Leslie Alexander receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and Hakeem OlajuwonHouston Sports Legends

jayhow92 · Feb 8, 2018

J.R. said: ↑

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What’s Bernie sanders doing there?

juanm34 · Feb 8, 2018

HTM said: ↑

Les should have waited. Decent chance the Rockets win the whole thing this year. Probably makes the franchise more valuable... though I have no idea the considerations he put into selling the team at his age.
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Tillman paid a hefty sum to Le$ for this team. I don’t think he’s losing any sleep over it. It was the right move.

Houstunna · Feb 8, 2018

tinman said: ↑

Thanks Les for negotiating with Louisville. We could have been seen the Kentucky Rockets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Center

However, after the National Hockey League decided not to consider Houston as a location for an expansion team because of the indecision over the new arena, Lanier said that he would not have a referendum in November.[23] The Rockets began an appeal in January 1998 against the court order to stay at the Summit,[24] but then dropped it in May, because they felt that a new arena would be ready by the time they finished their lease.[25] In January 1999, recently elected mayor Lee Brownguaranteed a referendum on the issue before the end of the year.[26] After several months negotiating with the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, the Rockets finalized a deal to pay half of the constructions costs, and a referendum was set for November 2.[27] The deal was approved by Brown and the Houston City Council,[28]but Watson started an opposition group against the referendum,[29] saying the arena was "not in Houston's interest".[30] On November 3, the results of the referendum were announced, and the arena proposal was rejected by 54% of voters.[31] Alexander said "we never thought we would lose" and that they were "devastated by the loss".[31]

After the vote, NBA commissioner David Stern said "if there's not a new building...I think it's certain that the team will be relocated."[32] The Houston Sports Authority had not planned to meet with the Rockets until after the 1999–2000 NBA season ended, but after the Rockets began to talk to other cities about relocation, they resumed talks in February 2000.[33] Although the Rockets continued to negotiate with Louisville, Kentucky,[34] a funding plan for the arena in Houston was released in June.[35] A final agreement was proposed on July 6,[36] and both the Rockets and mayor Brown agreed to the terms.[37][38] After the city council approved the deal,[39]the proposal was placed on the November referendum ballot.[40] Leading up to the vote, the Rockets stressed that there would be "no new taxes of any kind",[41]although opponents said the new arena would raise energy consumption, and also contended that the public would pay for too much of the costs of the arena.[42]Contributions for the campaign for the arena included donations of US$400,000 from Reliant Energy, and a total of $590,000 in loans and contributions from Enron and Ken Lay,[43] who the Rockets said was a "tireless" force in the campaign.[44] On November 8, the arena was approved by 66% of voters.[45
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It's sad there was ever a serious threat of the Rockets leaving. Houston is too good for that.

I don't recall the details behind the NHL or Rockets' potential move, but this poster, @Mr.Scarface, blamed Les for no NHL. No other poster refuted this during the conversation.

tinman · Feb 9, 2018

Houstunna said: ↑

It's sad there was ever a serious threat of the Rockets leaving. Houston is too good for that.

I don't recall the details behind the NHL or Rockets' potential move, but this poster, @Mr.Scarface, blamed Les for no NHL. No other poster refuted this during the conversation.
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So you think Toyota Center is slightly different than the other basketball arenas? now you know the truth.

Les Alexander Pursuing NHL Team for Houston
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/les-alexander-pursuing-nhl-team-for-houston.104014/

MadMax said: ↑

This is no suprise. But glad to see them talking about it, now.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3438046

Alexander pursues NHL franchise
Rockets owner lays groundwork for acquisition, financing of team
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

With the NHL back in business, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said this week that he is working toward expanding his business to pro hockey.

Alexander said that not only has he made his interest known to NHL officials, including commissioner Gary Bettman, last month he began talking with investors should he be able to buy a team to move to Houston.

"I am trying to get a team. I am trying," Alexander said. "I went to see the commissioner. I told him about my interest. I can't disclose teams, but I've been talking to people (in the NHL) and to investment bankers.

"I had conversations a month ago with an investment banking firm. I'm looking to buy a team. So people know my interest. You hear from time to time that teams might be for sale, then it changes or something else happens. But my interest is out there."

Alexander had said that he wanted to bring the NHL to Houston when he sought support for the arena referendum in 1999 and 2000. Toyota Center was built as if it would be the home of an NHL team.

But he and Rockets president George Postolos also had said the organization would not be interested in an NHL franchise until after the league reached agreement with its players' association on a collective bargaining agreement.

With the new CBA in place, Alexander has made his interests known, but he has not been approached by any NHL owner or league official about teams that could be for sale.

NHL spokesperson Bernadette Mansur said Bettman and Alexander met about six months ago, but the league has not studied Houston as a potential NHL city.

Bettman: No expansion
Bettman has been vocal in his opposition to any NHL expansion, Mansur said.

Alexander said most of those conversations, other than with potential investors, were before the NHL collective bargaining agreement was complete, assuming it would work as it has.

"I'm trying to do it," Alexander said. "I would like it, obviously. Now there's an opportunity to probably break even and hope in the future you could make money on it. I sort of know (the economics with the new CBA). There's no revelations that would change them."

Under the new NHL collective bargaining agreement, each team's payroll must be between $21.5 million and $39 million this season. The NBA's salary cap is at a minimum of $49.5 million with no limit, though most teams including the Rockets work to keep the payroll from triggering a luxury tax, to start this season when a team's salaries reach $61.7 million.

But the NHL lost its national television contract with ESPN. It has since moved to the Outdoor Life Network.

But just as the completion of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement increased Alexander's interest in moving a team to Houston, it has decreased the likelihood some of the struggling franchises will need to move.

The NHL set attendance records for the first month of the season, with games playing to 91.2 percent of capacity, with an average of 16,820 per game, an increase of 4.9 percent from the 2003-04 season. Heading into Thursday's games, NHL average attendance has been 16,758, an increase of 4 percent from the same point of the previous season.

Mentioned as candidates
The Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have been mentioned as teams that could be franchises that might consider a move. Hurricanes attendance is up 21 percent (to 14,627 per game) and Predators attendance has increased 14 percent (to 14,257).

Attendance in Buffalo and Washington is down 11 percent. The Capitals are last in the NHL, averaging 12,313, but the NHL is likely to resist a move out of the nation's capital.

The Penguins have drawn well to start the season. Despite a 2-5-5 record, Pittsburgh has averaged 15,902 in home attendance, an increase of 31 percent.

"We're always looking for a way to make our business better," Postolos said. "This is one of the things we look at. We've done some studies. It's something we'll continue to look at. ... We did some analysis, but we're opportunistic."

Toyota's hockey team
Toyota Center is home to the AHL Aeros. Going into Thursday's game, the Aeros' average home attendance, 4,969, ranked 14th in the 27-team league, behind the league average of 5,028.

Aeros attendance also trailed AHL teams from cities of similar size — Chicago (8,027), Philadelphia (7,468) and Toronto (6,106) — though each competes with NBA and NHL teams.

But an NHL team might be able to gain greater corporate support than the Aeros.

"People were saying, from what I've heard, that when the lockout ended there were going to be four or five teams that would be on the market and looking for a move," Aeros general manager Tom Lynn said. "(Toyota Center) is a great building, but it has to work for the group that is there."

But Alexander believes the NHL would work in Houston and has stepped up his efforts to make it happen.
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daywalker02 · Feb 9, 2018

Fertitta gets LANDRY's New Owner award!

Les - above average at times but also awfully cheap. He lucked out with Hakeem and a ship team.

He did his best not going through the draft which was going against the nature of getting talents.

He did great at giving Lin and Ömer very good contracts. Thanks for getting Morey though. And did good charity work.

sealclubber1016 · Feb 9, 2018

Houstunna said: ↑

It's sad there was ever a serious threat of the Rockets leaving. Houston is too good for that.

I don't recall the details behind the NHL or Rockets' potential move, but this poster, @Mr.Scarface, blamed Les for no NHL. No other poster refuted this during the conversation.
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Whoever is in charge of TC is effectively the only owner that can own an NHL team in Houston because it is the only major league arena in town.

The city isn't gonna fund a new arena for a hockey team. And it simply isnt financially feasible for a team to rent an arena in such a questionable market to begin with.

If Les didn't want one we weren't getting one.

MadMax · Feb 9, 2018

tinman said: ↑

So you think Toyota Center is slightly different than the other basketball arenas? now you know the truth.

Les Alexander Pursuing NHL Team for Houston
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/les-alexander-pursuing-nhl-team-for-houston.104014/
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timan, Les had his pursuit of the NHL at one point...but he stopped. He was done trying. And the lease at the Toyota Center for the Rockets (the anchor tenant) means that whoever owns that organization gets to ultimately decide whether Houston has an NHL team. In fact, no one could even build another arena within the city limits to house an NHL team using any public funds at all. Sweetheart deal for the Rockets owner. I'm glad Tillman wants a hockey team.

MadMax · Feb 9, 2018

sealclubber1016 said: ↑

The city isn't gonna fund a new arena for a hockey team. And it simply isnt financially feasible for a team to rent an arena in such a questionable market to begin with.
.
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it's my understanding that's it's not just that they won't...but that they're contractually prohibited by the deal with the Rockets from doing so within city limits. Katy or SugarLand or The Woodlands could build one...but not within the city of Houston where that arena would compete with Toyota Center for events.

Invisible Fan · Feb 9, 2018

J.R. said: ↑

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What's up with Rudy's nose? Is he hiding stuff with makeup?

He's always been gracious to Dream but that narrative is preventing him from getting in the HoF. It's time.

jayhow92 said: ↑

What’s Bernie sanders doing there?
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It's that dude from curb your enthusiasm

hvic · Feb 9, 2018

I love watching the Aeros when they were here and wish we still had a hockey team.

tinman · Feb 9, 2018

MadMax said: ↑

timan, Les had his pursuit of the NHL at one point...but he stopped. He was done trying. And the lease at the Toyota Center for the Rockets (the anchor tenant) means that whoever owns that organization gets to ultimately decide whether Houston has an NHL team. In fact, no one could even build another arena within the city limits to house an NHL team using any public funds at all. Sweetheart deal for the Rockets owner. I'm glad Tillman wants a hockey team.
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I bet you if we get an NHL team
Our uniforms won’t suck

glimmertwins · Feb 9, 2018

...you would think with all that money, Hakeem would have found a tailor at this point, but apparently not.

J.R. · Feb 9, 2018

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