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Former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes is keeping an eye on his former team's efforts to stay in the Valley.

The Glendale City Council is looking to vote on a proposal that would bring the franchise one step closer to being bought by former San Jose Sharks owner Greg Jamison, which sounds all well and good.

Until, of course, you realize the city itself would be paying Jamison and his group to buy the team and run Jobing.com Arena.

There may be a few problems with that, but as Moyes told News-Talk 92.3 KTAR's Karie and Chuck Friday, there is one simple fact that should stop this from happening.

"I don't think it's going to work," he said of hockey in Arizona. "You just look at the economics, it just won't work. We have so many other sports activities to take not only the advertising dollar, but the consumer dollar."

Moyes owned the team from September 2006 to May 2009, so he would have a pretty good idea of the viability of hockey in the desert.

And the numbers tend to agree with his assertion, as the Coyotes have consistently ranked last in the National Hockey League in attendance, failing to really draw much of a crowd or attention. But the idea of seeing them move now, after the team reached the Western Conference Final, is one that a lot of people are not a fan of.

But that is what's on the table right now should the deal with Jamison not go through, as the Coyotes would likely be out of options if the goal is to stay in Arizona. At that point there's a chance the next step would be for the league to just find an owner, regardless of whether or not he would want to relocate the team. Incidentally, that's where Moyes had the team heading three years ago.

"At that point we had a very good buyer to relocate the team, and if the city would have supported that and if the team would have moved, they would have been given $50 million," Moyes said, referring to an opportunity to sell the franchise to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who would have moved the team. "If they would have put that $50 million in an annuity, that would have made the payment for the facility for I think the rest of the 18 years.

"The City of Glendale would have come out with a facility all paid for."

Instead, the NHL took over the team and has been looking for a buyer ever since, with the caveat that the next owner would need to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

It's a task that has been incredibly arduous and difficult, but could be nearing completion.

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    Jarrod P. wrote...
    PART 4
    The one thing that can save it is this: an owner who is wealthy and not afraid to take a loss for a while. They can put all sorts of protections in place, but the owner has to come in, pay, and then fire the entire front office of the team (not coaches). They need to revamp marketing, advertising, promotions, player personnel--everything. Get a local tv contract that broadcasts playoff games for Petes sake. The team does NOTHINg to grow their product- nothing at all.. I wish they would fix this, but the reality is it is never going to work.
  • Abuse
    Tennisgrandpa wrote...
    It'll work!
    Of course it'll work in the desert. All thaat needs to happen is for these valley dwellers who spend their money on other teams jerseys and other apparel and start supporting our AZ teams, there'll be plenty of money to go around for all sporting events. But we got hords of Boston, NY, Philly, Chicago, LA and numerous other fans that simply refuse to support our teams. Jarrod, I respect ya bud but I'm talkin about all those other loud mouth fans that just refuse to give up their support of teams "back home".
    Dale
  • Abuse
    Tennisgrandpa wrote...
    Con't
    I used to be a Chicago fan, I used to be one of those fans, until I cut the ties. AZ IS my home. But these people cannot even think about it like they're in some cult. Like those Red Sox fans you see at the Dback games, would it freakin kill you to wear a Dbacks hat? It's like people reverence them or something, oooo a Boston fan. These people are the problem. If they become a true fan of our teams we will have absolutely no financial problems whatsoever. Dumping Chicago teams was the best thing I've ever done.
    Dale
  • Abuse
    Steve V. wrote...
    Crybaby Moyes
    Could be that Moyes is just a idiot for a businessman? Everything he's tried has failed.
  • Abuse
    AZCrazy wrote...
    correction, Jerry
    I have a correction Jerry. LAST PLACE hockey won't work in Arizona. Every year you owned the team, they were abysmal. Last or next to last in the conference kind of sucky. No one will support that. The year you sold the team (declared bankruptcy anyway), they've made the playoffs every year and attendance even in the uncertain ownership has risen because of it. Even the mighty NFL only drew 25000 to a game here when the on field product sucked. Now, every seat has been sold for years. The team will survive here, and has Dave Tippett to thank for it.
  • Abuse
    JW L. wrote...
    I Hardly Follow Hockey
    ..but I have read the headlines over the years. Moyes seems like a Sarver type owner, the kind of guy that will drag a team down into the gutter by making terribly bad decisions. Why should anyone give a hoot about his opinion on anything sports or business related?
  • Abuse
    Ronald M. wrote...
    Coyotes?
    They could get a lot more attendance at Jobbing if they had a Lingerie Football League team there.
  • Abuse
    gilbert armenta wrote...
    They are just to far...
    The arena is just to far. When you alienate 75% of your potential attendees right off the bat what do you expect. Someone in east mesa or gilbert or AJ or QC or North east scottsdale may ONCE OR TWICE a year make the trek to east L.A. to watch the yotes play. COnsidering that hockey in the desert is already going to have a tough time why, during relative infancy, would you move your team out of the city you're hoping to cater to? It doesn't make sense.
  • Abuse
    ZonieNative wrote...
    Moyes is a joke
    "We have so many other sports activities to take not only the advertising dollar, but the consumer dollar." -Right, because so many other cities, much smaller than Phoenix, can't support four teams. What are you talking about?! The biggest problem with Phoenix is the high amount of transplanted people. Once their children are able to grow up here, local sports teams will begin to gain a following. Look at the Suns and now Cardinals. If the Diamondbacks and Coyotes can make it another 10-15 years, they will have equally large support.
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