FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Ben Gordon should sign a one year contract, prove himself again or just sit out. I don't know the Bulls frustrate me. They should get rid of Hughes or Kirk so they can get another player to help the team. Ben had his chance last year, no other team will pay him too much well maybe the Vancouver oops they got screw and moved to Memphis, the Grizzlies should try and get BG then trade him before the trading deadline like last season with Pau Gausol.

Maybe the Bulls need Michael Jordan to be in charge of Basketball Operations, can he leave Charlotte and help the Bulls from the front office. Can Scotty Pippen be at least an asistant coach and Can Craig Hodges along with Steve Kerr come back and be three pointers coaches.

I agree with the fan who said trim them 2 inches, the pads don't need to be trimmed 6 and if they are, what happen if we still don't see more scoring will the NHL ban goalie pads together, might as well play six skaters with empty nets. Goalies have gotten better, but we will always have contoversy in sports. Steroids in Baseball, no more 5 yard face mask penalty, what a joke. Mr Referee Tim D. betting on games, he deserves more jail time. Or the Super Sonics losing their team to Oklahoma, also the Expos did not need to leave Montreal, what's wrong with having two Canadian teams they Nats are not selling out in the District and love how they are in last place. Leave Brett Farve alone, let him compete for the starting job and enough of the USC athletic sanctions.

Wow lets get our Sports correct. Does this mean Chad Johnson signed with the Vancouver Canucks or did Nichalas Lidstrom become the latest corner back to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. Oh did Chris Bosh sign with the Detroit Red Wings. Brett Farve is really going to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays, maybe he should really try since the Packers are upset that he will be back in training camp and wont trade him. The Kings could use Andrew Jones he's probably better than half the team, that can't make the playoffs.

Go USC Trojans Football, don't let Stanford beat you and then theres a great chance that you will be playing for the BCS championship. Beat Ohio State and it's over Pac 10, Georgia, Florida and LSU.

The Leafs will conrinue to be horrific until they totally change the management. Scotty would have been a start. I used to live in Toronto until 1988 and when they were the worst team in the League in 1984-85, they were still selling out every game. I've lived in Anaheim for 20 years, the Ducks got lucky beating my Wings last year, and even though Anaheim won the cup in 2007 hockey is still not popular out here, how do these expansion teams win the cup and the Leafs have not in 41 years, well it starts at the top. The leafs are a joke, I hope they put a team in Hamiton, give that city a chance have an NHL team, the Leafs and Sabers would still have their fan base, and the territorial rights is a joke. Southern Ontario is the 4th or 5th biggest sports market in North America, with such a high population Hamilton would be a great place for a team to move to but Gary the Idiot Bettman does not want anymore Canadian teams, that's why the Preds are still in Nashville.

Back to Scotty Bowman, well if he was given the chance to run the team and not be interupted it would have helped the Leafs. Leaf fans will be frustrated for years to come. Either way you look at it, the Hawks and Leafs will take years to rebuild and the Red Wings know what it takes to be a champion or at least make the playoffs every year. Move the Leafs back into the Western Conference so the Wings can kill them 5 out of 6 times a year.

Steve Y. is a legend, another thing we'll never know is if he would have played the following season if the Idiotic Bettman did not cancel the season. He has ruined the NHL to some degree, at least in the states, ESPN dropped the NHL after the strike and that killed the NHL exposure in America. Versus is atrocious overall. I used to live in Toronto and of course hockey coverage is great in Canada, I have lived in Anaheim for the past 20 years and the popularity of the sport is not there even after the Ducks got lucky beating Detroit to get to the finals in 2007, Love how the Wings beat the team that knocked out the Ducks in the first round. If hockey gets more coverage in the States then we will see more fans. You guys and your uncalled for jokes about Cam Neely and Steve Yzerman are a waste of time. Cam Neely another stud, love how he nail ULF Sameulson after that dirty hit in the 1991 playoffs. Vancouver must have almost killed themselves for trading him and a 1st round pick(Glen Wesley) for Barry Pederson. At least when the Canucks traded Pederson they got something for him. Neely, Gary Roberts, Brendan Shanahan, Rick Tochet and Keith Tkchuck(not sure of the spelling) but these guys could fight with anyone and play hockey as well. Love these type of players. I left out a few like Mark Messier, even Bob Probert for at least one season, in 87-88, over 300 penalty minutes and 29 goals, I know Probert was a fighter for the most part but people forget about the 87-88 season.

Go WIngs lets see another repeat.

Manny would be a cancer in Miami. Why is Manny wearing # 99, he could not wear #24, he was going to wear 28 of 34. He is a trouble maker he kind of reminds me of Stephon Marbury, great player but not a good team player.

Later

Baltimore is not going to get a team, why was this topic even created. Move a team to Winnepeg, Quebec, Hamilton, or Portland. No more expansion, 30 teams is more than enough. Bettman is an idotic fool. Hamilton needs a team, Southern Ontario is the 4th or 5th biggest market in North America. There is a large population. It would not affect Buffalo or Toronto's fan base. Residents of Hamilton would not have to travel far to see a live NHL game and they already have an Arena.

Hey Gary, you need to resign as NHL commissioner, you don't like having another Canadian Team, Hamilton, is a perfect fit for the Preds, that city would sell out every game and it would not affect Toronto and Buffalo's fan base. Southern Ontario is the 4th or 5th largest Sports Market in North America. Hamilton has an arena and the residents would not have to travel far to see a live NHL game. Come on get with the program. Nashville does not sell out all it's games. If not Hamilton how about Quebec or Winnepeg they would not have lost their teams if a salary cap was implemented in the mid 90's/ Nashville is not a hockey town, it's more into Basketball and Football. If you don't want a team in Canada, then give Portland a chance they have the Rose Garden. It would create a great rivalry with Vancouver. Too bad Seattle has not chosen to renovate the Key Arena or build a new arena, now that the Sonics are gone, that would be another great city to have an NHL team. Kansas City can wait let a city that has not had a team get a chance.

Hyoer Brad

If Winnepeg were to get another team, as mentioned earlier, the new arena holds only 15,000 capacity, isn't the NHL rule 17 or 18 thousand. I can't understand why Winnepeg would make a new hockey building with a smaller capacity, did the town officials only allow for an arena that big. Unless the new arena can be expanded I can't see Winnepeg getting an NHL team. Now if there was a team put there, I don't believe it would be another nightmare, the place would sell out every game. I think Mr. Bettman does not want another team in Canada. Hamilton has been trying to get a franchise ever since the league expanded to 24 teams, now I think the City deserves a chance. It would create a few great rivalries with teams like Toronto, Buffalo, and Ottawa, Now if some how Detroit was moved into the eastern conference then there would be another great rivalry. It would be great to see the Wings in the east. Nashville is not much of a hockey town compared to Winnepeg or Hamilton or Quebec. If Mr, Bettman allowed them to move to an American City only, I think it Portland deserves a franchise since they have never had one. K.C. had one in the 70's and that could work, but a city that has not experienced live NHL hockey should get the chance first. Gary Bettman is an idiot and should go back to the NBA. The NHL needs a commisioner that knows more about hockey and cares.
Brad-Anaheim

Move the Preds to Hamilton, territorial rights wont be an issue with Toronto and Buffalo like most people think. I used to live in Toronto in the 80's and when the Leafs were not making the playoffs or finished in last place in 1985 they were still selling out every game. Buffalo has it's own fan base. Detroit is more than a three hour drive from Hamilton. Southern Ontario is in the top 5 Sports Markets in North America along with it's population. Gary Bettman needs to allow Canada to have a 7TH team. It would make it more convienent for Hamilton residents to see a live NHL game. They would sell out every night and have their own new fan base. The commissioner needs to go. Does he realize the Canadian dollar is worth as much as the American dollar. Also having a team in Hamilton would save fans driving out of the country to see a game, it's almost impossible to get a ticket in Toronto. Let's not forget with the current high fuel costs less fans from Hamilton will travel so far to see a live hockey game, plus there is an Arena for them, they just need Nashville to move there and Mr. Bettman does not need to get in the way.

Move the team to a Canadian City, unfortunately Gary Bettman hates the idea of that. Hamilton would be a great place, the Leafs sell out, Buffalo has it's own fans, Southern Ontario is in the top five sports markets in North America last time I checked. The Canadian dollar is worth just as much as the American dollar now, if not more. Territorial rights sounds like a cop out because there is a very large population between Toronto and Buffalo. The fan that said the N.Y. Rangers did not talk about leaving during their 47 years of not winning a cup, should realize the population and fan base before saying such comments. I lived in Toronto in the 80's and even though the Leafs were not making the playoffs and finished in last place one season they always sold out. Hamilton would not affect the Leafs fan base. The fact of not having to leave the country for Buffalo to watch a game makes a lot of sense. Someone said Detroit would be another territorial problem, no it would not, it is more than a three hour drive from Hamilton plus as mentioned there is a big population in the Southern Ontario Market, let Hamilton hockey fan have a team it would be a lot more convienent for them to attend a game and save a lot of money on our currently high fuel prices. Mr. Bettman needs to be more open minded about having another team north of the border or The Commissoner needs to go back and work in the Legal System.

If territorial rights is a problem, Winnepeg or Quebec deserve a team since both of them lost their own. If Nashville moved to Winnepeg the only concern I would have is, why did the city make an arena that holds on 15,000 people, then again they would sell out every night and the fans deserve another team,
How about Quebec City, if a new arena can be built, it would sell out every night as well. Bring back the battle of Quebec again. Either city would have much better support than Nashville, If the NHL is so against having a 7th team in Canada, then how about Portland or Seattle. Now that the Super Sonics have left, it would give sports fans in Seattle a hockey team to watch, plus it would create a great rivalry with Vancouver. If not, then Portland would be a great place, it would also create a new rivalry with the Canucks. The Rose Garden would be perfect it's a lot better then the Key arena in Seattle and would not need renovations. Also it would help out the Minnesota Wild they could move into another division so they would not have to travel so far. Chicago and Detroit are a lot closer to Minnesota then Colorado or Edmonton. The NHL needs to sign another contract with ESPN so they can get more fan exposure in America. One other city could be Kansas City since it already has had a team and a new arena is ready to be used. Then again would the Sprint Center sell out every night like a Canadian city. Hamilton, Quebec or Winnepeg is the best bet for a team. Mr, Bettman wake up and don't be so against Canada having another team.

Brad Anaheim CA