Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathgod
I don't really get the point you're trying to make.
Having advantages doesn't guarantee that you'll succeed, and lacking advantages doesn't guarantee you'll fail. However, having advantages does make it easier to succeed, and lacking advantages makes it tremendously harder to succeed.
Florida was bad for a bunch of years... ok? Does that mean lower taxes and good weather to attract free agents isn't an advantage? Of course it's an advantage.
Just because the Panthers took a long time to become competitive, doesn't mean that they didn't have a big advantage on their side... it just means they squandered it with bad management.
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Um okay, sure, but the reality is that it's a minor factor at best.
Yes, if choosing between Florida and Winnipeg, 8/10 will probably choose Florida. However, if Florida was still terrible and Winnipeg was on the verge of winning a cup, 9/10 players would probably choose Winnipeg.
Winning cures all, and perpetual losing can ruin a franchise's reputation. This is why I'm glad the Flames are still somewhat competitive and are maintaining a strong culture of trying to win. THAT is an advantage that will attract free agents where weather maybe does not.
I'm also subtly implying that the reason it didn't work in Calgary with some of these same players is because of poor top down management, from ownership interfering in management (not empowering by having to sign off on big trades/FA signings etc), to a GM that had blind spots, to terrible coaching hires. If you asked me which franchise had the better chances of winning a cup in 2016 or so, I would have easily said the Flames over the Panthers.
Having the right people at the top of organizations is a big deal, much more than the weather, which players don't have the time to enjoy during much of the season anyway.
Besides, summers in south Florida (the time where players can actually enjoy the local weather) are almost uninhabitable because of heat and humidity. This is why I'm currently in Asheville, North Carolina for the next 2 months.