Sports Illustrated rates the best, worst owners in sports

by Dirk Hoag on May 12, 2009 1:53 PM EDT

Sports Illustrated came out today with a link-bait piece rating the best and worst owners in professional sports, and when it came to the NHL section, look what we find:

Five Worst NHL Owners

Predator Holdings LLC

Nashville Predators
Purchased 2007

Purchase Price	Current Value	W-L	Winning %	Playoffs	Championships
$193M	$164M	81-66-0-17	.494	1	0
No offense to the Music City -- it's just not a hockey town. If things had gone right, the Predators would now be playing in Hamilton, Ontario, where a hockey team could thrive. But former owner Craig Leipold backed out of a deal to sell the Preds to Jim Balsillie after the BlackBerry pioneer couldn't promise he would keep the team in Nashville. Instead, a panicked consortium of 30 local investors put together a deal to keep the team from moving. The Preds now face a shaky future in Nashville as the team can break its lease if it loses enough money or attendance drops. With the economy facing an uncertain future and pro hockey fighting against the grain in a non-traditional market, Hamilton may end up getting its team after all.

"No offense" to Sports Illustrated, but a creaking dinosaur of a sports rag rehashing a two-year old obsolete storyline doesn't make for insightful analysis.

And where did this "30 local investors" idea come from? The Predators ownership group consists of 10 individuals, including the discredited "Boots" Del Biaggio. Perhaps SI is thinking of the Edmonton Investors Group, which saved the Oilers from leaving town back in the late 90's, and more aptly fits the description of " a panicked consortium of 30 local investors put together a deal to keep the team from moving." At least if you're going to bash the Preds for being a small market team with group ownership, you could at least pick the right history to work from.

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Comments

"No offense"

Doesn’t make it any less offensive

Welcome to Smashville, Tennessee.

by Aditya T (smashville) on May 12, 2009 2:34 PM EDT reply actions

It's nonsense little kids say.

Get bent SI.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 12, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Still around?

Wait, is SI still in business? I thought they went under years ago, when they became no longer relevant.

by HartnellsMop on May 12, 2009 3:11 PM EDT reply actions

Sports Illustrated rates the best, worst owners in sports

Too many bone-headed errors here to enumerate, so let’s just focus on that single playoff SI credited to the Predators: which year did that one occur?

by Hockey Hillbilly on May 12, 2009 5:49 PM EDT reply actions

I think

it’s just talking about playoffs during the time they owned us, so this year and last year.

Welcome to Smashville, Tennessee.

by Aditya T (smashville) on May 12, 2009 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions

So I guess it isn’t just hockey bloggers who struggle with facts sometimes :)

by The Falconer on May 12, 2009 8:41 PM EDT reply actions

That ain't all

Check out the winning percentages they calculate within that piece as well, they have Atlanta above .500, and Nashville below! I think they varied between winning and points percentage without rhyme or reason.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on May 12, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions

And with everything going on in Phoenix,

we’re going to Hamilton?

Hmmm interesting, the author of the piece was not specified. Someone needs to send SI an angry email.

Welcome to Smashville, Tennessee.

by Aditya T (smashville) on May 12, 2009 11:51 PM EDT reply actions

maybe

the point is the Preds aren’t high enough on the radar for top of the line research that a more popular team would have. Oh how we wish we were that popular!

by shlimmy on May 13, 2009 3:49 AM EDT reply actions