It was recently reported that Pittsburgh Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle are seeking $750 million in order to sell the team. It is unclear at this point if they will be able to command such a fee, but that hasn’t stopped a group of potential owners from raising the $750 million in full.
But it’s not some ambitious billionaire, or even a conglomerate of hedge fund managers trying to make their bids to buy Pittsburgh's NHL team. It’s actually just a group of Philadelphia Flyers fans that started a crowd-funding campaign on GoFundMe.com.
The folks spearheading this effort are from the Orange and Black Pack blog. Here’s what their GoFundMe page says about their efforts:
Recently it has come to light that Mario Lemieux is willing to sell the Pittsburgh Penguins for $750 million dollars. Well, we're gonna buy em! We are the Orange and Black Pack, a dedicated Flyers hockey blog. We figure since the Flyers already figuratively own the Penguins, their fans might as well literally own them.
Please help us purchase the worst franchise in the NHL so we can try to make it better by doing things like:
- Painting the entire inside of the arena Orange and Black
- Putting a giant photo of Claude Giroux on the outside of the building, facing the highway
- Repainting the parking lots stripes orange, with a Flyers logo in each spot
- Using colored thread to impose a beach ball in the net behind Fleury
- Make a wall of fame in the concourse with photos of our top donators
It’s a noble, totally serious, can't fail endeavor, right?
As of this writing slightly more than $300 has been raised thanks to the generosity of 13 individuals. So at this pace, they should have the funds necessary in a few decades.
According to the GoFundMe page, the Orange and Black Pack states: “In the very likely event we do not raise the money required to purchase the Penguins franchise, 100% of the money we have raised will be donated to Flyers Wives charities.”
It’s always good when you can combine a little charity work with taking a jab at a rival team.
It's also too bad this won't succeed, because something like this being presented to the NHL's Board of Governors would be worth paying about $750 million just to watch.
[H/T BarDown]
