Eddie Olczyk and Assistants Fired
In the wake of an embarrassing road trip in which the Penguins were beaten by a combined score of 6-1, the team has apparently fired head coach Ed Olczyk and his assistants, Randy Hillier and Joe Mullen. It is being reported that Wilkes Barre-Scranton Baby Penguins head coach Michel Therrien and his staff will be taking the reins in Pittsburgh.
It is sad to see Olczyk go, but some change was necessary. This team has been a disappointment from opening night. The excitement that was generated by getting the right to draft Sidney Crosby and the signing of several high profile free agents was starting to die off, especially with the fringe fans in Pittsburgh. Many people who were buying tickets a month ago, were starting to spend that money elsewhere. Unfortunately, in professional hockey, it is always easier to fire the coach than the 23 players. I am sure that there will also be several personnel moves made, but this will serve as the first step.
Onorato Promises Plan for New Arena
Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato, has vowed to come up with a plan to get a new arena built for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the region. The County Executive has talked about coming up with two plans. Both would utilize a $90 million payment due to the city to support local projects. From there, one would utilize revenue from gaming, and the other funds from the private sector. Mr. Onorato wants to get these plans in place for the Penguins to review well before June 2006, when they would be able to hit to open market and look for a new home. He also does not want to stand pat and wait for the State's Gaming Board to award the Stand Alone Slots License for the area, because that may take up to a year. Executive Onorato feels that it is vital to have these plans available ASAP, so they can be presented and worked out, regardless of the Licensure process. More should be available on the Gaming Licensure after all applications are turned in and made public December 28th. The Penguins plan is thought to be very dynamic and would give almost all revenue back to the region, through development of the land where Mellon Arena currently sits.
Mr. Onorato did leave a little bit of wiggle room when he was interviewed by Fox Sport's Stan Savran Wednesday afternoon. He said that ultimately it would be the Penguins decision to stay in Pittsburgh. The plans would be developed and presented, but some other market..."could wine and dine them away." It is nice to see the urgency, but this could have all been avoided if Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh would have considered building a Multi Purpose Arena for this region during the years that have passed since Mario Lemieux purchased the team out of bankruptcy. The stage is seemingly being set for the "Powers that Be" to paint Mario and the Penguins as the bad guy. "We made a great attempt to build the arena and they still left town." All the while they would have the knowledge that the team had been and is still losing money. They also knew when the Penguin's lease ended. I really hope that this is not how the situation plays out.
It is sad to see Olczyk go, but some change was necessary. This team has been a disappointment from opening night. The excitement that was generated by getting the right to draft Sidney Crosby and the signing of several high profile free agents was starting to die off, especially with the fringe fans in Pittsburgh. Many people who were buying tickets a month ago, were starting to spend that money elsewhere. Unfortunately, in professional hockey, it is always easier to fire the coach than the 23 players. I am sure that there will also be several personnel moves made, but this will serve as the first step.
Onorato Promises Plan for New Arena
Allegheny County Executive, Dan Onorato, has vowed to come up with a plan to get a new arena built for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the region. The County Executive has talked about coming up with two plans. Both would utilize a $90 million payment due to the city to support local projects. From there, one would utilize revenue from gaming, and the other funds from the private sector. Mr. Onorato wants to get these plans in place for the Penguins to review well before June 2006, when they would be able to hit to open market and look for a new home. He also does not want to stand pat and wait for the State's Gaming Board to award the Stand Alone Slots License for the area, because that may take up to a year. Executive Onorato feels that it is vital to have these plans available ASAP, so they can be presented and worked out, regardless of the Licensure process. More should be available on the Gaming Licensure after all applications are turned in and made public December 28th. The Penguins plan is thought to be very dynamic and would give almost all revenue back to the region, through development of the land where Mellon Arena currently sits.
Mr. Onorato did leave a little bit of wiggle room when he was interviewed by Fox Sport's Stan Savran Wednesday afternoon. He said that ultimately it would be the Penguins decision to stay in Pittsburgh. The plans would be developed and presented, but some other market..."could wine and dine them away." It is nice to see the urgency, but this could have all been avoided if Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh would have considered building a Multi Purpose Arena for this region during the years that have passed since Mario Lemieux purchased the team out of bankruptcy. The stage is seemingly being set for the "Powers that Be" to paint Mario and the Penguins as the bad guy. "We made a great attempt to build the arena and they still left town." All the while they would have the knowledge that the team had been and is still losing money. They also knew when the Penguin's lease ended. I really hope that this is not how the situation plays out.
posted by Bmetzer66 at 1:15 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home