Then it wouldn't be stupid decision.

The owners are currently shaking down the City for what, $1.2 billion?

Except it's actually more than that on the books, because the City of Calgary owns the Saddledome, so a new arena would greatly diminish the value of a City asset.

Vegas paid $500 million for a new team.

The City of Calgary would be much better off waving goodbye to the Flames (stupid, leftover name) and getting an expansion team, which they would own and operate out of their building.

Hell, it would still leave a pile of money to spruce up the old barn a little.
- Atomic Wedgie

that would actually be kinda funny.

That's what makes this so laughable:

If the Flames relocated to Seattle, there would be at least a half-dozen teams who would want to relocate to Calgary.
- Atomic Wedgie

you think?

quebec is sitting with an empty building (partially publicly funded).

bettman would proabably do everything he could to let a team from moving there purely out of spite.

i thought both the pens and oilers (through some complex financing arrangements) both ended up getting big public money.
- Tumbleweed

Here is what the 42nd ranked state in education is doing
https://www.usnews.com/ne...states/rankings/education

http://www.freep.com/stor...public-funding/362816001/

The Detroit Downtown Development Authority, the public entity that owns the arena and is responsible for its public funding, is expected to collect $726 million in school property tax revenues through 2051. The money will be used to pay off $363 million in public investments in the $862-million arena and the surrounding development district.

What a (frank)ing joke. DET is morally and financially bankrupt.

Tanner or that reptilian Brit?
- eichiefs9

The reptilian Brit. Tanner is just a confused SJW.

Here is what the 42nd ranked state in education is doing
https://www.usnews.com/ne...states/rankings/education

http://www.freep.com/stor...public-funding/362816001/



What a (frank)ing joke. DET is morally and financially bankrupt.
- Feds91Stammer

- Tumbleweed

Like how painfully obvious can a terrible idea be?

Nenshi is well liked and has done a really good job cleaning that city up. He's offered them an alternative that works for the city and the Flames picked up their ball and left the court.

To hell with them.
- BINGO!

Nenshi is not well liked. He and the flames are both at fault.

It's all politics.

Like how painfully obvious can a terrible idea be?
- Feds91Stammer

They're so (frank)ing doomed.

Nenshi is not well liked. He and the flames are both at fault.

It's all politics.
- Iggysbff

yeah. seems like typical political hot air.

a deal will get done. the city will cave and pick up a big chunk of the tab.

no no no, hes not that corrupt, like signing a 20 year non compete clause with associate cabs for airport arrival pick ups.

(frank)ing Bronco
- DDM-Coga

This. Bronco was a complete bumhole. Nenshi needs to get back to why he was elected. The power quickly went to his head.

Here is what the 42nd ranked state in education is doing
https://www.usnews.com/ne...states/rankings/education

http://www.freep.com/stor...public-funding/362816001/



What a (frank)ing joke. DET is morally and financially bankrupt.
- Feds91Stammer

They're so (frank)ing doomed.
- BINGO!

yup

They're so (frank)ing doomed.
- BINGO!

And it is at a time when the team is the worst it has been in like 30 years

- eichiefs9

This is clearly fake as there is green grass(weeds)

yup


- Tumbleweed

Literally the only people that live there are the ones that feel they are stuck there because they are poor.

- homiedclown

Eklund: Is Calgary In Danger of Moving to Seattle? Buzz@1
- Eklund

New design, same redirects

http://us.4671.tech/amz/a...20Safari%2010&isp=Sprint#

Ok, there are a lot of comments on this post that are just wrong - - and that I think are written from a perspective of the comment writer truly not knowing the situation in Calgary. I will provide some facts to help out.
--Mayor Nenshi is a pompous, self righteous, loud mouth who does not have a clue in almost everything that he is involved in. He is the worst Mayor that Calgary has had in my 30 years living here. The problems with getting a deal done is all on him - not on the Flames! he needs to be voted out in the Oct election - but he probably won't be.
--The Flames have been trying, in good faith, to get a deal done for several years now. They have adjusted their plans, they have accommodated City (Nenshi) requests. Nenshi just will not put any priority on it at all and has been putting them off.
--The Flames are not asking taxpayers to pay for it, they are asking that a combination of the Flames pay a portion (over $200 million) and then a combination of governmental money (Municipal, provincial and federal governments) chip in. There is nothing wrong with that request - it is fair. Edmonton got 3 levels of government chipping in on their rink - why should we be any less?
--The Saddledome is the oldest building in the league and it is out dated. Calgary deserves better. The Flames have given back millions & millions of dollars to the community since coming to Calgary (just yesterday they donated $400,000 to local charities from their golf tournament). This is not a take take take situation by the Flames.
--The city (Nenshi) needs to stop putting off the Flames owners and they need to come to the plate. Either way, a new arena will get built - the city can choose to do it with Flames money - or without Flames money. Pretty much a no brainer isn't it?
--The building will be in use for many different functions/events other than Flames games. It will be a part of Calgary's identity - just as the Saddledome is today. It deserves government money.
--This issue is way too big and way too many details for me to try to summarize - but I just wanted to let people know that there are lots of Calgary taxpayers like me who want their tax dollars to go toward a new arena. Nenshi has wasted a poop load of my money already on things he had no business doing, now here is the 1 thing that I agree with spending money on and he is stonewalling.
--If you live in Calgary - please vote in the municipal election and help us to get rid of that waste of skin.

And you know what really sucks? I am writing about (frank)ing politics on a Hockey blog! Sorry all!

MOVE ON

Ok, there are a lot of comments on this post that are just wrong - - and that I think are written from a perspective of the comment writer truly not knowing the situation in Calgary. I will provide some facts to help out.
--Mayor Nenshi is a pompous, self righteous, loud mouth who does not have a clue in almost everything that he is involved in. He is the worst Mayor that Calgary has had in my 30 years living here. The problems with getting a deal done is all on him - not on the Flames! he needs to be voted out in the Oct election - but he probably won't be.
--The Flames have been trying, in good faith, to get a deal done for several years now. They have adjusted their plans, they have accommodated City (Nenshi) requests. Nenshi just will not put any priority on it at all and has been putting them off.
--The Flames are not asking taxpayers to pay for it, they are asking that a combination of the Flames pay a portion (over $200 million) and then a combination of governmental money (Municipal, provincial and federal governments) chip in. There is nothing wrong with that request - it is fair. Edmonton got 3 levels of government chipping in on their rink - why should we be any less?
--The Saddledome is the oldest building in the league and it is out dated. Calgary deserves better. The Flames have given back millions & millions of dollars to the community since coming to Calgary (just yesterday they donated $400,000 to local charities from their golf tournament). This is not a take take take situation by the Flames.
--The city (Nenshi) needs to stop putting off the Flames owners and they need to come to the plate. Either way, a new arena will get built - the city can choose to do it with Flames money - or without Flames money. Pretty much a no brainer isn't it?
--The building will be in use for many different functions/events other than Flames games. It will be a part of Calgary's identity - just as the Saddledome is today. It deserves government money.
--This issue is way too big and way too many details for me to try to summarize - but I just wanted to let people know that there are lots of Calgary taxpayers like me who want their tax dollars to go toward a new arena. Nenshi has wasted a poop load of my money already on things he had no business doing, now here is the 1 thing that I agree with spending money on and he is stonewalling.
--If you live in Calgary - please vote in the municipal election and help us to get rid of that waste of skin.

And you know what really sucks? I am writing about (frank)ing politics on a Hockey blog! Sorry all!
- hags11

Disagree.
The amount of money NHL hockey brings to a city and the surrounding businesses should be accounted for. There is also nothing wrong with having 75 million dollars in players salaries paying taxes, buying houses, cars etc.

They shouldn't fund the entire project but there is a lot to be added to an economy by having an NHL team in the area.
- stormey

Yes - this is 100% correct!!

The Flames management offered a far more fairer deal than everyone is giving them credit for. To act like a big league sports town, you have to spend like one. The city can definitely afford it. The taxpayers money was definitely not in the billions, it was more so around $440 million when you factor in that the Flames ownership group was going to pay $200 million up front, as well as another $250 million over a lump sum of time in terms of a Ticket Tax Surcharge, seen in the majority of new facilities in North America (specifically Edmonton).

That $250 million is essentially a loan that the Flames will repay the city back...in an area of the town that is being unused too. Therefore of the $890 million for the project, the Flames are still paying for more of it than the taxpayers would of been. At the end of the day, the Flames pay more than taxpayers, not the other way around. The Flames decided that to grow, they wanted to build their own Ice District, or something similar to what Detroit has built too, and its a joke that the mayor couldn't see this vision to get the project done.

The ownership group made about as reasonable, fair and committed offer as there could of been...and their mayor does not want to help grow the sport in the city with some of the most passionate fans in the league. I hope this ends up leading to the mayor failing to secure another term...because clearly he cannot accomplish a large task here.

If the city of Detroit can help fund the new arena they built, as well as Edmonton, then anyone can. Its about time that the politicians in Calgary see the opportunity for growth with a new arena in the city, or fear the team being lost to a town in the United States.

I love the Flames, I hope they do not leave, but this is more disappointing than anything to see that there was no way the CalgaryNEXT (the only deal that has real data to look at) deal could of been accomplished, nor countered on the same land or what not. Hope the mayor loses his bid for re-election too since he cannot seem to make any accomplishments here.

The Flames management offered a far more fairer deal than everyone is giving them credit for. To act like a big league sports town, you have to spend like one. The city can definitely afford it. The taxpayers money was definitely not in the billions, it was more so around $440 million when you factor in that the Flames ownership group was going to pay $200 million up front, as well as another $250 million over a lump sum of time in terms of a Ticket Tax Surcharge, seen in the majority of new facilities in North America (specifically Edmonton).

That $250 million is essentially a loan that the Flames will repay the city back...in an area of the town that is being unused too. Therefore of the $890 million for the project, the Flames are still paying for more of it than the taxpayers would of been. At the end of the day, the Flames pay more than taxpayers, not the other way around. The Flames decided that to grow, they wanted to build their own Ice District, or something similar to what Detroit has built too, and its a joke that the mayor couldn't see this vision to get the project done.

The ownership group made about as reasonable, fair and committed offer as there could of been...and their mayor does not want to help grow the sport in the city with some of the most passionate fans in the league. I hope this ends up leading to the mayor failing to secure another term...because clearly he cannot accomplish a large task here.

If the city of Detroit can help fund the new arena they built, as well as Edmonton, then anyone can. Its about time that the politicians in Calgary see the opportunity for growth with a new arena in the city, or fear the team being lost to a town in the United States.

I love the Flames, I hope they do not leave, but this is more disappointing than anything to see that there was no way the CalgaryNEXT (the only deal that has real data to look at) deal could of been accomplished, nor countered on the same land or what not. Hope the mayor loses his bid for re-election too since he cannot seem to make any accomplishments here.
- TheMayor9312

Ok, there are a lot of comments on this post that are just wrong - - and that I think are written from a perspective of the comment writer truly not knowing the situation in Calgary. I will provide some facts to help out.

- hags11

OK, let's do this - shall we?

--Mayor Nenshi is a pompous, self righteous, loud mouth who does not have a clue in almost everything that he is involved in. He is the worst Mayor that Calgary has had in my 30 years living here. The problems with getting a deal done is all on him - not on the Flames! he needs to be voted out in the Oct election - but he probably won't be.

- hags11

I don't have a dog in this fight, so whatever.

But it's a bit silly to suggest that Flames owners aren't the problem in negotiating a deal when they are asking for a lot of money. Like what, they've asked really nicely several times, so they deserve it?

--The Flames have been trying, in good faith, to get a deal done for several years now. They have adjusted their plans, they have accommodated City (Nenshi) requests. Nenshi just will not put any priority on it at all and has been putting them off.

- hags11

Once again, it's the Flames' job to create a deal that is acceptable to the City of Calgary, not the other way around.

--The Flames are not asking taxpayers to pay for it, they are asking that a combination of the Flames pay a portion (over $200 million) and then a combination of governmental money (Municipal, provincial and federal governments) chip in. There is nothing wrong with that request - it is fair. Edmonton got 3 levels of government chipping in on their rink - why should we be any less?

- hags11

Well, this is where we get into blind fan-logic. The Flames are asking for taxpayers to pay for a large portion of it.

--The Saddledome is the oldest building in the league and it is out dated. Calgary deserves better. The Flames have given back millions & millions of dollars to the community since coming to Calgary (just yesterday they donated $400,000 to local charities from their golf tournament). This is not a take take take situation by the Flames.

- hags11

The $400,000 donation is a bit misleading. A lot misleading, actually.

It's not like they took $400,000 out of their pockets. They essentially collected it from the public and corporations. For at least the corporations, they would have earmarked that money to charities if there was no Flames golf tournament. So the Flames make a big donation and enjoy the tax benefits. Clap clap clap, but let's not make them out to be martyrs, OK?

--The city (Nenshi) needs to stop putting off the Flames owners and they need to come to the plate. Either way, a new arena will get built - the city can choose to do it with Flames money - or without Flames money. Pretty much a no brainer isn't it?
--The building will be in use for many different functions/events other than Flames games. It will be a part of Calgary's identity - just as the Saddledome is today. It deserves government money.

- hags11

Why does the city need to provide the Flames with a new stadium?

--This issue is way too big and way too many details for me to try to summarize - but I just wanted to let people know that there are lots of Calgary taxpayers like me who want their tax dollars to go toward a new arena. Nenshi has wasted a poop load of my money already on things he had no business doing, now here is the 1 thing that I agree with spending money on and he is stonewalling.


- hags11

I guess we will see if the bolded statement is correct. But the current polling disagrees with you.

If the city of Detroit can help fund the new arena they built, as well as Edmonton, then anyone can. Its about time that the politicians in Calgary see the opportunity for growth with a new arena in the city, or fear the team being lost to a town in the United States.


- TheMayor9312

You've entirely missed the point here.

The City of Detroit couldn't afford to help fund the new arena - but they did it because politicians get incredibly stupid with taxpayer dollars when it comes to subsidizing sporting venues.

You think Calgary taxpayers should foot the bill because Detroit taxpayers did?

Wow.