Lemieux did so in an angry, defeated and exhausted manner. After forcing potential new owner, Jim Balsille, to sign an agreement that he wouldn't move under any circumstances, Bettman's statement was almost a comical bit of posturing. What would we do without our little Gary?
However, like the dawn breaking through the darkest of nights, city officials have been aggressively trying to create a framework to prevent the Penguins from packing the moving vans.
The first panicked public statements from Pittsburgh Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, said the Pens would get an arena deal that was similar to the Pittsburgh Pirates deal at PNC Park (the Pirates pay only $1.6 million per year, not the $4 million the Pens were initially asked to pay).
Just two days after the state's rebuff of Lemieux, The Pittsburgh Sports Authority authorized nearly $2 million to remove asbestos from several buildings that will need to be torn down to make way for the new arena. Ground could be broken on the new building as soon as the Penguins agree to stay.
So the Penguins are definitely staying, right? Wrong.
The city is no longer working exclusively with the Penguins. They are now competing with other cities, some of which are very anxious to lure an NHL team.
No longer is "a deal" for a new arena enough, now it must be the best deal. That fact is probably lost on the political buffoons who have ignored Lemieux's endless pleas.
Kick a dog enough times, it will eventually bite back. If local leaders again take for granted Lemieux's desire to stay in Pittsburgh, all they may have left are teeth marks.
