Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Are roadblocks at the state borders the next step?


The road to Kansas City apparently will have one or two more potholes in it before owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle can head down the highway with his high octane Pens in tow.

The State of Pennsylvania alarmed over Mario’s declaration of an impasse yesterday, has asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to step in and bar the Pens from relocation. Going so far as to say that Governor Ed Rendell will plan a trip to New York to make their point in person.

The state cranks up their political efforts at the same time that Mario and Burkle go on a fact finding mission to Houston, Las Vegas and then on to Los Angeles to chat over lease details with the group that operates the Kansas City arena.

While Pittsburgh has had many chances before to get it’s ice house in order, there is still one thing that they believe works in their favour, in Pittsburgh at least there is a tradition and knowledge of hockey, something that according to this SI.com article would most likely would be rather lacking in Kansas City.

Perhaps it’s to this long attachment to the game that Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania tie their hopes, though they should remember that it’s been during Mr. Bettman’s reign that such traditional hockey spots as Nashville, Phoenix, Carolina and Atlanta have all acquired franchises.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP that’s the sound of a moving van backing up and getting closer!

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