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

[TheLegend]

Yeah. But what's your point? That Glendale was happy with their relationship with AM and it's the state's fault?

I think about half the rhetoric coming out of both sides you can ignore.

They were both using the media to negotiate at that point.

Glendale was right about this though. The arena was due for major renovations and they needed to know if the Coyotes were committed to stay there or not.

Say what you want about the city council because they are modern day Harper Valley PTA. But they have one hell of a city manager in Kevin Phelps.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

That…. and the arena’s ice system had to be replaced and why do that if the team wasn’t going to stay even five more years.

He spent +/- $20M to play at a college rink for less than 5 years. How much does a new ice system cost?

 

[Dead Coyote]

Yes, this is made available to the media, not made available in a trade.

Ah yeah that makes a lot more sense. Wouldn't have been shocked if they didn't want to go to SLC though lol.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

I think about half the rhetoric coming out of both sides you can ignore.

They were both using the media to negotiate at that point.

Glendale was right about this though. The arena was due for major renovations and they needed to know if the Coyotes were committed to stay there or not.

Say what you want about the city council because they are modern day Harper Valley PTA. But they have one hell of a city manager in Kevin Phelps.

Agreed. But I still stand by what I was saying, that Glendale wasn't excited about working with AM, they just didn't really have any other options. And in the end they cut ties because it just wasn't worth it.

 

[TheLegend]

He spent +/- $20M to play at a college rink for less than 5 years. How much does a new ice system cost?

Doesn’t matter. He wasn’t staying there long term. Tempe offered him a lot more bang for the buck.

Glendale offered to sell Meruelo the arena outright, taking a loss on it. And Meruelo still turned it down.

 

[LAIslanderFan]

I think there is public , you should still be able to inform your own staff

I agree from a moral standpoint, but from a legal standpoint when you're in the middle of complex contract negotiations lawyers will insist on keeping everything private. The NHL is the entity that will determine when to release the results. I'm sure if anything is leaked in anyway before that there will be legal and probably financial penalties. If that wasn't the case, Smith would have made the announcement to every news media in SLC.

 

[JoeGarelli]

can we view their lack of spending on the tempe campaign in a new light? Did merulo ever want this to work here? What did he pay 250million plus 40 for annex, now he is get a billion? is this a long term scam that he just pulled?

 

[LAIslanderFan]

Here's the only thing I can't get my head around. Why did AM initiate the auction if he intended on selling or relocating the team. I still think this was somewhat forced by the NHL with Smith's offer. It was probably under consideration and when the June 27th auction date was announced, the NHL had to make the decision if they wanted to take Smiths' offer, or allow the Coyotes to go through with the auction. It just all seems so last minute.

 

[XX]

He spent +/- $20M to play at a college rink for less than 5 years. How much does a new ice system cost?

He spent that money to hang on until a better opportunity to sell opened up. AM has all the leverage now. The league is embarrassed by Mullett (particularly the PA whining) and AM can sell locally to Ishbia or to Smith. Smith has the incentive to pay the most. There's a price floor to what a slice of the league is worth if it's portable. AM knew that, so he was always covered.

I get the impression the other owners only went along until the Tempe vote. The league certainly had no plan B. That result was bad for everyone in the league looking for a building in the future, and left the Coyotes in an embarrassing lurch. Moving to SLC fixes everything and takes a portable franchise off the table so you can actually expand again, which mints new money for the other owners. Bettman loses 'face' on Phoenix in the eyes of fans but the other owners are probably thrilled right now. They just solved the AZ problem and are looking at another big payday.

 

[LAIslanderFan]

can we view their lack of spending on the tempe campaign in a new light? Did merulo ever want this to work here? What did he pay 250million plus 40 for annex, now he is get a billion? is this a long term scam that he just pulled?

You'd have to be able to read the future to pull that off.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Doesn’t matter. He wasn’t staying there long term. Tempe offered him a lot more bang for the buck.

Glendale offered to sell Meruelo the arena outright, taking a loss on it. And Meruelo still turned it down.

I think it does matter now. Hindsight is 20/20.

Tempe didn't happen and playing out of Mullett is a big part of why we're here. I also think that if AM would have been as cordial to Glendale as he was ASU the outcome might have been different.

ASU was convinced for the right price, I believe Glendale could've been too. But it doesn't seem like they even talked to each other without bad will. AM inherited the NHL's divorce with Glendale and made it his own. Glendale didn't have to rush into not having an anchor tenant, they were kind of forced to. And AM didn't have to rush to try and tell them "like it is."

Edit: And I know there's no innocent party in this, and no winners. But they didn't even seem interested in trying.

 

[Prarievarg]

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Not looking forward to player reactions, still gotta watch them.

 

[Prarievarg]

 

[JoeGarelli]

You'd have to be able to read the future to pull that off.

why? all they had to do was pull a major league, and it sounds like they did it... hindsight 20/20, but he wasn't aware of what expansion teams go for? seattle went for 650, didnt bobby mack mention the next one would be a billion?..maybe its conspiracy theory stuff. but i have a hard time believing anything that comes from muerlo or guiterriez..

They ran the tempe campaign so poorly, it seemed intentional, some posters here even mentioned that. .

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

The silence is deafening.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Time to get the ASU students rioting over the team?

 

[BlazingBlueAnt]

I do wonder, if this is being driven by the NHL, wtf was the NHL's plan in the first place? Even if the team had won TED, wasn't there a crap-ton of land remediation that needed to get done? It's not like the ground would be close to being broke in that case anyway.

 

[Foggy1097]

I originally thought that Utah had a prime arena to put them in if they got a team…but it appears that they will just be in a new version of America West Arena? So the NHL is ok with that rather than waiting for three years in AZ? The Mullet timeline was fine when the TED project was still the first option… now it’s not. Things must have really degraded past the point of no return with the PA and public perception when it comes to Mullet, otherwise this makes zero sense. Can’t wait to hear some behind the scenes details about things that have gone on with Meruelo and Co., because there is so much here that on the surface makes no sense and explanations are required for any sort of understanding…

 

[DustyDangler]

I originally thought that Utah had a prime arena to put them in if they got a team…but it appears that they will just be in a new version of America West Arena? So the NHL is ok with that rather than waiting for three years in AZ? The Mullet timeline was fine when the TED project was still the first option… now it’s not. Things must have really degraded past the point of no return with the PA and public perception when it comes to Mullet, otherwise this makes zero sense. Can’t wait to hear some behind the scenes details about things that have gone on with Meruelo and Co., because there is so much here that on the surface makes no sense and explanations are required for any sort of understanding…

It is worse than AWA.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

Meruelo and the NHL are sitting quietly around the fire, watching it burn. Quite cowardly and disappointing.

 

[DustyDangler]

The silence is deafening.

What?

 

[jmichael7753]

Craig said he expects another twist in the saga before its all said and done and I have it on good authority as well that this isn't over. Ishbia is trying at the last minute to acquire the team. Will it come to fruition? Who knows, but he has met with Bettman in the last 24 hours and spoke about the Coyotes.

 

[Arizonatah Coyetis]

What?

 

[moosemeister]

Craig said he expects another twist in the saga before its all said and done and I have it on good authority as well that this isn't over. Ishbia is trying at the last minute to acquire the team. Will it come to fruition? Who knows, but he has met with Bettman in the last 24 hours and spoke about the Coyotes.

Just put us out of our misery! Haha