Putting on the Foil

Beware the Gift Horse

In today’s Edmonton Sun, they mention that the meeting between Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel was fruitful in finding a potential solution for funding the remaining $100M on the Edmonton Downtown Arena.

So where would they pulling this $100M out of? The answer is the Municipal Sustainabiity Initiative (MSI) program. According to the Municipal Affairs website, “Since 2007, Alberta’s municipalities have been allocated $3.1 billion in MSI funding. This has meant communities across Alberta have been able to build or upgrade their public transit vehicles and facilities, recreation and sport facilities, roadways and bridges, and storm sewer systems, to name a few key projects chosen locally, based on priorities.”

Things might be adding up a bit more now. About 2 weeks ago or so, I had heard a quote from Mandel saying that he wanted to temporarily stop new road repairs because it was getting difficult to drive in the city without running into construction.

The obvious argument against using the MSI program to help fund the arena is going to prevent us from spending this money on things that we need more (ex. LRT upgrades, road repairs, etc.). This program does encompass things such as sports facilities. So the city wouldn’t be wrongly using the money. However, there are many out there that would argue that this money should be spent in better ways (and I can’t say they’re wrong). I’m not certain here, but I would imagine when the funds are doled out for next year, they could stuff an extra $100M into that funding, if that’s what they wanted to do.

How do you folks feel about the new arena being funded this way? Is it a misuse of government funding? Or is it necessary and will be beneficial in the long run?

Are you OK with the city using $100M of their annual MSI funding to finance the rest of the arena? Yes, this will benefit the city in the long run. No, I think this is no better than taxing us, as it's misusing funding that could be better used on other things. Just get this damn arena built already.. I don't care how. View Results  Loading ...

Steady Teddy? Number change for Peckham this year… #24

Winnipeg Jets Logo revealed

The Winterpeg Jets have a new logo, shown above.

My take… hmm.. less than stunning. But I’d like to see it on a uni before I write it off.

EDIT:

THESE ARE NOT THE REAL JERSEY DESIGNS BELOW, RATHER CONCEPTS!

Added a couple of very rough jersey concepts. One based on a newly hack-jobbed logo based on G&S’ suggestion of combining the two main logos. Credit to Avi at hockeyjerseyconcepts.blogspot.com for the shirt design… I figured the Columbus Blue Jackets had a design that probably would work, and swiped this fellow’s concept… thus why Nash is captain of the Jets..

Now with the new primary logo:

Now I know that my quick hack-job is nothing special, but I kinda wish they’d combine the two logos like G&S suggested, and maybe even add the team name like I’ve done above. I think it makes it look less plain. But that may just be me.

Scroll down through the comments for some jersey mock ups.. this is one I did that is my fave:

Click Me

Andrew Cogliano…

So today the Ducks signed Andrew Cogliano to a 3-year deal that works out to a $2.39M cap hit ($2.15M in 2011/12, $2.35M in 2012/13, and then $2.67M in 2013/14). What is your take on this?

I’ve got a couple of opinions here:
1 – The Oilers made the right choice. Andrew Cogliano’s only role here was going to be a checking centreman. I think we can all agree that he isn’t very good at it. Eric Belanger is cheaper and provides much more quality at the checking centre role.
2 – The Ducks could be very content in the end if they find a role for Cogliano that works to his strengths more than molding him to the team’s needs.

I think the Ducks will be pleased with the contract in the long run. It was too much for us to sign him to that kind of contract, but that’s because we wanted him to be our 3rd or 4th line center… something that he was quite poor at. The Ducks will need to play to his strengths in order to get full value for him. If they intend to continue the “checking centreman” experiment, they will be gravely disappointed and that contact will weigh heavily on them. However, should they use him in more offensive situations, with some PK duties here and there, and solely as a winger, I think they will be content and they could reclaim that player we once thought we had.

I’m sure we can all think back a whole 2 years. That’s when the Oilers nearly traded Dustin Penner, Andrew Colgiano and Ladislav Smid to the Senators for Dany “Fucking” Heatley. The Oilogosphere lit up with worries about trading Cogliano. Most had thought of him and Sam Gagner as untouchables. A year before that, there wasn’t even the slightest question of trading these guys. In fact, I remember some big backlash from fans at rumors of Cogliano being moved after his first season. Things change very quickly here in Edmonton. Players that were once untouchable can’t be run out of town quickly enough.

That said, I am happy the Oilers moved on from Cogliano. The only role he could have possibly had any chance of succeeding at was a checking centre. In my mind, he’s a decent scoring winger with defensive upside, but he’s behind guys like Smyth, Eberle, Hemsky, and Hall by quite a bit, and guys like Omark and Pajarvi have more promise. As a faceoff guy, he is just plain awful. The Oilers made the right choice here, but I’m not at all sold that the Ducks made the wrong choice. I think this will work out for both teams in the long run.

What are your thoughts?

Did the Ducks make the right choice? I think it was good for them that they traded for him, and that signing will work out for them in the end. I think it was good for them that they traded for him, but that signing is not good for them. I think it was a bad trade for them, and a bad signing. Other (explain in the comments) View Results  Loading ...

Oilers re-sign Taylor Chorney and Ryan O`Marra to one year deals

I actually like what we saw from Chorney last year until he got hurt. It was a short preview though, but he came on stronger last year, maybe due to development in the AHL. Ryan O’Marra will be in tough to squeeze into the lineup, so I expect he’ll play most of the year in Oklahoma City.