A New Igloo

Well, it has been a couple days since the groundbreaking ceremony and I have had a chance to gather my thoughts. There a couple of key things that came out of it all that made me really think of what went on to get where we are today. Some political posturing, some deceiving, and in the end, just what we needed. It seems as though alot of people were upset with his tactics. I think he knew our team's last resort was to convince the city that the Penguins were going elsewhere.

Pensblog put it nicely:

Thanks For Dinner, Dicks.


http://thepensblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/thanks-for-dinner-dicks.html

"Thank god for [Mirtle.]

While browsing Gore this afternoon, we realized we forgot to talk about Mario jobbing Kansas City.

"We had to do a few things to put pressure on the city and the state, but our goal was to remain here in Pittsburgh all the way. Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go and have a nice dinner, and come back."[Trib]

And while some morons were unhappy about Mario's "tactics." [Trib]

Kristin O'Neil, 28, of the South Side said Lemieux's threat was nothing but a way to get what he wanted.

"He knew how to strike at the heart of the fans and the city," she said. "I think he really duped the people of Pittsburgh, and he'll definitely get away with it because of who he is."

Hoe.

We think it is another reason to celebrate Lemieux, because it shows he is a dick. And that's funny.

Kansas City sucks.

Go Pens

FrankD from PensBurgh had some good insight as well:

Kansas City hates Mario Lemieux (and he seems OK with that)

http://www.pensburgh.com/2008/8/15/594732/kansas-city-hates-mario-le

In an obvious display of adolescent pouting, silenced only momentarily for diaper changes between sobs, the Kansas City media has openly admitted that they feel used, abused and dissed by the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux.

Apparently they actually thought they were getting a hockey franchise. Lemieux laid the smack down hard on this one.

Star-divide

Lemieux admitted it was a decoy; a bluff move to get Pittsburgh to budge on a new arena to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh and it worked.

"Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go and have a nice dinner, and come back."

Mario Lemieux

There's a reason I grew up idolizing this guy...

The Star, a paper in Kansas City, broke it down nicely:

In other words, the Penguins held a gun to the head of local and state officials in Pennsylvania -- and those politicians caved in.

KMBC, the TV station in Missouri, said:

It appears that it's not just Kansas City residents who are upset by Lemieux's comments -- some in Pittsburgh said they're dismayed by his blatant statement regarding his tactics for getting a new arena.

But my personal favorite is this guy; excuse me, columnist named "Flanny" who writes for the Kansas City Star. This writer modestly posts as the top of his page a quote from - well, himself. It reads, "Just remember: Fans take losses much harder than the majority of players do." While this past Stanley Cup series could easily be proof of that for Pittsburgh, none would know it more than the Chiefs and Royals (hell, you can toss the Pirates in if you want).

They used Vegas, too? Well, hey, at least we're in good company.

"Flanny"

He doesn't care one bit, and that's what I love about it.

Who cares in the end? Nothing lost and nothing gained for Kansas City fans except shattered hopes. And if the Royals and Chiefs have learned anything year in and year out, it's how to deal with unfulfilled dreams.


I could watch this over and over again.

Penguins That Fly covered this story as well:

Ground Broken on New Arena

http://penguinsthatfly.blogspot.com/2008/08/ground-broken-on-new-arena.html

As I write this, construction on the new Penguins' arena is officially underway.

Groundbreaking on the future fortress of the most exciting young team in hockey took place at roughly eleven o'clock this morning, right across the street from Mellon Arena, the home of the Penguins since their inception into the NHL in 1967. Several politicians were on hand for the ceremonies, as well as a few Penguins front office officials and players. Ground was broken at the spot that will also host the center ice dot, where Crosby, Malkin, and Staal will take faceoffs for many years to come.

The arena is set to have a capacity of over 18,000, about a thousand more seats than the Igloo.
It will have over 2000 seats in a club level.
It will have 66 luxury suites, in a possible ode to Penguins great Mario Lemieux.
The site of the envisioned palace encompasses about eight acres.

It looks beautiful from where I'm standing.

The team has already made an official website for the new building.

It can be found here.

This is the biggest win in the history of the Penguins organization.

To think that we were once perhaps only weeks away from losing our team to the pathetic hockey town of Kansas City seems quite amazing. A team that hit rock bottom now stands atop the hockey world, with a future far brighter than any other in the NHL.

The arena is expected be open for the 2010-2011 season.

And I can't wait.

I can't wait either. From the looks of this facility, we are in for a treat. The Post Gazette let loose some details of the arena here. The difference in seating will bring in significant revenue for the Penguins once it opens. Consider 1,147 more seats, at let's say on average of $35-$40 a pop, and take that and multiply it by 41 games and you get anywhere from $1,645,945-$1,881,080. Also, you have to take into consideration that out of those seats there are 10 more luxury suites as well as 304 more club seats which cost more. So that amount can rise. That practically pays for Sykora. Think about it.