If Phoenix gets expansion. Is Murelo the owner?

[KibbleandBlitz]

I hope not. He played everyone. He lied.

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[rt]

We’ll know more on April 18th and then again on June 27th. If he sells the team for relocation, that’s bad. If he buys that land and starts building an arena district, that mitigates some things.

 

[StreetHawk]

I hope not. He played everyone. He lied.

I would doubt it. Personally, never a fan of separate arenas for NHL/NBA teams, so would have to wonder what happens to Footprint when the lease with the Suns is nearing an end? If this land is to be developed and an expansion NHL team is awarded, ideally like to have the NBA owner involved. I think like ATL, AZ needs some time away from the NHL. Not to get back together in 5 years. ATL will be at 13 years this off-season and will need close to another 3 before they would get a team back. So, 16 years apart. Maybe not that long for AZ, but think more than 4/5 years is going to be needed.

 

[rt]

I would doubt it. Personally, never a fan of separate arenas for NHL/NBA teams, so would have to wonder what happens to Footprint when the lease with the Suns is nearing an end? If this land is to be developed and an expansion NHL team is awarded, ideally like to have the NBA owner involved. I think like ATL, AZ needs some time away from the NHL. Not to get back together in 5 years. ATL will be at 13 years this off-season and will need close to another 3 before they would get a team back. So, 16 years apart. Maybe not that long for AZ, but think more than 4/5 years is going to be needed.

Ishbia and the Suns have a lease agreement at Footprint for another 13 years. If he can find but some land and start developing it in 8 years, he might be willing to buy out the final two years (assuming 3yr construction timeline). NHL would probably be ok with an expansion team bunking up with the suns for a few years during construction.

So if it’s a Suns/Yotes combo, it likely 7-14 years in the future.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

At this point, I don't know what it would take to restore the trust in him.

It won't matter. I don't think Bettman is still commissioner in five years. And I'm not convinced Bill Daly would share his devotion to the market.

 

[moosemeister]

If the team comes back in the future, it’ll be closer to 2040 when the Suns lease is up.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

If the team comes back in the future, it’ll be closer to 2040 when the Suns lease is up.

The scope of my disappointment expands that wide. There is a part of me that resents Ishbia for his complicity and not stepping up here. This was a missed opportunity for his new sports group, for the future of hockey and sports as a whole in Arizona. I'm having a hard time envisioning willfully supporting him or the Suns anymore. It wouldn't feel like the right thing to do, and it shouldn't have to feel that way.

 

[moosemeister]

The scope of my disappointment expands that wide. There is a part of me that resents Ishbia for his complicity and not stepping up here. This was a missed opportunity for his new sports group, for the future of hockey and sports as a whole in Arizona. I'm having a hard time envisioning willfully supporting him or the Suns anymore. It wouldn't feel like the right thing to do, and it shouldn't have to feel that way.

I don't blame him for not stepping up.

Truth is, the Coyotes have nowhere to go. If there was an arena in town that could make ice and not require the substantial amount of money required to make it happen, he might've stepped up. Ishbia doesn't want to be in Mullett, just like the league doesn't want to be there longer than they have to.

This is the reality of this whole situation. If every single timeline was met, the earliest the Coyotes could play out of any building not named Mullett Arena was 2027. But the current state of the economy doesn't help anything. Financing, rates, materials, the cost to all of this is uncertain. Probably why this relocation move was made.

They can't renovate Footprint to make it happen temporarily. It's not a good financial move. If Ishbia ever buys into the NHL, a new building would be required.

Glendale is the same. They'd have to buy all new equipment for a temporary move that the league has already said wouldn't work in that location.

VMC costs way too much to do as well.

It's either Mullett or a new building. Ishbia isn't going to foot the bill for another arena when he's locked into one until 2037 at the earliest.

Me personally, with no insider info on any of this, is if a team happens before 2037, it's because Meruelo sold the team, went through with the land, and the league gave him an expansion team on a discount expansion fee. Whether this fan base and the league can trust him is a completely different story. If the NHL comes back, I'll certainly be a fan of the new team. I'm all AZ, and I'd happily cheer for Coyotes 2.0.

Ishbia has a legacy far greater than sports. UWM is single handedly shuttering doors of retail mortgage companies across the country. His mortgage business model is reaching far more corners of the country than the Phoenix Suns and/or Phoenix Coyotes would ever do. Whether the broker model is sustainable long term as mortgage rates come down in the future is unknown, but he was in business before the sudden spike in rates, and he'll likely still be making bank after the mortgage interest rates stabilize. The Suns are a hobby to him. His real bread winner is UWM.

 

[KibbleandBlitz]

I say team is back in 3-5 yrs. no way it takes long. nobody will wait that long and NHL sees massive potential like all of us.

 

[MIGs Dog]

I hope not. He played everyone. He lied.

He's still bidding at the auction...no?

 

[Mosby]

You can't f*** over the community's trust in you and then expect them to come crawling back just a few years later.

 

[YotesFan47]

So I haven't been paying too much attention to the arena stuff. What did he lie about that's got everyone up in arms and ready to let the team go?

 

[hbk]

So I haven't been paying too much attention to the arena stuff. What did he lie about that's got everyone up in arms and ready to let the team go?

perception that he is cutting a deal to move the team while touting the auction and the team is staying.

That being said. We don't know how much of this is Muerelo and how much this is the NHL forcing a deal. The team isn't worth a billion and that is by design. Prevents lawsuits.

 

[YotesFan47]

perception that he is cutting a deal to move the team while touting the auction and the team is staying.

That being said. We don't know how much of this is Muerelo and how much this is the NHL forcing a deal. The team isn't worth a billion and that is by design. Prevents lawsuits.

So for all we know the team is staying and AM just looks bad in the media?

 

[TheLegend]

If the team comes back in the future, it’ll be closer to 2040 when the Suns lease is up.

Unless Phoenix and Ishiba work something else out before hand.

 

[hbk]

So for all we know the team is staying and AM just looks bad in the media?

it's 90-95% done. If the word billion is being uttered we shouldn't be surprised that Muerelo takes the $. It's a billion for something he paid $300M for.

 

[moosemeister]

Unless Phoenix and Ishiba work something else out before hand.

How so? Get the city of Phoenix residents to pay for the footprint renovations AND the new stadium?

 

[StreetHawk]

How so? Get the city of Phoenix residents to pay for the footprint renovations AND the new stadium?

Probably means, in the 3 years before the lease expires, the Suns and City figure out a way to have an arena accommodate both teams if the Suns owner owns them both. Better to have just 1 arena vs 2. Whether that is another major reno or a brand new arena on the land that is up for auction in June. That allows for construction time before the lease expires if it's a new arena.

 

[DustyDangler]

it's 90-95% done. If the word billion is being uttered we shouldn't be surprised that Muerelo takes the $. It's a billion for something he paid $300M for.

And if we are honest with ourselves, if we could gain $700m and be hated by a subset of sports fans...most everyone would take the money.

 

[RABBIT]

I would understand if he tried everything he could, and then ultimately had to sell the team for the price tag that being rumored.

What I don’t understand is stringing along a fan base and employees without opening your mouth to them directly. Or making subtle hints on social media platforms that your plan is still in process all while knowing you’re going to sell the team and pivot to “well we ARE still going to do the auction, we just didn’t tell you that the team will relocate and we will try to get a fresh Coyotes expansion team in the future.”

If that’s his plan I have no faith in him as an owner.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I would understand if he tried everything he could, and then ultimately had to sell the team for the price tag. It’s being rumored at. What I don’t understand is stringing along a fan base and employees without opening your mouth to them directly. Or making subtle hints on social media platforms that your plan is still in process all while knowing you’re going to sell the team and pivot to “well we ARE still going to do the auction, we just didn’t tell you that the team will relocate and we will try to get a fresh Coyotes expansion team in the future.”

If that’s his plan I have no faith in him as an owner.

It's completely understandable if you readjust your conception of Alex Meruelo from a good-faith businessman to a grifting, narcissistic sociopath whose superpower is manipulating people rather than running a fair, transparent, and honest business.

 

[Kai Yo T]

I don't think AM will be picked to own any professional sports franchise ever again. Not in any sport.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I don't think AM will be picked to own any professional sports franchise ever again. Not in any sport.

You overestimate the ethical mores of the various professional sports leagues. The only reason Meruelo is getting kicked out of the club right now is that he's making them look too publicly stupid. He'd be welcomed into the NFL with open arms if he had the money to do it.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

And if we are honest with ourselves, if we could gain $700m and be hated by a subset of sports fans...most everyone would take the money.

pfft. I'd do it for 1% of that.

 

[DustyDangler]

You overestimate the ethical mores of the various professional sports leagues. The only reason Meruelo is getting kicked out of the club right now is that he's making them look too publicly stupid. He'd be welcomed into the NFL with open arms if he had the money to do it.

Funny cuz...it's true.