Bill Zito and the Stanley Cup Visit Milwaukee

Scott and Crew talk about the Stanley Cup Visit to Milwaukee, NHL Expansion in Milwaukee, and the Arizona Coyotes. #billZito #floridapanthers #milwaukeebrewers #stanleycup #NHLmilwaukee #arizonacoyotes #richardnairn #arizonamemorialcoliseum #americawestarena #gilariverarena #alexmervelo #waynegretzy #hoferbills #certifiedcheck #deltacenter #matiushbia #barrybloom #utahhockeyclub #ryansmithhockey #milwaukeeadmirals

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Happy Monday, everybody. My name is Scott Morgan off MotorCity,
mad Mouth inappropriately okay, located in Florida. Since this is
Fire Up Florida, I don't know. And again we're all
remote anyways, who cares? But anyways, have a good show
lined up Tonight. We're gonna be talking about Bill Zito
and the Stanley Cup making a visit to Milwaukee. Okay,
did they put beer in it? I don't even know.

(00:44):
I didn't go that far. But anyways, let's introduce the crew. Candy,
who is from that neck of the woods, is kind
enough to join us tonight. Welcome Candy.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thanks, and I'm glad. I normally hear them fire up
on Thursday nights, but I'm hearing Fire Up Florida a rush.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Look at that. I love it. That is good. I
can even hear that fire up all the way in
another room in the Giant. She puts everything into it.
I love what she does. That all right, I corn
welcome charge.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Reporting live from Detroit, Michigan, home of the Red Wings.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Okay, when I'm renaming it the Panthers Lightning Red Wings Show,
I'd have to do that. But and last, but not
lead the Cats and Bolts podcasts. The ring leader of
it all is Roy Peterson. Welcome back, Ron.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
How do everybody great to be here in this business.
It's great to be anywhere, as you know. And tonight
I'm wrapping the bolts the bolts from the Cats and
Bolts podcast.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
No problem. All right, Well, you know what, We're gonna
let Candy lead off with the first topic because she
knows it all too well, and then we'll go ahead
and proceed from there. All right, Candy, no more about it.
I'm gonna let you take the lead here as the hosts,
especially of this particular topic. Go ahead, Candy.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well as most of you, if not everybody, knows that.
Bill Zito was named the Panthers GM on September two,
twenty twenty, and they won their first Stanley Cup history
when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers two to one in
Game seven of the Stanley Cup Final on June twenty fourth.
That was the second consecutive season the Panthers made it

(02:26):
to the finals. And what they did is they're allowing
most of the players, or if not all, and some
of the front office to take the Stanley Cup and
take it to wherever they might want to. So Bill
Zito took it back to his roots. His roots actually

(02:47):
started back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was actually a bat
boy for the Milwaukee Brewers when he was sixteen years old.
So let's take the Stanley Cup to Milwaukee. Why not.
They've never had a Stanley Cup. They don't have an
NHL team. They have an AHL team in the Milwaukee Admirals,

(03:09):
which is an affiliate with the national Nashville Predators. So yes,
he did take it to the Milwaukee Admirals. He did
take it to the Milwaukee Bucks. He did take it
to where his high school, University School of Milwaukee. He
took it around the town. He took it to Freighter Hospital,

(03:31):
which is one of the big hospitals in Milwaukee. But
the fun thing, and yes, Scott, he took it to
a brewery. I do not know if they drank any
beer from it, but they did say that they did
take it to a brewery. But there is also another
place that is near and dear from my heart, and
it's called Cops Frozen Custard and it's a mom and

(03:51):
pop frozen custard place. They have three locations around the city.
They're known for their frozen custard, but they have bird
and you name it, they have it, but it's like
a little fast food place. They actually put frozen custard
or ice cream in the cup and him and his
family and friends ate from it right out of the cup.

(04:15):
They took they took it down to Miller Well, that's
not Miller Park, it's American Family Fields where the Brewers play,
and they took it in the locker room and they
had the players looking at it.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
They had.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Mister Bob Uker, the voice of the Brewers for the
longest time. He was in there and had it, and
I thought there was a really one of the brewers
they talked to. His name is Sal Freelick. First time
seeing it up close and personal personal, being able to

(04:50):
touch it, read the names on it. It's pretty cool,
said right fielder Seal Freelick, who hails from Boston brew
but grew up as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. I think
it's the best trophy in sports. I really do. There's
so much tradition behind it. You can see the teams
that win the Stanley Cup. Everyone gets their day with
it and to take it to different places. It's unique

(05:13):
to the sport, the sport, and it's unique to the
trophy in general that you don't get in other sports.
It was a great day for Zito and his family,
one he wouldn't mind repeating.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
So there you have it. Okay, first of all, we
talk about cops. You know what, I know, their custer's good.
But after having that big double hamburger, I've never seen
a double hammger or hammerger that big and all my
years of eating those things. All right, josh Us in
the chat room, what's going on? We're going on? Okay,
Rod in the mobile stout video, Yeah, he's in the

(05:46):
mobile studio, all right. He definitely identified that he's in
a Veha goal. So with that said, cops, and of
course we all know about the history in Milwaukee with
the Milwaukee Admiral and I know John Greenberg is running
that does a really good job over there. So with
that said, Rod, what are your thoughts about the Stanley

(06:06):
Cup making its way to Milwaukee.

Speaker 5 (06:10):
It's fantastic.

Speaker 4 (06:11):
I didn't I knew that Bill Zita was born in Pittsburgh.

Speaker 5 (06:14):
I didn't know that he grew up in Milwaukee.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
I read this story too, and all that, and being
a broadcaster I was particularly excited to see the photo
of Bob Buker, who looks like he literally hasn't aged
in forty years. And I think Bill's had a couple
of days with a Cup because I saw him out
on the boat fishing with a fish in the Cup
in Florida. You guys might have seen that like a
month ago. And now he's got it up in Milwaukee.

(06:38):
Guess what, he deserves it to do whatever he wants
with it. So good for Milwaukee.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, good for Bill Zito. I mean, he's the architect
of that franchise. Anyway, before then they were dormant, and
all of a sudden, the guy walks in. In a
matter of four years, you know, there's Stanley Cupp. I mean,
more power to him. Two days, big deal. You know,
it won't be long before he has to do Ben Trovy, right,
George Iiicorn.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
That's right, it won't be long. We'll be into another
season before you know it. But no, that's pretty cool stuff.
I mean, you know, we were spoiled here in Detroit
obviously in the times when they won the Cup and
they took it to some cool places. But that's one
of the best I've heard of and you know, and
it is a great sports town, you know. And Candy

(07:24):
has told us that for years and years as I've
known her, what a great sports town they are with
baseball and basketball and the as you mentioned the admirals,
and of course Packers aren't too too far away. But yeah,
it is a special treat. I mean, the National Hockey
League has these two guys that are assigned wearing these
white gloves, you know, to carry that cup out in

(07:45):
the ice when there's a chance that it could be
won that night or when it definitely is one either way,
the guys that are handling that The one guy, by
the way, I think is retiring. He's retiring after this
year's cup was given out. But yeah, it's such a
cool thing. It's the best trophy. I mean, let's face it,
it's just it's iconic. You know, it's an iconic trophy.

(08:07):
I love it. And the players drink from the cup,
and the players I've seen pictures of them putting a
baby in the cup and that sort of thing, and
going on a boat with the cup.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
All that.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
To be saying, he did a good job by going
back to his roots, taking him back to when he
was a clubhouse attendant or bad boy, and Bill Zito
deserves that. He's been a long time fixture in the
world of pro hockey, great great mind and a great
general manager that he is well.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
Keep in mind the octopus was a result of eight
winning eight games against the Cup and the Red Wings. Certainly,
and the tradition. Now the Panthers use the rats, I mean,
and you can get a lot of them in there,
easy to put in your pocket, but they had to
do it the hard way. They had to take eight
times to equals sixteen games, and you had to go
through that grinds. You certainly deserve your to do. Josh

(08:58):
O Door questioned for Rod was a Fanatics of that.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
I didn't go to the Fanatics event, but I had
a reporter there in the name of Jersey Jim.

Speaker 5 (09:07):
I don't know if you guys have been following this
or not.

Speaker 4 (09:09):
It looks like the biggest sports convention in the history
of sports in New York. Jay z was there yesterday,
Warren Moon. There was Florida Panthers fans there. I didn't
see any Panthers people. I didn't go to Fanatics. I
had a reporter there. He sent me the photos and
I posted them. Is that first of It's kind of
think Fanatics putting it on in New York over three days.

(09:31):
Mike Richter there from the Rangers autograph booth. Matt Rempi
of the Rangers, the six foot eight fighter. That's something
I want to go to next year, Fanatics fan Fest.
Fanatics Fest looks incredible.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
All right, very good our Ralph Williams our w Media,
Hello everyone from Erie, Pennsylvania again, coming in from a
lot of different places. Good stuff. But that said, so,
you know, I think Panthers ended up more powers of
Bill Zeno. I'm a problem with the guy. I never
met him, never spoken to him. You know, I've covered
the Panthers for a short period of time, but I've
gotten so busy with our platform. It's hard to get

(10:07):
to every place that you want to get to. But
we'll see. Rod and I are going to work on
a lot of things in conjunction with the Panthers. Will
keep you posted as the hollow plays out. But Candy,
you have the final word on this.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
I wanted to say one more thing. One of the
places he took the trophy was the Freighter and the
Medical College of Wisconsin, and he took it there in
an effort to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer because he
lost both his mom and his sister to battles with cancer,
so in an awareness I thought that was just really
cool because that's a place that a lot of athletes

(10:40):
go and get treatments and stuff like that. So that
was cool. Besides obviously eating red velvet chocolate and vanilla
ice cream out of the cup.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Nan and Tayer, have you ever been to cops here
in the Milwaukee area. You have to eat that place. Yeah,
Like I said, their customer's good bye boy. Never seen
a for that big Gosha horses. I thought you were there,
looked fun. Well again, now you got them thinking. Josh
plans to go there next year, so you can ask
them this question at this very time next year, if
we've been there, I will stay in Milwaukee. And now

(11:14):
the question is will Milwaukee be viable expansion NHL city.
We all know they've had the Milwaukee Admirals for a while,
so Candy go ahead.

Speaker 3 (11:24):
You know.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
Everybody always talked about Salt Lake City currently preparing for
their new team that's gonna bring millions of revenue. With
a population of five hundred and sixty nine thousand people
in Milwaukee, and Salt Lake City only has two hundred thousand,
which do you think really deserves it? And if you
go to Milwaukee and the Racine Metro Waukeshaw Metro area,

(11:51):
it totals up to two million people. Now, yes, we
already have the Brewers and we have the Bucks and
the Packers are further north. Do I think they can
sustain it? People have said it's too close to Chicago, Well,
but what about New York? They have how they have
what three teams within a twenty three mile range? I

(12:14):
think the admirals draw. I think if you have the
right circumstances, I think it can. I really do. And
they the Bucks just built by Serf Forum, so they
could arrange a deal and get in there, or if
they have to build a new one, they could. They

(12:35):
could They have the room and the space downtown that
they could do that right around the same area there
is room. So could they do it? Yes? Will they
do it? I don't know if they're going to expand
like that, but I think Milwaukee could support it.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
First of all, I'm not drinking the kool aid that
is too close to Chicago because If that's the case,
you tell me why the Chicago Clubs and the Brewers
are that close and have a nice rivalry there, and
if you want to have the White Sox in there,
you can do it. Let's talk about whether or not
Chicago slash Milwaukee Green Bay, because there was a time
when they were playing games at County Stadium. And how

(13:12):
far is that from Soldier Field. I've been to Boat
not that far. And when you got the bucks in
the Bulls, I don't buy that stuff. Sorry, I'm not
drinking the kool aid that it's too cold to Chicago.
And I'm with you, Candy. I know that they could
support it. They have a good thing going there with
the Milwaukee Admirals, who flash are connected to the National Predators.
But I'm with you, they can do it. I don't

(13:33):
think they will, all right, right, what's your wait?

Speaker 3 (13:35):
Wait?

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Wait, I want to add one more thing. I also
want to add that the Wisconsin Badgers hockey team, which
is collegiate, is currently ranked number four in the country.
Hockey is good in Wisconsin and people don't really realize that.
But let's face it, it's cold. They have if anybody

(13:56):
else knows that they have Olympic speed rink. They train
Olympians at Wisconsin State Park Fairgrounds. They have a skating
rink that was Dan Jansen was part of bringing it
to with Milwaukee and Wisconsin. So why couldn't we have
hockey NHL Hockey bring it on.

Speaker 1 (14:18):
Joshua Door wants to ask Georgia question, what would you
drink out of the toff? I wonder about that, Joshua Door.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
Well, my favorite is a soda pop in Detroit called
Rock and Rye. It's a very unique flavor by a
bottling company called fay Go, and Rock and Rye is
just I don't know how to describe it. Maybe could
be sort of on the line of a Doctor Pepper,
but not that Doctor peppers too like bittery for me

(14:44):
to taste. But anyways, rock and Rye soda, or they
make one called Red Pop, which is their strawberry soda
ice soda. Anyways, that's what I would do with a Joshua.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
You know what I'm going to double down here on, Joshua,
I would drink Diet Mountain You forgot to die apart though, Joshua, Okay,
but I would also have burners in there as well.
I like so I'll put them both in there. Joshua
doesn't know about Berner, so I can't hold Anakain's the
guy dieing mountain dew. Yeah, he got that one. So
did anyone in Milwaukee try to bring a franchise? And

(15:16):
you know what, Candy, that's a pretty fair question.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
I'm I'm not well because the NHL hasn't said they
really wanted to expand there, so I'm not sure. But
I bet you there would be a group that would
come forward, just like there has been for the Bucks
and whatnot.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
So well, Turbo Jetam, he's in, he's checked in, he's
eating dinner. Be right back. Okay, we'll move on to
the Big Top because of the night. But before we
do that, we're going to do a station break.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Candy, go ahead, are you gonna let the other guys
talk about expansion in Milwaukee?

Speaker 1 (15:51):
Absolutely? Go ahead, I'm thinking ahead. I forgot about Okay,
go ahead, go ahead. Uh.

Speaker 5 (15:59):
Just it's interesting.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
I would never never's a long time, so I wouldn't
say they'll never expand to Milwaukee. Nobody, and I mean
nobody thought they would go to Utah. That wasn't even
on the radar until Ryan Smith the owner now of
the Utah Hockey team approach Gary Bettman last January for
the first time and said, hey, we're ready to have
a team now in Salt Lake City in January, and

(16:22):
Betman said, well, thank you, I'll keep that under advisement.

Speaker 5 (16:25):
We'd heard Houston.

Speaker 4 (16:27):
We'd all kind of thought Houston would be the next
relocation city or expansion or Atlanta, where there are three
groups in Atlanta trying to bring an NHL team to Atlanta.
Nobody was talking about Utah at all, and all of
a sudden, boom, there they are. So if NHL things
they can make enough money there, they would go there.
I still don't think it's in the queue in terms

(16:48):
of potential sites.

Speaker 5 (16:49):
We have not heard it at all.

Speaker 4 (16:51):
But that's not to say it wouldn't happen, because who
thought they would go to Utah.

Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yeah, well no, And we're going to get to the
Utah thing in just a moment. But yeah, when you
talk about the logistics of Atlanta, the only way they'd
even bother to do it is it would have to
go to the suburbs as what they would do. They
wouldn't put it in downtown. We all know that the
Braves lived out. George, what do you think about Milwaukee
as potential?

Speaker 3 (17:12):
Well, I agree, you know, like Rod said, we haven't
heard about it, that doesn't mean it can't happen. And again,
I won't buy that notion or as Scott says, I
won't drink that kool aid that oh it's too close
to Chicago. Give me a break. Chicago's one of the
biggest metropolitan areas in this country. We all know that
outside of New York and LA. And listen, there's teams,

(17:35):
multiple teams in New York and LA and multiple sports.
So there's no real in Chicago's got two teams. Okay
in baseball, GJA, but in as far as hockey goes no,
I agree for all the reasons you said, Candy. I
mean the Wisconsin Badgers, great, great program, They've been great
for years in the Big Ten, and you know they
Michigan and Michigan State have a tough time beating Wisconsin.

(17:59):
It seems like too many quite a few years in hockey.
But there is a there is a president because like
you said earlier, you know, with the connection with the
US Olympic Committee, and you mentioned a great guy, World
champion Dan Jansen with the skating and Eric Heiden and
the skating spectacular athletes that we've had in the Winter

(18:20):
Games over the past twenty thirty years, maybe longer, probably
forty years now. A lot of them did hail from
that training center in Milwaukee, So it is a cold
weather city. It is definitely a hockey place, and I
would keep them on the radar for possibly getting a team,
even though I know that they're probably not going to

(18:40):
expand maybe for a little bit now that they decided
to move, And we'll talk more about that in that segment.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
Yeah, other places that I've spoken about on different shows
on our network as well as others. I thought Kansas
City deserves a second chance. They have an arena, and
they don't have an anchored tenant. Oh, there hasn't been
a lot of talk about it, and I wouldn't put
one in Quebec. We also happened with COVID nineteen trying
to get out the board. I don't not so sure

(19:07):
if I'm sold. Houston certainly would have been one that
was worthy of it. But yeah, Utah came out of nowhere,
and now we're going to talk about that at the
moment after Candy comes up with another point.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
Well, I do want to let everybody know there is
a preseason game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Saint
Louis Blues that is going to be played in Milwaukee
at the Pfiser Forum on October fifth. So they're going
to bring I don't know if they're starting to test
the waters to see how it would go, if that

(19:43):
is any indication that they might be looking to see
if they can sustain a team or not. But they
are bringing a preseason neutral site game up to Milwaukee.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
Now you know what, you bring that up, But you
know what I'd like to see one day. They're going
with the obvious choice Chicago, But for me, I would
like to see them bring in a not as popular
team over the Fiser Forum to see where the real
test is. We all know Chicago is expected to be
good and they don't have that long a drive, But
bring in some other team out there and then I

(20:16):
would be attle bit more depended of von whether I
think they would be. But thanks for bringing that out
all right now, Candy, we do have a station break.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
Tonight's show is sponsored by the self Florida Tribute Publishing company.
We published a book back in November. It's called Lessons
from the Microphone, Tuning into the Enduring Wisdom of Visionary Leaders.
It is written by Scott the MotorCity Medmouth Morvan Roth,
and the forward is written by none other than George Korn.

(20:45):
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(21:06):
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(21:32):
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(21:55):
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(22:17):
strolling around the bottom and listen watch it again. Back
to you Scott, Thank you, Candy, well done.

Speaker 1 (22:25):
All right, So final top to and I's certainly been
a very popular topic dating back to April, and now
let's bring it to the forefront. We're gonna about talk
about the timeline for the Arizona Coyotes move to Utah,
which is what we've been talking about for a while.
I know a little bit more about this than a
lot of people because I lived in the Phoenix area
moved there at the end of nineteen ninety nine and

(22:47):
left there in two thousand and two. We all know
that Wayne Gretzky could not save the Coyotes at all, because,
no matter what, they've had an arena that they've never
been happy with. Now, George and I both know this
one to well. Okay, I go to the America West Arena. Okay,
one goal is actually obstructed and you can't see it.

(23:09):
It's one of the worst hockey venues I have ever
seen in my life. So if you're looking to meet
a new PR guy, I certainly didn't do any favors.
The guy's name is Richard Nahirn. Okay, he didn't like
my negativity about how I handled the thing. I said
that the Coyotes should have played in the Arizona Memorial
Coliseum and where he was playing at was insufficient. Well,

(23:32):
it's safe to say Richard Nairn and I never would
see each other again, and he didn't want me there,
and I didn't go in there. The last time I
went to the America West Arena was when the Phoenix
Suns played there. Nothing against rich nair but that franchise
was doomed from the beginning. From the Winnipeg Jets going there.
So let's set the table here, Okay. Now, all of

(23:53):
a sudden, the most recent development, Alex Marillo has decided
to walk away from the ownership of the air the Coyotes.
The Coyotes here, meanwhile, were reportedly either late paying their
hotel bills get this, or some times just crossed out
the total and paid a different amount. Never heard that

(24:14):
one done in sports now, probably not till now. The
hotels around what they did is they bounded together, and
this demanded that the Coyotes paid for their hotels stays upfront.
I certified check. Can you believe that? And of course
a Mullet arena. They all know that the place only
held for five thousand. They weren't happy with the Heeler

(24:36):
River Arena, which now is I think named the Desert
Diamond Arena. And that's in Glendale. Now, I understand that
the Coyotes fan base was from the East area. But
I'll go back a little further on this one. I
lived in Chandler, Arizona. They had a place at McDowell
and Scottsdale Road. They tore down a shopping center there,

(24:58):
and all of a sudden, the whole thing fell through
why I don't know. I mean, but now all of
a sudden, we're dealing with the Salt Lake City Coyotes
or now the Utah Hockey Club. So the question is
will it work? But I'm going to go ahead and
tell you right now that their opening game is October a,

(25:19):
twenty twenty four, and who are they going to play.
They're going to play the Chicago Blackhawks, and that'll be
the fortieth different NHL team to play and the Delta Center.
I have another story that I'll go with. You know what, Ron,
I'm going to lead off with you on this one.
This was an absolute mess.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
I was intimately aware of the situation in Arizona. I
had my friend owned them from twenty fifteen to twenty nineteen.
I think there was five seasons in there, And you're correct, Scott.
I thought that was a tremendous phrase, that they were
doomed from the start. Rich Naran, by the way, walked
away from the team a year ago because he couldn't
work well, I'm guessing because he could work for Alex Murrillo.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
That guy sounds to me like an absolute idiot. But
they never won. That's the thing.

Speaker 4 (26:10):
I'm friends with a lot of Phoenicians, a lot of
born and raised Phoenicians, not Canadian snowbirds. And they said,
don't dump on us for Hawkey not working in the valley.
This team was terrible largely for thirty years, and after
their thirtieth season they moved.

Speaker 1 (26:26):
What was your relationship with Chris Nare I.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
Knew rich from Winnipeg when they were still the Winnipeg Jets.
I know Richmond pretty well, but hey, I'm friends with you,
friends with him. We can all be friends the lot.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
I've reached out to him a couple of times and
he probably remembers me, so I don't think he'd like me.
But I wasn't a matter of criticizing him personally. He
has to protect his franchise from negative writing and Georgia
and I met a guy who was one of his
assistants at the Joe Louis Arena. I think Merrit Tully,
I think his name was all I'm talking about, and

(27:02):
told me that unfortunately rich has overreacted to what I
had done. I wasn't doing anything to sing off the
Coyotes as an organization. All I'm talking about was the
stadium situation was awful from the beginning.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Yeah, well it's hey, pr people, it is what it is.
But the difference is all they had to do was win.
Because one thing that I love for the Panthers fans
that are watching, I love hearing their stories.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
Guys like I go to all the games for whatever reason.

Speaker 4 (27:29):
They know who I am, whether it's to the Caps
and Bolts podcast or whatever, and they come up to
me at Sawgrass Mills Mall usually before games and tell
me their stories how they were afraid that they were
going to be the Arizona Coyotes when the Panthers rink
was empty and they were last place and missed the
playoffs for ten straight years. So but now the Panthers
win and the rink is full. Coyotes never did that.

(27:50):
So I love Arizona. I thought I was gonna end
up there, not Florida, but.

Speaker 5 (27:56):
It is what it is.

Speaker 4 (27:57):
I would still like to see NHL hockey in Phoenix,
and the jury whether it's going to work in Utah either,
I still think the key guys is winning. That's what
it's going to take. And it may be a while
if ever that the Utah whatever's do well.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
As I said, I had nothing against Rich. I don't
know if he's even watching this thing anyway.

Speaker 5 (28:17):
But regards we've covered that, We've covered that.

Speaker 1 (28:20):
Yeah, No, I know, yeah, but I'm reiterating because one
of the things I do is reiterate. But the one
thing I can tell you right now though, about the
whole thing that the Florida Panthers always had going for
them is this. Obviously, they started in Miami, and you
know what, They've never had a stadium problem. Listen. I
have been in that rink a lot of times, and
I will say from the top of my head to

(28:42):
the bottom of my foot that that arena is one
of the best arenas I've ever been in. I don't
care what anybody says. I've always enjoyed it. It's always
been a very comfortable working environment. You know, it's in
Broward County. And that's the one thing where the Coyotes
never got it right. You know, obviously, lose, you're not
going to draw a lot, and certainly the Panthers are

(29:02):
able to draw from a lot of the Northeastern population.
I don't think the Coyotes had much of that to
go after, but at least the Panthers have a lot
of transplants. Now, I will say in Arizona they have
Chicago and they have Detroit. Of course, the red Wings
draw everywhere and they travel, but the Panthers have always
had a quality venue. Now, obviously this year, the last

(29:26):
couple of years under mister Zeno, things have really climbaxed
to a point where they're championship caliber. But you know,
I mean, and I'm going to get to that. I've
got something that may that's going to relate to what
you're talking about, whether Arizona and so with that said,
I'm going to talk about whether it will work there
in a moment. Well, here, why don't you tell me?

(29:48):
Do you think it will work out in Utah?

Speaker 4 (29:53):
Well, I've never been to Salt Lake City, so I
don't know. I'll say it again, if they win, I
think there's a good chance that it will work.

Speaker 5 (30:01):
I think Kila River Arena is one of the most
beautiful arenas I've ever been in.

Speaker 4 (30:05):
And Marilla walked away from that because he wouldn't pay
his bills and basically got kicked out by the city
at Glendale. It's been bad ownership all the way around this.
You asked me before we went to air about the
new owner of the Utah team. He's a billionaire. His
name's Ryan Smith, from the tech industry. I think he's
in his mid thirties. If he pays his bills and
treats his people well, he'll be believes and bounds ahead

(30:26):
of Alex Murrilla. That's a good start, but they need
to win, and I don't know whether they will or not.

Speaker 1 (30:33):
Well, Candy and I went to the Helo River Arena,
and I'm gonna tell you what I enjoyed that. You
know what, we paid just to go in there, because
I figured it's one time when you paid for tickets
to have answers to what you're doing on the air.
Of course, you know, my buddy are and okay, I
knew he will get a good ental met anyways, But regardless,

(30:53):
I enjoyed going there with my brother in law and
my father in law. And Helo River Arena is really good,
you know, next to a mall and obviously right next
to where the Cardinals play. So if I'm wrong, it
was a nice stadium. Really, it was a quality hockey
rank all right, George, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
Well, there is a new wrinkle. This has just come
out recently. The Phoenix Suns owner.

Speaker 1 (31:17):
Who is I was getting to that afterwards, Yeah, George.

Speaker 3 (31:21):
Okay, we'll get to that later.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
Then stack with the dark topic. I go, we'll go
with back to dinner and then you can stay off
for the evening show.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
Arizona is now without a team for the new season.

Speaker 1 (31:40):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (31:41):
I just know that they've had a history. You guys
have all talked about at the stadium issues, the ownership issues.
Whether they can still support a team remains to be seen,
but we'll see. Utah, I think they got a great
thing going for them. It's called the Olympic Games.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (31:58):
Uh Mitt Romney put together a fan fantastic Olympics many
many years ago, the Winter Games, and now they're coming back.
They've been awarded the winner Games again in the next
dozen years or ten years, I forget how many years
it's away. But they do have a rich history of
winter sports, winter time sports. Even though I know what
you said, the population isn't as great as obviously in

(32:20):
the Phoenix area, but you know, don't underestimate the fans.
I mean, you know, you get a team in there
in a new place, they they're live, They're just waiting
chopping at the bit as they say, to support that team,
and that probably the first year especially will draw a
real real well. But the question is going to be,
and you alluded to it, Rod, you know, can they

(32:41):
continue to support without a winner? Now? No, I agree
with you. They need to have a winner. The Coyote
slash Utah Hockey Club is going to.

Speaker 5 (32:49):
Have to win.

Speaker 3 (32:51):
So that being said, what does that do? I don't know.
We'll just have to see what happens with that. I
still think Arizona can support a team, but I think
the reasons you outline Scott, they just have not had
good management, they have not had good arenas to play in,
and that's got a great population base. I mean, come on,
you got the Cactus League. You know a lot of teams.

(33:11):
Hey by George, Yeah, George, let me ask you a question.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
Okay, I understand that there's a product in the store
is called wax. Did somehow, some way wax land in
your ear about staying on point with Utah? Because somehow,
some way, I'm probably too far away to give you
one rate, to give you the sledge camera. Seriously, twice
in one show, this guy don't remember the baseball show

(33:39):
is later. You could throw the curve balls there, but
you don't throw it on hockey. This is frozen pond,
not a frozen brain, all right, which is what you
did right now. You've got a frozen brain. I Gorge,
seriously brain, Yes, yeah, seriously. And you know what, Rot
don't feel too, man. I've only been at him for

(34:00):
forty years, so he's used to this craziness. You're just
new to.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
The party here now, yeah, right, yeah, you'll.

Speaker 1 (34:06):
Get to see more of it. Is all for your
entertainment value.

Speaker 4 (34:10):
By the way, I'm highly entertained.

Speaker 5 (34:13):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
I'm sure you can continue to talk to you if
you can make some sense. If you can't, well turn
the old lady. That doesn't make sense.

Speaker 3 (34:24):
I talk too much about it already.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yeah, you know, I'm okay. If I look for a
character on Hogan Cereals, I'd have to really find out
which one I'd parry up with. So for all you
folks in the chat room, find me a character that
that meets George Ikorna will put it out there in
bold print.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
All right, Candy, So wait, which question am I talking
about talking about Salt Lake City or Phoenix?

Speaker 1 (34:50):
Well, you're talking about both let's start with the Phoenix.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
So let's face it for all of you that are
history buffs. The organization was established on December twenty seventh,
nineteen seventy one, as the Winnipeg Jets, a charter franchise
of the World Hockey Association. After seven WHA seasons, they

(35:15):
were one of four organizations in franchise by the NFL.
On June twenty second, nineteen seventy nine, when the WHA
ceased operations due to financial troubles. The Jets were sold
to American owners who moved the team to Phoenix on
July first, nineteen ninety six, and they were renamed the

(35:39):
Phoenix Coyotes. The franchise was renamed the Arizona Coyotes on
June twenty seventh of twenty fourteen. They have had one
of their minority owners was arrested. They have had one
of their owners filed bankrupt see and the NHL had

(36:01):
to take over. They have had all kinds of problems
between owners, between stadiums and I can. I had not
realized this because i have not been to a ton
of NHL games, but I've actually seen Phoenix play in
two different stadiums. I saw them play at the American

(36:25):
West Arena, and I saw them play at the what
is it called now a.

Speaker 1 (36:30):
Gila I think they call it a Desert Diamond Arena, But.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
Yes, so I've seen them play at both. I would
say when I saw him at the American West Arena
that the site lines were horrible where we were, they
were horrible that And do I you guys all talk
about this being a town that can support an NHL team,

(36:58):
I'm not convinced that Phoenix maybe is an NHL team,
because if you think about it, there is a lot
of what I would say snowbirds that go to Phoenix,
and there's a bunch of them that come to Florida,
and there is a part of the winter that they
might not be in Phoenix yet, and they might not

(37:20):
be there at the end. So whether they can support
a team for the whole season, I'm not convinced of that.
And maybe that's why they've had some of the problems
they've had and cannot support it as well. I'm not sure.
I'm just saying, maybe, to.

Speaker 5 (37:36):
Use Scott's term doom from the start.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
Look when we go out for supper, when I get
home to Florida and I'll tell you more and more
and more. That owner friend of mine of the Coyotes,
flew me there to meet with all their marketing people
a number of years ago, and all they did was
whine to me about why the Canadians wouldn't come to
the games.

Speaker 5 (37:54):
And I just sat there and listened to it.

Speaker 4 (37:55):
Fast forward to the Vegas Golden Knights getting a team,
and I'm sitting in front of Bill Foley, the owner
of the Golden Knights, and I said, Hey, you're the
tourist capital of North America, maybe the world. Are you
hoping to fill this rink with tourists? He said, God, no,
We're gonna fill this place with Nevada people. And to
get season tickets for Golden Knights you had to have
a Nevada address. So it's the Coyotes were screwed from

(38:18):
the start.

Speaker 5 (38:19):
They had the wrong idea.

Speaker 4 (38:20):
I told them, get on a plane and fly to
Tampa Bay or Dallas and find out how they did it,
because they sell out every game. And now listen, if
you guys go to those Panthers games, that's South Florida
people in the rink.

Speaker 5 (38:35):
That's what it is. It's not Canadians.

Speaker 4 (38:37):
So the Coyotes were trying to fill it with Canadian snowbirds.
That was never going to work. You know what they
told me, We're Canadians, were in Phoenix because we hate hockey,
we hate the cold. We come down here not to
watch hockey. We can do that at home. So it
was again doom from the start. Vegas did it totally different.
They wanted local people in the arena and to this

(38:58):
day that's what they have and they already want a
Stanley Cup and Arizona still has it. Going back to
the nineteen seventy one, I was listening to everything Candy
was listening to or saying they still don't want to
Stanley Cup, and Vegas did it in six years. They
just they just don't know what they're doing. So I
hope they figured it out in Utah.

Speaker 1 (39:16):
Well, you know what, the only thing that went well
for that franchise was they had Bobby Hall on it.
That was it. And at that point they would even
give back the actual you know, if they had any
sense at all, they should the Winnipeg Jet should have
their old logo and everything attached to it, because that
franchise has dissolved in I don't know if they even

(39:37):
want the Coyota. They'll get to in a minute. I
want Candy to talk about whether Utah will make it,
because I have some strong opinions on Utah.

Speaker 2 (39:48):
It's hard for me to say because I've never been there,
but I think if they do it right and they
market it right, I think they can. There's not as much.
It's like I said before when we were talking about
the Stanley Cup and visiting places and Milwaukee getting the

(40:09):
expansion team. Milwaukee has a bigger base of people to
draw the attendance from than Salt Lake City. Salt Lake
City has only what two hundred thousand I think is
what they said. But again, if you do it right,
you know, I mean, and you put one of the

(40:30):
things I'm gonna say is you're exactly right. Rod Vegas
did it right. But Vegas went out and got they
were smart, They got core players and good players, and
they won quickly. I think that's Salt Lake has to
do that or they could be doomed from the start too.
So I think they've got to get the right players
in there to get the excitement going.

Speaker 1 (40:52):
All right, now, I'm gonna interject here because I want
to hear what everybody had to say. I'm the only
one on this panel. There's probably see an event there.
I saw a hockey team play on time Sandwich between
two basketball games. I'll tell you what, Utah, it will
work there. If Ryan Smith knows how to treat the
customers well, they'll win, whether they lose or not. At

(41:13):
the beginning. Number one, they have supported the Utah Jazz well.
And I saw games at the Salt Palace before the
Delta Center was built, and that place was packed. Here's
the reason why it will work. Okay, the Utah Jazz
were the only game in town. Anytime you have an
area with under two under three major sports, you will

(41:35):
definitely make it. And I'll tell you why. I say
that Sacramento has done really well for themselves right when
they were one of the old I mean worse, where's
the money going to go? Do you have any other
professional sports that they've been one? Portland has done pretty well,
so I do believe in my mind that Utah will
support it, and they will support it well. I'm sure
a lot of people will be anxious to see what

(41:56):
the new name will be about a year from now
until they get that worked out. But Number one. Okay,
it's proven that it's a winter sports town, and all
Ryan Smith has to do is just be friendly to
his customers and build a Delta Center where it's a
rink where everybody had good sidelines, where it's hockey compatible.
But I'm going to tell you one thing about those

(42:17):
Utah people, and I enjoyed talking with those people out
there when I was there. I went to three games there,
a hockey one, and I was actually an intermission guest
for a team that would end up moving to Detroit
to become the Detroit Vipers. So that was kind of
ironic how that took out. But anytime you have a
smaller town like that, they bond to what they are

(42:38):
going to do. I would even rule out Salt Lake
City as a major league franchise down the road. That's
how strong I am on that area. But if you
have just two professional teams and their winter and they
even support a triple eighteen pretty well out there, there's
no way they're going to fail again. You know, this
isn't Dune. From the beginning. This was what I consider

(42:59):
a our course, is what it was. Because it's surprises
that some of those obvious markets weren't there. I mean,
right now, when you talk about the Coyotes, you only
have one way to go, and that's up. I mean, really,
you know, so I have so much confidence in that
Utah market that you know, and you know, here's another irony.
I met a young lady out in North Carolina named

(43:22):
Andrea Urban. No, why am I bringing her name up
She's a commentator, a newscaster for the local Utah market.
Why am I bringing Andrea's name up here? Because? Number one,
she trained under George blahah and Lansing, and she also
was mentored by Fred Human. So if anybody understands hockey
well enough and Megan it wasn't Metro Detroit. It's her.

(43:46):
Not trying to just mention her. But I don't think
there's any way they're going to lose. I really think
that Utah wants to prove to itself that if they're
going to get major League Baseball, this is a right
franchise to bring in there in order to turn things around.
And there's no doubt in my mind that this is
a good opportunity to let people know, hey, we're a
major league market and we want the whole world to

(44:08):
know about it. Yes, would instant success be good, of
course it would. But remember one thing they inherited an
absolute mess to begin with. You can't inherit a bigger
mess than what Utah is inheriting. Here with the Coyotes, again,
I reiterate before Wayne Gritzky couldn't say this franchise. Wayne
Gritzky couldn't. He didn't play back then he was coaching.

(44:31):
It didn't matter. And again, the biggest thing that we're
talking about the Coyotes are doomed is they had poor ownership.
We can only hope and pray that the ownership is
much much better, and I have a strong feeling that
it is, and I think Betman did too, because I
had a because he's you know, he doesn't want to
buy the franchise back. So what do you got to lose?

(44:54):
What do they get one point two billion out of it? Anyways,
and it would have been two hundred thousand if they
had to apply. But well, no, that's the material. So
anybody want to rebuttle what I'm just saying about the
fact that even though you're talking about a two hundred
thousand market over there versus some of the other ones
that areforementioned. These are two hundred. All you need is
we twelve to fifteen thousand people to go ahead and

(45:16):
fill it in. And you know, you can draw from
all over that area. And let's not forget that Utah
and Denver will be good rivals, and Utah and Vegas
could become good rivals. So we're trying to find rivalries
from within that sector where you're going to get people
to travel as well. So that's what I think about it. Rod.

Speaker 5 (45:34):
I wanted to.

Speaker 4 (45:34):
Hear what George was gonna say about the Phoenix Suns owner.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
Yeah, yeah, well that's my topic. Now that's why.

Speaker 5 (45:42):
Okay, okay, okay.

Speaker 1 (45:44):
Yeah, no, that is my Thay, Hey, Snowman, how are you?
This guy here is a Snowman. Is one of my
good buddies out here, Ryan Snow and he's been a
cancer survivor and this guy has all my heart and prayer,
is one of the nicest people on here. Hoping to
work with them. So yeah, going to get to that.
I want to remind everybody once again, the opening game

(46:04):
four the Utah Hockey Club will be October eighth against
the Chicago Blackhawks. Okay, now we're going to get to that.
According to Barry Bloom in July sportcoat and who runs Sportigo.
Matt Ishbia could be the latest to bring the NHL
back to Phoenix, possibly in a new arena. My only
question about this is, while Matt knew all this was

(46:25):
going on, okay, why didn't he step up to the
plate okay? And by this franchise when it was located.
And I'm sure he could have worked out a short
term leaset with Heela River Arena because at least he
gets a fresh start. That's the only thing that was there,
and Matt didn't step up. I understand that was a
bad situation. It was headed forward to relocation. But you know,

(46:48):
I'm glad he's interested. And if Matt does do it,
would he change the name and get rid of the
Coyotes brand and start from something else? All right, George,
now you can talk well. Man Ishbi.

Speaker 3 (47:01):
People don't know is protege of Tom Izzo, a great
coach and Matt made his money in the tech industry.
He's done a very good job for himself the owner
of the Phoenix Suns. And that is a good question, Scott.
I'm not sure why he didn't want to get involved,
right away, but maybe there was something there that he

(47:21):
saw that would delay or complicate the situation for him personally.
Just try to make make a move there to try
to keep the Coyotes there and him possibly purchase the team.
He's very young, he's forty four years old. He's got
the Phoenix Mercury, he's got the Phoenix Sons, and he
definitely is interested according to the press reports we've seen,

(47:45):
you know, and and ishb as a like I said,
he's a good businessman. He knows what he's doing, just
like he's very common career path like Dan Gilbert of
the Cleveland Cavaliers. But Ishbia, yeah, I if anybody's going
to to do it, I would put my money on
him that he would able to do it. But I'm
not sure right now if that's going to happen sooner

(48:07):
or later, because I don't think Garry Bettman is in
any hurry right now or the NHL to start another
expansion team if you will, in Phoenix. But you know,
money talks and we'll see what happens. I mean, you know,
but Matt's a good guy. He's got a lot of
knowledge of sports management. He seems to be a good owner.
From what I've seen, and there's no question that if

(48:31):
he gets involved in it, I think that would be
a win win, you know, for Phoenix.

Speaker 1 (48:35):
Well, I'm convincing the way that hockey will survive in
Arizona as if Matt Ishbia is the owner. Otherwise they've
they've exhausted every other possibility. Okay, Rod, you were so
ready to see this topic. Now'll give me your perspective
on it.

Speaker 4 (48:50):
No, no, no, I literally just wanted to hear what
George had to say. I don't think the NHL will
go back to Arizona. I don't think they ever will.
There's other cities that literally want the NHL. I bet
you they go to Atlanta first. I just think thirty
years there, it was so bad. It really did leave
a bitter taste in the seven million people's mouths that
live there, and Morello's out, I don't think they'll go back.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
No, all right, so I would meet personally. I would
love to see the Houston Arrows there return wha team
once upon a time, Corny holl As kids played there.
And I already talked about Kansas City, and we know
about Milwaukee, but you know, Houston definitely prime you have
a big market there, and they would create a natural

(49:36):
rivalry with the Dallas Stars. But you said, no matter what,
you don't take to going back.

Speaker 4 (49:42):
That's just the sense that I have. I don't have
any inside and all this at all. But the Dallas Stars,
my dad worked for them for twenty six years as
a scout, and from what I understand, they would welcome
a team in Houston. I think it would be good
for business. So I just think that that happens before
Arizona does. There'd be too much work to go back

(50:04):
to Arizona America West Arena whatever they're calling it now.
It doesn't have great sitelines for basketball, let alone hockey.
They can't go there. They'd have to build a new arena.
It just seems like too many hurdles. Houston's ready to go,
and in a lot of ways, Atlanta's ready to go.

Speaker 5 (50:20):
That's my thoughts on that.

Speaker 1 (50:22):
No, I'm glad again your opinions matter a lot, obviously,
and that's why I'm asking you to give me what
your thoughts are. I will, like we both have agreed
all show. We knew Arizona would do from the beginning. Anyways,
I mean, we haven't changed our position throughout. But you
know Matt Ashfiel would if they ever do go back whenever,
He's the only shot they have, all right, can't have

(50:44):
been able to take it all in? Where do you
want to go with that?

Speaker 2 (50:49):
I don't think Phoenix will get it back. Let's face it.
As I look at some of their attendance figures, they're
yearly average. Their highest was like fifteen thousand. I was
in back in two thousand and five and six and
it went down to four thousand, six hundred. Obviously the stadium,
you know, was the reason for that. But will Phoenix

(51:12):
ever get it back? I don't think like why it
didn't work there? They had so many problems between ownership
and different stadiums that if there's other places that want it,
why would you go back to a place that couldn't
sustain it when they had it?

Speaker 1 (51:29):
Yeah, but then they're but then people in Atlanta right
now have had two shots at it and they didn't
get it right. But the only way it will work
this time is where when the Atlanta Braves moved out
of downtown and they moved to the suburbs. And if
indeed they're talking about the hockey team going to the suburbs.
Then I definitely believe Rod that Atlanta deserves a third

(51:50):
shot as long as they're leaving downtown. You do you
want to provide me your opinion or not.

Speaker 5 (51:56):
I want to see the NHL go to Atlanta.

Speaker 4 (51:59):
My radio shower in Atlanta, we're known as Atlanta's NHL
Show on WQEE radio. As I said, there are three
groups in Atlanta trying to bring a team, one of
them led by Anson Carter, former Atlanta Thrasher from the NHL.
On TNT panel, there's a billionaire automotive guy, Vernon Cross.

(52:20):
You can look them up who's pledged to build an
arena north of Atlanta in the suburbs as you mentioned
they wanted, and there's a b.

Speaker 5 (52:28):
Cut the population. And we go back to why did
the Atlanta Thrashers not work? Why did the Atlanta Flames
not work?

Speaker 1 (52:34):
They didn't win.

Speaker 4 (52:36):
It's a miracle that Nashville has survived. They never made
the playoffs their first nine years that they were in.
So they changed the expansion rules for the Vegas Golden
Knights and they would you know, these teams never had
a shot, so I would That's why I would like
to see Atlanta. It's I feel like they're set up
and ready to go. I don't buy this. It didn't
work twice before, so why would we go back.

Speaker 5 (52:58):
It didn't work in Phoenix for thirty years. This is different,
it's not the same situation.

Speaker 1 (53:06):
Yeah, well, you know what, you know, we're gonna talk
expansion Seattle. It'll work because number one, they're missing the
SuperSonics and they got their winner team. And I've always
liked Seattle as a sports town. So yeah, I'm with you.
I'd like to see another team in Atlanta, and they've
got the owner that's willing to do it. They're gonna
build a stadium, so why not give him a third shot? Again.

(53:27):
Location has a lot to do with it, too, though,
Sometimes people prefer to be away from downtown Georgia. And
I can tell you right now that when we were back,
when I was back in Metro Detroit, as much as
I enjoyed covering the Tigers and the Red Wings, you know,
and I covered those games right from time to time,
you would always find me in Oakland County covering the
Pistons and the Lions over at the Silver Dome in

(53:48):
the Palace of Hour Now. But I get down to
downtown Detroit from time to time. But George, you know,
he was in downtown Detroit. We had them all covered.
It didn't make any difference. Yeah, location doc have little
zone to deal with it. But yeah, I think I
don't think there's a dot. Atlanta would make it this time,
and Houston for sure. I mean, and I still have
a feeling that Kansas City would do well because they

(54:11):
don't have a winter sport.

Speaker 3 (54:14):
Kansas City Scouts. Yeah, they weren't there that many years,
were they?

Speaker 1 (54:17):
I don't know they weren't.

Speaker 3 (54:19):
No, Yeah, that's a long time ago.

Speaker 1 (54:21):
Right, Yeah, well it's okay. I mean that's you know,
we're throwing out an expansion. We don't get the opportunity
to do it too often, but go ahead, Ron.

Speaker 5 (54:28):
No.

Speaker 4 (54:28):
Well, while we're speaking of not getting a chance to
do things too often, I got to ask you guys
about the rink in Detroit, because I've seen the new
rink in Edmonton. I've seen the new rink in Vegas,
and they're building a new rink in Calgary. I was
just there last week.

Speaker 5 (54:42):
They all say Detroit has by far the nicest.

Speaker 4 (54:47):
Arena in the National Hockey League. That's the winners and
Golden Nights. People are saying that is it that nice, George.

Speaker 3 (54:54):
That's very nice to hear.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
Rod.

Speaker 3 (54:56):
I think one of the big factors is that the
run Wings had their own practice facility in the basement,
which is great, and that you know, amateur teams can
come down there and skate. But yeah, the arena is
just like it's like a shopping mall. I mean, there's
so much, so much you can do and places to
eat and souvenir stands and all that. Scott and Candy

(55:18):
and I have been there together, and you know, it
is a fabulous place. There's no question about it. Doesn't
surprise me, right if these other teams have spoke highly
of it.

Speaker 1 (55:29):
Hey, Ron, have you ever been to Have you ever
been to Columbus? Yeah? Yeah, Well just so you know,
I was there one game when the Wings were there.
They do have a practice facility, I think on the
other side of the arena as a pass so if
at least they did when I was there.

Speaker 4 (55:46):
Yeah, I attended the two thousand and seven NHL drafting
Columbus saw a nationwide arena, beautiful facility, great location, but
another bad team that's never won.

Speaker 1 (55:55):
Oh true, but I'm talking about the arena, not the
team what I'm talking about. But as far as the
Little Seasons arena, oh gosh, it's amazing. I mean, what's
they got it? Right? Of course, hopefully it'll last for
the next seventy five years, and if it doesn't, I
won't be a lot to see the next one door
an didn't they didn't.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
They build Little Caesars for the Red Wings, but the
Pistons also play there, so it was built for hockey, correct.
I think that makes a difference. It wasn't a basketball stadium,
you know, turn into a hockey arena. They had hockey
in mind first and then they brought the basketball team

(56:38):
in there, so I think the site lines are better.
I think overall, when you walk around the stadium, there's
more memorabilia for hockey, and I think they really brought
it all together. Like you walk on they have planks
when they talk about different Red Wing players and I
was just in awe and I thought it was a
really neat stadium to go to.

Speaker 1 (56:59):
Yeah, well, that's good point, Candy. The Detroit Pistons came
in there later, but they've made some modifications to make
a basketball a basketball game. But you know what you get,
what's a what's a little bit of it of money
to make sure that you have a venue with both teams,
I mean a lot of teams are all okay, I
arena what a show. I knew this was going to

(57:19):
be a pack show to begin with, and it definitely
lived up to it's It lived up to what I expected.
We also have underneath such a baseball talk around nine
nine oh five, So we're doing okay on time here
for sure. But I knew that this show was loaded. Sure.
So with that said, okay, Candy, any thoughts that you
want to.

Speaker 2 (57:39):
Add, No, I'm just you know, excited to see the
next season and what is gonna how the Panthers are
going to come back, and how they're gonna what they're
going to do considering they've lost a couple of really
key and good players and to see if they can
get back. You know, this is fire at Florida. I

(57:59):
want I want to be fired up for them.

Speaker 6 (58:03):
Any closing thoughts, Rod, No, I just I'm getting excited
to uh get home, get to training camp for the Panthers,
and now with baseball behind me, to look at the.

Speaker 5 (58:14):
Schedule, look at all these things that have people excited.

Speaker 4 (58:17):
The rematch against the Waters, the first Battle of Florida,
lightning and bolts. I can sniff it now, I can
see it. Hockey seasons on the horizon.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to hanging out with you when
you do these things. I've always had hockey in my
blood for sure, So good once you get down here,
we're going to make plans to hang out a lot.
Sounds like you, George. Any closing thoughts, It's going to
be another interesting season.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
I just look forward to it.

Speaker 1 (58:42):
Of course.

Speaker 3 (58:42):
You know, Detroit plays in the same division as Tampa
Bay and Florida, so those teams see a lot of
each other. And Scott's right when he mentioned earlier he
said that Detrade fans travel there. They show up in
all these towns, even if they are sellouts or not.
I mean Detrade fans to really travel. But that being said, yes,
right around the corner, I mean, you know, teams are

(59:05):
putting their preseason schedules out and selling tickets to their
exhibition games and getting their training camp dates all set.
So yeah, it's hockey season is right around the corner.

Speaker 1 (59:18):
I'm looking forward to it, all right. Well, yeah, this
concludes this edition of Fire Up Florida. Probably have a
little bit of work to do, Rob. Everybody now they
get hold yet.

Speaker 4 (59:26):
At Rod Peterson and at Kats and Bolts podcast on Twitter.
Give us a follow there in Instagram as well.

Speaker 5 (59:33):
We got a lot going on there. We're very busy
at Rod Peterson. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
Not only that, Rob Peterson is a commentator for the
South Florida Tribune, and I'm sure at some point when
he wants to write, will publish his articles as well.

Speaker 5 (59:45):
This week.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
This week the Rod Peterson is a member of the
South Florida Tribune. Don't forget it, mister Peterson.

Speaker 5 (59:51):
Thank you. Happy to be welcome.

Speaker 1 (59:54):
George, go ahead, and everybody know they get a hold.

Speaker 3 (59:56):
Of okay, yeah. Locally, you can read me in the
Detroit Monor newspaper. Online, you can read me in the
South Florida Tribune under the MotorCity Tribune. We're at the
end of my column. I always have a link to
this book that I wrote called Detroit Sports Broadcasters on
the Air, which features not only me and Scott, it
features guys like Ernie Harwell, Bud Lynch, Bruce Martin, Ray Lane,

(01:00:19):
Bob You for George blaha. But anyways, there's a link
to get that book. Thanks Candy for the photograph. Well
there it is over my shoulder. You can reach me
at g I Cornet yahoo dot com. You can find
me on x at Sanjy Sports ninety nine, look me
up in LinkedIn, and also Yahoo at GI corner Yahoo. Hey,
it's fun being on this show. It's fun being on
the Baseball Show, Sports Exchange. Great network. Candy and Scott

(01:00:41):
got going here and good to be with you too.

Speaker 6 (01:00:43):
Rod, always very knowledgeable man man send you love your voice, George.

Speaker 5 (01:00:48):
I'm captivated this guy.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
I don't mind yours either. Peterson, You're pretty good way,
you know what. I'm looking forward to the chance that
we get to do these things in person or whatever
we're gonna do. Yeah, you, Once you and Serena get down,
Candy and Ile, four of us will be the fearsome
foursome And I'm looking forward to. I was doing a
lot of good stuff together, all right, Candy, take us
home self.

Speaker 2 (01:01:10):
Florida Tribune Publishing Company published a book, Lessons from the Microphone,
tuning in to the enduring wisdom of visionary Leaders. Scott
wrote it. It's about how media has changed over his
forty plus years in the business, all kinds of great stories.
I mean, he's a great storyteller. Can't you tell he
likes to talk? So go buy his book. George wrote
the forward. There's even a picture of a young Muhammad

(01:01:34):
Ali and young Scott Morgan Roth. You'll have to buy
it to see it. Yes, yes, yes. Go to our
website www dot self, Florida Tribune dot com. You can
see link to this book linked to his writing some
of my pictures that I've taken. You can also take
a link to We have a store that has all

(01:01:56):
kinds of fun stuff like sweatshirts and shirts and hats
and stuff like that with self Florida Tribute logo on it,
also with the MotorCity mad Mouth logo on it. You
can get his book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google,
Apple and Kindle, and then you can go to our website.

(01:02:20):
You can get all the transcripts from all of your
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(01:02:42):
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(01:03:05):
the people that are on our broadcasting network that give
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that and one last thing, Tuesday nights seven point thirty,
if you'd like to listen to Chicks Talking Sports, go
to Chicks and Salsa. I am one of the co hosts.
There's four of us. It's Megan, Carrie and Jen and

(01:03:27):
we all talk sports and you never know what sports
we're gonna be talking about Tomorrow seven thirty pm Eastern.

Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
All right, Well that does it for Fire Up Florida
tonight one hundred and eighth sich is Baseball Talk is
coming at the top of the hour. About meanwhile, on
behalf of George Iichorn, Rob Peterson and Katie have late.
My name is Scott Morgan Rout, the MotorCity Man. Well,
thank you for joining us, and we will do this
again next Monday night. Every great week, everybody, thanks everybody,