TheLegend
Hangman's booking agent... he'll do anything.
So..... not exiting a total ass..... but it isn't going to make the pain go away.
CXLIX - FINAL thoughts on the Arizona Coyotes
- Thread starter Tom ServoMST3K
- Start date
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bleedblue94
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2004
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Not good enough.
It's like the guy that totals your car but then buys you a hot dog at the corner stand to say he's sorry...
GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
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Something is better than nothing. Benefits should go at least one year. The $1m, probably is already spent.
bleedblue94
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- Jun 8, 2004
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GKJ
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It would be nice if they had more, obviously, the guy is skipping out no matter what. There’s no saving face. But it’s not $500, it’s $1M. It’s still not as much as he could donate, but I’m sure they’d rather have a million dollars than not since it will be much more difficult to raise money
JimAnchower
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- Dec 8, 2012
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Six months of pay and benefits is pretty good. I was part of a re-org late last year and received 60 days of benefits (I was on my wife's health plan, so I didn't really need it) and basically a year of salary based on years of service. It took me six months to find my next role.
I'm more surprised that he didn't just hang on to it and try to sell the right to basically an expansion franchise.
cbcwpg
Registered User
Bettman:
“Alex took over a franchise that had a number of challenges that he had nothing to do with creating,” Bettman said. “He invested a lot of himself and a lot of money in trying to turn things around, but I don’t think the stars aligned. And that franchise, well before he took over, had issues relative to an appropriate place to play.
“And so we thank him for everything he tried to do, and we had hoped and wished the situation could’ve been different. But I think the way he had focused on it and decided to put things to rest speaks volumes of the way he handles himself to try and do the right thing.”
“I hope the commentary, and the history, treats Alex fairly,” he said. “I think he deserves it.”
As to where this latest development leaves the future of NHL hockey in Arizona, Bettman was non-committal.
“That’s not something we’re focused on right now,” he said. “I think there are fans there, I think it’s a good market. But somebody, before we can even have this conversation, has to solve the arena problem, and that has been daunting.”
When asked if anyone else in Arizona has expressed interest in taking on that problem and reviving NHL hockey in the state, Bettman said, “No, not to us, and that’s not something we’re interested in pursuing right now.”
“Alex took over a franchise that had a number of challenges that he had nothing to do with creating,” Bettman said. “He invested a lot of himself and a lot of money in trying to turn things around, but I don’t think the stars aligned. And that franchise, well before he took over, had issues relative to an appropriate place to play.
“And so we thank him for everything he tried to do, and we had hoped and wished the situation could’ve been different. But I think the way he had focused on it and decided to put things to rest speaks volumes of the way he handles himself to try and do the right thing.”
“I hope the commentary, and the history, treats Alex fairly,” he said. “I think he deserves it.”
As to where this latest development leaves the future of NHL hockey in Arizona, Bettman was non-committal.
“That’s not something we’re focused on right now,” he said. “I think there are fans there, I think it’s a good market. But somebody, before we can even have this conversation, has to solve the arena problem, and that has been daunting.”
When asked if anyone else in Arizona has expressed interest in taking on that problem and reviving NHL hockey in the state, Bettman said, “No, not to us, and that’s not something we’re interested in pursuing right now.”
He did walk away with quite a bit of money to unload the team to Utah...
awfulwaffle
Registered User
But what did he spend on the team trying to keep it in AZ?
Nobody was going to be happy regardless of what he did on his way out. NHL is a business, and quite frankly, without an arena, it wasn't going to stay in AZ. Perhaps he should have signed the 20 year lease with Glendale, and just rode the losses if he was really just interested in owning a hockey team. But, end of the day, it's all in the past. Sad day, but I do feel that hockey will be back in AZ eventually.
The clearest path I see is Ishbia working with the City of Phoenix when the lease comes up, and attempting to either renovate Footprint(again lol), or a new arena that will be able to house both NBA and NHL. That way, there is the option of the NHL coming back to AZ.
Sarver was a jerk, perhaps Ishbia will be more willing to work with a separate owner on sharing revenue etc. If Sarver wasn't in the picture, I imagine things could have gone differently in AZ. But he would block any and every attempt of someone else coming into "his" stadium and taking revenue from them.
That won’t happen. Right now the suns get everything at footprint. If they shared like the mavs and stars do in Dallas the suns surrender half the revenue they get now for what? He’d need equity in the nhl team.
At this point have to wait a decade til the lease with footprint is closer to being over in 2037.
From a pure business standpoint, I think any other owner would do the same as Sarver if they were in his position of not having the money or interest to purchase the coyotes. Options were to tear down the arena and build a new one for both clubs and they share revenues. Or do a facelift reno vs a structural one and keep all of the revenues for the Suns.
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IMO one thing to keep an eye on in the Arizona situation is what happens with ASU's basketball arena. They have to do something soon as their current arena just isn't up to standard anymore. If they either renovate the current or build a new on-campus arena, that would likely make it more difficult to get another new arena built in the area for a NHL team. If they decide to build something off campus in Tempe then I think you could see someone try to partner with them to get an arena built that could also house a NHL team. I know that was talked about at one time and perhaps announced prematurely but I think it could work under the right circumstances. Not sure how you could get a new building built in the area without working with either the Suns or ASU as a partner.
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Llama19
Registered User
cbcwpg
Registered User
Opps.. Future of NHL hockey in Arizona unclear without new arena development
JMO... after listening to Bettman, I don't think the NHL will even answer the phone from anyone in Arizona until AFTER an arena is built and is functioning. This will never be a case of we want a team so we will build an arena...NO, this will be build it first, then maybe we will talk.
Yukon Joe
Registered User
I think that's a little strong.
Given the difficulties the Coyotes had the league won't agree to give a team to Arizona just on a vague promise to build an arena. But it could be more like Seattle where granting the expansion team and re-building the arena were contingent on each other.
Arena would have to be approved first. Just like for Minny, Columbus when they got their teams.
Without that, not returning to AZ. Clearly hoping and trying to figure it out while a team is there didn’t work. Either someone truly wants a team there and gets the arena deal done or you don’t return.
TheLegend
Hangman's booking agent... he'll do anything.
awfulwaffle
Registered User
What, that gives tax breaks and subsidies to every billionare that wants one?
who's also in the way from getting and keeping a team there based off what's already transpired there
TheLegend
Hangman's booking agent... he'll do anything.
Having an arena under construction would be enough get the ball rolling. Because the expansion process itself takes 2-3 years.
Ryan Smith had been at it for two years before flipping from expansion mode to taking a relocation option.
TheLegend
Hangman's booking agent... he'll do anything.
Arizona is still giving them out now. You just don’t hear about them because they don’t involve billionaires with self induced baggage.
FissionFire
Registered User
SoCal is part of the Sun Belt and LA has lost 2 NFL teams in the past (Rams and Raiders). Oakland and San Diego more recently lost their NFL teams. LA didn’t even have an NFL team from 1994-2016.
You can go further back to a team like the Golden Seals if you want an example from the NHL.
SoCal has a long history of failed/losing sports franchises.
GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
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