NHL history: Winnipeg Jets (1979-96) moved to become the Phoenix Coyotes. Authentic Nick Collins Jersey. Potential Owners: Mark Chipman, chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment, and partner David Thompson, chairman of The Woodbridge Company Ltd, whose net worth of 19 billion makes him the wealthiest person in Canada. Demographic snapshot Metro Population: 741,000 Median Household income: $58,128 (Canadian Average $59,090) Average Household disposable income: $52,000 (Canadian Average $56,000) Average Household net worth: $291,034 (Canadian Average $351,282) Percentage of population aged 25-39: 21 per cent (Canadian Average 20 per cent) Index for watching NHL Hockey on Television: 104 (Canadian average 100) Economic snapshot Number of Head offices: 128 Unemployment rate: 5.7 per cent (Canadian average 8.1) Number of businesses with 100+ employees: 520 Number of businesses with $20+ million in sales: 619 Number of businesses with 100+ employees and $20+ million in sales: 272 Population rate of growth: 1.3 per cent GDP Growth: 2.2 per cent Retail Sales: $9.7 Billion Sports Competition in market: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL), Winnipeg Goldeyes (Northern League Baseball). Arena: MTS Centre, located in downtown Winnipeg, opened in 2004. Seats 15,015 with 50 luxury suites. Has Going For It: Slow but steady growth in an increasingly diversified economy. Population growth significantly stronger than when the Jets left 14 years ago. A building deemed suitable by both potential owners and the NHL. Potential ownership group with the wealth to sustain losses in down years. Has Going Against It: Would be the NHLs smallest market, making more vulnerable to a downturn in the economy or a dive by the Canadian dollar. Would likely have t compete at the mid-range of between NHLs salary floor and ceiling. Number of large companies roughly half of smallest existing Canadian markets. Market has not historically always supported losing teams. What theyre saying: "Weve tested using pricing that has existed in relative Canadian markets… Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary to a lesser extent. When we test those average ticket prices, and the suite prices, and the pricing of the menu on corporate sponsorship that you need to sell, it hasnt caused any concern or alarm with any of our existing sponsors or perspective ones." – Mark Chipman, chairman, True North Sports and Entertainment. What Gary Bettman says: "Theres never been any doubt about the passion of fans, people in Winnipeg for NHL hockey … Its always been a good hockey market. If you talk to the people who are interested in having a franchise in Winnipeg now, theyll tell you compared to whats going on in the rest of North America, the economy is pretty strong and they have no doubts with the economic viability." Professor Norm OReillys scorecard Market Attractiveness Economy: B- Demographics: C Market size: C Corporate presence: C+ Overall Score for Market Attractiveness: C+ Franchise Viability Arena and Location: B+ Competition and Barriers to Entry: A Potential Owner (Mark Chipman, David Thomson): A Final Grade: B What Norm OReilly says: "With the right owner, and the right management team, and the right overall philosophy, you could make it work. Youd have to accept probably not having a high paid team on the ice. Youre going to fill 80 to 90 per cent of your building with an average team so your risks are mitigated a bit. With a few factors in play, with the current economic situation, it could work. Long term? Thats a question." Note: Norm OReillys evaluations are based on his own background and knowledge of the subject, transcripts of interviews done by TSN/Globe and Mail for this series and data collected from various sources including Statistics Canada, the Conference Board of Canada, Environics Analytics, IMI and Harris-Decima. Eli Manning Womens Jersey.J. Burnett as next weeks winter meetings approach, and theyll head to Las Vegas lacking the financial wherewithal to get in on any of the major action. Authentic Justin Smith Jersey. England on Saturday March 26 at 10:55 a.m. ET. The two clubs square off at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, as the home team looks to best its British neighbours in the Dragons first game with new manager Gary Speed at the helm. Aaron Rodgers Youth Jersey. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Adam Wainwright twirled eight dazzling shutout innings and earned his National League-leading 15th victory, as the St. Authentic James Jones Jersey. The 24-year old OReilly suffered a broken fibula during Sundays victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets after falling awkwardly to the ice in the third period. Authentic Tramon Williams Jersey. I dont know if theres ever been a sporting event like this at Olympic Stadium, Grande said of the 55,571 who took in the Impacts 2-0 win Wednesday over Santos Laguna in the opening leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final. Authentic Desmond Bishop Jersey.ca OK, Im a big enough man to admit when I make a mistake. Donald Driver Jersey. Louis at Rexall Place. The goal was set up when Blues forward Andy McDonald slipped at the top of the blue line and hit his head on Shawn Horcoffs leg. Authentic Malcolm Jenkins Jersey. The team announced on Tuesday that the right-handed pitcher, who injured his arm on April 13 and has been on the disabled list since, will have season-ending Tommy John surgery on Friday. Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Matt Bryant connected on a 47-yard field goal with nine seconds left to give the Atlanta Falcons a 20-17 win in a hard- fought battle with the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome. Matt Ryan was 24-for-28 with 198 yards and a score and Michael Turner added 110 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries for the Falcons (9-2), who have won their past five games. Tony Gonzalez had six catches for 51 yards and a touchdown in the victory. We talked all week about controlling the tempo in all three phases of the game and I think we did that today, said Atlanta head coach Mike Smith. We played a very good team today. We made plays, they made plays. We made mistakes and they made mistakes. But Im really proud of the way the guys played today. The win allowed Atlanta to stay a game ahead of New Orleans, which defeated Dallas on Thanksgiving, for the top spot in the NFC South. It was a really big win for the team today, said Ryan. We have a tough stretch coming up here with three road games and we have to prepare for a big game in Tampa next week. Aaron Rodgers finished the contest with 344 yards and a score on 26-of-35 passing and added 51 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown for the Packers (7-4), who came into the contest with a four-game winning streak. Jordy Nelson caught a touchdown pass that had tied the game in the final minute. We knew coming in here that it was going to be a 60-minute game and thats what it was, said Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. Atlanta made one more play than we did. We need to do a better job of making those big plays in these big games. Green Bay now sits a game behind Chicago, which downed Philadelphia on Sunday, for the top spot in the NFC North. Its disappointing that we didnt come away here with the win, said Rodgers. We didnt do very well converting third downs today and had 17 points in four red zone trips. Thats where we lost the game. The Packers had tied the game on Nelsons score with 56 seconds to play, but Eric Weems returned the kickoff to the Atlanta 36 and a facemask call against Matt Wilhelm moved the ball past midfield. To get the ball near midfield to start the drive and knowing you need only 20 yards or so makes things a lot easier on the offense, said Ryan. Four straight completions by Ryan totaled 20 yards and moved the ball to the Green Bay 29. After an incompletion, Bryant connected on his first attempt, but Green Bay had called timeout prior to the kick. Unfazed, Bryant hit the next one true with nine seconds left for a 20-17 lead. I cant say enough about Matt, he kicks it between the pipes every chance he gets, said Smith. Greg Jennings caught the ball over the middle on the final play and took it 35 yards, but his attempt to lateral the ball went out of bounds to end the game. Green Bay tied the game halfway through the third quarter, but Atlanta responded on its next drive to take the lead back. On 3rd-and-9 at their 14, the Falcons moved the sticks on a 10-yard catch from Jason Snelling. A 12-yard catch from Roddy White gave the team another third down conversion and Turner put Atlanta into the red zone with a 26-yard run around the right end. The Falcons then got the ball to the one for a 1st-and-goal, but Snelling and Turner were stopped on consecutive runs to end the third quarter. The next play saw Gonzalez catch the ball with his body in the end zone, but the ball never crossed the goal line and it was ruled no score. Atlanta asked for a replay and the call was upheld to force a fourth down, which the team used to get into thhe end zone as Turner ran around the left end for a 17-10 lead with 14:24 left in the game. Marques Colston Jersey Green Bay got a couple of first downs on its next touch and moved the ball across midfield, but a 4th-and-1 pass to Donald Driver bounced out of his hands and Atlanta took over. The Packers defense, though, limited Atlanta to just one first down and the offense got the ball back at its own 10-yard line with under six minutes to play. Rodgers completed a 19-yard pass to Andrew Quarless on 2nd-and-15 and two straight runs then got the ball past midfield. A 15-yard catch by Jennings moved the ball to the 30 and an 18-yard reception by James Jones on 4th-and-1 set up a 1st-and-goal at the three-yard line. The next three plays saw Green Bay lose two yards and force a fourth down. A false start moved the ball back another five yards, but Rodgers had perfect protection that gave him the time to find Nelson at the left side of the end zone to tie the game with 56 seconds left. However, Atlanta had plenty of time to go back down the field for the winning field goal. Atlanta started the game with the ball and got three points as Bryants 38- yard attempt split the uprights with 9:31 left in the first quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-20 on the previous play, Atlanta was unable to get the first down, but made it a more manageable attempt with a 14-yard catch from Michael Jenkins. After an exchange of possessions, the Packers were able to tie the game on Mason Crosbys 22-yard field goal with just four seconds left in the first quarter. Green Bay forced a three-and-out from Atlanta and went on a lengthy drive. The first play went for 31 yards to Brett Swain and 15 yards was added as Swain was shoved down after he went out of bounds. Green Bay later got a 1st-and- goal and on third down Rodgers attempted to dive in, but the ball popped loose and Atlanta recovered in the end zone for the touchback. The Falcons turned the mistake into points with a drive that killed all but the final eight seconds of the first half clock. Atlanta got the ball past midfield, but Ryan was then sacked for nine yards. An incompletion on the next play saw the team face a long third down and it fell short as Ryan and Ovie Mughelli hooked up for 16 yards. However, the team went for it and Gonzalez came up with a six-yard catch to move the chains. Two plays later, Gonzalez took a pass 21 yards down to the five for a 1st-and- goal. After the next two snaps managed just one yard, Atlanta called a timeout and Ryan found Gonzalez wide open in the end zone to give the team a 10-3 lead heading into the break. The second half started with each team punting once, but the Packers were able to tie the game on their second touch of the third. Facing a 3rd-and-2 on the first set of downs, Rodgers hit Jennings on a short pass and he turned it into 34 yards to get the ball to the Atlanta 38. The Packers got another big play on third down as Nelsons 28-yard catch got the ball to the one and Rodgers took the ball in on the next play to tie the game with 7:17 left in the third. GAME NOTES:The Falcons play in Tampa Bay next week...Rodgers fumble was his first of the season and the first turnover for Green Bay since Week 7...Green Bay hosts San Francisco next Sunday...Jennings had five catches for 119 yards and Nelson finished with five catches for 61 yards...The Packers outgained the Falcons, 418-295, but was edged on time of possession as Atlanta had the ball 31:40...The series between these teams is now tied, 13-13 as Atlanta has taken three of the last four. ' ' '
