AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 05
Monday, January 5, 2009
Putting 10,750 Into Focus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So…as I am one to do, I’m perusing through some lunchtime reading material earlier today and I trip up on this from Holly Gunning of the Thrashers Prospect Annex. She’s posted a few photos from the Thrashers embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Lightning Sunday afternoon, specifically the “crowd” in attendance.
If you were there, or watching on TV, the sight of this “partial sellout” won’t really come as a surprise…but looking at it from the angles that she took these shots, the pictures do indeed tell the story…the sad, pathetic story.
Although 10,750 was the official announced draw…the fact of the matter is that if you added up the fans in the seats, the players on the ice, coaching staffs, TV and radio broadcasters and crew, media types, those working concessions, security, 50-50 raffle crew and all of the homeless people outside of Philips…you would still be hard pressed to come up with 10,750.
Folks… frickin’ Elmo on Ice draws more than this on a Sunday afternoon.
Take a good look at Holly’s pictures…then reflect back just 24 short months ago…back to a Sunday afternoon in January at Philips Arena when the Thrashers were hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. At the time, Philly entered into that game with a record of 11-32-5 and the Thrashers were…now sit down for this…28-15-8 overall and 13-6-4 on home ice.
My family and I were among the 18,598 in attendance that afternoon. The place was indeed packed. Take a look at the video highlights here with the boxscore and check out the crowd. This is what Blueland looked like, sounded like…felt like. The place was rockin’…shakin’…it was the place to be!
My God, what Waddell and the Spiriteers have done to this franchise in just two years.
Now, the fans in Atlanta are sending a clear and concise message to Bruce Levenson and the Spiriteers. A message that should echo throughout Philips…which should not be too difficult given how empty it is. They are fed up with what they and Waddell have done to this team and they want a serious change made, specifically in the GM office, and they want that change made…NOW!
If not…then it won’t be too much longer before we look back at “10,750” in the same reminiscent fashion as we now look back on 18,598.
Rumor Mill A-Churnin’
I normally don’t “do” rumor mill stuff here…remember, the rumor mill had Hossa in Montreal last February and Ilya in Minnesota for Gaborik last month…so one tends to take things with a certain grain of salt, (DUH5).
But this one has sort of tickled my ear. I found this by way of FrenchCatalogues of The Blueland Chronicle…apparently thefourthperod.com says that there is a possible deal that would send Kari Lehtonen to L.A. for centerman Patrick O’Sullivan. They cite their source as the Edmonton Journal…reporting that Kari has fallen out of favor with the Thrashers.
Many of you have already heard of and discussed this rumor.
Hmmmm…OK, so we would send an injury-prone 4-9-2 keeper with a 3.39 GAA and .903 SV% who is on the verge of officially being declared a No. 2 pick “bust”out to SoCal in return for a 5’-11” 190 pound center with 9 goals, 23 points and a +5 in 37 games played who will turn 24 years of age next month.
Interesting.
Kari is currently under a 1-year $3 million contract and will be an RFA this summer. O’Sullivan is currently making $2.925 million and his contract runs to the end of the 2010-11 season. He’ll be a UFA after that.
Interesting-er.
Now if…IF…such a deal were to go down, that would leave Hedberg and Pavelec as the two goalies in Atlanta. Would we see Opie tossed out there and told, “It’s your gig now kid…go justify yourself”, or would we see Moose given the starting job for now while the kid is eased into it?
Interesting-er-er.
Though it would be tough to part ways with the 2002 second overall pick in return for a 56th pick the following year, the official Rawhide/Ice Man position on this deal is…thumbs up.
But again…I do so with my saltshaker well in hand.
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