Sporting News
Cuban would be good for NHL
By Ray Slover
June 29, 2006

In a league that has its share of sourpuss owners, Mark Cuban would be a refreshing change for the NHL. A guy who is passionate about winning? No wonder Blackhawks fans reacted to the news story on the SN site with a plea for Cuban to turn his attention to Chicago.

Want to bet Bruins fans have similar feelings?

Cuban's possible participation in an ownership group, along with that of Pittsburgh legend Dan Marino, can only be viewed as positive. From a fan's viewpoint and to an impartial observer's mind, this is a thing of beauty. Two local boys come home to rescue a beloved hockey team. Ya gotta love it.

Wait, it gets better. The deal would be part of a redevelopment plan that would include a venue to replace the Igloo, the outdated Mellon Arena, as the Penguins' home rink.

That would be far better than other proposals reportedly in the works. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review pegs that number at five. Among proposals is one to move the team to Hartford, Conn. Another, better known proposal would move the team to Kansas City, Mo. There is another plan in the works that would see the Isle of Capri casino group build a venue for the Pens if that company gets a slots license currently under consideration. Decision on that license probably will come after November's election.

Would Cuban bring his NBA act to the rink? Probably not. "His interest is to keep the team in Pittsburgh," Todd Reidbord, another element of the partnership group and Cuban compadre, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "His involvement won't be so much active."

Doggone it, that's too bad. A little ownership passion is a good thing. Not that we'd want to see Cuban flailing his arms at referees from behind the glass.

We have only one stand on the Penguins ownership situation: keep the team in Pittsburgh. We've stated that in interviews on Pittsburgh radio station KDKA in talks with pal Jeff Hathorne. Let's amend that: keep the Pens in Pittsburgh and allow them to fulfill their unlimited potential. The team's depth of young talent is phenomenal, and adding Jordan Staal in last weekend's draft only makes things better.

Penguins fans have suffered enough. They have big dreams of another championship team, one that would mirror, if not surpass, the two Stanley Cup winner built around Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

And hasn't the NHL had enough of skinflints, penny-pinchers and tightwads. No, we're not advocating throwing good money after bad. That gets a team nowhere but broke. And it's impossible under the new cost certainty arrangements. We support prudent financial management and, until proven wrong, firmly believe a team can win on a budget.

Having Mark Cuban and Dan Marino involved with the Penguins can only be viewed as a positive. Which, of course, is why New York financier Andrew Murstein's bid includes them. Murstein would seem less of an outsider if he has Pittsburgh guys involved.

Now if Cuban's enthusiasm is infectious, it will be all the better.

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