I can appreciate the emotional response that is caused when a group "provides for a hockey team" while "cuts pensions". I can also appreciate how the response is magnified when the public sector is impacted (ie fire, police). Typically, I generally find that no one wants to fund the police or fire department until those groups are needed.
It's hard to say what's right and wrong because there is no clear or universal definition of right and wrong. Each person has their own view of the world and what they believe. For example, I'm not really a hockey fan so I don't care if the Wings leave. I have needed a fire department before, so I would rather not cut their funds.