One quote I found very interesting was that the team could have been given Memorial Coliseum for free last year and still would have lost money. If that's not very telling about how good of a businessman previous owner Jim Goldsmith must be, then I don't know what is. He ran the team such that even completely removing one of the biggest single expenses from the books couldn't make the team turn a profit.....and this is the guy who ranted for two years about the team's lease, even calling the people who hold the lease "pigs".
From the on-ice side of things, three new "old" faces at Portland's first practice under new coach Mike Johnston yesterday, according to Andy Kemper. Defenceman Brock Cornish and forward Chris Francis, who both left the team earlier this month, are back and they were joined by forward Taylor Jordan, who played for the Hawks in 06-07 but went home early last season. So, that's good news for Hawks fans already, that some disgruntled players are now willing to rejoin the fold. I wonder if Johnston has phone numbers for Bo Montgomery and Tyler Swystun....
To other WHL news; hot on the heels of the Rockets' Luke Schenn playing his 10th game of the Maple Leafs' NHL season last night comes the news that Lethbridge's Luca Sbisa will play his 10th game for Philadelphia tonight and that the Flyers will not be sending him back to the WHL. Decision time is coming up pretty quick for Oscar Moller of Chilliwack (with the L.A. Kings, game #10 is Saturday), and Colton Gillies of the Blades (with Minnesota, game #10 is next Tuesday). For the Rebels' Brandon Sutter, with Carolina, game #10 is up in the air since he is currently injured and not likely to play anytime soon.
Lastly, apparently my Winter Hawks joke yesterday so upset at least one Portland fan enough that he felt it necessary to leave a comment calling me a child molester. I think most regular readers of this blog probably understood it to be more of a crack at the team's previous ownership/management who ran the team into the ground, and not at the players or the fans, who I always have 100% supported. I'm not a Portland fan but I'm as happy as anyone who is to see new faces taking over the team because the league needs 22 strong members, and loyal Hawks fans deserve it after 33 years of supporting their team. I just want to emphasize that I am in no way making fun of the fans, players, team employees, etc.....just the idiots who ran the team the last few years. Sorry if anyone took it the wrong way.
So.....child molester?
I'm going to have some fun with useless stats later today....just gotta update the database first.
4 comments:
I'm a Portland fan and actually burst out laughing at that joke, not that it was that great a joke but it caught me off guard. After being a laughing stock for the past 3 years, I think us true portlanders can enjoy some light hearted jokes.
If making jokes about something people like makes you a child molester then i'm going to hell for all the southerner jokes I make.
Wonderful blog, this is always on my first few pages to read when I get to work.
i too am a long time Winter Hawks fan and i laughed pretty good at that joke. Sorry that one classless jerk cant take a joke. Hopefully soon, that joke will no longer apply to the Hawks, good days are coming soon to Hawkeytown, watch out, we are coming back.
Perhaps the previous Portland owners are reading this blog? ;-)
Alan:
I would like to apologize for my previous comment, After watching this organization take a crap in the toilet for the past 3+ years, you would be a little frustrated too. My comments were wrong, and I sincerly apologize, for embarassing you. I am a solid reader of your blog, and its more enjoyable than other blogs I read. You have more info about the Hawks than both of the guys who blog FOR the hawks.
Brian in Sherwood
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