Off the Ice: Lock ’em up until the deal’s done
Dec 16, 2011, 5:02 AM | Updated: 5:07 am
The time has come for the Phoenix Coyotes.
When the Arizona Republic’s Lisa Halverstadt tweeted that the Glendale council was unsure if the Coyotes sale was going to be on the agenda of a special meeting next Tuesday, I was done. Absolutely, entirely done.
I’m sick of not having an owner. I’m sick of the conversations and rumors about supposed owners. I’m sick of now knowing if the team will be in Glendale next season or not. The clock is ticking down to zero (again) and a deal needs to be made. Now.
In the time the Coyotes have been on the market, we’ve seen numerous other teams, including the Stars and Maple Leafs, simply sold to a new owner. Granted, they don’t have the same complications with the city and league being involved, but those agreements were signed. Those involved sat down, worked it out, got it done and went out for drinks.
Meanwhile, in Glendale, there are too many cooks in the kitchen and none of them know the meaning of the word “compromise.” Everyone is worried about this, that and the other that they are risking the future of the Coyotes in Arizona. With the city, NHL, prospective buyers Greg Jamison and Jerry Reinsdorf and pain-in-the-butt activist groups — yes, Goldwater Institute, you were mentioned — all vying for a spot at the table, it’s going to take a lot to get a deal done, but that’s no excuse.
Unless you live under a rock, you know about the enormous amount of lengthy negotiations needed to settle both the NFL and NBA lockouts. They talked, at times, for 16 hours on end and kept going at it. If talks broke off, they would go back at it. An end to the lockout became a question of “when” not “if” because they didn’t say die.
Glendale, the NHL and whoever else are involved should lock themselves in a room and stay there until something is done on paper. Not everyone will leave happy, nor should we expect them to, but then we can all finally get back to talking about hockey in the desert without mentioning an owner. I’ll even spring for the first carryout order they need.
Who wants an egg roll?
Comments