WWE vs.................Denver Nuggets??? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

albertGQ · 05-19-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

World Wrestling Entertainment thrives on outlandish story lines and characters, but the company finds itself embroiled in a real-life controversy with the Denver Nuggets. And WWE's bombastic owner is making the most of it.
The plot: Who has rights to Denver's Pepsi Center on Monday -- the Nuggets, hosting their first Western Conference final since 1985, or the WWE's travelling TV soap opera?
WWE chairman Vince McMahon, the promoter who helped transform professional wrestling into prime-time television entertainment, fired the first salvo Monday. In interviews with ESPN, he loudly called out Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and challenged him to a steel-cage match. (Is there any other way to resolve a grudge?)

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=279258

Quote:

The WWE said its crews will be in Denver on Monday night, even if it means putting on a show in a parking lot.

Hahahahahha. I wonder who will win this? I think it will be Vince.

CrusaderPi · 05-19-2009, 04:39 PM

Vince will win just by the publicity this'll generate. Also, the fat cheque will contribute to the win. Lakers @ Nuggets on Monday, as scheduled.

Just checking the out of town scoreboard, we have the Oilers beating Dora and the Penguins losing to Yanni.

JayP · 05-19-2009, 04:50 PM

I don't see why they would schedule the playoff game on a date when the arena has already been booked for wrestling (likely months in advance).

Clever_Iggy · 05-19-2009, 04:52 PM

I believe a representative from the Pepsi Center already said that the Nuggets will be playing there and that they would work with the WWE to find an alternate venue.

The WWE is complaining that it's already sold 10-12,000 tickets ranging from $20-$70. The Nuggets, a long time continuous tenant, will be pulling in slightly bigger numbers than that.

Regardless, I would be surprised if the Pepsi Center didn't have a provision in its standard lease contract that would address issues like this.

transplant99 · 05-19-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

The WWE is complaining that it's already sold 10-12,000 tickets ranging from $20-$70. The Nuggets, a long time continuous tenant, will be pulling in slightly bigger numbers than that.

Slightly?

I heard on the radio today the average price of a ticket is 155 bucks...and that it holds somewhere north of 18,000 folks.

Its a no-brainer that the NBA will defeat McMahon and his steroid posse.

CrusaderPi · 05-19-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

Slightly?

I heard on the radio today the average price of a ticket is 155 bucks...and that it holds somewhere north of 18,000 folks.

Its a no-brainer that the NBA will defeat McMahon and his steroid posse.

No question the NBA plays as scheduled. I'm curious about the number of zeros Vinny Mac will receive as compensation.

Lucifer · 05-19-2009, 06:04 PM

RAW will probably just be moved to Colorado Springs, or taped over the weekend. The game will still go on as scheduled, and so will RAW.

I found it funny how the Nuggets owner didn't have enough faith that his own team would make it this far, lol.

Sainters7 · 05-19-2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayP

I don't see why they would schedule the playoff game on a date when the arena has already been booked for wrestling (likely months in advance).

Exactly my thoughts. Whoever scheduled the match-ups for the Conference Finals didn't do their homework.

ResAlien · 05-19-2009, 06:47 PM

Been following this relatively closely here, and apparently there is no clause in the contract the WWE signed that says the Pepsi Centre can kick them out. Odd I know. The NBA and Kroenke screwed this one up, as the WWE booked the venue over a year ago. This will just turn into good PR for Vince, playing the downtrodden businessman vs Billionaire jerkhole. I'll try to find the link, apparently the WWE is planning on just saying screw it and going to the Staples Centre in LA.

It will be a long time before the WWE is back in Denver. Vince McMahon can hold a grudge like no ones business. My buddy got tickets to go and is pretty livid.

Funny, link from ESPN, interview with Vince, the guy interviewing him is a former WWE employee. Vince is a bit over the top, but he's got a point.

Gotta love Vince as a showman and businessman.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/...ategoryid=null

Resolute 14 · 05-19-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayP

I don't see why they would schedule the playoff game on a date when the arena has already been booked for wrestling (likely months in advance).

It does seem odd, as the Pepsi Center's schedule shows Sunday as being open.

Frankly, this suggests more that the NBA itself are being the a-holes, and pressuring the Nuggets into forcing the WWE out.

Game 1 is tonight
Game 2 is Thursday
Game 3 is Saturday
Game 4 is Monday
Game 5 is Wednesday
Game 6 is Friday
Game 7 is Sunday

Meanwhile, the other series is on the alternate dates.

Obviously the NBA (and its television contracts) want one game a night, and aren't willing to entertain the idea of a Sunday double header. Meanwhile, Kroenke is getting beaten over the head for something he likely had little to do with.

killer_carlson · 05-19-2009, 10:33 PM

TSN reports that last week the NBA finals were the top 7 watched shows on cable TV.

The WWE was 8th and 9th.

Vince's tv ratings play a big card here. THey have to provide the show to honor their committment to their networks. This is not a simple Dora the Explorer type of thing that is being pushed out of the way. There is loads of money at stake.

McMahon is a real dink (as per Brett Hart's book) and will milk this for every last nickle. I can even see him sending a bunch of wrestlers to the doors of the venue next week just to push the envelope. I'll bet a few bucks that at some point this week there will be clips of WWE wrestlers trying to get into the Nuggett's practice facility or something like that.

mykalberta · 05-20-2009, 10:02 AM

The Nugs and NBA are in the wrong here.

WWE is in the right.

No matter what you think about wrestiling, a contract is a contract and the NBA skeders fracked this one up royally.

I dont see the big deal, this happens all the time, you just sked around it.

0reo · 05-20-2009, 12:29 PM

I'm surprised a City like Denver can't host the WWE in a different venue.

They only need to seat 10 000 people apparently.

Clever_Iggy · 05-20-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by transplant99

I heard on the radio today the average price of a ticket is 155 bucks...and that it holds somewhere north of 18,000 folks.

19,309.

http://www.probasketballvenues.com/pepsi_center.htm

As for myk, yes a contract is a contract, but you don't know what's in the contract. Perhaps there's a provision in the contract that allows the Pepsi Center to move events like the WWE for other tenants (like basketball).

Or, the Pepsi Center looked at the differential in revenue between the two events and told the WWE to beat it and that their contract isn't worth fulfilling. Find another venue (like Colorado Springs, as mentioned) and the Pepsi Center will pay for any difference in cost for the lease. Minimal damages.

Vince McMahon is just a blowhard trying to get some publicity for his (hopefully) dying product.

mykalberta · 05-20-2009, 12:53 PM

If there is a clause in the contract, then it will be solved. We will see on Monday.

For some reason though, people think that a basketball game is more imporant than an event that prebooked almost a year ago.

I would say the same thing for any other event. A Nuggets playoff game isnt somethng they cannot resked, they wouldnt have sold many tix for it on that date in particular.

As of today NBA still has the game sked for the 25th. It will be very interesting to see what clause there would be. It seems strange to run a buisness in which you can kick a prebooked event out with less than a weeks notice.

Gozer · 05-20-2009, 01:12 PM

Seems like a lot of people (not CP specifically) are siding with the NBA because they despise the WWE.

Resolute 14 · 05-20-2009, 01:17 PM

I can't argue that sentiment much.

Though, as per my argument above, I side with the Nuggets, not the NBA.

malcolmk14 · 05-20-2009, 01:19 PM

The Nuggets are very clearly in the wrong here. However I really could care less about the WWE so I'm still on their side.

malcolmk14 · 05-20-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It does seem odd, as the Pepsi Center's schedule shows Sunday as being open.

Frankly, this suggests more that the NBA itself are being the a-holes, and pressuring the Nuggets into forcing the WWE out.

Game 1 is tonight
Game 2 is Thursday
Game 3 is Saturday
Game 4 is Monday
Game 5 is Wednesday
Game 6 is Friday
Game 7 is Sunday

Meanwhile, the other series is on the alternate dates.

Obviously the NBA (and its television contracts) want one game a night, and aren't willing to entertain the idea of a Sunday double header. Meanwhile, Kroenke is getting beaten over the head for something he likely had little to do with.

As far as I know it is Kroenke's fault. The teams are to submit a list of booked dates to the NBA before the schedule is made and the NBA works around that. Apparently, Kroenke did not submit the 25th as a booked date.

Gugstanley · 05-20-2009, 01:46 PM

Maybe the Nuggets will have to play a day game then transform the arena for the WWE. I don't care if either event happens it just is a funny mistake to watch. Vince will make it into a big deal to draw attention to his company.