Login

Register | Forgot Your Password? | Close

The stuff, as they say, has just hit the fan.

The City of Glendale is now going after the NHL, claiming that the reason the Phoenix Coyotes have not been sold is because the league has over-valued the team and is scaring off potential buyers.

In addition to that, Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs basically said the NHL is waiting for the right price and is more than happy to let Glendale take the heat.

"We are not in control and quite honestly, I'm kind of tired of everybody pointing to us and making comments that the city of Glendale can't get the job done. We have no control over it and I think probably the NHL is very happy that writers and reporters continue to point to the city of Glendale for not getting the job done because it takes the attention directly off them."

My dad owns a rental house in Tempe. Thanks to the lazy tenants not paying their rent, he had to evict them. Little did he know, they stayed in the house, living rent free. In the end, he had to turn off the power to the house to get them to move out. That didn't go over well. He didn't handle the situation well and neither did the tenants.

If what's coming out of Glendale is true, the NHL becomes the lazy tenants in the aforementioned situation. They're merely leeching off of a city who is trying to keep a team because they know Glendale will lose even more if Jobing.com Arena doesn't entertain hockey fans for a minimum of 41 nights per year. The NHL is paying some of the bills, much like my dad's former tenants, but living rent free and holding out as long as they can to get the best deal for themselves, everyone else be damned.

Now, all this is assuming, like I said, that what Scruggs said is accurate. The entire ownership situation has become a joke -- not a talking point as it should be -- in both the local and national media. Cities are salivating over an available franchise that could mark the first NHL team or return of professional hockey to their fans.

The sale of the team, as we all remember, was killed by the third-party Goldwater Institute. Prospective buyer Matthew Hulsizer asked Glendale to sell bonds to aid his purchase of the team and the Institute threatened a lawsuit. If I were considering investing millions into a good team with a struggling fan base, the entire situation in Glendale would be enough of a put-off to make me take my business elsewhere.

When I tweeted about the news, many followers responded placing blame in numerous areas. @rdbolan said he blames Glendale for not discussing a new lease, @mcszymanski said Glendale is merely shoveling the stuff elsewhere when everything blows up and @gregdunaway echoed Scruggs' sentiments of the team being overpriced. But @Why_Zee had the most interesting idea: If the Coyotes leave, he expects Glendale to sue the NHL.

I'm not going to delve into that right now, because that's a column in and of itself. But anytime the word "lawsuit" comes to mind in a sale situation, it's generally the beginning of the end.

10 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
  • Add A Comment 
  • Abuse
    sundevil7901 wrote...
    Fault
    There is plenty of blame to be spread around here. Unfortunately, the Coyotes are dying a slow death and its the fans who will lose in the end.
  • Abuse
    Jarrod P. wrote...
    FAULT EVERYWHERE BUT..
    Honestly..the Coyotes do absolutely NOTHING to reach the city. 5,000,000 people and they cant get 10,000 fans Most people come from hockey rich towns back east and north. Their marketing department sucks. Hey Yotes email me at jrodmaerks@hotmail.com for some marketing ideas..
  • Abuse
    Jarrod P. wrote...
    So, I am an idiot too...
    cant spell my email address right- stupid fat fingers.... jrodamerks@hotmail.com
  • Abuse
    Teddy P wrote...
    Let's be honest here.........
    The reason the team is failing is that it is in Glendale. It's one thing to have a football team play 8 games a year there all on weekends. It's another to have a hockey team playing 40 games a year there, most in the middle of the week. The majority of people with money in this town live in East Valley. Where do almost all the pro athletes and celebs live in Phoenix? They live in Scottsdale, Biltmore area, Arcadia area, south Tempe, the Ocotillo Chandler area, and Ahwatukee. This team was doomed as it moved to Glendale.
  • Abuse
    STPBEAR wrote...
    Coyotes Go... Westgate will eventually shut down
    The truth is made by many folks here: 1. NHL way over values the Coyotes. 2. Marketing Department is pretty awful 3. Being a Season ticket holder is not really a great perk anymore except for discounts on the tickets. 4. The economic impact of the coyotes leaving could destroy Westgate and jeopardize future Superbowls. I can see stores and restaurants closing due to lack of traffic... Sure you could fill some dates with concerts.. but with US Airways downtown good luck getting the good stuff! My 2 Cents
  • Abuse
    SpaceRig wrote...
    Location Location Location
    I can't agree more with Teddy P, putting the team in Glendale was a HUGE mistake. The NFL is top dog and people are going to drive hours regardless of where the game is; Hockey doesn't have that luxury. Need more proof, the grand Westgate development surrounding the arena continues to struggle. Sadly, Glendale has a great arena and I do enjoy the (few) Coyotees games that I do make it out too.
  • Abuse
    Rassam wrote...
    Most newer teams would be in the same situation if
    1.They had poor ownership, who; 2.Put them into bankruptcy and, 3.Said they were moving to Canada after which; 4.They were owned by the League for two seasons plus and 5.Ended with no star power to draw fans to 6.An arena on one end of town that makes it hard for the other end of town to come to night games.
  • Abuse
    Jon P. wrote...
    Done, I give up
    I have been frustrated with this situation for 3 years. The bottom line is that if they could have found an owner, it would have happened right now. Sure, the league is overcharging for this team, but at this point, they might as well sell it to someone out of town. Don't get me wrong I love this team. Who's to blame? Let's start with Steve Ellman and the original idiotic design of America West Arena. AWA is a great arena, but why would you not build it to be available for Hockey and other sports with expanded playing surfaces (without obstructed view seats).
  • Abuse
    Jon P. wrote...
    Done (pt 2)
    Ellman, well he should have just let the team get sold to Paul Allen and moved to Portland. His disaster called Westgate was never going to work. Glendale is a death trap, and the deal he struck was a massive failure evidenced by the millions this team keeps losing. Besides, once Ellman got the team, the star power was sent away. Shane Doan is a good player and a great presence, but without Roenick and/or Tkachuck (or a replacement star) there has been no star face to attract fans. They never were able to get a legitimate Star in the draft (unlike Washington and Pittsburgh did).
  • Abuse
    Jon P. wrote...
    Done (pt 3)
    I will never stop rooting for these players and coaches. They are giving it their all. But I am done, Glendale needs to let it go. The NHL needs to move on to somewhere else (although they should just fold the team).
close

Share: