Friday, June 22, 2007

Hold your breath: Leipold asks NHL stop considering the sale

So I am not sure if we should hit the panic button yet, but some newspapers reported that Leipold has requested the NHL to stop considering the Predator's sale until a binding agreement is reached. Looks like the NHL has things ass-backwards--Bettman already made this comment after the Board of Governor's meeting on Wednesday, and so Leipold's request is moot. Was Leipold headlocked by Bettman last Wednesday into submission?

Some papers pitched the issue as 'the deal has been rejected' or 'Leipold no longer wants to sell to Balsillie', but here are Leipold's exact words:

"We did send the NHL a letter today requesting that it not do any further due diligence on Jim Balsillie's offer for the Nashville Predators until we reach a binding agreement... If Jim is interested in reaching a binding agreement, we are prepared to move forward." (from cbc.ca)

This latest development can be interpreted in two ways: (1) they are trying to scare Balsillie away from the deal, in the same way they scared him away from purchasing the Penguins; or (2) they want things done properly and by the book to ensure the few Nashville fans don't 'come out fighting' as them southerners are prone to do.

The only question that remains is why? Why should Leipold care where Balsillie moves the team? Why is the NHL doing everything in its power to keep a team out of Hamilton? These developments are nothing short of insulting to Hamiltonians and the rest of Canada.

I am starting to get depressed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am for one an American and like to think of myself as a purist. I am an American and think I'ts obsurd that this Leipold punk doesn't sell the team to Basillie I would love nothing more to see Hamilton get a Hockey club, heck while i'm at it the Jets shoulda never moved from Winnipeg that was complete nonesense and I know how you people feel I really do cuz we lost the Minnesota North Stars to Dallas and even tho we got the Wild i'm still very bitter that the Stars left in the first place. Canada is an absolute beautful country and are loyal and dear hockey fans and none are better and it's an outrage that the Canadians are losing all there hockey teams to the greedy americans and all the moving has happened under Gary Bettmans watch. what a total waste of breah he is and Nashville? when the hell did they go from Honkey Tonk Country to a so called Hockey Team? I don't get it and never will.