Phoenix Coyotes ownership saga a bad courtship

We all know someone in our lives that is so picky when it comes to dating they chase away more suitors than the Suns when it comes to Steve Nash trade proposals. They could look through the pages of People's 50 Most Beautiful People issue and find a reason they couldn't be with any of those that grace its pages. They nitpick every aspect of a person in an effort to find the smallest flaw to justify their unwillingness to take a leap of faith. They call it high standards and they don't want to settle but really, they're just missing out on some great people out of fear or longing for a Mr. or Ms. Right they'll never obtain.

This is what the City of Glendale has fallen prey to in their search for a new owner for the Phoenix Coyotes.

Over the last two years more suitors than are on the Bachelor have approached the city and given their best pick up lines. Things looked like they could blossom into a relationship with Ice Edge Holdings and Matthew Hulsizer but at the last minute, the city seemed to find some enormous flaw that escaped those of us on the outside of the negotiations.

Ice Edge had the looks and a silver tongue like Antonio Banderas but their bank account wasn't as much as another guy who could come along so they kicked them to the curb. Hulsizer was a genuinely nice guy who had proven in past relationships that he could take care of things. He also had enough money but decided to ask if splitting the check would be OK if they actually went out (and maybe that's because he was like some of the guys in Scottsdale on a Saturday night, driving the BMW while living in the $400 a month apartment). That went over about as well as Ilya Bryzgalov trying to stop a shot in the playoffs, so they parted ways.

As they continue to longingly gaze at ‘Mr. Perfect', Jerry Reinsdorf, who seems to just enjoy their attention while continuing to string them along and with a mystery suitor emerging, they're now back at square one.

Like that friend we all have, the City of Glendale better be careful. At some point if they keep finding the flaws in everyone that's interested, they may just wind up alone with a spending habit they can't afford and no one to help them out when things get really tough.