Former Mayor Larry Di Ianni and Mr. Ecklund's daughter Erika

ARCHIVED POSTS:

______________________________

 

LARRY'S CORNER- Hamilton's Former Mayor Speaks

former Mayor of Hamilton, Larry Di Ianni

Et Tu Hamilton? Did our city just throw Balsillie’s hopes under a bus?

By Larry Di Ianni
(posted August 5, 2009)

Jim Balsillie, the Blackberry billionaire and would-be owner of a Hamilton NHL franchise was dealt a deadly blow by the NHL Board of Governors who ‘unanimously’ labelled him an undesirable member of their club, regardless of his billions!  I suppose in that rarefied air of moneyed owners, “What’s a billion?” would be a fair question to ask.

In an embarrassing public shellacking, Balsillie was told by the Board to hit the road.  They would rather the courts consider an inferior monetary offer than to support Balsillie’s strong-willed challenge for the Phoenix Coyotes, even if the current owner supports him.  To add scorn to insult, the deputy commissioner of the league, Mr. Bill Daly, said that the city of Hamilton ‘a great hockey town with passionate hockey fans’ is married to the ‘wrong spouse’ in Balsillie.  Fair enough!  Mr. Daly is entitled to his opinion and is just doing his master’s bidding by mouthing words that the commissioner, Mr. Gary Bettman, has hinted at many times publicly.  The dislike of Balsillie by him has been palpable and I’m sure the feeling is mutual.  However, even if this dynamic is correct, should Hamilton not be showing more respect for Jim Balsillie and his dream?

Especially at a time when the bankruptcy judge is claiming that Balsillie’s bid is better than any of the other offers, should this city not be more circumspect in its public statements lest they risk the relationship with Mr. B and the best chance we have ever had of clinching a franchise?

To recap:  Balsillie has been working for many years now to bring a franchise to this city.  He has committed money and time in this pursuit.  He has gone after three teams in succession and each time he has done so, he has increased the chances of our city actually seeing a team.  Whereas people laughed at the notion prior to Balsillie coming to town, now they don’t dispute the outcome, just the timing.  It isn’t ‘if’ anymore, now it’s ‘when’.   It is Jim Balsillie that has put our city on the NHL map, aided by our great sports tradition and assisted by a good venue in Copps Coliseum which needs improvement but has the essence of a great arena.  So, the question needs to be asked again, should Hamilton not be showing more respect for Jim Balsillie and his dream?  The answer is a resounding yes!

If that is the case, why is the Mayor of this city berating Mr. Balsillie’s strategy publicly?  Even before the courts rule on the Balsillie bid, the Mayor’s statement is that in essence there are other fish in the sea, and Balsillie should “change his approach”.  Perhaps these are sound words, if spoken in private.  But in a media-starved world where every nuance is parsed, we cannot afford to publicly disrespect an NHL suitor who has worked so hard on behalf of the community and his dream. 

When the spokesperson for Mr. Balsillie was told of the Mayor’s comments, he took them in stride and replied, “We spoke to the mayor’s office today and were told they remain 100 per cent behind our bid.  We appreciate their support in this effort.”  This is the kind of diplomacy that wins friends and should be emulated if one doesn’t want to burn bridges.   Alas, in this case, it may be too late!

BACK TO LARRY'S CORNER


HOME

 

BLOGS

Read Chris Ecklund's Blog, Chris' Corner, right here! Chris makes frequent posts about issues of importance to Hamiltonians.

Larry's Corner
Larry's Corner- commentary and insights by former Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni. Exclusive to this site!
Read Larry's blog


BOOKS

Books written by Chris EcklundChris Ecklund has written two books about Hamilton waterfalls and their remarkable history, and commissioned the creation of supporting merchandise such as postcards and calendars. Read more and place an order here.


COMPANIES

Chris Ecklund is President and CEO of two prestigious litigation support companies and a search engine marketing firm. Read more


CURRENT PROJECTS

Chris Ecklund has commissioned and sponsored websites for the community causes and events that he supports. These include the City of Waterfalls site, Bring the NHL to Hamilton, and Maddie's Wish Project. Read more


PAST PROJECTS

Learn about causes and projects that Chris Ecklund has supported in the past, such as Ice Storm relief, Kosovo refugee sponsorship, and Operation Clean Sweep. Read more


PHOTO GALLERY

View photos of public events that Chris has sponsored or made an appearance at. Read more


LINKS OF INTEREST

View links to sites for government offices, businesses, and individuals.