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February 12, 2009
KC official: My niece knows a guy who knows a guy who knows the Islanders
The alt-weekly Pitch in Kansas City has video of city manager Wayne Cauthen being asked about when KC's almost-two-year-old Sprint Center might get an NBA or NHL team to play in it. Cauthen, after first quipping that he "niece works for the New Jersey Nets" (at least, the audience laughs like it's a quip), says that "there is some discussion going on with the Islanders - they have a little situation with their facility. I don't see any city building new arenas right now." Cue the 72-point type!
Also featured in the Pitch article: a bunch of quotes from yours truly, including, "You don't leave New York for Kansas City"; discussion of the fact that AEG, which controls the arena rights, won't be eager to give a team a sweetheart lease deal the same way a city might; and speculation that the New Orleans Hornets are one team for which a move to Kansas City might actually represent an upgrade: "You can say, OK, we have an arena and you'd have to pay us some rent but at least you wouldn't be in a city that's lost half of its population." I only hope I didn't give anybody any ideas...
The nets will be either going to queens or long island. Neither team is going to kansas city the nets or islanders which is a big relief. The islanders are using kansas city just like mario lemieux did.
Posted by dan on February 12, 2009 04:43 PM
The nets will be either going to queens or long island. Neither team is going to kansas city the nets or islanders which is a big relief. The islanders are using kansas city just like mario lemieux did.
Posted by dan on February 12, 2009 04:43 PM
Give it Dan. The Nets are not going to Long Island.
Posted by Steve on February 12, 2009 05:22 PM
What happens when Wang is shot down for a new building? considering the past problems the NHL has had in KC, what does he do? And no, I don't think they should build him a new building.
And, the Nets will move - to NEWARK.
Posted by LeftWingCracker on February 12, 2009 06:42 PM
It would not shock me if they Islanders ended up in Kansas City (Or any number of places where there are facilities available, such as Portland).
The will never get an updated facility on Long Island (Let alone a new building in Nassau).
What "past problems in KC"? Seriously, you can't be referring to the KC Scouts. Both Kansas City and the NHL are very different than they were in the mid-70s. But don't let that stop you.
A NHL team in KC might very well fail, but it almost certainly wouldn't be for the same reasons that saw the Scouts move to Denver then New Jersey.
The nets arent moving to newark for the last time. Three places where they could be headed long island, brooklyn or queens.
Posted by Dan on February 15, 2009 06:06 PM