Dear Phoenix Coyotes Fans, the NHL, and the City of Glendale (AZ):
It seems like it was a lifetime ago that Jerry Moyes was forced to file bankruptcy and attempted to sell the Coyotes to Jim Balsillie. It led to legal battles, and the NHL acquiring the team out of bankruptcy court. Balsillie went about it all wrong and didn't want to live the by the leagues rules, which made his bid null and void. However, over three and a half years later, the NHL still owns the Coyotes, and the latest bid hasn't had enough funding. Its the broken record that everyone keeps trying to play on a broken record player. I am not sure to what degree certain prospective bidders have had money, but it seems painfully obvious, THERE is no OWNER that can put together the proper funds (i.e. investors) and generate a legitimate lease agreement with Glendale to make it viable to own this team.
Ever since Jerry Reisdorf, supposedly wanted to purchase the team, I have seen Ice Edge Holdings, Matthew Hulsizer, Reinsdorf again, and then Greg Jamison fail miserably at trying to buy the team. Jamison needs more time supposedly, while the favorable deal struck with the city of Glendale has expired. It won't be renewed. If he is going to get that deal and Glendale with a new city council and Mayor isn't interested in giving the farm away with taxes again, what is possibly next? (crickets).
What I think is next, is the inevitable sale to an out of town buyer. And why not, it is long overdue. In hindsight, Glendale could have avoided this entire mess by not buying the snake oil from Steve Ellman to build a beautiful arena 40-50 miles on the other side of town from their fan base. They went from having stars (Roenick and Tkachuk) to sell the product in a centrally located downtown facility to the middle of nowhere with the only recognizable faces being a partial owner (Gretzky) and the original Coyote (Shane Doan). If anyone could go back in time, they would shun Ellman and his soon to be failing mall project (Westgate disaster), and let the team go to Portland. Glendale would have never wasted money on an arena for a team that could never make money. It is a failing proposition. Also, I mean no offence to the people that work at Westgate, but that place is simply awful. I would name specific places, but instead I will offer this, one place has 15-20 empty tables, yet still a 45 minute wait, another has complete garbage food and completely overpriced beer, and I could go on. Many places have closed and the development itself has filed bankruptcy. The arena itself has some of the worst trained staff in the world and the most overpriced concessions imaginable.
Ok, there is the rant. Here are my feelings. I am a Phoenix Coyote fan, but I am sick and tired of being led around, and led around, and led around. I'm done. I will support the team as a fan by watching games on TV and rooting them on, but I will put a penny into tickets or merchandise any longer. I have already went to nearly 50 games during the last 4 years, and will not do it again. I won't even accept free tickets, because it is no longer worth an 80+ mile round trip to games any longer. I like the players, the coaches, and even the management. But even they are being led away from the reality. This is over, and it has been over for a long time. We need to face facts that the Coyotes will not be able to stay in Glendale. Find a buyer, any buyer and charge them a relocation fee, but please be done with it. The next news release about the Coyotes I want to read is about a new buyer. Not a prospective buyer, but someone that has purchased the team. Move them wherever, there will be no blame or outcry from me. I am content that I will lose my local Hockey team, and to the extent the team itself stays intact, I will continue to cheer for them. And then, as the next generation comes in, I will move on.
The bottom line is that it is time to face reality. It cannot be done, stop trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and move on.
Sincerely,
A Coyotes Fan
