16,200?) and probably saw 10 games a year in the new place (18,690). During that time there was a huge rivalry with the Flyers and those were probably the only games I thought the building came close to the intensity of the Aud. I'm not calling out Sabres fans either. Some of the best in the NHL. Passionate about their team, knowledgable, enthusiastic, but the building could be cavernous. (A side note-some of the best ushers to have hockey conversations with-the whole staff always seemed to be fans first).

The Buffalo and Hartford markets face much of the same hurdles. When the team is rolling can they sell 20,000 seats? Sure. When the team struggles will there be enough in the metro area or corporate support to fill the place? No. I've gone on record before, I think there's going to be a "retro arena" building wave not unlike baseballs. People are finding while the amenities are nice, watching hockey, basketball, ice shows, concerts, the circus, etc. in these places leaves the spectator feeling detached.

I'd like to see a new arena in Hartford really stand out with seating capacity appropriate for the market with an innovative construction (maybe a second tier behind a goal that isn't seating but rather filled with restaurant, bar, theater type seating, and unique pricing.....maybe even something like what the LA Dodgers will be trying this year with some outfield seating allowing for admission and all you can eat concessions.

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Isn't that a bit much Jim? Any city would have a problem selling out 22k or 23k seats. 19k or 20k would be perfect, imho....

MadVlad:

I was thinking of trying to get the FINAL FOUR in Hartford someday. I want the arena to have an area for the Whalers Hall Of Fame and also the 91 Club plaque. I would like to see the arena with a restaurant with a view of the arena's rink.

JimS

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The new arena in Charlotte is pretty nice and most of the seats appear close to the arena. Capacity must be around 18k, but there are lots of aras where restaurants and bars overlook the court/ice instead of just the usual "Shawmut/Fleet/TDBanknorthCenter" style building. I think you could build a very nice 17k arena with lots of club/corporate seating that would get the job done in Hartford when you mix in UConn Men and Women with 40 professional home games you've already got 70 home dates as well as an arena that could compete with Foxwoods/Mohegan for concerts. So long as you could get the corporate support that arena could be just as profitable as any arena that has a NBA and NHL tenant.

My guess is the big selling point for such an arena has to be UConn though. But with UConn would come the corporations that would be willing to buy the skyboxes and club seating ... and hockey could follow.

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So, unusually I happened to wake up early this morning and turned on the TV to Fox 61's beyond the headlines. CDA President Marie O'Brien was on, and I'm pretty convinced that she is leaning towards MSG, secondly to Baldwin and a distant third Larry G/AEG. I say again, what a dolt.

She kept mentioning things like "we have three great plans, but we have to make sure we go with what the market will hold." This tells me that they are going to go conservative, when in fact now is really calling for a decisive, risk taking action. Look at Larry G and the vision he has had in the past. Northland came into the Hartford market in 1997 when the market was extremely depressed. He had the vision to see that the market was going to come back, and ultimately he became a key component of the comeback itself.

O'Brien's tone about the process was terrible, almost as though she had made up her mind and thrown out Larry G's plan.

On another note, Alan Victor was also on the panel, and he didn't do much to push his cause. He is a great guy and really has supported the idea of the Whalers tremendously, but in his one chance to push the reasons why the NHL coming back is the way to go, he threw up a gopher ball. He said the main reason the Wolf Pack struggle is because the people aren't willing to support a rival Rangers squad. I have mentioned that before as a reason why people don't support, but it is definitely not the biggest reason. Rich Coppolla was also on the panel and crapped all over that as soon as Victor said it. The real reason, as many of you know, that people don't support the AHL is because (a) This area won't support anything but the best. You can support several examples including UCONN basketball and football. No one went to UConn women's basketball games when they were an average women's team, but when they won a championship the state supportted them in a historical fashion. Same thing with Football and the upgrade from DIAA to DIA. (b) The Wolf Pack have been incredibly poorly marketed and run from a PR/Marketing stand point.

As far as "What the Market will bear" crap that O'Brien was spouting....Hartford is the biggest media market in the country without a big four sport. It has one of the highest business densities, and per capita income's in the country. It is an area that is built to support the corporate and high income need that professional sports has.

Frustrating. I have emailed the CDA before, and I will again. It may fall on deaf ears, but I agree that giving them more reading material from the public can't hurt.

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So, unusually I happened to wake up early this morning and turned on the TV to Fox 61's beyond the headlines. CDA President Marie O'Brien was on, and I'm pretty convinced that she is leaning towards MSG, secondly to Baldwin and a distant third Larry G/AEG. I say again, what a dolt.

She kept mentioning things like "we have three great plans, but we have to make sure we go with what the market will hold." This tells me that they are going to go conservative, when in fact now is really calling for a decisive, risk taking action. Look at Larry G and the vision he has had in the past. Northland came into the Hartford market in 1997 when the market was extremely depressed. He had the vision to see that the market was going to come back, and ultimately he became a key component of the comeback itself.

O'Brien's tone about the process was terrible, almost as though she had made up her mind and thrown out Larry G's plan.

On another note, Alan Victor was also on the panel, and he didn't do much to push his cause. He is a great guy and really has supported the idea of the Whalers tremendously, but in his one chance to push the reasons why the NHL coming back is the way to go, he threw up a gopher ball. He said the main reason the Wolf Pack struggle is because the people aren't willing to support a rival Rangers squad. I have mentioned that before as a reason why people don't support, but it is definitely not the biggest reason. Rich Coppolla was also on the panel and crapped all over that as soon as Victor said it. The real reason, as many of you know, that people don't support the AHL is because (a) This area won't support anything but the best. You can support several examples including UCONN basketball and football. No one went to UConn women's basketball games when they were an average women's team, but when they won a championship the state supportted them in a historical fashion. Same thing with Football and the upgrade from DIAA to DIA. (b) The Wolf Pack have been incredibly poorly marketed and run from a PR/Marketing stand point.

As far as "What the Market will bear" crap that O'Brien was spouting....Hartford is the biggest media market in the country without a big four sport. It has one of the highest business densities, and per capita income's in the country. It is an area that is built to support the corporate and high income need that professional sports has.

Frustrating. I have emailed the CDA before, and I will again. It may fall on deaf ears, but I agree that giving them more reading material from the public can't hurt.

Sigh.... why does this not surprise me? Can you provide the emails here for us? I browsed the CDA site briefly and didn't find them....

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Unfortunately, the CDA has taken their direct emails off of the website. Now you can click on "Contact Us" and on the ensuing page click on "Staff Directories". Once you are there there is a link to send each person an email. The link does not provide you with a direct email address, but a form that you can fill out that contains a comments section.

I sent one this morning to Marie O'Brien, we'll see if I get any response. I didn't last time.

Here is the direct link to the page I am talking about

CDA staff directory page

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So, today the CDA states they want the 3 proposers to look and see if they can do better. What?!? That sounds like a Mickey Mouse move if I've ever heard one. Also, L. Scott Frantz says "What we should be looking for is the best deal for the Authority". What?!? How about the best deal for the city and the metro? These guys are idiots....

Dumb

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