Quote:
Originally Posted by kermitology
Think about the tone that Hotchkiss has with his comments here:
The point being made is that Hotchkiss was realistic in his message to fans: please show us you want to us to stay, if you don't, we won't have any choice but to sell. And after that commitment was made there were other pieces of the puzzle that needed to be worked on, but first and foremost - the fan commitment needed to be there.
That's a lot different than the tone taken by King and co. Who flat out refuse to talk about it, basically just idly threatening through Bettman or Francis that if the city doesn't bend the knee they're going to pull up stakes. To which my response, is what are you waiting for? What's the difference between putting the team up for sale tomorrow versus 2 - 5 years from now? Why even bother saying you'll play out your string here? Just go or don't.
Not to mention the lackadaisical effort put forth by the team this season not helping their cause for sympathy. It's like a spoiled child asking for a new toy - throwing a tantrum when the parents say no because they have a used one they treat like garbage.
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The statement was, I thought, a lot like what Burke said and what King said. If they can't get to a solution, they will have little choice.
Hotchkiss' statements were designed to put pressure on the fans and the government as well (since he squeezed the latter on the lease deal). you could make exactly the same arguments about his statements that you are making about the present people involved. You just like Hotchkiss and don't like Edwards/King/Bettman (who was also in on the earlier stuff).