Why I don't think the Thrashers are moving within the next five years

(EDIT: I forgot the title)

I know this article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says nothing about the professional sports franchises in and around Atlanta, but it certainly illustrates what Gary Bettman and the Thrashers have been saying: The NHL is not leaving Atlanta. The corporate situation is just too damn ideal to move the team at this point. "Na- gon' do it. Doesn't make sense at this juncture."

Why'd the 'Peg "fail"? Certainly not due to lack of fans, as a Canadian that doesn't watch hockey is even more rare than they cook steaks on Looney Tunes. The fans packed the building, bought memorabilia, bought concessions, and basically did anything any fanbase can do to support their team. I've read recently that part of the problem with the Jets was that the team owner didn't own the building and therefore couldn't rake in concessions or sales in team stores in the building. The ASG owns the operating rights to Philips, so that's one major advantage, as is having another professional team in the Hawks, which they also own, playing in the same building. Hard to take away half of those home games between NHL and NBA teams in the building.

But whenever you hear people talking about the Jets leaving Winnipeg, the catchphrase "corporate sponsorship" comes up. (Boy, that goes right next to "moving in the right direction" and "improving our hockey club" on my bingo card...) The Atlanta corporate scene is growing. There simply is no denying that. The question for some, myself included, has been "Is it growing enough to support the teams?" And even if it is, "Will the fanbases back up the teams?" Now with some teams, the answer to the latter is pretty obvious. The NFL doesn't seem to allow anything less than a sellout, and I can honestly say the only time I've ever seen Turner Field empty was when the landscapers were out in force on a non-game day, though it's been some time since I kept up with the Braves much. With the Hawks, they really rejuvenated their fanbase with their Cinderella story in the playoffs a couple of years ago, short-lived though it was. Which leaves the Thrashers. It's long been said that the lockout threw a monkey wrench into the growing fanbase, as any lockout in any league will do. Add in some key trades that saw the Thrashers' stars and would-be studs leave town for what amounted to spare parts, less than optimal draft choices who never became what they were supposed to be, and a stagnant management despite what appears at first, and second, glance to be consistent inconsistency and failure, and it's easy to see why the fans in Atlanta have been disgruntled.

But the corporate aspect remains. Those luxury boxes and shop and restaurant rents don't get paid by your average Joe taking in a hockey game with his family or buddies. Some corporate entity has to pony up that money. And in Atlanta there certainly seems to be more than enough of that corporate money.

As the AJC article states, Ohio has been losing corporate dollar to Georgia at a pretty quick clip since 1999, the year the Thrashers started playing. As a southerner, and a guy with roots in Georgia, I have to admit I like the sounds of that. As an American, it's not as cool. It's like taking candy from one brother to give it to another because he doesn't seem so needy. (bad analogy, but it'll have to do) But the fact is that the Atlanta corporate scene is experiencing some proverbial sunshine right now. In all seriousness, given the information in that article, I'm more worried about the financial situation for Columbus than Atlanta. That's not to say I'm not concerned about the Thrashers though. With both teams seemingly on the upswing, I'm not truly concerned for either at this point in time.

And then there's the league itself to consider. The NHL hasn't been fond of moving teams over the last 10 or 15 years. People hate to hear it, but Phoenix isn't the first team to be "bailed out" by the league. Buffalo and Pittsburgh have been helped along, and both of those teams have done pretty well over the last 5 or so years. So the NHL has set a precedent of keeping teams where they are. Which bodes well for the Thrashers.

It's not all rosy and cozy though. As Jeff Schultz reported some time ago, hardly a Craig Custance as far as reputation goes but pretty solid in that particular piece, Bettman is also growing tired of the Ding-a-ling Brothers Circus Show running (ruining?) the Thrashers. And to be perfectly honest, it gives me a measurable quantity of confidence in league and team to see that the commissioner of the league wants the owners to straighten up and doesn't put their public image (which wasn't very saintly to begin with...) above the success of the Thrashers and the NHL in Atlanta.

The good news is that everyone seems to realize that the most recent rumor is just that, a rumor. Thrashers General Manager and Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Don Waddell recently refuted the rumor himself. And the Winnipeg Free Press recently told people to chill out, that the NHL isn't returning to Winnipeg in the immediate future,though they certainly don't completely extinguish hope for an NHL team, but who can blame them? Not I, for one. I'd sure as hell miss my Thrashers if they left town. Yes, I know Atlanta has already lost one team in the Flames, so it's a little different, but the general idea is that losing your team sucks. But with the corporate situation the way it is in Atlanta, it doesn't look like the Thrashers are in too much danger of leaving in the near future. Which is absolutely alright with me.

Now let's work on those owners...