Tom Wilson will be hired by Ilitches to oversee Red Wings, Tigers

**tkelly1986** · February-22-10, 07:41 PM

The article specifically mentions that he is tasked with building a new Red Wings arena in Detroit [[second article more directly).

http://www.wxyz.com/content/sports/t...oi6VrMmnQ.cspx

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index....l_be_hire.html

**R8RBOB** · February-22-10, 08:00 PM

Wow, this is a game changer. Tom Wilson is the big winner in this. He gets to oversee two professional franchises plus he will be the front man to get the new arena built. The Ilitches scored a coup on this one.

http://r8rbob.wordpress.com

**Cincinnati_Kid** · February-23-10, 01:50 AM

No game changer here. Tom Wilson is nobody special, He was Bill Davidson's, yes man who probably would have got the boot anyway after Mr D passed on. Something is going on anyway with the Pistons being up for sale. Wilson probably thought now is a good time to bale, before he got fired. Could JoeD be next?? Stay tuned.

**Maof** · February-23-10, 08:01 AM

the old tiger stadium spot, imo, would be a great spot for the new red wings arena

**eastland** · February-23-10, 08:35 AM

The Corktown residents will love having their neighborhood turned into a parking lot again with drunks peeing on their lawns after games.

**bdglsmn** · February-23-10, 09:29 AM

The negativity here is amazing. Tom Wilson was the head guy in a well run organization for many years. His coming to Detroit to work for the Illitch family is a good deal for everyone involved including the city of Detroit IMO.

**esp1986** · February-23-10, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by bdglsmn

The negativity here is amazing. Tom Wilson was the head guy in a well run organization for many years. His coming to Detroit to work for the Illitch family is a good deal for everyone involved including the city of Detroit IMO.

This is huge for the Ilitches and the City of Detroit... any plans for possibly buying part of the Palace Empire aside, he was one of the key individuals in building that empire... with his expertise, he could do the same thing downtown for Mike Ilitch...

**kraig** · February-23-10, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by bdglsmn

The negativity here is amazing. Tom Wilson was the head guy in a well run organization for many years. His coming to Detroit to work for the Illitch family is a good deal for everyone involved including the city of Detroit IMO.

And your opinion is dead on the money in this case.

**iheartthed** · February-23-10, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by eastland

The Corktown residents will love having their neighborhood turned into a parking lot again with drunks peeing on their lawns after games.

Well, if they didn't get used to it during the century that Tiger stadium was in that location... I dunno what more to say?

To me it makes the most sense to put any new stadium in that location. Much more sense than clearing land and redrawing the city grid downtown...

**bailey** · February-23-10, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Well, if they didn't get used to it during the century that Tiger stadium was in that location... I dunno what more to say?

Same could be said for all those folks that live downwind of the incinerator too right? They should be used to it by now, why shut it down?

**bailey** · February-23-10, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by Maof

the old tiger stadium spot, imo, would be a great spot for the new red wings arena

my hope is that they figure out a way to renovate/rebuild in place. They likely wont as illitch has been buying up property over by the fox for years, but it sure would be nice to not have yet another hulking empty and obsolete structure on the waterfront.

**BShea** · February-23-10, 09:48 AM

No game changer here. Tom Wilson is nobody special, He was Bill Davidson's, yes man who probably would have got the boot anyway after Mr D passed on.

That couldn't be more wrong. He was instrumental in the design of the Palace, which set the standard for modern arenas -- after the industry said at the time it was insane and would fail. He's run a venue empire that's been honored left and right for its promotions and sellouts. Teams in all four of the major leagues are interested in him, as is private business [[non sports).

I don't know Wilson personally other than interviewing him a few times for stories over the years, but I do know the sports industry and what people have to say about him. If the Ilitch thing is true, they're getting a respected guy with a proven track record to orchestrate the new hockey [[and possibly joint basketball) facility. He's also a wealth of inside knowledge for the Ilitches if they're truly planning to partner with PS&E -- or buy it. It's like trading for your next opponent's starting quarterback and coach right before you play them.

**esp1986** · February-23-10, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by BShea

No game changer here. Tom Wilson is nobody special, He was Bill Davidson's, yes man who probably would have got the boot anyway after Mr D passed on.

That couldn't be more wrong. He was instrumental in the design of the Palace, which set the standard for modern arenas -- after the industry said at the time it was insane and would fail. He's run a venue empire that's been honored left and right for its promotions and sellouts. Teams in all four of the major leagues are interested in him, as is private business [[non sports).

I don't know Wilson personally other than interviewing him a few times for stories over the years, but I do know the sports industry and what people have to say about him. If the Ilitch thing is true, they're getting a respected guy with a proven track record to orchestrate the new hockey [[and possibly joint basketball) facility. He's also a wealth of inside knowledge for the Ilitches if they're truly planning to partner with PS&E -- or buy it. It's like trading for your next opponent's starting quarterback and coach right before you play them.

I too, have from a few people that Wilson is very respected, and considering the empire he helped build, it is no surprise that the Ilitches would be persuing him... should the Ilitches be interested in any part of PSE, including the Pistons, Wilson's relationship with PSE will be a huge step forward right off the bat...

**Enduro** · February-23-10, 01:19 PM

Perhaps the Pistons and Wings will swap venues? That might be a short term shot in the arm to the sagging ticket sales...

On a more serious note, does anyone know if Illitch has any interest in the Pistons? Moving them downtown would be great. Of course that would potentially leave an empty Palace and JLA but right now it's silly how both teams play at home on the same night so often in this area. Almost no other city with pro basketball and hockey have their teams in different arenas, not even NYC. There's only so many sports fans with money to burn. I would go to tons of Pistons games if this was the case. Right now I hate the drive to and the whole infrastructure surrounding the Palace.

**Enduro** · February-23-10, 02:45 PM

People are just starting to build in Corktown again and there's demand [[believe me, I was looking for a house to buy in Corktown and they were all priced higher than I was willing to pay). I don't think it's the appropriate place for a new arena unless they use the space wisely and build with parking and perhaps some retail space in mind [[hockey and basketball take a much smaller footprint than football or baseball). Also zone it so people aren't encouraged to knock down historic homes so they can make parking lots. This shouldn't be too hard since there's no way a new arena would be built to hold as many fans as Tiger Stadium and it would also help keep urine in it's appropriate place.

**Enduro** · February-24-10, 02:01 AM

I just never understood why they built the Joe on the river when it has no frickin' windows! And the area becomes a weird ghost town just an hour or two after a game lets out. It's almost kind of creepy and I don't find it all that walkable. I'm fine with Foxtown because if the arena doesn't happen there I don't have a lot of hope for the parking lots and rotting buildings there ever will become a "real neighborhood."

One thing I hope Tom Wilson does bring to the existing venues is decent service at the concessions, box office and the like. The Palace staff does that stuff very well, are very customer friendly and will run promotions to maintain sell outs [[the last two years being exceptions). There's more food options at a Mud Hens game in Toledo than at Comerica and the service is better. I've even seen scores of Comerica ushers foraging for uneaten food after a game which tells me volumes about the way they're treated.

**Gsgeorge** · February-24-10, 05:25 AM

Detroit has finally managed to attract one of the area's brightest and best businessmen from the suburbs into the CBD, finally, and you guys have nothing but complaints.

Tom Wilson & a new arena are huge steps forward for the city. For all the bad rap the Illitches get for demolishing small structures in Foxtown, it appears they do have big plans after all. A new arena in either Corktown or Foxtown would be fantastic. I think the Illitches & others have learned a lot from Joe Louis -- about what NOT to do when it comes to building a sports arena. The new one will be more accessible, more human, more Detroit. Expect a brick facade and large windows, with a classic design incorporating modern elements and amenities.

I cannot see how this is not good news...

**j32885** · February-28-10, 10:52 PM

With Wilson now in control of things, chances of the new Detroit arena will now go forward. I hoping for this design for the new arena.

http://newolympia.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PTHh...eature=related

**1KielsonDrive** · February-28-10, 11:24 PM

Wilson is now a 'high-priced lobbyist'. He gets the title of VP or some such thing to fool the gullible public. More accurately, he should be called what he is - lobbyist, shill. He'll be working city hall, The Guardian Building and the State Capitol for every penny the Illitch's can dig up. After they allowed Tiger stadium to be torn down, they're working on their just rewards - a new stadium paid for by you and me. Oh how I'm looking forward to that.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-01-10, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Wilson is now a 'high-priced lobbyist'. He gets the title of VP or some such thing to fool the gullible public. More accurately, he should be called what he is - lobbyist, shill. He'll be working city hall, The Guardian Building and the State Capitol for every penny the Illitch's can dig up. After they allowed Tiger stadium to be torn down, they're working on their just rewards - a new stadium paid for by you and me. Oh how I'm looking forward to that.

What I stated earlier, don't know why everyone is on Tom Wilson's jock, he's nothing more than a lobbyist that thinks he's a politician. Someone said on here that he's brilliant. What's so brilliant about him? He will become Mr Illitch's yes-man now, instead of Davidson's. He will line his pockets, and take from ours before it's all said and done. Guess who will be financing that new stadium??

bartock · March-01-10, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

What I stated earlier, don't know why everyone is on Tom Wilson's jock, he's nothing more than a lobbyist that thinks he's a politician. Someone said on here that he's brilliant. What's so brilliant about him? He will become Mr Illitch's yes-man now, instead of Davidson's. He will line his pockets, and take from ours before it's all said and done. Guess who will be financing that new stadium??

I guess I'm not unerstanding this. Perhaps you know far more about Wilson than I do. Was he lining his pockets with Davidson's and taking from ours with the Pistons? How? Because he was running part of an owner's business and people voluntarily paid money to see the product? And how do you explain Pine Knob/DTE?

The Palace was only publicly financed with $10 million in infrastructure. Of course taxpayers are going to be financing part of the new stadium...but how is this Wilson as opposed to Illitch?

**BShea** · March-01-10, 10:05 AM

Keep in mind that Joe Louis, Comerica Park and Ford Field are owned by the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority, and the teams sublease them.

Ilitch paid $185 million of the $300 million cost of Comerica. The remainder is from the car rental and hotel tax. The general public was not taxed via a direct levy, and the city didn't lay out $115 million from the general fund, etc. If you don't stay in a local hotel or rent a car, you didn't take much of a personal hit on funding the stadium.

Comerica Park is one of the examples of modern stadium financing that saw the owner pay for more than half of the facility, and the public wasn't asked to float tens of millions directly.

That said, there are compelling cases for and against public investment in entertainment/sports venues. That's a story I'll be writing a few times in coming years. Neil deMause, author of Field of Schemes, and a web site of the same name, makes the case against such funding. I quote him in this week's Crain's.

I guess it's a political/economic ideological question.

I will say, if you think Tom Wilson was hired as an empty suit-figure head ... well, keep watching. He's widely respected in pro sports and all teams from all four major leagues, and business, wanted him. If you're going to build an arena around here, this is a guy to have on staff. The Palace, and how Palace Sports was run, make for a solid resume. And I don't think for a moment that anyone would deny that part of his job is to lobby and navigate the political waters [[something else I wrote about in today's edition). That's part of his job, but it's far from his entire job. And even if it was all he was hired to do, he's the guy to do it. Few others in the world have his experience. Bill Davidson relied on him completely, and the Pistons and Palace Sports have done OK ...

**Detroitej72** · March-01-10, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by BShea

Ilitch paid $185 million of the $300 million cost of Comerica. The remainder is from the car rental and hotel tax. The general public was not taxed via a direct levy, and the city didn't lay out $115 million from the general fund, etc. If you don't stay in a local hotel or rent a car, you didn't take much of a personal hit on funding the stadium.

Thanks for pointing out a fact that many conveniently ignore and or bury under the carpet.

**bailey** · March-01-10, 10:33 AM

Anyone catch Wilson's interview with Drew and Mike last week? It was a rare few minutes where D&M were listenable. I think they went the whole interview with out a single fart drop. Wilson was pretty clear that the economics aren't there for a new single franchise arena. sticker for a new venue is around 500 million, which demands that there not just be one franchise footing the bill and he was pretty straight that public funds were going to be close to impossible to get anytime soon.

With Wilson being so matter of fact that the venue would have to be for more than one franchise, I just don't see how two organizations that are direct competitors in a shrinking market- Olympia and Palace entertainment- come together on a new venue in Ilitch's backyard..leaving the Palace to languish. I would bet a JLA renovation is the most likely result given the economics of the situation and the region's long term outlook. which means another generation or two of empty land around the Fox as Illitch will just sit on all of that no doubt. The next 15-20 years of gossip and computer models should be interesting though.

**schulzte** · March-01-10, 11:01 AM

There is no reason a new arena in Detroit would cost $500 million. A sports arena can cost as much as an owner wants, but it doesn't have to be Jerry Jones ridiculous. The Ford Center in Oklahoma City is a 19,500 seat arena that was completed for $89 million just 7 years ago, they now host the Oklahoma City Thunder [[Yes, that is an NBA team). The highly regarded NHL arena in St. Paul, Minnesota cost $130 million and opened 10 years ago. So I think the Red Wings could get into a fine new building for $200-250 million. That's still a lot of money, but naming rights could get the first 25% of that.

http://www.newolympia.blogspot.com