Confirmed with Link: All-Purpose Coyotes Arena Talk: Land Auction Date Set - 6/27

[rt]

You owe it to your staff to say that there is a possibility they will no longer have jobs in 4 weeks, period.

I disagree. I think that’s reckless.

 

[IrishFin]

You owe it to your staff to say that there is a possibility they will no longer have jobs in 4 weeks, period.

I just don't think that is how the real world works unfortunately. I’d argue a lot of employers don’t feel that way. I’ve had a number of family and friends who have gotten laid off at their jobs without notice. Obviously there can be signs that something like that is coming such as a struggling economy, but most show up one day without notice saying they no longer have a job.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Guy doesn't know how to spell puck..... yep another.

I think he's sincere in wanting to make it work though.

Gary's a f***ing Pit Bull!

 

[hockeyboy1923]

Meruelo came off as a slacker who crammed for a final on the strength of Red Bulls and desperation, and then started getting pissed at the teacher when he gave wrong answers.

Bettman was like a public defender tasked with trying to keep Meruelo from making his sentence worse with a contempt of court charge.

Bettman jammed this through without giving Meureulo advance notice or an effective choice in the matter.

Meuruelo is probably surprised, humiliated and upset at how this played out which explains his inability to give good answers.

 

[Edenjung]

I think he's sincere in wanting to make it work though.

Well then the NHL should bring in a person to hold his hand and make the decisions.
He can still write his name on the papers. But everything else will be done by a guardian.

Would look something like this:


But instead of a bombshell there would be his son.

 

[AZviaNJ]

Yet Bear, who I trust more than anyone in the (former) org said players found out the potential relo on January 24. Hmmm

 

[Mosby]

I thought Alex and Gary acted like a couple of dismissive assholes in today’s press conference.

 

[Mosby]

If I was there as a reporter, I would’ve asked Alex OK if you want to be truthful with the fans first tell us is your son even in a part-time capacity doing social media for the team and what qualifications does he have to do that? And, what qualifications does your son have to have a high ranking role in your organization? Why in the past has Alex been involved even in a part-time capacity within the hockey operations department when the evidence is that he has zero background or potentially zero knowledge in hockey? And, is nepotism a reality and all of the different companies you own, or is this simply a pet project for your son?

Do we know if Xavier was at today’s press conference or is he now the guy on the side of the milk carton?

 

[MayDayMayDay]

AM: Blah blah blah

Bettman: *silently* sigh... Goddammit.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

I just don't think that is how the real world works unfortunately. I’d argue a lot of employers don’t feel that way. I’ve had a number of family and friends who have gotten laid off at their jobs without notice. Obviously there can be signs that something like that is coming such as a struggling economy, but most show up one day without notice saying they no longer have a job.

Yeah, a year ago almost to the day, I woke up to an email saying "if you're reading this, you haven't been laid off....but perhaps one or more of your colleagues....." No one saw it coming. Even the guy two levels above me was completely taken by surprise by the announcement. No idea what the criteria was.

 

[hi]

NHL holds press conference in Arizona

Bettman and Meruelo press conference from earlier

 

[Kai Yo T]

I was referring to what AM said Glendale wanted to stay in Glendale. AM said Glendale kicked him out.

You refuse to believe anything that anyone says, yet you're going to go on and believe what Meruelo says here?

I think Meruelo might lie to sugar coat his mistakes a bit now that we know the moment the team left Glendale was the beginning of the end - ground zero.

 

[DustyDangler]

I just don't think that is how the real world works unfortunately. I’d argue a lot of employers don’t feel that way. I’ve had a number of family and friends who have gotten laid off at their jobs without notice. Obviously there can be signs that something like that is coming such as a struggling economy, but most show up one day without notice saying they no longer have a job.

Myself and others got laid off from a job in Mesa once. It was on a Friday of course, and our instructions were to call an 800 number for information about it. We had no formal heads up it was happening 'til the day of.

 

[DustyDangler]

You refuse to believe anything that anyone says, yet you're going to go on and believe what Meruelo says here?

I think Meruelo might lie to sugar coat his mistakes a bit now that we know the moment the team left Glendale was the beginning of the end - ground zero.

Someone with time needs to fact check the entire press conference. He says he spent $7m on Tempe campaign. Twitter folks have receipts that show he spent $1m. He says Glendale wanted 25 years and kicked him but Craig & Ken Phelps said it was 12. Got some very narcissistic vibes in that presser and suspect lying is a big component of his persona.

 

[LAIslanderFan]

Then we’d need to clarify if massive tax savings qualify as profit.

It's not just a tax savings. Those arenas are completely paid for by local governments, meaning the owner doesn't pay a thing. In AM's case, he would have to pay for the arena.

 

[TheLegend]

You know, for a while, I actually enjoyed it. There were - and are still, I would imagine - some very intelligent and fair-minded posters there.

But that small knot of assholes just ruined it for me after a while... that, and a couple of past mods who were clearly an ass-cheek-and-a-half on a particular side of the line...

Know the reference there and unfortunately I cannot confirm or deny.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Yet Bear, who I trust more than anyone in the (former) org said players found out the potential relo on January 24. Hmmm

No, that was when the speculation and subsequent performance collapse happened.

I thought Alex and Gary acted like a couple of dismissive assholes in today’s press conference.

I know, I loved it!

Most people are dumb asses, the sooner they realize and commit to that, or change their ways, the better off we'll all be.

 

[LAIslanderFan]

Bettman jammed this through without giving Meureulo advance notice or an effective choice in the matter.

Meuruelo is probably surprised, humiliated and upset at how this played out which explains his inability to give good answers.

I think all of the criticism of Meruelo is not justified here. He's clearly someone that isn't comfortable in the limelight and came right out and said it. If he seemed uncomfortable and not the most articulate, that's more a sign of someone that isn't comfortable speaking in public. He even stated at one point in the press conference that he doesn't like being out front, because he might say the wrong thing! He's a freaking billionaire with an incredibly diverse portfolio of businesses. If there's a more successful business person on this board, with better business savy, please step forward. When he says the NHL came to him to relinquish the club, I believe him. When he told them no at first, I believe him. He was put in a very difficult position. He could have fought the NHL in court and it would have dragged on for years and things would have been even messier. He's doing everything to keep the Coyotes in AZ. We should be showing him support, not speculating on rumors and hearsay. He's going to the auction on June 27th. He could easily walk away right now and pocket the billion dollars and I wouldn't blame him!

 

[Coyotedroppings]

If I was there as a reporter, I would’ve asked Alex OK if you want to be truthful with the fans first tell us is your son even in a part-time capacity doing social media for the team and what qualifications does he have to do that? And, what qualifications does your son have to have a high ranking role in your organization? Why in the past has Alex been involved even in a part-time capacity within the hockey operations department when the evidence is that he has zero background or potentially zero knowledge in hockey? And, is nepotism a reality and all of the different companies you own, or is this simply a pet project for your son?

Do we know if Xavier was at today’s press conference or is he now the guy on the side of the milk carton?

I could have forwarded any question you had, yesterday. When I asked for questions, I received nothing but smart assery.

XG was there, he was seen walking by the camera after the presser.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

You refuse to believe anything that anyone says, yet you're going to go on and believe what Meruelo says here?

I think Meruelo might lie to sugar coat his mistakes a bit now that we know the moment the team left Glendale was the beginning of the end - ground zero.

Yesterday AM said that Glendale wanted 20 years, or they would kick him out, he said he would not do 20, not believing they'd give him the boot.
If that helps any.

It's not just a tax savings. Those arenas are completely paid for by local governments, meaning the owner doesn't pay a thing. In AM's case, he would have to pay for the arena.

You're missing the point.

 

[Sinurgy]

I think the takeaway from everything that's happened to this franchise in almost 30 years is this: hockey may work in various locales around the Valley depending on context and how the team does business, but it will never work anywhere in Arizona if the ownership sucks as much ass as ours has virtually since day one.

I mean, an engaged, Mark Cuban-style owner could have made it work in Glendale. Truly, he could have. It would have taken a lot of work in the community to build relationships and get west side fans excited in the sport rather than marketing to people 30 miles away. It would have taken infrastructure partnerships to build local sheets of ice and youth programs in the same area as Westgate. It would have taken a personal interest in working with Valley corporations to be partners for the whole Valley instead of saying it would only work in their backyards. And maybe it would even have required encouraging the players to get homes in the affluent areas in the northeast part of town (although that wasn't very realistic back in 2003, when there wasn't the "West Scottsdale" development push that we have out here now).

Lots of ifs, sure. But look at what we've been through the last two years. We had an East Valley arena. It should have been easy - no, a fait accompli - to sell out Mullett every f***ing night, because of where it's located. And we had a development plan - or at least a pie in the sky idea - that should have been the biggest slam dunk of all time to build a massive jewel of an entertainment district on a piece of land that not even Tempe wants to have anything to do with. But nobody trusted the ownership except the politicians. That history of malfeasance and bad faith and questionable finances that has dogged the Coyotes since, well, year two of their existence in Arizona just never went away, no matter how much the faces changed.

And what's worst about our current situation is that that history won't go away either so long as Alex Meruelo is involved in any capacity with the franchise. The local pols, businesspeople, and voters aren't going to suddenly give him the benefit of the doubt just because we lost a team and they want to have one back. He's the same guy. He's shown absolutely zero intent on changing the way he does business to perform outreach, to connect with people, to become anything more than an absentee father to a neglected child. Does anyone really think that anyone outside of the blind diehards who want a team back at all costs will trust him or want to do business with him? Of course not.

I think the NHL knows this. This whole 5-year window of "activation" thing is a smoke screen for them to hide behind and get away with this with less blowback. They don't want Meruelo in the club anymore. They don't think he will do what he's been promising, because he hasn't followed up on anything else he's promised. They are likely hoping he will skip town with the cash, and that will be the end of the Arizona era and they can go chase money in Houston and Atlanta.

Bettman and co. would love it if someone with boundless cash, a keen eye for and experience in sports business, and an attitude of making things work would somehow magically appear in Arizona and build a franchise here. Unfortunately, that mythical figure does not exist. Matt Ishbia is not that guy. He's a basketball guy who would take on a hockey team as part of his portfolio, not like Ryan Smith who is doing it because he likes hockey and wants to see it succeed in SLC. Ishbia has shown none of that kind of interest. The only interest he's shown has been as a way to expand his empire and holdings, not be the borderline pastor of an aimless flock of hockey devotees who can help them build a settlement and a life.

I think once people understand all of this, it will make things a little easier to cope with.

Meruelo came off as a slacker who crammed for a final on the strength of Red Bulls and desperation, and then started getting pissed at the teacher when he gave wrong answers.

Bettman was like a public defender tasked with trying to keep Meruelo from making his sentence worse with a contempt of court charge.

Man you are in the zone today!!!

 

[Sinurgy]

Bettman the physical embodiment of a sigh if I've ever seen one. You can tell he's tired of being AM's handler. I kept waiting for him to snap "You f***ing see what we're dealing with?!?!" haha

Reporter: "Gary, why would you walk away from AZ like this, why couldn't you make it work?"

Uncle Gary: <gestures broadly towards his right>

 

[Jakey53]

At least get your quotes right Jakey, because Meruelo has repeatedly said 20 and did on that podcast too.

My bad. I was going by memory. Getting old is the shits.

 

[TheLegend]

View attachment 855384

AM: Blah blah blah

Bettman: *silently* sigh... Goddammit.

 

[Prarievarg]

Do we know if Xavier was at today’s press conference or is he now the guy on the side of the milk carton?

XG was there