My Two Cents: “As The Teal Turns” – Remenda Out; Sharks TV Deal; Stalock Resigned; Thoughts on Gwynn
Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Replacing The Shark Tank?- As far as a new arena goes, the Shark Tank opened in 1993. The city of San Jose has signed off on repairs and upgrades for the arena, but that may just be a bandage more than anything. With the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers to begin play in the new Levi’s Stadium in three months, there are land development opportunities in the same land area which includes plenty of room for a new arena. This is something Plattner will want as a condition of keeping the Sharks franchise in the Bay Area or even Northern California. This is something Sharks fans really need to pay attention to as this is not an idle threat by ownership. One must consider that the Sharks again are a franchise that has been draining more money than it has been taking on. Red ink is never anything to sneeze at. Part of the decision to let Remenda go may have also been a cost cutting move. As a rule of thumb in business, if one cost cutting move happens particularly one that grabs everyone’s attention, the message usually is that more could easily follow and that nobody is safe from it. Though many Sharks players have no-movement clauses in their contracts, if the team hits hard times and is no longer a factor to even make the post season, the Sharks could very well decide to let some key players go in exchange for draft picks or even rights to players they know will never sign with them. The latter is obviously the very worst case scenario and not as likely to happen, but file that one away just in case.
As for season ticket holders looking to cancel their tickets or even resell them, that choice is strictly your decision. If you are dropping tickets for personal economic reasons such as having to do some hard line budgeting, that’s one thing and completely understandable. I have a good friend who’s dropping his tickets to he can send his daughter to a good school. A good education in life is far more important. Good reasons also include dropping tickets solely because you need more money for the basics in life. Sports tickets are a major expense and if you no longer can afford it nobody will blame you and it is totally understandable. It does not make you any less of a Sharks fan either. You have to do what you have to do, that’s part of life.
If you are dropping your tickets however because you are still pissed off at the team for losing they way they did in this past post season, sure you could do that but really think about if first. I am not going to try to convince you or anyone else to keep your seats. However keep in mind why your got them in the first place. We cannot do anything about what just happened. We cannot do anything as far as who stays or leaves the team or organization. We cannot even do anything about the TV deal or Drew Remenda. However you are a shareholder of the team irregardless of what Hasso Plattner or anyone else thinks. It does not even matter what another teams fanbase thinks. Whatever the hell they think is irrelevant. You are a Sharks fan and you are the 7th man on the ice (the goalie is the 6th man). If you are going to drop your tickets because you are angry, you have to know that no reasonable person, owner of GM can promise a Stanley Cup. No team can promise that either (I can guarantee you the Kings never promised their fans a Stanley Cup. Three years ago it wasn’t even a thought). If you drop your tickets for that reason, you do have that right as sometimes you have to go with your “Plan B”. However keep one thing in mind, Plattner has a “Plan B” too. (Hint: it’s Seattle, Washington…don’t laugh. Plattner will call your bluff in no time flat).