It's a New Year's toast, grab your list to conspire

When I read in the paper at work this morning that Mark Cuban joined a group trying to buy the Pens from Mario Lemieux and his group, I almost exploded with glee.

Friends and neighbours, if it happens this is possibly the best thing that could happen to the NHL ever in terms of getting the League back on the map here in the States. Mark Cuban may be annoying (if you're not a Mavs fan--and sometimes he's annoying even if you are a Mavs fan), but the man can do one thing better than anyone in the NHL can do:

He can market a team.

I always joked with my friends that if I ever landed a billion or so dollars and were able to buy the 'Canes, I'd want to be an owner like Mark Cuban (only without the constant fanboyish pissing-off of League high-ups).

I really hope for all our sakes that this bid goes through, because finally the NHL will have somebody in its ownership ranks with the vision, the drive, and the charisma to help get this sport out of its doldrums of obscurity.

Go Mark Go!

(post title courtesy Carbon Leaf)