Stars Sale Update: Is no news good news?
My how the world changes in an instant. We haven’t heard anything but incorrect rumors and speculation regarding the sale of the Stars and how it has been way below radar, etc, etc, etc (of course, compared to the Texas Rangers sale, most things could be considered under the radar).
Then Forbes breaks the news yesterday afternoon that the sale is very close and will be for $275-$300 million.
Wow! Selling the team for almost 3x the revenue and 28x the operating income is a great thing for the team. I’m not a financial analyst, but I know enough to know thats impressive and shows the viability of the team and hockey in Dallas. NOTE: News broke last night and this morning that skepticism is setting in and this may just be another rumor being reported as fact. Defending Big D and Mike Heika have more regarding the latest Forbes news.
Bottom line, the end of Hicks’ tenure as owner is near and the collective fan base is waiting to tap the keg and celebrate the end of this rollercoaster.
As mentioned last week, fans have appreciated the efforts and the reward of the Cup but its time for Hicks to fade away (quietly without anymore comments that hurt the sport and the team). While the glory years were well worth the price of admission, the mis-management and insistence to go after well past their prime veterans and pay them more than their worth has put the Stars in the current position of having to work on a budget thats only a couple million off the salary floor. That brings about a couple of questions about where the blame lies:
Is that saying all the moves made and directions since 2001 have been incorrect? No, however, the Stars have had 4 1/2 GMs (can you guess who the half is? ) this decade. That kind of turnover doesn’t instill confidence and doesn’t allow for the team to be built with a singular philosophy. Instead, it created an organized chaos and tectonic shift with every new regime. More of the same, new directions, getting younger, going after defense, then reversing and increasing forward skill were some of the ideas that were pursued. This schizophrenic direction has given the team a new personality each season making it difficult to bring in the right pieces to build a winner.
Does this imply that Hicks is solely to blame for the current debacle? No, he’s never been the forefront of hockey operations, but instead was in the background allowing the GMs a lengthy rope from which to hang themselves with. This is a great management technique, why not let the experts do their thing, but oversight is key with this style of management and it was clearly lacking. Philosophy and direction are meant to be handed down from the men (or women) at the top. Just like the President, CEOs, Congressmen, etc, Owners of teams are held to a higher standard than their subordinates and when the team fails, its expected that they take the blame, fix the issues, and restore faith to the team and fanbase.
Essentially, it wasn’t all Hicks fault, but it was completely his problem. He should have stepped in and corrected the issues instead of playing the GM roulette game that was not working. When the team went 3 seasons of failing to qualify for the playoffs, and back-to-back-to-back first round losses in 10 years (not to mention the lockout) its obvious that something else should have been done. Making the tough decisions is what he and the rest of the executive staff he put in place should have done. Whether that means stabilizing the teams philosophy and structure, bringing in new blood in management and not just at the GM level but all areas of the team’s operations, and/or letting go of yesterday’s success and bringing in players and systems meant for the new NHL for today and the future. The team has lacked the executive direction and calming influence its needed from the man in charge and filled that void with whatever worked at the time and attempting to distract everyone with nostalgia about the ’99 Cup run.
Dallas is a sports town thats loves winning and abhors losing. Thats part of the charm. The fans want a winner at all costs and will show up in droves when our teams win and lose interest quickly when losing becomes habitual. Just look at the Rangers and how being in first place and ranked 3rd overall in MLB this year has boosted their support.
The new owner must understand this and get the casual fan interested in the team by building a winner on the ice. Hockey works in Dallas. Even with the last few years and the financial mess, the Stars have a rabid following and are well respected members of the community. The impact they’ve had on youth leagues and the charitable works by the Dallas Stars Foundation and that of the players, is immeasurable. All that’s left is fielding a winning, exciting team on the ice. Putting effort into building a winner and keeping one eye on the present and one eye on the future will build a lasting franchise that could challenge for the Cup year in and year out. Parity may rule in the NHL when it comes to championships but there are several teams that win year in and year out that are legitimate threats each year to capture the Cup. The Stars goal should be to add themselves to that list of teams and stay there for a long time.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail”
Some unrelated notes this week perusing Dallas Stars land:
- The Dallas Stars Ice Girl finalists were named recently.
- Krys Barch is now on Twitter (@KrysBarch) and is the first current Star that has joined. Please join me in urging Steve Ott to join as well.
