Andrew Barroway - Coyotes majority owner.

[TheLegend]

Agree. Although the Hawks are who I root for when I'm not cheering the Yotes, having $21 million tied up in two players (30% of cap!) will probable come back to haunt Chicago.

Was watching NHLN's pre-season shows last night and they came to a similar conclusion... those two huge salaries are going to kick in next season and without cap relief the we might see at least one of them moved.

I think Hockey is one of those sports where superstars have less impact than perhaps the other major American sports.

For one, a top forward might be on the ice for only 1/3 of the game. Lebron James' average minutes equate to 65% of the game.

A star quarterback can be the difference between winning and losing.

In baseball, the best pitcher in the league certainly doesn't guarantee winning a playoff series (Dodgers!?), but can win games for you when the offense tanks, similar to a hot goaltender I suppose.

Bottom line, my comment about Kane was in jest, as I too would rather have the production of four $6 mil level forwards, vs the Kane/Toews combo. Not trying to dis the Chicago studs, just think they overpaid for the amount of production and wins that will result.

Saw an interesting nugget on my twitter feed the other day The Dodgers, Angels and Tigers had a combined payroll of $550 million and were virtually swept out of the playoffs by teams with payrolls totaling $310 million.

Moneyball is alive and well.

 

[RemoAZ]

Forget that.... we need to develop our own "superstar".

I'm with you. Sure wish we could have drafted and developed one of those top picks from Kane's draft.

 

[Mosby]

Tipp was just on 98.7 and basically confirmed these rumors. Certainly didn't deny them. "This is a huge windfall for our team."

 

[moosemeister]

So we can trade Klink and a few picks to Florida for the flash now??

I'm not too nervous. We all know this team only had five years to work. If this guys has pockets and allows us to spend, we can get successful within those years.

We however will not be successful with this roster lol

 

[Tom Polakis]

Saw an interesting nugget on my twitter feed the other day The Dodgers, Angels and Tigers had a combined payroll of $550 million and were virtually swept out of the playoffs by teams with payrolls totaling $310 million.

Moneyball is alive and well.

But they all made the post-season. Pick three teams whose payroll totaled $200 million, and I bet they didn't even make it to the post-season.

 

[doaner]

Tipp was just on 98.7 and basically confirmed these rumors. Certainly didn't deny them. "This is a huge windfall for our team."

What'd he confirm?

 

[Jakey53]

Tipp was just on 98.7 and basically confirmed these rumors. Certainly didn't deny them. "This is a huge windfall for our team."

If you are talking about the ownership, it has already been confirmed last week by IA that there is a potential investor.

 

[XX]

Tipp was just on 98.7 and basically confirmed these rumors. Certainly didn't deny them. "This is a huge windfall for our team."

This market will never be a cap team until it starts selling out games on a regular basis. The money freed up might drizzle down to the roster a bit - I figure maybe $3m more - but most of it is going to the bottom line. Ultimately, that's the more important thing.

I'd hate to see the new owner spend wildly, lose money like crazy, and then skip town with the out clause.

 

[Mosby]

What'd he confirm?

If you are talking about the ownership, it has already been confirmed last week by IA that there is a potential investor.

Tippett sounded pretty confident that Barroway will soon go from potential investor to majority owner. Barroway is in AZ as of today according to Morgan. Uncle Gary tomorrow. Press conference tomorrow too it sounds like.

 

[awfulwaffle]

This market will never be a cap team until it starts selling out games on a regular basis. The money freed up might drizzle down to the roster a bit - I figure maybe $3m more - but most of it is going to the bottom line. Ultimately, that's the more important thing.

I'd hate to see the new owner spend wildly, lose money like crazy, and then skip town with the out clause.

This. Unfortunately, NHL is too much of a gate driven league, and the Dbacks and Suns both do better TV wise than the Coyotes. Until that changes, we can kiss our chances at taking some TV money to help with the team goodbye. Coyotes had a great chance at that with the Suns losing Nash, and stinking, but their young and fun to watch, and only going to get better.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

This. Unfortunately, NHL is too much of a gate driven league, and the Dbacks and Suns both do better TV wise than the Coyotes. Until that changes, we can kiss our chances at taking some TV money to help with the team goodbye. Coyotes had a great chance at that with the Suns losing Nash, and stinking, but their young and fun to watch, and only going to get better.

I wish this town was more like Pittsburgh when it came to sports. Every person I meet from there is very passionate about their sports teams. Here it's a bunch of snowbirds with a growing number of passionate home town fans.

I don't really follow any other sprts but if some one were to ask me who I am rooting for...Cards, DBAcks, Suns, Mercury, Rattlers.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

I wish this town was more like Pittsburgh when it came to sports.

Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh cares about the Steelers the most no matter the product is. Other than that, the city don't care for hockey or baseball except when the team is a real title contender. Plus, an NBA Team would never do well in that city.

Now Philadelphia on the other hand.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh only cares about the Steelers no matter the product is. Other than that, the city don't care for hockey or baseball except when the team is a real title contender. Plus, an NBA Team would never do well in that city.

No Philadelphia on the other hand.

I'd have to disagree with you about the hockey part. However, the baseball part I would agree with. But really to be honest every person I met from Pittsburgh loves their Pens and their Stealers. They never mention the Pirates.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

I'd have to disagree with you about the hockey part. However, the baseball part I would agree with. But really to be honest every person I met from Pittsburgh loves their Pens and their Stealers. They never mention the Pirates.

The Pirates are getting some attention because they have made the playoffs the last 2 seasons. However, hardly anyone in Pittsburgh cared about the Pens when they were losing and when they have filed for bankruptcy more than 1 time in the past. They had quite a few games at in the Igloo where the actual attendance was around 2500(sometimes less). Now of course, we had some very bad attendance numbers like that after the Coyotes Bankruptcy but at least none of us deny this fact. Sadly, quite a few in Pittsburgh have forgotten how bad things were for them because things are obviously a lot different for them now.

 

[letowskie]

If they're all losing money hand over fist, it really isn't a difficult decision to make.

Second, if the new guy is picking up 51% of the ownership, he can do whatever he wants to without the blessing of other 49%. That's the definition of "controlling interest".

Good point.

But still, I would be less comfortable if all it takes is changing one guy's mind to make a move. Withe more owners, there will at least be some form of negotiations going on if some strategic business move is made.

 

[TheLegend]

Tippett sounded pretty confident that Barroway will soon go from potential investor to majority owner. Barroway is in AZ as of today according to Morgan. Uncle Gary tomorrow. Press conference tomorrow too it sounds like.

I wouldn't expect any earth-shaking announcements.... if anything... Bettman is here to mediate negotiations between Barroway and IceArizona from the NHL's perspective.

 

[Jakey53]

This market will never be a cap team until it starts selling out games on a regular basis. The money freed up might drizzle down to the roster a bit - I figure maybe $3m more - but most of it is going to the bottom line. Ultimately, that's the more important thing.

I'd hate to see the new owner spend wildly, lose money like crazy, and then skip town with the out clause.

If they wipe out their debt, the bottom line will change drastically. The $3m you figure that will drizzle down is only a guess, but would still help. I think it would be hard to lose money like crazy when you have no debt.

 

[Jakey53]

I wouldn't expect any earth-shaking announcements.... if anything... Bettman is here to mediate negotiations between Barroway and IceArizona from the NHL's perspective.

I would be surprised is there was any kind of announcement tomorrow.

 

[Archangel]

http://nypost.com/2014/10/02/spurned-islanders-buyer-to-purchase-coyotes-instead/

<MOD>
Relevant:

whenever I want to wake up my roommates I play the video and leave the house

 

[awfulwaffle]

I wish this town was more like Pittsburgh when it came to sports. Every person I meet from there is very passionate about their sports teams. Here it's a bunch of snowbirds with a growing number of passionate home town fans.

I don't really follow any other sprts but if some one were to ask me who I am rooting for...Cards, DBAcks, Suns, Mercury, Rattlers.

The problem with Phoenix is, it's just fair weather fans. If the team is doing well, the fans are going to be supportive. There are too many transplants here that are more connected to their original teams here.

Point in fact, Nash is gone, Suns stink, their attendance take big hits. Not might show it in the numbers, but just look at the stands during games. Empty seats all over the place.

Cards, before the new stadium with fancy air conditioning, stands were empty. Shoot, I would prefer an outdoor stadium here in Phoenix. Request afternoon games, make the opposing team wear dark colors. With a home town crowd loud and proud and the opposing team sweating bullets fighting for breath, that's a home field advantage! Just look at the Dolpins when they played at the Orange Bowl.

I bet if you interviewed 100 people randomly, 60% would say the Cardinals, but the other 40% would say another football team. Just a guess though.

 

[Desert Ice 11]

whenever I want to wake up my roommates I play the video and leave the house

If I could "Like" a post ..this would be one of them.

 

[TheLegend]

whenever I want to wake up my roommates I play the video and leave the house

I have to admit I watched that show when my daughter was a toddler..... right along with Teletubbies, Big Comfy Couch and Barney.

Thank God she grew out of them... now days she's a freshman at NAU and an NCIS and Law & Order SVU junkie.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I have to admit I watched that show when my daughter was a toddler..... right along with Teletubbies, Big Comfy Couch and Barney.

Thank God she grew out of them... now days she's a freshman at NAU and an NCIS and Law & Order SVU junkie.

I met Shari Lewis once, in 1963. She took her kids to the NYC Ballet "The Nutcracker" performance and we sat next to them. She charmed me and as a 5 year old I was in love with her and Lamb chops.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I wish this town was more like Pittsburgh when it came to sports. Every person I meet from there is very passionate about their sports teams. Here it's a bunch of snowbirds with a growing number of passionate home town fans.

I don't really follow any other sprts but if some one were to ask me who I am rooting for...Cards, DBAcks, Suns, Mercury, Rattlers.

Devil's advocate here, but I'd argue that the number of "passionate home town fans" is actually in decline. The professional sporting landscape here is glutted with fans of other teams, and the actual homer fans are so fickle that at the first sign of trouble they generally cut and run.

Back in the '80s and '90s I remember how hard it was to get a ticket to a Suns game, and for a couple of years after the '01 World Series the D'Backs were the darlings. But from what I've seen lately there are more Cubs, Blackhawks, Red Wings, Dodgers, Giants, Cowboys, and etc. fans around than hometown fans.

It always makes me laugh when the idea gets batted around that all the hockey fans in Arizona live on the east side of town. That may actually be true, but I feel like the majority of those folks aren't actually Coyotes fans, at least not primarily.

TL;DR: There are millions of sports fans in Arizona, but sadly too few of them are Arizona sports fans. At least for pro sports.

 

[XX]

TL;DR: There are millions of sports fans in Arizona, but sadly too few of them are Arizona sports fans. At least for pro sports.

It has never been easier to root for your team from a distance, so I don't think having a larger amount of out of town fans is solely unique to Phoenix. Let's be honest here; the Coyotes have never given these types of people a reason to switch allegiances. Play ****** hockey for a decade and no one will care. We're lucky we still have a team.

A more centralized arena (think South Scottsdale/Tempe Town Lake area) would bring more fans in, but that's water under the bridge at this point.

The real problem with Phoenix is the low affluence and very little in the way of corporate sponsorship. Throw in a crazy amount of competition with a population that is mostly not native to the area and you get 13k with the cheapest tickets in the league.