CXLVIII - Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo had 'productive' meeting with Phoenix mayor

[Ernie]

It’s an irrelevant side tangent at this point.

Go start a new thread on it on if you want and see if anyone else cares.

... you are the one who replied to my comment. Are you saying as a mod that this discussion is not allowed in this thread?

 

[SunDancer]

Friedman with long discussion of what's happening. Possible contingencies of sale/re-starting Arizona team, etc.

Wow. Friedman really makes Mereulo sound like a piece of work. They both hint that AM "duped" Bettman and Daly.... but he wouldn't be the NHL's first con artist owner. I guess after all of Bettman's scheming in Arizona he's due some comeuppance.

 

[Mightygoose]

Wow. Friedman really makes Mereulo sound like a piece of work. They both hint that AM "duped" Bettman and Daly.... but he wouldn't be the NHL's first con artist owner. I guess after all of Bettman's scheming in Arizona he's due some comeuppance.

Comes across to me is they were desperate. Barroway wasn't going to be in the position to hang on too much longer

Since they were only looking at anyone to keep the team in Arizona, they got him. Bad business models attract bad owners.

 

[TheLegend]

... you are the one who replied to my comment. Are you saying as a mod that this discussion is not allowed in this thread?

1) I’m not a moderator here. There’s a button at the top of each and every forum list that will tell you who is.

2) The subject is irrelevant at this point

3) If it’s such an important and relevant subject then feel free to start a new thread on it.

4) If you chose to continue sealioning about it here be my guest. I’m not going to do anything unless you continue to harass me about it and at that point, I *might* decide to use the report button just like anyone else can. Then it’ll be up to another person to decide what they want to do. And they do an exceptional job handling those things.

That’s how it’s always been.

 

[PredsHead]

 

[GKJ]

Friedman with long discussion of what's happening. Possible contingencies of sale/re-starting Arizona team, etc.

Outlined this already for those who can’t listen

 

[Fidel Astro]

I'm not a Coyotes fan, but I was and am critical of her reporting. The problem is that every time Strang has reported on the issue, it comes across as gossip rather than investigative journalism. I disagree that she's been excellent or thorough. Especially not that second one. Frankly, a lot of what's coming out now is being presented in the same gossipy way. Friedman has the best sources around the league, for sure, but he's also the king of NHL gossip... it's why I stopped listening to his and Marek's podcast. Marek engages in it too when he's with Friedman, but his radio show is of significantly better quality than the podcast.

I'm sure a lot of what's coming out right now at least is close to the truth, but I'm looking forward to the day we get reporting on all this that doesn't trigger my distaste for that kind of presentation of information.

I'm curious how you would have preferred she cover these types of stories. In most cases, this type of thing is necessarily based around anonymous sources, because no one would want to go on record.

I don't think that makes it "gossip", and I would be shocked if she didn't have multiple sources confirming everything she's written about -- especially given her reputation for covering extremely sensitive stories, as well as the type of shit she *always* takes from people in the comments sections (not saying you're one of them), who often seem to have, um... 'other' reasons why they hate her.

I'm sure her stories are lawyered like crazy before they're published, too.

 

[LPHabsFan]

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

The battles with Glendale were during a time when they were negotiating with the city on an arena lease. You can chalk that one up as “negotiation tactic”

The tax issues were with the state though and given the mess IA left the place you could put it on them to a small degree.

CoVID years gave everyone an excuse.

But now?? Nyah…. can’t buy into it.

Yeah, I kinda gave them the benefit of the doubt in Glendale, because I had a VERY low opinion of IA, lol.

I think that's a big reason why I was kinda okay with this ownership group pre-Tempe vote.

 

[GKJ]

Whatever it is, somebody better have told Bill Armstrong

 

[KevFu]

Just what this saga needs, another plot twist.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I'm curious how you would have preferred she cover these types of stories. In most cases, this type of thing is necessarily based around anonymous sources, because no one would want to go on record.

I don't think that makes it "gossip", and I would be shocked if she didn't have multiple sources confirming everything she's written about -- especially given her reputation for covering extremely sensitive stories, as well as the type of shit she *always* takes from people in the comments sections (not saying you're one of them), who often seem to have, um... 'other' reasons why they hate her.

I'm sure her stories are lawyered like crazy before they're published, too.

The battle against "anonymous sources" has been fought and lost a long time ago. It's not any modern reporter's fault stories are reported that way.

And in sports reporting it wasn't much of a battle at all.

The only thing you can do now is note that anonymous sources are inherently less credible than named ones.

I would argue a disclaimer like this should be included in any story with anonymous sources, but that is another battle that has long since been lost, especially in sports reporting.

 

[MaskedSonja]

As Im catching up this stuff about AM really is something I wasnt too aware of-sounds like this has gotten personal now with NHL owners and just want him to essentially go away and more on with things. If this is the end (for now) of this saga, its going out with as much of a bang as it was when it started.

 

[MeHateHe]

Told you. Saskatoon.

 

[KevFu]

Honestly we would have to really know the local laws to know who the jas over site over permits. It's cities then a suburban muni in theory could approve a permit and the county has no say.

Again just thinking out loud since he was supposedly planning to foot the bill for everything to then why not look at other places.

Yeah, my brain works like "creative problem solving" more than "let's fight." Based on how the possibility of an NHL team in Houston has been reported over the decades; everyone has basically said an NHL team would have to be owned by first Les Alexander and now Fertitta, and tossed words like "monopoly" around...

... and even if the HCHSA wasn't legally prohibited, that doesn't even mean they WOULD approve a competing venue.

We saw it with the expansion bids in the 1990s, the HCHSA serves Houston and waited to see whom they'd have to work with on a new arena; they didn't pick sides.

Because they lost out in the 1990s, it's way more plausible that the HCHSA goes to Fertitta and says "Houston should be a Big Four sports city. If you owned an NHL team, a sweetheart deal on the NEXT arena is far more likely than if you only own the Rockets."

I think if the Suns' owner was truly interested, he would've been involved long ago. Not sure why that would suddenly change.

I agree, but half of this thread is also assuming the positions of the NHL or AM suddenly changed; which is why I'm hung up on "SLC expansion/franchise swap."

 

[LPHabsFan]

 

[Shwan]

For no particular reason, has anyone checked to see if Andrew Barroway still owns his 5%?

 

[Skidooboy]

Here’s how I’m looking at this at this moment.

You can say the league did what they could to keep a team in this market, but they also played a large part in damaging it.

If the Coyotes go, they will want to be back.

BUT…..

They have to take some responsibility for contributing in destroying a market they seem to covet so much (and this goes beyond Bettman).

If Meruelo manages to take the next 5 years the league gives him and builds this ED/arena. There’s just way too much baggage now attached to him for the fans to ever trust him.

The rumored offer to move the AHL franchise up to to Tempe from Tucson ‘might’ work in keeping interest here That’s going to depend on what the Smith group does.

Broadcast wise… Scripps has been running Coyotes games in SLC this year along with Vegas. Not aware if where that deal stands but I would think they’d continue broadcasting games the Phoenix. What retention they may get is but the fans here do have a connection with most of the players and they could follow them.

you can't destroy a thing that never existed.
the Valley is not a hockey market. A golf market? yes a Costco market? yes A football and baseball market ? sure.....

but it is not and has never been an NHL or pro hockey market. it's barely an NCAA hockey market and it's a pathetic one at that. Grand forks (pop. 58K) population puts 11,000 buts in seats for thier games the valley, (pop 4.8MILLION) 4800

 

[joelef]

you can't destroy a thing that never existed.
the Valley is not a hockey market. A golf market? yes a Costco market? yes A football and baseball market ? sure.....

but it is not and has never been an NHL or pro hockey market. it's barely an NCAA hockey market and it's a pathetic one at that. Grand forks (pop. 58K) population puts 11,000 buts in seats for thier games the valley, (pop 4.8MILLION) 4800

I mean most college hockey teams don’t average that much.

 

[dj4aces]

Wow. Friedman really makes Mereulo sound like a piece of work. They both hint that AM "duped" Bettman and Daly.... but he wouldn't be the NHL's first con artist owner. I guess after all of Bettman's scheming in Arizona he's due some comeuppance.

To be fair, Meruelo did try (and fail) to buy the Atlanta Hawks in... 2013, I think? He was denied due to not having the money.

 

[Llama19]

For no particular reason, has anyone checked to see if Andrew Barroway still owns his 5%?

This was from September 2023...
I have not found anything that shows Barroway was bought out...
but Meruelo did have other fires that were more pressing...

Arizona Coyotes owner wants to buy out minority shareholder Andrew Barroway

To quote:

"Alex Meruelo, the majority owner of the Arizona Coyotes, is looking to buy out the minority stake in the National Hockey League team held by Valley businessman Andrew Barroway.

A person close to the deal confirmed to the Phoenix Business Journal on Thursday that Meruelo is in the process of trying to buy back Barroway’s 5% interest in the team."

Source: arizonasports.com/story/3534202/

 

[Llama19]

To be fair, Meruelo did try (and fail) to buy the Atlanta Hawks in... 2013, I think? He was denied due to not having the money.

It was 2011...

Alex Meruelo says he has 'ample resources' to buy Atlanta Hawks

but then...

Hawks won't be sold to Alex Meruelo

 

[Mightygoose]

If this isn't a passive aggressive swipe at Meruelo, I don't know what is.

 

[SunDancer]

Comes across to me is they were desperate. Barroway wasn't going to be in the position to hang on too much longer

Since they were only looking at anyone to keep the team in Arizona, they got him. Bad business models attract bad owners.

It's hard to say. Friedman is also a mouthpiece for the league so he may just be spinning the NHL's story here. This could just be their effort to smear Mereulo's name and make him the scapegoat.

Friedman also talked about the players anger and sense of betrayal but Seravalli claimed the players were happy....said they were looking forward to an owner with deep pockets and playing in an NHL arena again.

Who knows what to believe.

 

[Voight]

The "Not paying hotel bills" really makes me doubt ownership's narrative on not paying Glendale.

After that mess, you'd think they'd at least settle their debts on time.

Mereulos a snake oil salesman.

Just completely spitting balling her, but could they be try ok kill three birds with one stone, the NHL buys the team of AM with the promise an NHL team will return if a suitable arena is in place and facilitates the sale and relocation. The suns owner agrees to renos at TS and purchases the team at a reduced price.... SLC gets it's team, The suns owner eliminates arena competition for the price of arena reno's and a token fee. and the NHL gets free of AM.

That said I can't see the NHL to give reason for locations to argue for a lower expansion fee because they got it. Also not sure how much eliminating a potential competitive threat from the proposed arena would be worth to the suns. But it was a thought that rattled around my puny puny brain.

They could justify a lower expansion fee (by lower I mean somewhere between Seattles price and a billion dollars) so long as they don't expand anywhere else first. Like if they go to Houston for a 33rd team and Fertitta pays a billion, he aint gonna be happy if Ishbia gets a team for 3/4 of that.