OMG. Did you hear? Voters in New York's Nassau County voted down a proposed $400 million bonding deal to build the NHL's New York Islanders a shiny new arena. And, as happens every time a hockey team gets a little disgruntled, Kansas City's grand municipal circle-jerk begins. We can get them this time! We're a desirable market for the NHL! What's a pretty market? We're a pretty market! Yes, we are!
Media outlets both local and national are now speculating about the chances that the Islanders could soon call Sprint Center home, and it's already reaching a ridiculous level. Just stop it, everybody. It's not going to happen. For once, let's handle this speculation with grace and not go through the delusional song and dance of pretending Gary Bettman lies awake at night dreaming up ways to move a team here. He doesn't. Let's get over it.
Here's a handy guide to stop you from getting your hopes up. Hang it on your fridge in case you find yourself thinking up team names or doodling jersey designs.
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Sprint Center doing well? An article I read awhile back begs to differ.
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/...
"Only one problem with that description: It bears no resemblance to reality. As both I and my own corporate colleagues at The Pitch explained two years ago, the Sprint Center turns an operating profit for Kansas City — but that's only if you don't count the city's annual $13.8 million in construction bond payments. And that money is all coming from hotel and car-rental taxes — which only counts as "not raising taxes for residents" if you think that people only ever rent cars while on vacation." Neil deMause
81 days of rental may help, but will the market bear it?
As far as the Islanders actually moving here, I would have to agree that it's not going to happen. However, the Islanders do have some good, young talent.
*Out of their five players who scored at least 20 goals last year, all of them were 27 years old or younger. three of them were under 25, and one was just 20 years old.
*Out of their 7 players with 20 or more assists, all were 27 years old or younger (again), four were under 25 years old, and two were 20 years old.
*Their top three defensemen in ice time per game were 24, 26, and 20 years old.
*The three forwards with 200+ shots on the team were all 27 or younger, one being 20 years old.
*Their top goal scorer in the minors is only 23. He is also their top assist and point earner.
*They had 4 more picks in the top 62 picks of this year's entry draft.
Some thoughts on your points...
It's possible that AEG has no interesting in putting a team here because of your second point, the success of Sprint Center without a major tenant.
But would a distant owner fly here... you mean like the Dallas based Hunt family, or the Arkansas based David Glass?
Sly James shouldn't be taken seriously about what team moves here, and if he went against the idea of an expansion team here in KC, he would be an idiot, and the Lakers aren't leaving LA.
Yes Wang could move the team to Brooklyn, providing he gets the deal he wants on revenue, but he wont' be the primary tenant, and that could go against him financially.
As far as bigger markets, there's problems with every market left... be it Quebec City with no arena (and much smaller than KC) or other towns with inadequate arenas or other cities with no established buyers.
Looks to me like this is the glass is 1/2 empty approach. There no guarantee the Islanders move here, and no one should chomp at the bit expecting it, but then it's no guarantee they wouldn't move here either.
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