[News] Ken King: Flames' owners no longer pursuing new arena with City of Calgary

[Yeah_Baby]

Real Politick is alive and well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by dammage79

They move it's back to the Hawks I go. Or Dallas. Maybe the Leafs!

Whoa now - There's crazy and then there's bat####e crazy.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

I think CalgaryNEXT is dead.
Hopefully this gets the City actually talking, which they have not been doing.

Judging by the fact that you're just now saying you think CalgaryNEXT is dead, it's not hard to see why you can't understand that after the city does a bunch of the Flame's work for them, they don't need to talk about anything else.

The Flames have been a joke in this. Embarrassing.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

What part of what I said was untrue?

Ummm... all of it? The Flames have never once put a serious proposal on the table. The city has been working on most of the details of a serious proposal.

[PepsiFree]

Sad. One group wants to protect Calgarians, the other wants to charge the ticket buyer more and raid the pocketbook of the taxpayer for the same product dressed up with a few more bells and whistles.

I'm not opposed to a fair deal, a new arena is a pure luxury and one of questionable value at that. If King and Co want to start putting up a stink and making noise, I say let them, because I can't see how this doesn't backfire spectacularly in their faces.

You're asking a city full of people who had to re-examine their financial situation and undergo some pretty difficult times all around to raid their city tax revenue for more luxury boxes, more expensive seats, and maybe a fancy new jumbotron. It just seems tone-deaf.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

How has the city not been talking?

They've been talking to the media, but not talking to CSEC, nor responding to a presented offer. CSEC has no idea what the City actually wants.

[Tinordi]

Also, to be clear, it was always going to end this way. There is no middle group here. Nenshi and council aren't going to spend big public dollars on an arena, the Flames don't want to spend their own dollars on an arena. It's intractable.

The only way to move the ball forward is either for the political dynamics at council to change or for CSEC to throw in the towel.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Fans no longer interested in pursuing tickets.

If this drags on, perhaps a preseason boycotting by fans is in order. If people have enough backbone to stand up to this crap.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

In fairness, nearly everyone in the ownership group has been so for about a quarter century or more - Byron Seaman is actually an original owner from 1980. Edwards and Libin both bought in in 1994, right when the economics of the NHL were going to hell. They have already proven they are in it for the long haul. That's not the problem here. The problem is their stupidly hamfisted negotiation tactics.

I think Edwards is the problem, and yeah Ken King has been his hamfisted bagman. He has bungled everything he has touched from the jerseys to his moronic interfering in hockey ops decisions if that piece is true.

The old guard has been great and very committed but Harley Hotchkiss was leading them the last time the Flames were in danger. He was committed to the Flames. Edwards is not from Calgary and he doesn't live here anymore... you wonder if he's thinking, yeah I'd rather have a harborfront condo in Seattle and spend some time there than go back to freezing Calgary. Edwards personally has done nothing to assure me of his commitment to Calgary.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

What part of what I said was untrue?

Your comment about Nenshi's proposal being little more than electioneering comes off a little disingenuous given the Flames' announcement today is blatant electioneering itself.

We don't know what's actually going on in the meeting rooms. The Flames may well be completely correct that the city isn't taking things seriously. But what we know publicly, coupled with history means that none of the Flames, Edwards and King will get the benefit of the doubt.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by nik-

oh, you think?

As in I think CSEC realises this as well.
This was in response to a comment about CalgaryNEXT.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

They've been talking to the media, but not talking to CSEC, nor responding to a presented offer. CSEC has no idea what the City actually wants.

I would argue the city wants CSEC to pay for its own ####ing arena. Not the city's job to figure out how to make it work for CSEC here.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

If this drags on, perhaps a preseason boycotting by fans is in order. If people have enough backbone to stand up to this crap.

The issue with that is you'll never have enough people participate for it to be noticed.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Also, to be clear, it was always going to end this way. There is no middle group here. Nenshi and council aren't going to spend big public dollars on an arena, the Flames don't want to spend their own dollars on an arena. It's intractable.

The only way to move the ball forward is either for the political dynamics at council to change or for CSEC to throw in the towel.

Yep, once this move is made....

They either find a way to resolve or the team will relocate at some point (IMO)

Bettman quote is very clear....

Eric Francis @EricFrancis
Bettman: "At some point there will be consequences that will have to be dealt with."

[JFK]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

They've been talking to the media, but not talking to CSEC, nor responding to a presented offer. CSEC has no idea what the City actually wants.

Ken visited a sick filipino over the weekend, his confidence to get a free arena is at an all time high.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Ummm... all of it? The Flames have never once put a serious proposal on the table. The city has been working on most of the details of a serious proposal.

Sorry, but you are not correct.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

They've been talking to the media, but not talking to CSEC, nor responding to a presented offer. CSEC has no idea what the City actually wants.

You're mistaking "not talking to CSEC" with not caving to CSEC's demands. You just didn't like the answer, that doesn't mean the city didn't talk.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

I would argue the city wants CSEC to pay for its own ####ing arena. Not the city's job to figure out how to make it work for CSEC here.

This is a fairly time honoured negotiating tactic. Try to get the party to negotiate with itself. CSEC is trying to get the city to do this by getting it to do all the work and evaluation on the arena.

[mikephoen]

I was previously in favour of significant public money going towards a new building, and some how the Flames owners have botched this thing so badly that I now think they can go pound sand. They're so tone deaf ti the current economic and political situation in Calgary it's ridiculous.

Do they really think they can influence this election? If anything they just strengthened Nenshi's position. Not that there was any chance of him losing anyway.

[heep223]

If both sides actually want to get it done they should realize they're both going to have to compromise.

It would be be a kick in the civic nuts if the Flames left right now. The city should recognize that, and the Flames shouldn't take advantage of that.