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The Montreal Canadiens


Nunavut Patrick
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As we are all now aware, our new suitor has experience owning other teams in professional leagues. He currently owns the Bell Centre (Centre du Bell for some because you fucking English kicked the Frenchies ass on the Plains of Abrhaham and then let them keep their seigneural system and had the Catholic Church run the province, but anyhooo that's for another day).

 

The Habs, as they are known, haven't won a championship since 1993. Since Gillett bought the team they haven't got anywhere near the Stanley Cup (the championship for NHL teams). However, there are some things that must be considered in this:

 

The NHL had a huge problem with escalating salaries and lowering revenues. There is no NHL television deal in the US. In 2004 the NHL shut down for one whole season to implement a salary cap with revenues the NHL brings in tied directly to team salary output. So even if Gillet wanted to buy Sidney Crosby (Ronaldinho), Martin Brodeur (Reina/Cech) and Jaromir Jagr (fat Ronaldo) he couldn't do it becasue their salaries would put him over the limit.

 

Before Gillett came along the Habs were in a real spot of trouble. Canadian NHL teams pay their salaries in US dollars. In 2001 the CDN $ was worth 65c compared to the US dollar. All Canadian teams bring in CDN$ and then have to pay salaries in USD. The NHL board of govenors actually had to transfer money from US teams to help out.

 

The Habs were owned by the Molson Family before, a major brewer in Canada. However, Molson made some very bad business decisions and branched out into food processing and other entertainment venues. They were bleeding dollars and had to dump all their non-brewing assets in a major corporate shakeup. During this period there was a real concern that the team would either move or go tits up. There was also shock and horror that some American would own the team, the club with 24 championships, the club that played in one of the greatest games ever played (New Years Eve vs Soviet Red Army- a 3-3 draw). That the team would just be moved to Tulsa, Housotn or Seattle. None of this hysteria came to pass. Two other Canadian teams had recently moved (the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix and the Quebec Nordiques to Colorado). Without Gillet coming in this could have been a real possibility as no local owner (or Habs fan for that matter) would want to piss millions down the drain at the time.

 

Gillet has been a non-interfering owner, letting the club run itself the way it always has. Today the manager of the club is Bob Gainey and the coach is Guy Carbanneau, both former players who achieved much glory with the club. The Habs basically have the Boot Room philosphy that LFC employed before bringing in Houillier.

 

Success in North American leagues cannot be bought by money.

 

The New York Yankees spend upwards of 200M compared to the average team salaries in baseball of 85M. One championship in recent memory.

 

The New York Rangers (NHL) before salary cap, had the highest payroll and couldn;t make the playoffs.

 

THe comparison between winning in North America and England is not admissable because NA teams draft players whereas player movement in football is through transfers, and every NA pro league is under the auspicies of a salary cap.

 

I believe the Board has fucked up big time, but I also do not believe that Gillett is the anti-Christ and will run Liverpool into debt-ridden oblivion and mid-table obscurity.

 

What worries me greatly is that the Americans are coming and their philosphy is greatly in-line with people like Berlusconi and Real Madrid.

 

I truly believe, especially with the election of Platini, who is an arrogant bastard and unforgiving and uncomprimising (allegedly), that in seven to ten years there will be a European Super League.

 

When Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in August of 1992 it shall go down in history as the day English lost its identity, lost its soul and lost its working class roots.

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"When Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in August of 1992 it shall go down in history as the day English lost its identity, lost its soul and lost its working class roots"

:yes: And slick Rick Parry was running the whole bandwagon

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I believe the Board has fucked up big time, but I also do not believe that Gillett is the anti-Christ and will run Liverpool into debt-ridden oblivion and mid-table obscurity.

 

He's done it with the Canadians though, ok they were already in mid table obscuirty so he's just maintained that obscurity but still.

 

The amount of debt (and the reasons for part of that debt) suggest while not quite the anti christ he's a close relation.

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He's done it with the Canadians though, ok they were already in mid table obscuirty so he's just maintained that obscurity but still.

 

The amount of debt (and the reasons for part of that debt) suggest while not quite the anti christ he's a close relation.

 

NHL is a whole different kettle of nicked cod though. You can finish mid-table but win the Championship. All that matters is getting into the playoffs. They have accomplished that quite regulary since Gillett has been there.

 

He's left the managerial/coaching system alone, rspected the nature of teh club (ie- it still retains a French-Canadian flavour. The head coach is Quebecois, many players are Quebecios and even two of their foregin players, Huet and Streit, are native Francophiles. Streit being a Swiss national, Huet from France).

 

As for the amont of debt I won't get into that agrument as it's really a never-ending flow of terms and concepts I neither choose or wish to understand. In fact, it is right up there with Constitutional Law, the internal two-stroke combustion engine in snowmobiles and how an aeroplane actually flies. If I knew and comprehended it would give me something else to stew over.

 

Accounting is like statistics; empirical evidence of equal value can be spun in favour of bipolar viewpoints.

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There will be no european super league.FACT.

 

The American owners are used to having things there way with regards to maximizing profits from television.

 

Platini's grand plan is to be FIFA President. He needs votes. There are many votes to be had amoungst the minnows.

 

Platini wants to INCREASE (16 to 24) the European Championships and DECREASE the Champions League involvement of countries (from 4 to 3). Eventually he will only want 2 teams per country with his minions/minnow countries well represented. In five years Platini will implement this.

 

As they say in Trailer Park Boys- A shit leopard cannot change its shit spots.

 

It will not sit well with the Americans, not to mention the G14. Platini's arrogance will not allow concilliation. American machismo business acumen will not allow concilliation.

 

And so, coming to SKYSPORTS EUROPA the 2012-13 ESSL Season.

 

Actually, it will be the Haliburton ESSL. And President Obama will do the honourary kick-off at the first ever match.

 

Remember, the full effect of Versailles was not felt until 20 years later. The ELP came into being in 1992.

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Guest Far and Tether
The American owners are used to having things there way with regards to maximizing profits from television.

 

Platini's grand plan is to be FIFA President. He needs votes. There are many votes to be had amoungst the minnows.

 

Platini wants to INCREASE (16 to 24) the European Championships and DECREASE the Champions League involvement of countries (from 4 to 3). Eventually he will only want 2 teams per country with his minions/minnow countries well represented. In five years Platini will implement this.

 

As they say in Trailer Park Boys- A shit leopard cannot change its shit spots.

 

It will not sit well with the Americans, not to mention the G14. Platini's arrogance will not allow concilliation. American machismo business acumen will not allow concilliation.

 

And so, coming to SKYSPORTS EUROPA the 2012-13 ESSL Season.

 

Actually, it will be the Haliburton ESSL. And President Obama will do the honourary kick-off at the first ever match.

 

Remember, the full effect of Versailles was not felt until 20 years later. The ELP came into being in 1992.

 

I was feeling the doom. Then I read "President Obama" and I cheered up a bit.

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That's a great post chief.

But yeah i'd rather it had been about the New Arcade Fire album (the new pronographers are in pre production for a new album!)

 

Destroyer, Wolfs Parade, Clinic, damn man, I heart Canada, are Okerville canadian as well?

 

Okervil aren't Canucks, but somehow they should be. And although some of the buzz from a few years ago has passed, add to your list: the Constantines, Stars, Broken Social Scene, the Weakerthans, the Dears, Black Mountain, etc.

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Track two is cock-spankingly great.

 

I was concerned, as Funeral is such a corker, but it grabbed me first time. Track 2 is indeed splendid. I listened to it on a long train journey with snowy landscapes flying by. I then listened to Takk and (). Christ I was chilled when I arrived.

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I was concerned, as Funeral is such a corker, but it grabbed me first time. Track 2 is indeed splendid. I listened to it on a long train journey with snowy landscapes flying by. I then listened to Takk and (). Christ I was chilled when I arrived.

 

Almost liquified I'd imagine.

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If Platini ever forced the big leagues into only having 2 teams come into the Champion's League, all the G14 teams would need to do is boycott the Champions League and UEFA Cup and UEFA would be fucked, because no one would be watching their money maker. He might try it but he'd have to give in eventually. Ultimately the biggest clubs will have the power. Because they draw the crowds and they draw the money.

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