A win for cities with sports clubs

Nenshi’s victory puts NHL team in its place

As the votes were counted and the results tallied and social media was filled with instant analysis of Calgary’s municipal election Monday night, one tweet in particular stood out from all the others.

“I can’t believe it YYC. Having @Nenshi as mayor is worse than @realDonaldTrump being president. #arrogant #bracefordisaster #outoftouch,” it read.

Emotions always run high on election night but Sean Kelso, the director of communications for the Calgary Flames, should perhaps have known better. The post was swiftly deleted, but it’s hard to avoid the impression that the folks who run our resident hockey team are a touch upset by Nenshi’s win.

It’s also hard to avoid the feeling this is a good thing.

Amid a stalled negotiation for a new hockey rink, the NHL unabashedly attempted to interfere with Calgary’s election. Finding Nenshi uncowed by the might of our local hockey squad, league commissioner Gary Bettman even made strategic calls to select media insinuating that should the team relocate, the mayor would be indifferent.

Bill Smith — a challenger with deep roots in the same Red Tory establishment well from whence all power in this city once sprang — was the franchise’s clear preference.

While NHL owners often strong-arm local politicians for baubles, interference during an election campaign was uncommonly audacious. At the very least, Nenshi’s win seems like suitable comeuppance for Bettman. There are limits in this country to even hockey’s power.

Leaving aside the particulars of the Nenshi-Smith showdown, what terrible signal would a Smith victory have sent to politicians in other hockey cities? Play nice, pony up or pack out?

For this reason alone, there is some broader social utility to Nenshi’s success. (Though I was so looking forward to debuting the term “Hockey Cuck” to describe the ostensibly Conservative politicians whose parsimony with the public purse gives way when the puck hits the ice. Alas.)

An emboldened Nenshi and dejected Flames ownership will reopen arena negotiations with all the grace and goodwill of screaming marmots.

The last proposal the city offered before talks broke down would have seen taxpayers contribute $130 million to a new arena, plus $30 million in land and the $25 million it would cost to demolish the Saddledome. The owners would be required to pitch in one-third of the total cost, with the remaining third to be levied through a ticket surcharge.

This deal was not sweet enough for the Flames. In the face of such a tiny pot of free money, CEO and president Ken King “surrendered” in frustration.

Nenshi told Global after his win Monday that he’s willing to continue talks.

As for the aforementioned tweet from Sean Kelso, Nenshi said: “I have no idea who he is. I’ve never met him. But obviously, he’s a senior executive. We have had a very senior executive at the Flames regularly tweeting nasty things about me throughout the campaign, retweeting weird right-wing websites.

“So they really have to determine are they a political body, or are they a community body? I think they’ll figure that out pretty quick.”

So, does disaster beckon for Calgary? According to Concordia University sports economist Moshe Lander, almost certainly not.

To move, the Flames would need the approval of 24 other team owners, most of whom would ask for some kind of, um, financial incentive for the nod.

The Flames’ home is the oldest arena in the league. However, even that should be kept in perspective. The Saddledome is only 34. It’s functional, it’s just dated.

“Lots of teams these days make money through corporate suites and luxury boxes,” Lander said. “The stadium functions, and the Flames might be losing out on millions each year, and both of those things are true.”

But the idea that taxpayer funds should prop up a new building so billionaire owners can make extra bank on luxury boxes just doesn’t bring a tear to my eye.

The profitability of the Flames is a private matter. But Lander notes:

“Sports franchises are one of those funny things. They often lose money year to year, but the value of their franchise goes up tremendously when they look to sell. The price they sell for is crazy multiples of what they bought it for,” he said. “My feeling is if the Flames weren’t profitable, they wouldn’t be talking about relocating. They’d be talking about selling the franchise.”

So, just to keep score: Calgary re-elected its mayor, despite his indifference to the pitiable plight of its wealthy hockey owners. Moving the team would be expensive and difficult. The city has a drab-but-functional arena. And no one from the ownership consortium has yet been spotted hitting up a food bank.

Your move, Flames.