Canucks & Beyond

Having Fun in the Owner’s Box

by Alanah McGinley on 06/30/08 at 03:33 PM ET
Comments (2)

While the blogosphere’s hockey opinionistas seem largely intent on condemning the moves out of Tampa Bay over the last couple days, I’ve been thinking how much bloody fun I’d be having if I was a Lightning fan right about now.

No defense? No problem! No goalie? Who needs ‘em! As Baroque commented on this post earlier: “Maybe they plan on winning all their games 10-8.” Indeed. And how can a 10-8 game not be a good time?

Alright, so we’d have to be kidding about that last part (a bit) but a team building up offense is a great thing for fans. And what’s more, it seems that new team-owner-slash-Hollywood-producer Oren Koules is having a lot of fun doing it.

Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune got this note from Koules last night:

...I asked him, with everything that has gone on over the weekend, what does he have in store for Tuesday, and his reply was “Maybe a big deal!!!!!!’’

Maybe a big deal!!!!!! (Yippee!)

Does he sound like a slightly drunken, giddy frat boy on some hockey rumor message board? Sure. But hell… that’s what I like about him.*

In a league with its share of team owners who at their best seem indifferent to the game—and at their worst, intent on building personal empires of corruption—enthusiasm is a great thing.

Will all Tampa’s moves pan out well? Probably not. But the team is certainly trying, and while also appearing to care about giving the fans a show.**

Over the years, it’s that kind of interest from the top that will pay far bigger dividends for Tampa fans than signing the likes of Ryan Malone or Gary Roberts ever could.
______________________
*Trivia: Koules is one of the credited producers of the movies Saw, Parts 1-5. So look at it this way… he knows how to build a winning franchise, and can maintain large swaths of irrational optimism throughout the journey.

**Eric Duhatschek in the Globe & Mail rather famously referred to Tampa’s current direction as a “Gong Show” a few weeks ago. Funny—and it’s hard not to agree—but heck, just look to Vancouver these days if you want to make fun of chaos-in-action...

Filed in: nhl general | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: len+barrie, oren+koules, tampa+bay+lightning,

Comments

You’re right, it is pretty fun and exciting to watch and wonder what they’ll do next...but to quote myself from another post:

After reading Bob McKenzie’s article RE: the lack of a Performance Bonus Cushion in the CBA for the 2008-09 season (http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=242079), I’m even more curious how the Tampa Bay situation will play out.

Roberts’ new contract supposedly calls for roughly $.8 million in incentives and Stamkos surely seems to merit a max entry level deal with lots of performance-based incentives. I wonder if Mssrs. Koules and Barry are including those numbers in their cap figure as they continue to rack up new acquisitions?

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 06/30/08 at 02:52 PM ET

And how can a 10-8 game not be a good time?

The 1982 Edmonton Oilers might have a word or two in response to that.

I see what they’re trying to do here: they saw the Philadelphia Flyers and thought, “Hey, we can do that.” I’m not sure how overpaying a second- or third-line winger and taking on the aging husk of “leader” Gary Roberts solves their problems, but what the hell, like you said, they’re kids in the candy store. And hey, people are talking Bolts a lot of late.

Finally, they’re making a fifth Saw movie? Is this officially the new Friday the 13th/Nightmare on Elm Street?

Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary on 07/01/08 at 12:15 AM ET

Add a Comment

Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.

Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.

Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.

Most Recent Blog Posts

Separated at Birth

In Vancouver: Luongo Talk

Wellwood Returning to Vancouver

In Defense of Dany Heatley (sort of)

Sedin’s Agent Not Optimistic About a Vancouver Deal, but is Anyone?

Mike Keenan Joins the Canucks?

GM Place Keeps its Name; Disaster Averted

What’s Trevor Linden Been Up To?

Sundin Positioning Himself For a Job

Poking a Stick at the Enemy

About Canucks & Beyond

Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003, sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen. In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah is one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast, as featured at Canucks.com.

She has contributed pieces to FoxSports.com and the New York Times Slapshot blog, as well as other stray destinations in cyberspace.

Email:

Alanah’s Twitter: Not really hockey-ish. [LINK]