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

[sneakytitz]

Then I would be actually wrong, why would I do that?



Delta Center was built for basketball and seats 18,306 for NBA games. It will need to be renovated for NHL games in the short term.

“It’s probably the tightest bowl in the NBA,” Smith said. “It’s an envy of the NBA for basketball. Right now, we’ve got 12,000 perfect seats (for hockey) that kind of come in where the sight lines are beautiful and another 6,000 where we can go have fun with who we bring in and how we do that, because it’s a little more compromised from a viewing standpoint.

“But you know, I was just looking at the plans to be able to get to [about 17,500] on hockey without ruining the slope and having to really, like, extract the bowl using new technology that’s available both from seating and the way that we can turn from basketball to hockey, which is super exciting.”

Smith said he has spoken to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about doing something different.

“We want to actually use our arena and really spend time creating the best dual-sport arena that exists out there, because we want to keep people as close as we possibly can or as vertical as we possibly can to watch both games,” Smith said. “… How do we maintain that while making it really cool and innovative for hockey? And it’s super fun and challenging, but we’re going to do it.”





Could it happen? Anything can happen, he did talk about the possibility of the Jazz going wherever the NHL team goes and not have two arenas. But as I always say, money finds a way. However, there’s no obvious directive or any urgency to get a new arena. He said talked about how everyone knows what a new arena looks like and the experience is really about the blocks surrounding the arena.

I'm just going to send another article:

Utah lawmakers approve downtown NBA/NHL arena bill as they seek 'vibrant' capital

Utah lawmakers have approved a bill that paves the way for improvements to downtown Salt Lake City, including a possible new arena for the Utah Jazz and a potential National Hockey League franchise.

www.ksl.com

However, Hawkins said changes don't alter the essence of the bill. It still sets up the framework for an NBA or NHL owner — such as Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group — to approach Salt Lake City and the state and agree to a plan to revitalize the area, including a new arena for the Utah Jazz and an NHL franchise.

Updates to venues like the Salt Palace Convention Center or Abravanel Hall could also be included. All government-related funds would be covered through bonds issued either by the city, county or state, on top of any private funds directed toward investment.

 

[Headshot77]

Oh, a hundred percent, he can pay it.

I just think of super-wealthy people, and many of them didn't become wealthy by treating a 1.3B dollar purchase like it was easily affordable. I think Fertitta's cheap as hell, is what I'm saying, and while he can pay it, he's not anywhere near seeing the value proposition at that price, which explains his complaints about rising costs of acquiring and owning a sports franchise.

If I was a Houston hockey fan I'd personally not want Fertitta to own the team anyway if he's gonna be such a shrewd.

 

[GKJ]

I'm just going to send another article:

Utah lawmakers approve downtown NBA/NHL arena bill as they seek 'vibrant' capital

Utah lawmakers have approved a bill that paves the way for improvements to downtown Salt Lake City, including a possible new arena for the Utah Jazz and a potential National Hockey League franchise.

www.ksl.com

However, Hawkins said changes don't alter the essence of the bill. It still sets up the framework for an NBA or NHL owner — such as Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group — to approach Salt Lake City and the state and agree to a plan to revitalize the area, including a new arena for the Utah Jazz and an NHL franchise.

Updates to venues like the Salt Palace Convention Center or Abravanel Hall could also be included. All government-related funds would be covered through bonds issued either by the city, county or state, on top of any private funds directed toward investment.

I don’t know what to tell you, man. Just because government earmarked the money doesn’t mean he’s gotta do it. Or do it right now. He’s talked about ‘the bones of Delta Center.’ I heard the same term from the Flyers about renovating Wells Fargo Center and how they felt it bought them another 20 years after paying off the mortgage.

 

[mouser]

I’m not privy to why the kachinas were ditched; perhaps there was a good reason. It seems to me that the Coyote branding was distinct enough and worked… it wasn’t the problem in and of itself. All the decisions made in leaving downtown seemed to lack certain details of vision and the organization never really recovered.

Local media reports at the time of the jersey/logo change that Wayne Gretzky was the main driver of the switch. He thought the team should have a more traditional/O6 look.

I think the logo change was a complete mistake, but only one of many TGO made during his tenure in Arizona.

 

[LT]

If I was a Houston hockey fan I'd personally not want Fertitta to own the team anyway if he's gonna be such a shrewd.

We're a few years from there, I think. He's probably not the right guy to build hockey roots in Houston effectively (Dallas is an ideal model for that, IMO), since it requires too much of an initial investment that won't be returned for a few decades at the earliest.

But that's never gonna happen without an NHL team first and foremost. And right now he's the only guy who can put a team here.

 

[PCSPounder]

Questions still unanswered:

Utah is VGK TV territory. (As is Idaho, Montana based on their summer promo "bus trip" with mascots, TV announcers, promo team members, and a player who flew in.) And what is happening (temporarily) with Arizona's TV territory?
Will Vegas be getting a slightly larger chunk of the $200m relocation fee to compensate? Will there be an overlap? Will the league/BOG be redrawing lines?

Players' relocation costs are covered by CBA (13.7/14.3). What of the other hockey ops employees?

Idaho’s gonna get complicated, methinks.

Heavily Mormon Eastern Idaho, Utah.

Northern Idaho, Kraken (if they aren’t already, considering the populated parts lean towards Spokane anyway).

Southern Idaho (or, more accurately, Boise)- Mormon influence vs “people who live just far enough from Vegas to reduce temptation, but close enough to make annual visits.”

 

[sneakytitz]

I don’t know what to tell you, man. Just because government earmarked the money doesn’t mean he’s gotta do it. Or do it right now. He’s talked about ‘the bones of Delta Center.’ I heard the same term from the Flyers about renovating Wells Fargo Center and how they felt it bought them another 20 years after paying off the mortgage.

Well then lets agree to table the conversation until July 2.

 

[GKJ]

Well then let’s agree to table the conversation until July 2.

What’s July 2? I may be places that week.

 

[TheLegend]

(Paraphrasing) I couldn’t speak. I was gagged, threatened… that was my most WTF moment of the presser

Who threatened you? The man sitting to your left?

Wouldn’t doubt it but pretty ballsy to come right out and say it when you’re sitting next to him

Bettman didn’t specify but confirmed Meruelo had been “gagged” to some degree.

Getting the vibe that losing $60 million a year and trying to resolve 20 years of stupidity (outside of his own) was becoming too much to handle.

I remember we were talking about it way way back if they could ever find someone who could pull the franchise out of the hole it kept sinking further into.

Can’t really fault Meruelo in some areas given how much he put into getting as far as he did. You can’t deny he put together a solid hockey-ops department that is starting to show results.

But at the same time, dragging them along behind this effort to get a permanent arena solution was going to begin affecting that and it was a major reason why the league made this move.

Now Meruelo can just focus on getting the arena/ED done without all the other distractions.

If he can.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

If I was a Houston hockey fan I'd personally not want Fertitta to own the team anyway if he's gonna be such a shrewd.

I think he will be like JIm Dolan and eave hockey to hockey people and just interfere with basketball.

 

[PCSPounder]

Delta Center is on ONE block. The fact that SLC blocks are way too large is on them, though the “wagon train could turn around on the old city streets” width was a thing. The arena is diagonal to the block, so it’s taking up as little of that block as humanly possible. There’s space to work with for any given block, just saying.

 

[GKJ]

By the way, we saw a pretty stark difference that everyone now sees as to why no one likes Meruelo and everyone loves Ryan Smith.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Sir, this is a Wendy’s

No way, dude is in Atlanta it's a WAFFLE HOUSE baby

 

[Acesolid]

This didn't have to happen.

It didn't have to happen if they just ran a proper TED campaign and put as much effort and intensity into their campaign as the opposition did. This was the biggest red flag of all.

It didn't have to f***ing happen.

To be fair, NIMBYs are so organized (thanks partly to social media and IDIOTIC laws and regulations enabling their ability to block and delay projects) it has become almost impossible to build anything at all anywhere in North America.

I think this story should be yet another wake up call about the need for removing at all levels of government the ability for NIMBYs to prevent building anything (especially housing).

But we're getting off topic.

 

[sneakytitz]

No way, dude is in Atlanta it's a WAFFLE HOUSE baby

HASHBROWNS. HAYMAKERS.

SCATTERED>SMOTHERED>COVERED

 

[TheGreenTBer]

HASHBROWNS. HAYMAKERS.

SCATTERED>SMOTHERED>COVERED

I'm telling you man, I am ALL-FREAKING-IN on this idea.

There are so many ways to incorporate this institution into a NHL team it's not even funny.

 

[GKJ]

 

[sneakytitz]

Now Meruelo can just focus on getting the arena/ED done without all the other distractions.

If he can.

I'm thinking he does.

Guy sounded like he was just too high strung from other bullshit, a fair bit inherited. I'm inclined to think this temporary reprieve is what he needs to get things done.

I'm telling you man, I am ALL-FREAKING-IN on this idea.

There are so many ways to incorporate this institution into a NHL team it's not even funny.

Music to my ears, and ultimately something I think will happen. WaHo HQ is 18 miles from The Gathering. They've flirted with sports affiliation and sponsorship before and Joe Rogers Jr. has been rumored to have been involved in the NHL-Atlanta push at the start - maybe he's a Krause backer, or maybe he's the 3rd party that has been hinted at. Who knows, but I'm geeked at the chance to crush some hashbrowns in between copious Coors Lights at a future Thrashers game.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I'm thinking he does.

Guy sounded like he was just too high strung from other bullshit, a fair bit inherited. I'm inclined to think this temporary reprieve is what he needs to get things done.



Music to my ears, and ultimately something I think will happen. WaHo HQ is 18 miles from The Gathering. They've flirted with sports affiliation and sponsorship before and Joe Rogers Jr. has been rumored to have been involved in the NHL-Atlanta push at the start - maybe he's a Krause backer, or maybe he's the 3rd party that has been hinted at. Who knows, but I'm geeked at the chance to crush some hashbrowns in between copious Coors Lights at a future Thrashers game.

Should this occur, the Atlanta team would be immediately vaulted into my 2nd favorite team and I will take a very vested interest in their goings-on. I don't switch teams but they'd be in my heart every time.

Okay I'll stop hijacking this thread with our bomb-ass idea.

 

[Fenway]

Anyone got a link to the Meruelo/Bettman press conference?

 

[Fenway]

 

[Devils 3silverones]

What an absolute shit show. That was the worst interview I have seen.

 

[Fenway]

Watching both news conferences one thing is clear Utah is getting political support that the Coyotes never got.

 

[GKJ]

 

[No Fun Shogun]

To be fair, it’s a lot easier to look good while polishing a diamond than while polishing a turd. I can’t imagine a scenario where a post-relocation* Yotes press conference is anything other than a gong show.

But even still, not a good one even by those low standards.

*prove me wrong, Meruelo. Prove me wrong. /skinner