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Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name
They just don't seem to like Balsillie making a big splash. He's like the rich geek who would pay you to play with him - he's just not in the "in crowd".
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I don't really think that's a fair comparison. Balsillie is a guy who has a passion for the game, and wants to move an unsuccessful team to a market that can support multiple teams. I really think he's an ideal owner for the league.
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It doesn't make a lot of sense for the NHL to declare that it wants one of its franchises to depart. Why would they alienate themselves a market that, for better or for worse, they still have to pander to? I'm not sure that the NHL is opposed to the move, but I can clearly see why they would not want to make that information public.
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Yeah, I get the PR aspect of it. But there seems to more than just a concern over the current market when the league and other owners talk about Ballsilie's attempts to own a team. Maybe part of that is due to Balsilie being so open about his attempts, something the league likes to keep underwraps, but the attitude was there even before he pulled the season ticket selling stunt.