Are Maple Leaf fans in Ottawa the villains behind the woes of the Senators?

[Foxhound]

Mark Bonokoski wrote an editorial in Monday's Toronto Sun in which he blamed unregenerate Maple Leaf fans in the Ottawa Valley for the financial woes of the Ottawa Senators. He was swiftly buried under a storm of hate mail!

http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/bonokoski_jan15.html

So what do you TERBites think of born and raised Ottawa natives who continue to be fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens? Are they pathetic excuses for human beings? Are they traitorous scum to their home town who should be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail?

I vote yes! How about you? I've sharpened my teeth in anticipation of the commentary to come! Hee, hee!

 

[Prophet]

I'm a Habs fan through and through, but having grown up in Ottawa, I follow the Sens closely. The Leafs, I dare say, can do whatever they want, just so long as they don't win the cup.

Still, I wouldn't blame Leafs fans for Ottawa's woes.

Ottawa got shafted in a number of ways on the debt load, not all of which are anyone's fault:
1. Lousy Canadian Dollar.
2. Useless fat fee to enter the league,
3. New stadium... scholars keep pointing out that no matter what, a new stadium is a guaranteed money ***** for someone.
3a. New offramp to stadium.

In a way, I'm glad its the team that is in hock for 3 and 3a. The tax payer is a guaranteed ***** if they end up coughing up for buildings and redundant highways. The business is never enough to really make any difference, and most of the jobs are seasonal. The front office of any sports team can't be more than 100 people. Hardly like Nortel in Kanata.

No matter what, the fans won't make the difference. The interest on the debt is too high, and the Sens payroll is the best bang for the buck in the league. So the team has been run responsibly.

In the end, if you owed what the Sens owed (relatively speaking) you'd eventually throw up your hands and declare bankruptcy too.

Maybe its the Habs fans that are to blame.

 

[Prophet]

Why is
L
O
S
E
R

turned into ***** in the post above.

Can no one lose money on this board.

 

[train]

The reason for the Senator's problem's are pretty simple -

The business model just simply does not support the debt . Even at full attendance they would not be a money making proposition at these debt levels , much less provide a return on investment to anybody foolish enough to invest $100 million plus .
There are several other teams in similar situations .

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Are Maple Leaf fans in Ottawa the villains behind the woes of the Senators? No.

Does supporting the Maple Leafs mean that an Ottawa resident is a disgusting traitor? Yes.

What I hate is that the NHL has the market areas defined. I'm in London, and I can't watch my Senators on Sportsnet even if the Leafs aren't playing! Lousy farking blackout.

The only way I can watch a game is if it's on the New RO. I just hope Star Choice doesn't figure out a way to black that out too.

Honestly, why not have overlapping zones? Say Ontario East can be fans of Ottawa, Montreal or *gack* Toronto.

 

[train]

Boonies !

 

[gramage]

it's only their fault if they've been refusing to support their home team out of "loyalty" to another franchise. I personally blame the Ottawa fans. now I was never rolling in it but when I lived in Ottawa me and a buddy always made it to a couple of games every year, and my sister usually caught half a dozen. how can you still not sell out when you have the best team in the league? 4th lowest payroll best record and still losing money? we deserve to lose them but I hope they stay in case I ever get to move back.

 

[GlavaMan]

Leaf Fans Are Not to Blame...

I am a Sens fan but I grew up a Leafs fan.
The debt(and interest on it) is the problem. That will be wiped out soon & then it's all good. The offramp that the former NDP gov't forced the Sens to build is a problem. If the Sens have to pay for it, they should own it & be able to charge a toll for motorists that use it. (Sens ticket holders excluded) Leaf fans from Ottawa have the right to cheer for whom ever they want. I know many of them and most don't have anything against the Sens. Even if the Corel Centre was filled every game, they would still lose money b\c of the interst on the debt & the Canadian dollar. Part of the problem is that the high tech sector has been hit hard so they are not spending on entertainment. Also, some people have lost half their portfolio or more due to the markets so they are not going to spend money on hockey tickets. I would love to see all six Canadian teams in the playoffs!

Goober:
If you had NHL Center Ice, you could watch almost all the Sens games! I get all the Leaf games here on it!

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Re: Leaf Fans Are Not to Blame...

Goober:
If you had NHL Center Ice, you could watch almost all the Sens games! I get all the Leaf games here on it!

I don't think Star Choice offers NHL Center Ice. But I'll check, thanks.

P.S. when there is a Sens game on, it seems more "special" ...

 

[mmm61318]

You mean the

Toronto Make Beleives????

no no

Toronto MAke me Laughs......

Oh Never Mind


Go habs Go!!!!!!

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Go habs Go!!!!!!

Must...resist...urge...to...delete...

 

[Cave Carson]

Hopefully all you Leaf fans realize that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team in major league sports named after a form of vegetation. Still, they're infinitely preferable to the Montreal Canadiens whom I truly despise!