Penguins Arena Deal Done?

There are several dozen good-paying broadcast media jobs that depend partly on the Pens. We work on the TV and radio broadcasts of the Penguins, Pirates, and college sports, often behind the scenes. If the hockey team left town, so would about a quarter of our annual income.

 

Not to mention players spending lots of income in the city for housing, cars, groceries, etc. Restaurants and bars in the downtown that would suffer from loss of game night revenue; hotels etc. You lose a team -- especially a team with the identity that this one is carving with Crosby, Malkin, etc. -- it hurts

 

You stay classy Pittsburgh.

 

As if all the comments about stealing the team away from KC types was classy.

 

You so beat me to something along the Trib-Russ Grimm vein.

 

as far as the taxpayers footing the bill for the arena, not a dime is coming from their wallets, it is 100% financed by gambling money and the Penguins, as far as the Penguins kicking in more money, it is reported that they are contributing about $4.2 millper year for the next 30, Pittsburgh needed a new arena whether it has the Penguins or not, what other tenant was going to kick in that kind of dough, the new arena will be state of the art, attracting more concerts and events that in turn will be more money for Allegheny county that it can contribute to schools, police or whatever it wants, I don't see a downside to this except for the fact that the state has sold its soul for slots parlors

On a side note: Fuck off Kansas City, good luck in your attempt to steal the Predators, Panthers or Kings

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

Are the people who gamble not taxpayers?

 

Yes, 20 players buying groceries has a huge economic impact on a major city. If you know anything about athletes, most of them are driving free leases from Mike Hunt Lexus in exchange for using their name in an ad.

 

I love this kind of thinking. Did you ever think that the gambling money paying for the arena could have been used to pay for other things, like schools? Public money is public money. It doesn't matter what drawer you pull it from.

 

A fine point, except for the fact that the gambling initiative was approved with the idea in mind that they money would go to the arena. There is a very strong chance that the money would not have been available if it wasn't for the need for the arena.

 

file this deal under "Things that aren't a surprise to me." Edward G. was smart enough to get a deal done knowing damn well the Allegheny area's not too fond of his rah-rah enthuisiam towards all things Philadelphia, so if he wanted to keep that cushy governor's chair, he HAD to get it done. Bottom line. And like others who have commented, there are several NHL franchises left for the taking. KC, Vegas, whoever can still make a play for the Panthers, and not be saddled with the guilt of taking the tradition away from Sunrise, FL.

 

My guess:

Expansion to Kansas City
Expansion to (Fill in name of Canadian city)

Gary gets his wish for four eight-team divisions. Owners roll in the $$$ the expansion teams will provide. Talent diluted even further, but perhaps the addition of a new Canadian club will distract our upstairs neighbors from that.