[western mass and love it]

just a little confused,but when did the whalers ever win anything? i think they might have had one winning season in their history and one playoff series win. but i wouldn't mind if they came back,easy to get tickets for bruins and rangers games low on the ice. but i think it would be great for the area to have something to get into,and make the downtown area more lively.

[CTbrooktrout]

That's a low blow Western Mass although true. It was still a team and a dream to rally around. Getting them back would be an uptick in pride to the region and maybe help kick start some other projects.

A new arena would be nice but we're probably talking $500+ million? $105M to say even $150M is a steal if they can make it state of the art for the size and framework that it is. It's something a lot of people in the state would enjoy. You wouldn't have to really go to the games to enjoy it either so it touches people who wouldn't even come into Hartford. I know this is an issue when public funds go to a project that many people will never get to enjoy themselves.

To me the Hartford area seems to have been in this lull ever since the Whalers left. I think having a pro sports team would be a great culture creator and attractive to young labor talent which is needed if we want to continue attracting companies here like one of the articles about the project states.

[Arm&Hammer]

How come we can not get the Connecticut Sun to play in Hartford, as well... or get some other pro teams to come play in Hartford (if it's possible) instead of home game? I think that would still give Hartford more live that way. A fox studio would be good too, and I think NBC sport and ESPN sport studio should be nice to have in XL center.

[prairiestate]

Why are (or were) they called the Whalers? Hartford is not on the coast, and weren't the biggest whaling ports in Massachusetts? How about the Hartford Adjusters! It's unique, aggressive, and pays homage to the city's glorious insurance heritage!

[Arm&Hammer]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Why are (or were) they called the Whalers? Hartford is not on the coast, and weren't the biggest whaling ports in Massachusetts? How about the Hartford Adjusters! It's unique, aggressive, and pays homage to the city's glorious insurance heritage!

Obiviously Connecticut is on the coast and because Connecticut state animal is the sperm whale. So that makes a lot of sense since Hartford is our state capitol and our state anima the sperm whalel.

The Sperm Whale was designated as the state animal by the General Assembly in 1975. It was selected because of its specific contribution to the state's history and because of its present-day plight as an endangered species.
The Sperm Whale is the largest of the toothed whales, growing up to 60 feet in length and capable of diving over 3,000 feet in search of the squid and cuttlefish on which it feeds. The sperm whale's brain is the largest of any creature that ever existed on earth. The great American novelist Herman Melville wrote about these creatures in his famous book "Moby-Dick."
During the 1800's Connecticut ranked second only to Massachusetts in the American whaling industry. The sperm whale was the species most sought after by Connecticut whalers circling the globe on ships out of New London, Mystic and other Connecticut ports to bring back needed oil for lamps and other products.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by Arm&Hammer

How come we can not get the Connecticut Sun to play in Hartford, as well... or get some other pro teams to come play in Hartford (if it's possible) instead of home game? I think that would still give Hartford more live that way. A fox studio would be good too, and I think NBC sport and ESPN sport studio should be nice to have in XL center.

Because (sorry to say it) the reason the Sun was created was as a plug/promo for Mohegan Sun and their arena in the hopes it also helps a perennially financially struggling sports league. I personally think otherwise that it's a lousy place for a team (the casino, not Hartford) as it's not really a heavily populated area, just a lot of day tourists who just see the Sun as a cute "sideshow". It's the only WNBA team that is not playing in the market of it's "connected" NBA club (i.e. the Liberty 'represent' the Knicks, etc.). I'm not even sure what if any NBA team they are "affiliated" with.

At the very least, they could play some games in Hartford like the Celtics used to do, though in the Suns case I would think about half the home games in Hartford would be fair instead of just a few.

[RogerAnthony]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Why are (or were) they called the Whalers? Hartford is not on the coast, and weren't the biggest whaling ports in Massachusetts? How about the Hartford Adjusters! It's unique, aggressive, and pays homage to the city's glorious insurance heritage!

That is because the team was originally in Boston until it moved to Hartford a few years later.

[BigHouse9]

Whalers had 8 winning seasons - not the fans fault they didn't win more regularly. Blame some of the bone-head trades, particularly the Ron Francis trade which will probably go down as the worst transaction in NHL history. Wait.........does signing Gary Bettman count as a transaction?

From a historical perspective, whaling became a significant element in the Connecticut economy because whale products were so important to life in the past.

Connecticut's Heritage Gateway (http://www.ctheritage.org/encyclopedia/topicalsurveys/whaling.htm - broken link)

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

That is because the team was originally in Boston until it moved to Hartford a few years later.

CT historically was a big whaling state though......the Sound is more than big enough for ocean-going ships to come into port through it, especially past New Haven and out by New London.

[nep321]

Although I hate sports immensely, this is great news. I remember going to Whaler's games with my aunt and uncle as a kid and had great times.