WATERLOO, Ontario - Jim Balsillie, Chairman and co-CEO of Research in Motion of Waterloo, Ontario, whose company is close to completing its purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Mario Lemieux-led group of owners, has hired Mellon Financial Corporation's President, Chairman and CEO Robert P Kelly as his Special Arena Consultant ("SAC"). "I am very impressed by Bobby's ability to deal with regulators and community leaders in connection with Mellon's deal with Bank of New York," said Balsillie. "His unsurpassed loyalty to Pittsburgh will be a great asset to me as well. I am confident he will know just what to do when it comes to making sure Penguins end up in an appropriate venue. After all, Bobby is a fellow Canadian."Balsillie and Kelly fielded questions on Mark Madden's radio sports talk show. One caller bluntly asked whether the team would be relocated to Ontario. Kelly said that he would "fight to keep the Pens in Pittsburgh," but, he quickly added, "Canada is the hockey capital of the planet and it is difficult to argue with that." Another caller angrily said that Mr Kelly does not "know the difference between icing and an arena hole in ground," but Balsillie calmly dismissed the accusation. "What does that matter? With Bobby as my SAC, he'll have the Pens in a new arena as fast as you can say 'ill North wind.' In fact, my guess is he'll find us a venue where we won't have to move an ounce of dirt, except for the dust that we kick up as we leave Pittsburgh."
