Llama19
Registered User
Colonel Shuffle (a Looney Tunes Character) represents the Southern market stance that Commissioner Gary Bettman, et. al., have taken in Phoenix...er Glendale...er...now, somewhere else in Arizona.
The NHL is defending that Last Hill, since planting their "must have a new arena location to succeed" flag back in March 2017.
Below is some historical perspective:
1) "For the past 15 years, a succession of ownership groups and the League have tried everything imaginable to make the Glendale location financially sustainable," the [Commissioner Bettman's] letter continues. "Our combined efforts all have yielded the same result — a consistent economic loss.
"The simple truth? The Coyotes must have a new arena location to succeed," Bettman wrote. "The Coyotes cannot and will not remain in Glendale."
The Coyotes can’t be kept "in financial and marketing limbo" and need a resolution to the arena issue, Bettman wrote.
"The NHL first needs to make the case for a state-funded arena to the taxpayers," [House Speaker J.D.] Mesnard said in a statement. "We’re not seeing a lot of enthusiasm that the public wants to foot the bill for a new arena, and until the NHL can win over taxpayers, they’re going to have a tough sell at the Legislature."
Editor's Note: Where are/were the efforts to win over taxpayers when the arena bill was introduced in 2017?
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2) Mr. Bettman saw a tremendous future for Coyotes hockey in Glendale BEFORE the City of Glendale and its taxpayers committed $200 million to absorb the initial cost of arena construction and full cost of infrastructure construction in 2002.
At that time, Bettman said of the arena “This is a great place for hockey, and we’re thrilled to be here.”
After I [Elaine Scruggs] retired as Mayor in January of 2013, Anthony LeBlanc emerged with yet another NHL-endorsed ownership group, Ice Arizona. At that time, Bettman said, “With ownership committed to making the franchise a success, with an opportunity for businesses and fans to know that there is no uncertainty, we think this franchise can do very, very well.”
Little did anyone know that the annual “management fee” Glendale gave this ownership group to operate the arena was instead transferred directly to the lenders from whom LeBlanc and partners had borrowed the money to buy the franchise.
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3) “The most important thing is to find a long-term home for the Coyotes in Arizona,” [Owner Andrew] Barroway said. “We couldn’t be any more committed to Arizona and the Valley, and the biggest project at hand is to find a home in the right place for the Coyotes in Arizona.”
“Let’s put this to bed: We’re not relocating,” Barroway said.
"It will get done because it has to get done," Barroway said. "Failure is not an option here. We're going to get a new stadium in Arizona, where it should have been located to begin with."
Editor's Note: There was no attempt at another arena bill in the 2018 legislative session. Some speculate, since no other taxpayer funded attempt was made, there could be a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community joint venture.
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1) www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/gary-bettman-coyotes-must-new-arena-location-succeed/
2) archive.azcentral.com/persistent/icimages/politics/Scruggs_Letter03092017.pdf
3) www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2017/07/14/andrew-barroway-reaffirms-commitment-keeping-coyotes-arizona/478144001/
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Hard about... Load the cannon....
