Quote: "We've only been in the Playoffs twice."
Hopefully that will change now that there is a salary cap. Smaller market teams should be able to compete now. That is what I like about the NFL. Winning is more about roster management and game management than it is about payroll. Hockey is now headed in the same direction.
Lemieux was (and still could be) one hell of a player. It is a shame that he had so many problems during his career with injuries/cancer. His stats would then probably prove that he was the greatest ever. Hell, he alone saved the Pittsburgh franchise three times:. In 84 when he was drafted (eventually leading to the cups of the 90's); When he bought the team out of bankruptcy; now fighting for a new arena and saving them from a move.
Quote: "I used to watch but then they took away our team, Winnipeg Jets! Now I sometimes watch Vancouver and Toronto are probably my favourites..."
I feel bad for anyone that had to go through losing a team. We were SO close to losing the Pens this year because of our IDIOT politicians. Lemieux was promised a new arena 8 years ago. A couple of years ago they told him that NO public money would be available so he would need to find private funding.
Well, the state decided to bring slots (casino) into the area for property tax relief. Mario saw the casino as an opertunity to help get funding for a new arena. He teamed up with a group that was going to GIVE the state $290 million dollars to build a new arena if they were awarded the license. The arena would have been completely owned by the city and have no attachment to the casino.
Instead, the state issued the license to another applicant that had a similar casino plan (minus the $290 million check for a new arena). The reason? Out of all of the casinos across the state that they were going to allow to be built, there was ONE minority applicant. He got the Pittsburgh license mostly because he is black. Now, I am far from racist, but that is a pretty STUPID reason to award a contract like this. Especially when the other license would have been SO much better for our city. The really funny part? The guy that they awarded the contract to is having trouble coming up with the funds for construction
When this started to happen Lemieux called an impasse on negotiations with our politicians. He threatened to move the team. In the end, they got a deal done and the Pens are staying. BUT it was really close to going the other way. It was almost the Kansas City Penguins
If they would have moved I would have been sick. With all the promise that this young team has they are championship bound in the next few years.
