#1 Cochran - PSR Showdown
WILL THE PENGUINS BE IN PITTSBURGH IN 2007?

Relax - they're staying
By Ken Laird
ESPN Radio 1250

Odds are good that the Penguins aren't going anywhere.

If the Penguins and their casino partner Isle of Capri are awarded the Pittsburgh slots license later this year the team will stay in town for certain, and this plan does have its' supporters. A Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force report reviewed the Isle of Capri plan as having the best site and traffic design amongst the casino applicants. Also, a number of public officials have endorsed Isle of Capri largely on its' tax-free arena funding. And a $290 million, tax-free arena certainly looks impressive on a resume.

If Isle of Capri does not win the city's slots license, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has put into place a 'Plan B' for arena funding. Neither the Penguins nor their bidding owners have yet backed Plan B, but that is to be expected as they fight for leverage in their slots bid, as well as for gaining future revenue streams.

Plan B, if the NHL deems viable and sufficient in showing public financing efforts, will make it difficult for a new owner to move the franchise due to league bylaws detailing criteria for allowing a team's departure. These bylaws also place importance on the amount of local fan support for the on-ice product, which Pens' fans clearly demonstrated by last year's league leading attendance increase.

Beyond the bylaws, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman himself has said he would prefer that the Penguins stay in Pittsburgh. It would be folly for the league to lose an existing, established market like Pittsburgh, in the league since 1967. A relocated franchise could also infringe upon other existing hockey markets (Hamilton, Ontario, for instance, is under 70 miles from both Buffalo and Toronto).

Timing issues, as well as Plan B negotiations for the control of arena revenue, will make the next few months challenging. But with the Isle of Capri plan, plus the existence of Plan B, along with site acquisition beginning on a new arena Uptown, local leaders making the Penguins a priority, the NHL and local fans voicing support, and league bylaws providing roadblocks for an exit, I think the chances of the Penguins staying in town are good.

Ken Laird hosts Pittsburgh Game Day weekends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1250.

Anywhere but here
By Scott Radley
The Hamilton Spectator

Hey you, the guy in the Denis Herron jersey. Ever hear of a place called Hamilton?

No? You sure? West of Toronto. Canada's steel town. Home of Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Marty McSorley.

No, huh? Well, you should familiarize yourself with it a bit because a year from now, it's where your Penguins will be calling home. As soon as southern Ontario rich guy Jim Balsillie-the guy behind those Blackberry units -buys the team, the Pens are heading up the road to Copps Coliseum.

Probably. Though they may end up in Kansas City. That city's got a brand-spanking new arena just itching for a tenant. Which is, come to think of it, the same reason they could end up in Oklahoma City, too.

Then again, they could land in Houston. Or Seattle, Portland, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Winnipeg, Quebec City or any one of a number of other places. Take your pick.

The only safe bet is that the Pens won't be in Pittsburgh.

It's not just the trouble getting financing for a new arena. It's that right now, so many places are looking for a team and this is the most attractive one available. With the youthful quartet of Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin set to become marketable superstars for years, this is a franchise with huge upside for anyone looking to get started in a new market. Even one with little or no hockey history.

Because of that, an owner can overpay, knowing he can bank on lucrative full houses for the foreseeable future to cover his costs.

That'll be someplace where the buyer has a state-of-the-art arena that cost him nothing to build, where his lease is cheap -or better yet, free-where revenues from concessions and parking are all his, and where he can be a hero for producing a team for his home-town fans.

While it may not be the case in Pittsburgh, other cities are lining up to give whoever eventually owns the team that chance.

So enjoy them now. Because this time next year, the only pens in Pennsylvania will be housing inmates.

Scott Radley is a sports columnist for the Hamilton Spectator. Read him online at www.hamiltonspectator.com.