Initial Thoughts

Well. It’s here. The time I did not think would come. At least, not so darn quickly. The Atlanta Thrashers are no more. The team has been sold to a group in Winnipeg (True North Sports) and will move there for the 2011-12 season. Right now, the deal is not official sense it has to be approved by the NHL Board of Governors, which is expected. That meeting is scheduled for June 21, 2011.

So, what do we do now? What are our options? And what went wrong?

First of all, I do not think there is any type of realistic hope the NHL Board of Governors will not approve the move. There would have to be someone willing to come in and match the deal, including the $60,000,000 relocation fee which would be split evenly across the league as a start. No buyer has stepped forward so far, there is no reason to think one will step up now. That leaves many with a huge gap in their lives. What to do, what to do.

With regards to support, there are a couple of different schools of thought. Some may not support the NHL or hockey or sports for that matter and these people will now have to find something completely different to fill their entertainment need. I am not one of those people. I love hockey, sports and the NHL and will continue to support the game. But how?

There is local, minor league hockey. The closest to Atlanta is the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL. This is the most logical choice for those fans only wanting to support a “home” team. I plan on supporting the Glads more now. They put on a fantastic show and it is a lot of fun to go up to the Arena at Gwinnett Center. Wonderful fans, great promotions, and really great ticket prices. The only other hockey teams currently in the state are in Columbus and Macon.

Hockey is of course not the only sport in town. There’s still baseball, football, and basketball. I will continue to support the teams the same amount I did before the Thrashers demise. I love the Braves, but will not pay for a Falcons or Hawks game. I like the NFL, but it’s just too expensive and the game is best viewed on television and not in person for me. I could care less about the NBA as a general rule. It’s sensory overload at a game and just not worth the money. I’ve said it time and time again, if a team can score 100 points in a game still lose, there’s something wrong with that game. I don’t predict many people will simply start going to Braves games (or any other pro games) because there’s no more Thrashers. There was a reason people didn’t go before and those reasons likely didn’t change, unless it was a strict monetary issue. The sports are so different. However, the Braves may see a bump towards the end of the season and throughout next season if the NFL and NBA lockouts happen along with the absence of NHL hockey. The Braves will literally be the only game in town of the big four pro-sports.

Okay. So what about the NHL? I am still going to support the NHL because it has great teams with great stories and players. But do I support the league in general without having a team like I do to a lesser extent with the NFL? Do I support the next closest NHL city to Atlanta? Or, do I support the new Winnipeg team (which, by the way, will not be named the Thrashers as the ASG still owns the rights to the name)? All are reasonable options, and personally, I’m doing a combination of all three. I will keep up with the NHL as a whole a lot more now that I’ve done in the past while going to a game or two in either Carolina, Tampa Bay, or Nashville next season and pulling for the new Winnipeg team. That team will still be my team. It’s unfortunate they will no longer be in my city. I will not start nearly as fanatical as I was for the Thrashers for the new Winnipeggers, but will still keep track of those games and try to watch them whenever they are on a nationally broadcast game as well as background radio listening.

There will be many MANY fans that will not support a new team or the NHL in general because of this. I do not fall in that category because I do not blame the NHL in general for the downfall of the Thrashers. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the problems on the sport itself, nor the league. There is certainly blame (which I will cover soon) but I do not understand the mentality of some people I’ve talked to that are so enraged they will never go to another hockey game again. Don’t blame the sport.

I can understand if someone will no longer support the sport because of conveyance. Sorta. The league has done a good job at making aspects of the game easier to come by than the other big three sports. Namely, one can listen to live radio play-by-play for any game from either team. That is better accessibility than the others. This is potentially due to the fact that hockey gets no love in national sports broadcasts compared to other sports. I’m specifically pointing to ESPN, though local radio personalities fall into that same category. Versus TV is a great source for hockey news, so I will certainly be watching more of that now.

But that’s nothing like having an NHL team in one’s city. No longer can I just go to a practice on a Tuesday because I’ve got nothing better to do. There are no more draft parties. No more random games. Or planned games. Or bucket nights (as they have been).

So, what remains? The memories of course. I sent an email to several friends at the end of the season thanking them for the season of memories. For me, that logo of the Thrashers was always much more than the team on the ice. It symbolized friendship and good times had on so many occasions. Hockey was always a common bond for so many of us. That slap shooting bird meant random games. And planned games. And bucket nights. The carpools up I-20 and meetings at Turner Studios, pre-gaming at CNN Center and sitting with Chuck Bell. It’s the designated driver freebie drinks or supporting the 50/50 raffle with the dogs. That bird will still represent the post-game pictures and parking lot gatherings. Going to the games with my friend Nicole before ever meeting the FBO+whatever. That logo is about that group of friends sitting in the organist’s pit or my beer guy. Yeah, I’ve got a beer guy and I don’t drink. That’s how engrained I was at the arena in all aspects. And those are just a small bit of the personal experiences I experienced on an almost game by game basis as a fan.

I always told myself I would never work for the team because I didn’t want it to become work. But I broke that promise and became a dancing security guard for Thrash. I was not without its difficulties, but now I am grateful I did it because I will not have the opportunity again. That comes with its own unique memories. The on-ice wedding. Riding around the parking lot in the pitch black dark on a little bitty go-cart. Dancing on the big screen on the armrest of seats. The audition on the Hawks practice court. Having to give up my suit and running to Thrash’s apt to get his traveling clothes during the game. Yeah. My suit rode on the team plane. I didn’t, but the suit did. It was not all peachy, but I am glad I did it especially since I will never get to again. Although, I could live my whole life without ever seeing another canister of silly string and be just fine.

There are so many more memories we will all share as fans. The flaming bird heads. The penalty box skits and spotting the canned scene during the Kiss Cam. Unleash the fury. Those stupid “Let’s Go Buffalo” chants with the Sabres in town. The MOOOOOOSE calls. There are those fans you would see all the time. Those zany characters in the Nasty Nest. Grandma Thrasher. 310A. The drinking fan. That guy with the Thrashers tattoo. Of course, the Kiss Cam couple (may he rest in peace). Those memories will run through my mind whenever I see that bird.

Specific memories will also float through my head when I see that crest. Participating twice in the on screen promotions, once with a Home Depot game and another with a Stats restaurant game (I won $100 gift cards both times). There are specific games I will remember. The 2006 game against the Ottawa Senators. The 2010 season ender against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game with Referee McCreary in 2009. The first game after the lockout. A game against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2004 where fans littered the ice with debris following a controversial call in OT giving the Canes a win (instead of leaving both teams tied). Kovy staring down Alexander the Great while he was in the penalty box. Lethonen’s first game. My trips to see the Thrashers against the Canes in 2005. Or in Dallas for 2008. The entire 2006-2007 season. Working the 2008 All Star Game, including the Wyclef Jean concert and the Skills Competition. Meeting and making the day of the professor and his son by finding them and inviting them to join us with Chuck. Almost getting on the kiss cam with Nicole. Doing the TV. promo bump with the TK helmet. So many more. At this time it’s a little difficult to recall more specific games, but the blur of Thrashers is filled with happiness despite the on ice production.

I hope that after the initial shock and pain goes away, others join me in viewing that smirking chicken as a symbol of wonder memories.