Skip to main content

Local ownership wins out for the Predators?

So right before heading off to bed (after watching Shooter, which I heartily recommend) I checked in on the Predators message boards, and found an interesting nugget of news. Yes, the source here is a rumor site, but the following was posted at Hockeybuzz late Tuesday night:
I have received word from a good source that Craig Leipold is meeting Gary Bettman on Wednesday morning in New York, along with representatives from the potential local ownership group.

According to the source, Leipold is planning on signing a letter of intent to sell the franchise, either to the local group or to "Boots" Del Biaggio at this meeting. Given that members of the Nashville group will be accompanying Mr. Leipold to New York, one can assume that Kansas City will have to wait a little longer for the team that they quite possibly have been promised.
Frankly I'd be a little surprised to see Hockeybuzz scoop the Nashville Post on this, as they've regularly been in the lead on this story. If true, however, this will certainly add fuel to what will be an energy-filled rally on Thursday at the Sommet Center to support the team. While the due diligence process will surely take weeks or months (meaning new money won't be available for summer free agents), a binding agreement with a local ownership group would be a huge boost for local hockey fans who have had to endure an uncomfortable summer so far.

UPDATE: The Tennessean is also running this story, with the clarification that this step would precede the signing of an actual binding agreement. One would have to think that the local group would move much more smoothly through this process than Jim Balsillie's ramrod attempt did.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating a milestone month

I've been remiss in providing regular updates on my quest to turn this whole sports-blogging hobby into at least something of a significant side income, if not a career, but good news has a way of prompting action. That, and I've been heads-down busy working on a few different fronts to push things forward...
Read more

Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Real, Paying Customers - it really works!

Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.
Read more

How I'm Trying To Make Money Sports Blogging

To kick off this series of articles general sports-blogging articles here at OTF Classic, I think it's best to start with a comment that Brad left here last week, after I shared my goals for 2012 , which include specific revenue targets: I considered diving into the world of internet marketing myself, but I felt that my friends would hate me for bugging them about stuff. I mean, it's pretty low-risk high-reward, so it's tempting. I wouldn't mind reading about tips on how to maximize impact of blogging in general to make it a legitimate income source. Trying to make money at sports blogging can be a very touchy subject - for the vast majority of us, this is an activity we pursue to both exercise our creativity and share our love of the game, whether it's hockey, football, badminton, whatever, with fellow fans. Mixing that personal conversation with a commercial message can turn people off, especially if it becomes too intrusive for the reader. It's not unrea...
Read more