TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
Kelly is interested in getting as much revenue for the league as possible, because the players' cut is dependent on it. If he thinks that Hamilton or whatever other city will bring in more cash than Phoenix does, he's going to support it. He has no responsibilities towards Phoenix or its fans.
Moreover, since he's looking at the current players, he cares more about short term profit than the long term financial health of the league. Nobody doubts that Hamilton would be more profitable in the short term.
But owners of the teams are more in it for the investment. Would moving the team from Phoenix to Hamilton make a US TV deal slightly less lucrative and therefore lower the values of other American franchises? What effects would the decreased stablity have on the long term health of the league? Would a team in Hamilton hurt or kill Buffalo in the long term? There are more difficult questions, and it's pretty obvious where the owners stand.