Yes; it's so repetitive that it has almost become redundant!!

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Heck, it verges on being recursive...

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Don't other franchise businesses have territorial rights?

I doubt that pro sports are the only franchise based businesses that do things this way.

And I doubt that the territorial rights-based franchise business model is illegal.......

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

http://www.franchisetrade.com/articles/territory.htm

Very interesting.......

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

You would be 100% wrong. In 2007 the NHL was ordered to amend its bylaws to eliminate the territorial veto right because it was a violation of anti-trust law regarding fair competition. The NHL was subsequently ordered to rewrite its constitution to reflect territorial relocation decisions to be based on a majority vote of the league owners with no individual veto right. That rewrite has apparently never taken place, and Balsillie is preparing to take the NHL to appellate court accusing the league of collusion and racketeering.

The NHL insists that there is no veto right and that they changed their bylaws to eliminate it as ordered. However, they have failed to show anywhere in writing that they made these required modifications and have had embarrassing leaks by MLSE and now Melnyk which reveal the illegal practice of veto rights is still in effect.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Do you have a link for that as Google is letting me down.

The pdf of Balsillie request to the court in Arizona makes no mention of that, but does claim that territorial rights restrain trade more than they help trade and shouldn't be upheld by the court.

If the court does allow the team to be moved free and clear to anywhere in the world, I wonder if he'll re-open the bidding under those rules to try and see if other bidders might emerge to buy the team and move it to Hamilton or someplace else.

I'd love to see the Leafs reaction if another group popped up to buy the Yotes and have them play in Toronto itself!

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

Actually, the NHL's decision to comply with the Competition Bureau's ruling and change their laws to allow a majority vote for relocation did not go over well at all with MLSE, and their letter of protest against the NHL board of governors and Gary Bettman is central to Balsillie's future anti-trust case.

http://www.thespec.com/article/626194

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Without the response from the NHL to the Leafs protest, I don't see where Balsillie has much to go on.

The NHL is going to get sued from either Balsillie or the Leafs as both sides have competing claims.

But, I also don't buy Balsillie's claim that it is Toronto's veto right that drive the 26-0 NO vote given that he was approved earlier when a move to Hamilton was in play.

Obviously something changed between the time Balsillie was approved as a potential NHL owner and the 26-0 NO vote. And it wasn't the Leafs moving to Toronto......

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

WIN.

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UPDATE: Balsillie relents, will not move Coyotes this season.http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/article/2009-09-23/coyotes-will-stay-phoenix-for-2009-10-season

The Arizona Republic is reporting that the Coyotes will stay in Phoenix for the 2009-10 season, regardless of who wins the bid for the NHL franchise. Billionaire Jim Balsillie, who has publicly stated he wants to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario, conceded in bankruptcy court Wednesday that he wouldn't try to relocate the team this season. The NHL also has a bid on the team, in hopes that it can find a buyer who will want to keep the team in Phoenix.

The Toronto Globe and Mail is also reporting that Balsillie sweetening his $242.5 million bid for the team. He is willing to defer the closing of the sale until the end of the year and will end his plans to buy the team if a buyer who wants to keep the team in Phoenix steps forward in that time. Balsillie will also pay $25 of the $50 million that would go to the city of Glendale -- where the Coyotes' arena is located -- for breaking the lease as soon as the court approves the sale.

He also offered to let the city keep the money if the NHL appeals his bid and he isn't allowed to buy the team. Balsillie also agreed to put a stay on the sale if he is awarded the winning bid and the NHL wants to appeal.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

That is still if Balsillie is allowed to buy the team, if he isn't allowed to, then the team won't go anywhere.

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Balsillie is certainly doing everything he can to try and get the team.

But, I still think that if the judge is going to force a team to be moved into Toronto's territory that the best thing for the creditors would be to set those ground rules and have a new auction.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone bid more than $250M if they could get a team in Toronto.

I think an NHL team in Toronto should fetch $400M+.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

BALSILLIE WOULD KEEP COYOTES IN GLENDALE FOR THIS YEAR

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=292283

Sweet jesus...

Blow the team up, auction off the credible players to the teams with the highest bidders (pending cap space approval) and lets forget that the Coyotes ever even existed! I'm so tired of hearing about this story its giving my arsehole a headache!

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If it's a tight squeeze, spit on it! - NyI

He's a middling AHL player who had the good fortune of a drunk arbitrator. - The Squanto re: Tim Kennedy

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mechaphil

Ballsie sure has made it virtually impossible for the City of Glendale to say no, oh well except for the NHL snafuing everything up.

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mechaphil

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

I think the City of Glendale is still praying that someone will step up and try and keep the team in their arena beyond this season.

It would be impossible to turn Balsillie down only if he were really committed to keeping the team in Glendale for the next 10+ years.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity