-Vintage Canuck- Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke says the team’s arena situation is “embarrassing”: While the Calgary Flames’ desire for another arena is certainly nothing new, Brian Burke put his signature snarly spin on the subject Thursday at the Calgary Chamber breakfast. “An update on our new home? You know what? We need a new building. Obviously, everyone knows that,” said Burke, president of hockey operations for the Flames, responding to a question from the audience. “We have the finest state-of-the-art 1988 building in the (National Hockey League).” The Scotiabank Saddledome, headquarters to the Flames, was built in 1983. The rink seats 19,289. “You know what’s embarrassing?” said Burke. “There is one building worse than ours. Has anyone been there? Islanders (who play out of dilapidated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum). So we don’t actually have the worst building in the National Hockey League. But we have a state-of-the-art 1988 building.” Acknowledging that the process involves issues well above his pay grade — “That’s (Flames’ CEO and president) Ken King stuff” — Burke is never far from an opinion. And he happily continued to share his. “A building has . . . to generate NHL economics, which our building does not,” said Burke. “Lower bowl in a new arena — in the new generation of arenas — is 9,000 seats, minimum. Ours is what — 6,000? So we’re not generating the revenue that an NHL building does. The sightlines aren’t as good. They’ve got better suites in the new buildings, better amenities for our season-ticket holders and our fans. “And, more importantly, the investment in a building and what it brings to a downtown core in terms of entertainment . . . a lot of bands don’t come and play the Saddledome because the building is antiquated. The weight load that the roof will bear is tiny, so a lot of big stage acts don’t come here. “So it’s not just what a hockey team gets . . . it’s what it does to a downtown core. We need a new building in Calgary.” Which is what’s happening right now in Edmonton. The Oilers’ downtown digs — Rogers Place — has been under construction for three months. The facility will be ready for the fall of 2016. The cost, all-in, is $606 million. And that includes the price of the NHL’s largest high-definition video screen. “This project here is going to raise the bar,” Dan Vaillant of ICON Venue Group, the project manager, told the Edmonton Journal earlier this week. “It’s going to be the building that the next NHL team is going to look to and try to better.” The Flames would dearly love to be that next team. Burke was asked Thursday morning about support for the project. Is the community prepared for that? “I’m not worried,” he said. “I’m not sure politically where things lie because I’m new here, but, in my mind, it has to happen. And it’s going to happen. I think it makes sense on every front. You don’t have to be a hockey fan to want a new building in Calgary. “There’s absolutely no reason why we should watch a new building going up in Edmonton and we’ve got to play in a 1988 building here.” http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Brian+Burke+frank+arena+issue+There+building+worse+than+ours/9911628/story.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.DirtyDangles Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 The flood may have sped up the new arena process a bit there eh Burkie ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I've been there before, and I agree their stadium was badly outdated and this was 2001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 “We have the finest state-of-the-art 1988 building in the (National Hockey League).” Burke's still got it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai604 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Good ol' Burkie still chuckin' jabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 So, if you want a new building Burkie, build one. It worked in Vancouver. I bet there's room on the Stampede grounds, you wouldn't even have to move too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera82 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Burke is so obnoxious. He's an employee of the Flames organization, does he make more money if there is a new arena? I dont think so, so what difference is it to him? The Saddledome still has a good capacity and they still get legitimate sellouts for a crap team. Burke should shut his beak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
He-Lord Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 He's right though. Hell, the entire lames organization is just embarrassing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Burke is so obnoxious. He's an employee of the Flames organization, does he make more money if there is a new arena? I dont think so, so what difference is it to him? The Saddledome still has a good capacity and they still get legitimate sellouts for a crap team. Burke should shut his beak. he shouldn't care about improving the organization unless it makes him more money? that's ridiculous. the dome looks like a giant corrugated steal quonset hut with the roof caved in. the concessions and concourses are a joke. if you're entering the building from the c-train terminal you have to walk through a grain museum. the sightlines are bad. the scoreboard, at least pre-flood, was pathetic. then acoustics for concerts is so bad that huge bands refuse to include calgary on their tours. they need a new building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Colt 45s Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I loved working for the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome in the 1990s. My favourite job by far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavel_Burrows Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 LOL. Gotta love Burkie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Burke is so obnoxious. He's an employee of the Flames organization, does he make more money if there is a new arena? I dont think so, so what difference is it to him? The Saddledome still has a good capacity and they still get legitimate sellouts for a crap team. Burke should shut his beak. Overreaction much? Maybe he wants a nicer place to work? Maybe he cares about the company he works for and wants them to have better facilities and make more money? Maybe he wants the fans (paying customers) to have a better experience? It's not any different than someone wanting a better office building. Is he not allowed to have an opinion of something that directly affects the company that he has an executive role in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I long for the day when people stop giving him the opportunity to hog a mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 You can bet the people of Calgary won't want to see one penny of public money spent on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gross-Misconduct Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Burke is so obnoxious. He's an employee of the Flames organization, does he make more money if there is a new arena? I dont think so, so what difference is it to him? The Saddledome still has a good capacity and they still get legitimate sellouts for a crap team. Burke should shut his beak. What an absurd comment. You should really of thought about it before posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 It's not the arena. It's the team that plays in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missioncanucksfan Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Good...Im glad somebody finally stepped up and stated the obvious about the Saddledome. Have any of you watched a game there or been to a concert there? Calgary is THE richest city and a mecca to every oil company headquarters. Building a new state of the art building would be a drop in the bucket. And Burke is right...the amount of revenue that place would generate surrounding businesses and bringing in more corporate suites, etc... practically pay itself off within 10 years. What Burke fails to mention is that The Islanders move into their new home building pretty soon....so that would make the Saddledome the WORSE. Lucky he doesnt have the AHL sized arena in Winnipeg. I dont get why so many of you ppl on here still sport such wooded hate for Burke. All the guy does is speak his mind where so many swallow their balls and keep quiet. Is that how YOU people are too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Why is he complaining to the public and media? Shouldn't be be bitching at his owners for not building a new arena? .... oh ya, he wants taxpayers to foot the bill. I love how the NHL scolds the public for not giving them free money, but when it comes to being transparent or lockouts... they are a private business and we aren't a stakeholder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostViking Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Oh the wonderful economics of the NHL. Calgary's arena is 30 years old, and badly needs replacing. Edmonton is getting a fancy, new $600 million arena, Calgary wants one too. It stands to reason the new arena also would be dilapidated after 30 years. Calgary currently bring in about $12 million per year in operating income, whereas a new arena on par with Edmonton's would cost $20 million per year (without factoring in the front loaded nature of these costs). In the end, it does make financial sense. They can get something for the Saddledome, even if its torn down and sold for scrap. They also would hold the resale value of the new arena and would be able to bring in more revenue. Still, it is unsettling the way the NHL relies on such rapid growth to continue to be viable. The Canadian markets are already saturated, that kind of growth potential really only exists in the U.S., not to mention the fact that player salaries continue to rise while the Canadian/U.S. economies have remained stagnant. At some point something has to buckle, hockey isn't going to magically become 10x more popular in Canada, and Americans just haven't embraced the game as some hoped they would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlsson`s Flo Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 As an Ironworker, I encourage the construction of a new stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.