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

[The Feckless Puck]

Are we still talking about a story with zero verified sources of said "hotel"

The hotel has not been named, no employee has come forward, no organization member, no person from the league. Sounds like news agencies are just scraping the bottom of the barrel and running with it as news. This story was probably sourced from Reddit or this forum. All this bickering over a fake news story.

By the way, I am selling ocean front property in AZ if you are interested.

Ahhh, the "fake news" canard for when sourced facts are personally inconvenient. What a fun era this is!

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Ahhh, the "fake news" canard for when sourced facts are personally inconvenient. What a fun era this is!

Inconvenient for who? Not me I am not pushing the narrative or trying to pass off something as news. What else would call if it is not true or real? Incorrect news? Nothing in the article is verified or true new?

Dismiss or deflect, whatever it is, there still is no source or verification.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Inconvenient for who? Not me I am not pushing the narrative or trying to pass off something as news. What else would call if it is not true or real? Incorrect news? Nothing in the article is verified or true new?

Dismiss or deflect, whatever it is, there still is no source or verification.

Inconvenient for people who do not understand how journalists source their stories. If this was a fly-by-night blog, I'd be more willing to share your skepticism, but these reports came from the Athletic and ESPN (separately) and while they don't have the stringent sourcing requirements of, say, the Associated Press, they do have an editorial standard to which information like this has to be held.

But sure, if you want, let's go down the Sourcing Ouroboros together - do you have proof or verification that these reports are unproven and unverified?

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Inconvenient for people who do not understand how journalists source their stories. If this was a fly-by-night blog, I'd be more willing to share your skepticism, but these reports came from the Athletic and ESPN (separately) and while they don't have the stringent sourcing requirements of, say, the Associated Press, they do have an editorial standard to which information like this has to be held.

But sure, if you want, let's go down the Sourcing Ouroboros together - do you have proof or verification that these reports are unproven and unverified?

Lol wow you are really going to put your trust in a brand? Its still not verified and no one out all the organizations is coming forward. Talk about editorial standards, that's a joke.

Again, more dismissal, downplay, and even trying to discredit because you don't have anything else but to agree that there are no sources and this is poor journalism if you even want to call it that. Sensationalized news article for clicks.

Yeah, I do have proof they are unsourced. The article itself has no sources, lol

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Again, more dismissal, downplay, and even trying to discredit because you don't have anything else but to agree that there are no sources and this is poor journalism if you even want to call it that. Sensationalized news article for clicks.

I don't have sources because I haven't personally investigated the situation. If I were to do so, as I have many times in my previous career, whether I would cite specific sources by name in the running copy would depend on the strength of said sources, confidentiality agreements, and a host of other qualifying context. In the case of sources who speak off the record, I would find more information from independent sources to either corroborate or disclaim the original claims before using it in my reporting (i.e. vetting.)

Again, with a random blogger or podcaster, you'd be more apt to find hearsay and unsubstantiated rumor. But at ESPN and the Athletic, their reporting standards are higher. I only have third-hand knowledge of the Athletic's editorial guidebook but I have peers who used to report for ESPN and I know their sourcing and reporting stipulations fairly well.

If the response to the reportage is, "You can't prove that," or "Fake news!" or as you yourself said, dismissal or downplay, that isn't an outright denial. It's verbal trickery to attack the messenger and increase skepticism to try and defuse the impact of the reporting. Classic crisis comms stuff. But saying, "I have been in business 40 years and I wouldn't have gotten far without paying bills," and then refusing comment afterward, is not a statement, it's a prevarication.

Yeah, I do have proof they are unsourced. The article itself has no sources, lol

This sentence makes no sense.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

....and, speaking of...


...The only reason I've heard of Tucumcari NM is because we stayed there in 1974 returning to Florida from the Grand Canyon

I despise flying and since I'm retired, I can afford the time on the road and actually enjoy it. I do a lot of Tulsa and back (Mom lives there) and when we don't have the motorhome, we normally stay in Santa Rosa (1/2 way pt.), but the bro-in-law told us about this place, so we had to try it. Like I said, it was cool, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it and most likely won't stay there again.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

I don't have sources because I haven't personally investigated the situation. If I were to do so, as I have many times in my previous career, whether I would cite specific sources by name in the running copy would depend on the strength of said sources, confidentiality agreements, and a host of other qualifying context. In the case of sources who speak off the record, I would find more information from independent sources to either corroborate or disclaim the original claims before using it in my reporting (i.e. vetting.)

Again, with a random blogger or podcaster, you'd be more apt to find hearsay and unsubstantiated rumor. But at ESPN and the Athletic, their reporting standards are higher. I only have third-hand knowledge of the Athletic's editorial guidebook but I have peers who used to report for ESPN and I know their sourcing and reporting stipulations fairly well.

If the response to the reportage is, "You can't prove that," or "Fake news!" or as you yourself said, dismissal or downplay, that isn't an outright denial. It's verbal trickery to attack the messenger and increase skepticism to try and defuse the impact of the reporting. Classic crisis comms stuff. But saying, "I have been in business 40 years and I wouldn't have gotten far without paying bills," and then refusing comment afterward, is not a statement, it's a prevarication.



This sentence makes no sense.

I wouldn't expect you to, I'd expect the news article to have that. They don't even name a hotel, and that's sad that whoever reporting can't even name that. ESPN and Athletic is a business and if you don't think they will produce something for clicks then I don't know what to tell ya. The blind acceptance is wild to me to, and I would like to see if you are interested in some ocean front property I have for sell in Yuma.

Believe me, its a great property at a price you can't pass up. No need to verify the ocean is there, I am sure you believe me.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I wouldn't expect you to, I'd expect the news article to have that. They don't even name a hotel, and that's sad that whoever reporting can't even name that. ESPN and Athletic is a business and if you don't think they will produce something for clicks then I don't know what to tell ya.

If you want to discount reporting from multiple independent sources in both the journalistic space as well as reports from the PA and NHL, that's up to you. But Meruelo isn't going to give you any ROI for your blind faith in him. Most guys in his position think that their biggest defenders are the easiest marks.

The blind acceptance is wild to me to, and I would like to see if you are interested in some ocean front property I have for sell in Yuma.

Believe me, its a great property at a price you can't pass up. No need to verify the ocean is there, I am sure you believe me.

You know, you're the one who bought that property... you have to live with it, but good luck trying to sell it to suckers...

 

[finkelsteinberg]

Just a reminder you need to put yourself in Alex Meruelo’s position……

- Trying to turn around a franchise that’s losing tens of millions a year.

- Those millions have to come from somewhere.

- That taking those tens of millions from other assets you spent years and millions on without hurting them.

- Then attempting to put yourself into debt for over a billion to get said franchise (losing tens of millions annually) a new home so they stop losing said tens of millions annually.

Makes an unpaid hotel bill look like arguing over lunch money.

If he didn't expect to lose millions, particularly in the beginning of ownership, that is on him. Certainly no one could have predicted COVID but every one else had to deal with it as well. Owners of sports franchises tend to lose millions. It isn't run like your normal business and the successful owners know that. It's also a very long-term investment. IE how Sarver goes from paying 450~ m for the Suns and then makes a boat load at the sale and that was with him being forced out.

Also, people have mentioned, the losses can be used in a lot of creative ways for tax purposes and no doubt, the owners take advantage.

In a later post, you say easier said than done. Sure, but isn't that the reason billionaires have a staff that they can trust? To figure this shit out. To have the foresight.

I'm not saying this guy isn't a good businessman. I have no idea other than the history not related to the Coyotes, which suggests he is. But it doesn't make him a good owner. He doesn't even do the little things. He's not realizing he is the problem and willing to make changes internally. Reading how Ryan Smith has already handled the players & coaches shows you the difference between someone who gets it and AM.

I have consistently looked at this ownership group with a bias in their favor. Even past the sale. I kept thinking that there were just a lot of rich aholes trying to grind their axes with him. That the NHL was desperate and forced his hand. But the people with axes to grind are piling up and continue to do so. There is enough smoke behind all of these stories that there has to be fire. He isn't trying to put out the fires because he is stubborn. He thinks he can just bully his way through.

As has been hinted by Craig Morgan and some things that you could surmise from the NHL dealings; they are setting him up with a pretty high bar which seems intended to make sure he doesn't reach the necessary benchmarks to get a team back. It sucks. He is probably our best bet to get a team back, the quickest. But I have come around to the idea that the short-term gain isn't worth the long-term franchise struggles.

If he pulls this off, certainly he has the possibility of the external revenues propping up the team losses but who knows at what cost and how high of a ceiling the revenues will be. Is he even willing to consider using all of that revenue to lift the team? Will he all of a sudden stop being cheap? Doubtful. It's time we quit making excuses for this guy. He failed the fans on several occasions. He is going to continue to do so, even if, on the surface it looks like is bringing a team back.

I think he wants to prove people wrong but I don't think he knows how to do it and will not be willing to make the necessary changes to make a future Yotes franchise thrive.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

Can y'all say..... asshat?

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Like I said, we're now the Living Dead. AM wins the auction in 2 months, maybe we get a team in 5 years, but he's the owner. AM loses; we're essentially Atlanta...who is now getting stronger "rumors" of "maybe" getting something, 13 years later.

 

[Dead Coyote]

You know I don't know if these allegations are true or not and I really don't care. None of us, including you, know how to run a multi dollar business,

Sure I do, I made hundreds of dollars with my lemonade stand back in the day

Are we still talking about a story with zero verified sources of said "hotel"

The hotel has not been named, no employee has come forward, no organization member, no person from the league. Sounds like news agencies are just scraping the bottom of the barrel and running with it as news. This story was probably sourced from Reddit or this forum. All this bickering over a fake news story.

By the way, I am selling ocean front property in AZ if you are interested.

Lol it was sourced by Greg Wyshninski and Frank Seravelli. But sure man.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Like I said, we're now the Living Dead. AM wins the auction in 2 months, maybe we get a team in 5 years, but he's the owner. AM loses; we're essentially Atlanta...who is now getting stronger "rumors" of "maybe" getting something, 13 years later.

Atlanta, at least, has two ownership groups vying for an expansion from what I understand, and both of them seem like they have some hockey veterans involved (Anson Carter, I believe, is part of one of the groups). So if it happens, they're going to do it right - not have the clown car show they had as the Thrashers and Flames.

 

[TheLegend]

If you want to discount reporting from multiple independent sources in both the journalistic space as well as reports from the PA and NHL, that's up to you. But Meruelo isn't going to give you any ROI for your blind faith in him. Most guys in his position think that their biggest defenders are the easiest marks.

One counterpoint here…..

Most of these reporters tend to copycat off each other these days so when you hear “multiple sources” it can often end up being one or two sources multiplied.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

You know, you're the one who bought that property... you have to live with it, but good luck trying to sell it to suckers...

I am pretty sure I found one that even believes that I own it. Oh, and I am for sure a licensed real-estate agent and broker this sweet deal. Since we are on this road to make believe, I'll say that 110% you will like it.

Lol it was sourced by Greg Wyshninski and Frank Seravelli. But sure man.

Yeah? they are the source of information? Because they own the unnamed hotel and talked to the unnamed employee and did a report saying this unknown person said. Please, you have got to be kidding me.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

One counterpoint here…..

Most of these reporters tend to copycat off each other these days so when you hear “multiple sources” it can often end up being one or two sources multiplied.

It can in some cases, for sure. Especially among smaller sites and sites like Eklund and rumor mill sites. But not with Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan. They do a longform piece like this and it's either original reporting or corroborated reporting from other reputable sources.

The thing that bugs me about this whole debate - other than the whole "It Can't Happen Here" vibe of backlash about a "biased press" - is that it's dead simple for us as fans to discount pejorative reporting as "fake news" and hearsay and whatever else because our emotions won't allow us to concede even the possibility that it might be accurate. Hell, I'm guilty of it myself with the Frank Seravalli reporting. You all probably remember how I laid into that nasal-voiced tub of processed meat when all of this started going down at first... and I used to be a credentialed reporter. I let my fan glasses get fogged up by denial and defensiveness and consequently I almost missed the most consequential story in Arizona's hockey history.

It's funny, because the other day I recall hearing someone say that Mat Ishbia is the Suns' owner because "Sarver got taken out by an ESPN hit piece." What nobody ever admits is that if the ESPN piece was wrong, then Sarver would have and could have rebutted it and might even have had a case for a libel lawsuit. Nobody ever references the independent investigations that followed the ESPN piece that confirmed that not only were the details accurate, they were actually understated.

I get it, okay? Everyone's afraid that if Meruelo is even 1/4th as bad as he appears to be for AZ hockey that we will never get a team back here. That doesn't fill me with glee either. I hurt for the local hockey scene and especially the Kachina program, which has thrived and survived with Coyotes money behind it. That may all go away if Meruelo doesn't deliver.

But the other side to that is that this franchise was crippled - crippled - by bad management and poor ownership for decades. We were the laughingstock of the league at best for all but two or three seasons' worth of hockey. Is it worth going right back to that well, just to have an NHL team closer than five hours' drive away (less than an hour by airliner)? Do you want to wait five to ten years for an NHL franchise, only to have an ethically and morally questionable gaslighter and his inept offspring put a team together in the manner of monkeys f***ing a football?

I'm sorry, but I don't. I say this over and over, but pro hockey is a business. It is a consumer product. If I like candy bars, but the only one being sold at my local store is "Shit 'N' Nougat," I'm not going to buy it and eat it. I'm going to go to another store, or maybe buy some chips instead. I'm never going to be desperate enough for the alternative.

 

[Matias Maccete]

It can in some cases, for sure. Especially among smaller sites and sites like Eklund and rumor mill sites. But not with Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan. They do a longform piece like this and it's either original reporting or corroborated reporting from other reputable sources.

The thing that bugs me about this whole debate - other than the whole "It Can't Happen Here" vibe of backlash about a "biased press" - is that it's dead simple for us as fans to discount pejorative reporting as "fake news" and hearsay and whatever else because our emotions won't allow us to concede even the possibility that it might be accurate. Hell, I'm guilty of it myself with the Frank Seravalli reporting. You all probably remember how I laid into that nasal-voiced tub of processed meat when all of this started going down at first... and I used to be a credentialed reporter. I let my fan glasses get fogged up by denial and defensiveness and consequently I almost missed the most consequential story in Arizona's hockey history.

It's funny, because the other day I recall hearing someone say that Mat Ishbia is the Suns' owner because "Sarver got taken out by an ESPN hit piece." What nobody ever admits is that if the ESPN piece was wrong, then Sarver would have and could have rebutted it and might even have had a case for a libel lawsuit. Nobody ever references the independent investigations that followed the ESPN piece that confirmed that not only were the details accurate, they were actually understated.

I get it, okay? Everyone's afraid that if Meruelo is even 1/4th as bad as he appears to be for AZ hockey that we will never get a team back here. That doesn't fill me with glee either. I hurt for the local hockey scene and especially the Kachina program, which has thrived and survived with Coyotes money behind it. That may all go away if Meruelo doesn't deliver.

But the other side to that is that this franchise was crippled - crippled - by bad management and poor ownership for decades. We were the laughingstock of the league at best for all but two or three seasons' worth of hockey. Is it worth going right back to that well, just to have an NHL team closer than five hours' drive away (less than an hour by airliner)? Do you want to wait five to ten years for an NHL franchise, only to have an ethically and morally questionable gaslighter and his inept offspring put a team together in the manner of monkeys f***ing a football?

I'm sorry, but I don't. I say this over and over, but pro hockey is a business. It is a consumer product. If I like candy bars, but the only one being sold at my local store is "Shit 'N' Nougat," I'm not going to buy it and eat it. I'm going to go to another store, or maybe buy some chips instead. I'm never going to be desperate enough for the alternative.

I hate how much I agree with this, especially the last paragraph.

I think tbf to those of us who dismissed Seravelli we've had so much baseless shit thrown at us over the years it became easy to automatically discount any negative press. Kind of a "traditional hockey media crying coyote" situation.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I hate how much I agree with this, especially the last paragraph.

I think tbf to those of us who dismissed Seravelli we've had so much baseless shit thrown at us over the years it became easy to automatically discount any negative press. Kind of a "traditional hockey media crying coyote" situation.

Believe me, I get it. And I'll state for the record, as a former sports journalist myself, that the editorial standards in sports journalism are generally on a lower tier than the mainstream press. Part of the reason for that is the nature of the business - sports is so access-based that the road of least resistance is almost always to be cozier with the people you report on and provide favorable, or at least censored, coverage in exchange for access than it is to do your job the way it should be done. So when someone goes out and does the job right, other reporters use that as a shortcut and a way to provide plausible deniability (i.e., "Sources say that XX and YY..." which gets the news item out to the readers but, because it's reported as being from another outlet/reporter, the team won't come at you personally and threaten your access).

I think the long and short of it for me is this - if there's smoke, don't just deny that there might be fire. Find the source of the smoke, and if it's nothing, still try and put it out. If it's something, then you might be saving lives by catching it before it explodes.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Is it worth going right back to that well, just to have an NHL team closer than five hours' drive away (less than an hour by airliner)?

Actually...ummm...yes. Yes it is, for me. Even moreso if you market it as the original Orlando Magic people did in the 80s as "you get to see the rest of the league's stars! Right here in your city!"

The last couple of years were a splurge for me, getting season tickets at Mullett, having to split them with other people, paying 5x what I paid in Glendale...but....man what a great commute! Typically in those 10+ years I was the sole holder of tickets in Glendale, I would go to 20-25 games in decent upper deck seats which cost me - after selling some to friends and on Stubhub when I had conflicts, etc. (Or Chicago!) - about 2 or 3 days take-home pay. That's it. And I don't make, like, doctor/lawyer money, much less F40 successful business-owner money . As bad as the team was, by far the worst thing about the whole experience was....well, I'll just come right out and say it....getting to Glendale on weekday evenings. The rest of it, I had a blast - even the losing...maybe meet a buddy at the Renaissance hotel bar, have one or two pregame, watch NHL hockey live for 2.5 hours, drive home traffic free at 10pm.

So, yeah, I don't so much care how bad the owner is. Sure, I'd rather have a good one, and maybe one day the team gets sold to one... but not having a team in the city == 40+ fewer fun opportunities in that city.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Oh, looky here...

Tempe wants to take on $582M debt to fix roads, update parks, add affordable housing

The Tempe City Council voted to put a $582 million capital improvement program, focusing on roads and affordable housing, on the November ballot.

www.azcentral.com

"Tempe would pay back the bonds over two decades by raising residents’ secondary property taxes, which is how all Arizona cities repay bond debt."

"$32 million to increase the supply of affordable housing. At least a portion of this cash will go to Hometown for All, Mayor Corey Woods’ brainchild program that helps the city buy apartment complexes to ensure they remain affordable indefinitely." (i.e. "Not new construction on the Salt River", lol)

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Oh, looky here...

Tempe wants to take on $582M debt to fix roads, update parks, add affordable housing

The Tempe City Council voted to put a $582 million capital improvement program, focusing on roads and affordable housing, on the November ballot.

www.azcentral.com

"Tempe would pay back the bonds over two decades by raising residents’ secondary property taxes, which is how all Arizona cities repay bond debt."

"$32 million to increase the supply of affordable housing. At least a portion of this cash will go to Hometown for All, Mayor Corey Woods’ brainchild program that helps the city buy apartment complexes to ensure they remain affordable indefinitely." (i.e. "Not new construction on the Salt River", lol)

Guessing that this is going to be voted down as well, if the Tempe voters are consistent at all.

 

[TheLegend]

Beware of smiling rich people…..

 

[Sinurgy]

It can in some cases, for sure. Especially among smaller sites and sites like Eklund and rumor mill sites. But not with Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan. They do a longform piece like this and it's either original reporting or corroborated reporting from other reputable sources.

The thing that bugs me about this whole debate - other than the whole "It Can't Happen Here" vibe of backlash about a "biased press" - is that it's dead simple for us as fans to discount pejorative reporting as "fake news" and hearsay and whatever else because our emotions won't allow us to concede even the possibility that it might be accurate. Hell, I'm guilty of it myself with the Frank Seravalli reporting. You all probably remember how I laid into that nasal-voiced tub of processed meat when all of this started going down at first... and I used to be a credentialed reporter. I let my fan glasses get fogged up by denial and defensiveness and consequently I almost missed the most consequential story in Arizona's hockey history.

It's funny, because the other day I recall hearing someone say that Mat Ishbia is the Suns' owner because "Sarver got taken out by an ESPN hit piece." What nobody ever admits is that if the ESPN piece was wrong, then Sarver would have and could have rebutted it and might even have had a case for a libel lawsuit. Nobody ever references the independent investigations that followed the ESPN piece that confirmed that not only were the details accurate, they were actually understated.

I get it, okay? Everyone's afraid that if Meruelo is even 1/4th as bad as he appears to be for AZ hockey that we will never get a team back here. That doesn't fill me with glee either. I hurt for the local hockey scene and especially the Kachina program, which has thrived and survived with Coyotes money behind it. That may all go away if Meruelo doesn't deliver.

But the other side to that is that this franchise was crippled - crippled - by bad management and poor ownership for decades. We were the laughingstock of the league at best for all but two or three seasons' worth of hockey. Is it worth going right back to that well, just to have an NHL team closer than five hours' drive away (less than an hour by airliner)? Do you want to wait five to ten years for an NHL franchise, only to have an ethically and morally questionable gaslighter and his inept offspring put a team together in the manner of monkeys f***ing a football?

I'm sorry, but I don't. I say this over and over, but pro hockey is a business. It is a consumer product. If I like candy bars, but the only one being sold at my local store is "Shit 'N' Nougat," I'm not going to buy it and eat it. I'm going to go to another store, or maybe buy some chips instead. I'm never going to be desperate enough for the alternative.

I agree 100% on your points about sources and what not. I think it's kind of ridiculous that people will eat up complete and total unsubstantiated bullshit but then suddenly put on their skeptic hat when reports come from far more reputable sources. Like wtf, NOW you're skeptic?!

Where I completely disagree is all the talk about not wanting a team back in the valley at all if AM is at the helm. Yes of course I want hockey basically no matter what but that's not going to be my rebuttal. Here's why I will embrace an AM owned Coyotes here in the valley and why I think you should consider it too.

The fact is if we're going to get an NHL team back here anytime soon, it's going to have AM at the helm, and if it has AM at the helm it's going to be because he actually cleared all the obviously high hurdles set by the NHL and have cleared them in a timely manner. If he does that, to me it will be strong evidence that he's either a changed man who learned from his mistakes and seriously upped his game or he's been mischaracterized all along and now he's proving the detractors wrong.

Either way I'm comfortable with this because I don't think he can be the guy many are making him out to be and still pull this off. Those two people are not the same guy. We'll get our answer one way or the other, and it all starts June 27th.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Beware of smiling rich people…..

There's that other shoe... but you know what? He's pretty likely to get what he wants. He's in the honeymoon phase and, of course, he has a very sympathetic city government to boot.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Where I completely disagree is all the talk about not wanting a team back in the valley at all if AM is at the helm. Yes of course I want hockey basically no matter what but that's not going to be my rebuttal. Here's why I will embrace an AM owned Coyotes here in the valley and why I think you should consider it too.

The fact is if we're going to get an NHL team back here anytime soon, it's going to have AM at the helm, and if it has AM at the helm it's going to be because he actually cleared all the obviously high hurdles set by the NHL and have cleared them in a timely manner. If he does that, to me it will be strong evidence that he's either a changed man who learned from his mistakes and seriously upped his game or he's been mischaracterized all along and now he's proving the detractors wrong.

Either way I'm comfortable with this because I don't think he can be the guy many are making him out to be and still pull this off. Those two people are not the same guy. We'll get our answer one way or the other, and it all starts June 27th.

You make a very good point, i.e. that if Meruelo actually does pull this off to the point where the franchise is reactivated, he's going to have to do it completely differently than he did business over the past five years. He's not going to get anywhere with Alex (Jean-Ralphio) JR. running anything. And he's not going to get anywhere with the city doing things the way he did with Glendale and Tempe.

So I will amend my previous statement - if, indeed, Meruelo actually does get to the point where he is positioned to reactivate the franchise, complete with arena and a progressing entertainment district, then obviously he'll have learned something from the past five years and would be worth another shot.

Will I trust him? Absolutely not, at least not in the short term. The earliest that I'll start trusting him again is when the team is playing in a completed arena with a thriving entertainment district and a solid hockey operations department.

But again, you're right about how this will have to go down. Thanks for changing my mind.