Confirmed with Link: All-Purpose "Days of Our Meruelo" Talk

[Summer Rose]

Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico are generally considered to make up the Southwest. Not totally crazy to call it a "southern state" though obviously it is not a "southern state" the way Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana etc. are.

When I was in elementary school, they taught us that the American Southwest consisted of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and... Oklahoma. Oklahoma? Oklahoma.

 

[DustyDangler]

Most I know don't think of Utah or Colorado as Southwest. They're just Western US states, as their main population centers have a Western climate and less so of a Southwest climate. I usually hear Oklahoma more in the Southwest state discussion than Utah or Colorado. Southern Utah, Southern Nevada, and Southern Colorado would be characterized as Southwest, but the whole states, definitely not to me.

It's fungible and don't know there is an authority on it but the southwest is made up of any of these sets:
- Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
- Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oklahoma, Texas
- Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

It is fair to consider Utah as part of the West or the Southwest.

 

[Jormungandr]

The price of an expansion franchise at that point will be something stupid. To get Phoenix back they'd need to give Ishbia a sweetheart deal.

This is what I have been saying. Who’s paying the likely 1.5 billion+ expansion fee to bring a team back to Phoenix metro? Are they also building a new arena on top of that?

 

[rt]

Southern Rockies region?

 

[Foggy1097]

If they do move I will likely keep following the team at least in a small way. I don’t go to games anymore anyway other than maybe once a year because the costs of regular daily life continue to spiral out of control and sports entertainment really just isn’t that important….but I have gotten invested in BA and the staff, and what they’ve been building. It’s been fun watching the new core of guys come up and start to grow together and so if they stick around I’ll keep watching their games on TV when I can. Can’t leave out AT as well, love the guy. He seems like a perfect blend of old school hardcore coach mixed in with new school player liason and confidante. So as long as these guys are all still together I will have interest. If they get splintered apart in a few years and then it looks like AZ will be getting a team back in not too long, I guess we’ll see happens then…

 

[DustyDangler]

This is what I have been saying. Who’s paying the likely 1.5 billion+ expansion fee to bring a team back to Phoenix metro? Are they also building a new arena on top of that?

A billion here a billion there, pretty soon it's real money.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

The league wants a team in the Arizona market. They have one.

The NHL and the team need an arena that is owned by the team and also has additional forms of revenue, like from an entertainment district. They've got a guy that is about to bid on the land to build such.

If the team is relocated, they'll have no team in Arizona and not even any plans for a new arena (unless that cockamamie idea of AM getting expansion priority and a special deal come true, which I doubt. I think that if the team is sold the arena doesn't get built.)

I'm sure there's more to it, but I just can't wrap my head around the question "why now?"

 

[Dirty Old Man]

When I was in elementary school, they taught us that the American Southwest consisted of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and... Oklahoma. Oklahoma? Oklahoma.

having just driven a loop Dallas -> Oklahoma City -> Arkansas to see the eclipse (which, as implied elsewhere, was on my birthday), I can confirm that a lot of Oklahoma is a lot like a lot of Texas. Except for the lack of actual Texans.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I also think you guys are great, for what it’s worth.

I know I’m special on this forum. I promise I’m on more ignore lists than any user in the history of F40. Shout out to the real ones who can still see this post!!!!

I have a long list of posters I admire and appreciate on HF, and they're all here on F40. Hell, I even appreciate my pal @Jakey53 even with his insistence that nobody knows what they're talking about! I'll have to consider finding a social platform and creating an account if I leave here so that I can keep in touch with you folks, which, if you knew my distaste for social media, should mean a f*** of a lot.

Edit yikes OJ Simpson died ….. squirrel

His tombstone: "IF I DIED IT"

 

[Final Baton]

Watching the PHNX thing on Youtube yesterday, I felt super bummed out and sad, even tho this is not my team. I know what it's like since I've went through it with the Nordiques, and all those emotions came flowing back. Hang tough you guys. Hang tough.

A detail that came across as maddening to me, are the godawful tweets from the teams that have the tone of ''Everything's allright fam! we will prevail! we are commited!'' Man, STFU with this crap! you aren't adressing the situation with the fans, and you haven't even informed the staff on top of that... just stop it with these ''everything is rosy'' tweets, this is insulting! This is such in bad taste

 

[RemoAZ]

Jerry Moyes gives you a big ol' truckers HOWDI!

He didn't even want the damn team nor could he afford it. f*** that tool. Talk about making a bad situation worse.

 

[Mosby]

The State Land Department needs to tell the NHL to f*** themselves and that, no, Alex Meruelo's bid and corresponding project no longer fits the proposal guidelines in the event that he no longer currently owns a team.

 

[RollingCoyote]

Welp, tell me when I need to visit shop.nhl.com/vegasgoldenknights.html

Why would you cheer for another team instead of following this team to Salt Lake? It’s going to be the same players, same prospects joining the team over the next couple of years, makes no sense jumping to Vegas when you don’t even live there.

 

[DustyDangler]

The league wants a team in the Arizona market. They have one.

The NHL and the team need an arena that is owned by the team and also has additional forms of revenue, like from an entertainment district. They've got a guy that is about to bid on the land to build such.

If the team is relocated, they'll have no team in Arizona and not even any plans for a new arena (unless that cockamamie idea of AM getting expansion priority and a special deal come true, which I doubt. I think that if the team is sold the arena doesn't get built.)

I'm sure there's more to it, but I just can't wrap my head around the question "why now?"

I think it is a matter of a lack of faith. AM has a plan but you have to step back and ask, is he capable of executing to the plan. I don't think the NHL has faith he can pull it off and, if they're not believers, then it makes sense to hit the brakes before it goes further down the line. In the end, it is George Thorogood asking "Who do you love?" For the NHL, they love Ryan more than Alex.

 

[rt]

Watching the PHNX thing on Youtube yesterday, I felt super bummed out and sad, even tho this is not my team. I know what it's like since I've went through it with the Nordiques, and all those emotions came flowing back. Hang tough you guys. Hang tough.

A detail that came across as maddening to me, are the godawful tweets from the teams that have the tone of ''Everything's allright fam! we will prevail! we are commited!'' Man, STFU with this crap! you aren't adressing the situation with the fans, and you haven't even informed the staff on top of that... just stop it with these ''everything is rosy'' tweets, this is insulting! This is such in bad taste

Those boilerplate social posts about love and loyalty to Arizona were likely scheduled a week in advance. Probably all created on the 1st or 2nd and scheduled on the 3rd for this week.

Whoever scheduled the tweets is likely not working her absolute hardest at her day job right now. She’s probably frantically applying for positions at local agencies. So probably didn’t care much about unscheduling them. Her resume is already shot because AM Jr uses the account at night and she’s going to have to explain that in interviews.

 

[RollingCoyote]

If the team moves i will be done with the NHL.
I don't really care for any other team (maybe a bit about the islanders but i haven't been active in their thread in years) so its easy for me to just continue watching DEL games and international play.
But i will keep my jersey and other coyotes stuff.

One thing just came to my mind. Shane Doan played some games with the jets before they moved and his son played some before the yotes might move. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Anyways i am getting myself some beer and food and try to relax a bit.
For all i know it ain't over till the fat lady sings and until i hear a bell. And so far i haven't heard eighter.

GoYotes

Why would you cheer for another team instead of following this team to Salt Lake? It’s going to be the same players, same prospects joining the team over the next couple of years. You’re in Germany right, not even in Arizona? So why wouldn’t you follow this roster to Salt Lake?

 

[RemoAZ]

This is what I have been saying. Who’s paying the likely 1.5 billion+ expansion fee to bring a team back to Phoenix metro? Are they also building a new arena on top of that?

The whole getting an expansion team back in 3 years is a complete lie to keep the NHL from looking bad imo. Meruelo takes the money and runs. I'm not sure how the bidding process works or if he can change whatever he submits but I'm sure paying a penalty or legal fees to get out of building an arena is very acceptable with the profit he'll be making. He'll come out smelling like a rose one way or the other.

 

[rt]

The league wants a team in the Arizona market. They have one.

The NHL and the team need an arena that is owned by the team and also has additional forms of revenue, like from an entertainment district. They've got a guy that is about to bid on the land to build such.

If the team is relocated, they'll have no team in Arizona and not even any plans for a new arena (unless that cockamamie idea of AM getting expansion priority and a special deal come true, which I doubt. I think that if the team is sold the arena doesn't get built.)

I'm sure there's more to it, but I just can't wrap my head around the question "why now?"

I agree man. I think they don’t believe AM can do it. And I think the 5yr stipulation is just a way to stroke his ego so he doesn’t tie this up with lawsuits. The 1 Billion figure and the 5yr right of first refusal is all ego stroking.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

He didn't even want the damn team nor could he afford it. f*** that tool. Talk about making a bad situation worse.

That doesn’t change the error of your statement.

 

[Mosby]

Ive still yet to see any explanation on why Mullett suddenly became a problem. We knew the time frame going in and that hasn’t changed.

If there were concerns on Meruelo’s ability to build this then why did the NHL approve his ownership in the first place? Poor vetting is on them.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

I think it is a matter of a lack of faith. AM has a plan but you have to step back and ask, is he capable of executing to the plan. I don't think the NHL has faith he can pull it off and, if they're not believers, then it makes sense to hit the brakes before it goes further down the line. In the end, it is George Thorogood asking "Who do you love?" For the NHL, they love Ryan more than Alex.

Still don't like the idea that the NHL is doing this now, this far into the game and progress still being made. Especially since AM has been vetted A LOT by different entities over the last few years and they all found him credible.

Sure, TED was a failure on AM's part, but that had a much larger political challenge to it that this site doesn't.

The reasoning(s) we're hearing do make some sense, but they could also be wrong.

 

[rt]

Ive still yet to see any explanation on why Mullett suddenly became a problem. We knew the time frame going in and that hasn’t changed.

If there were concerns on Meruelo’s ability to build this then why did the NHL approve his ownership in the first place? Poor vetting is on them.

Sometimes you hire the wrong candidate. Sometimes you marry the wrong person. This is ultimately the NHL’s fault but it doesn’t mean AM is blameless.

 

[AZDesertKnight]

Ive still yet to see any explanation on why Mullett suddenly became a problem. We knew the time frame going in and that hasn’t changed.

If there were concerns on Meruelo’s ability to build this then why did the NHL approve his ownership in the first place? Poor vetting is on them.

For real, at most one extra season. Big deal.

 

[RABBIT]

I’m listening to the DFO rundown this morning and Frank stated that the owner of the Houston Rockets has been in New York recently meeting with Gary Bettman about expansion. I have to figure that would lessen our chances of getting a team back here, as I would imagine they would only do one more in the West and one more in the East

 

[rt]

Still don't like the idea that the NHL is doing this now, this far into the game and progress still being made. Especially since AM has been vetted A LOT by different entities over the last few years and they all found him credible.

Sure, TED was a failure on AM's part, but that had a much larger political challenge to it that this site doesn't.

The reasoning(s) we're hearing do make some sense, but they could also be wrong.

This is a much bigger project. Maybe that’s the problem? It seems to me that the NHL wants Meruelo out and Smith in. They see this as a twofer.