Is The Checketts Deal Dead?

By gallagher

I have no idea if the Checketts offer is truly dead or not. I do know that as he neared his exclusive negotiation deadline, he managaed to catch the Blues as they lost an uninspired game to the Hawks at the Savvis. I imagine that he couldn't have been that impressed. The last thing you want to see when you're about to drop $140 million is a half-empty arena not cheering for a team of fourth liners.

I imagine that if you have any doubts, that type of thing will enhance your doubt.

If the rumors are true that the two sides were $5 million apart when the deal started to split apart, well, you'd like to think that two billionaires could cross that gap. And maybe that's the sort of determination you're trying to make when you decide, "maybe I'll take in the game tonight. The Blues and Hawks hate each other, so this should be good." And as you watch that game unfold, the doubt gets bigger.

And maybe then $5 million looks like a good reason to break out of the deal. Because if it looks like a dog and it smells like a dog and it plays like a dog? Brother, you just bought yourself a dog.

Which brings me to another point. At what point did it become the conventional wisdom that you have to strip down a team to make it attractive to a prospective buyer? Are you telling me that a team that was right up on the salary cap, but had Tkachuk, Weight, Pronger and Demitra would somehow be worth less than this team is?

How so? Could the new owners not trade Detmitra and Pronger and whomever else if they felt the need? Wouldn't a middling team that was a borderline playoff team that was selling 14,000 seats not be more attractive than a team with two wins and 8,000 seats filled?

I think we're finding that the former would be worth more.

If Checketts is truly out, then that's probably too bad. He seems to back winners and the rumored management team that he could have brought in sounded impressive.

If he's out, then I hope that the Sansone group or the Shanahan group or a Sansone/Shanahan group jumps on the opportunity. Buy this thing with local money and you'll win fans over right away. Either clean out the front office or give them the opportunity to start making moves. It's not too late for this team to get better this year. The fans will come back, especially with the Rams struggling. We just want to see effort. Something, anything positive. We love to cling to hope. Someone give us some.

So, let's get cracking, billionaires. All of us thousandaires and hundredaires are waiting.