News Article: Arizona Coyotes slam door on team playing in Glendale

[Coyotes2000]

Yea yea yea

Yea, let's all give the finger to a city that prevented the Coyotes from going to Portland and gave IA a sweetheart deal that IA pissed away.

You mean the city that looked for a way to get a new cheaper lease and instead pulled the trigger blowing their own brains out??

Frisoni and Tindall, who gives a ****? They still were dirty and it blew up on them.

City of Yokels

 

[Coyotes2000]

The "yokels" outplayed what are supposed to be very savvy businessmen running a professional sports team.

Yeah, that's working out GREAT for them now isn't it?? Basically begging IA not to leave.

Nice work Yokels

 

[XX]

Yeah, that's working out GREAT for them now isn't it?? Basically begging IA not to leave.

Nice work Yokels

Where do you see any begging?

I bet you buy the line that AEG's deal is worse too. You only need a cursory understanding of revenue streams and risk exposure to see that it's better, yet Mr. Marketer continues to jangle the keys in the hopes that you don't notice.

If Glendale are yokels, what does that make IA for torpedoing their sweetheart deal with pure incompetence? These are the folks that other groups are eager to shack up with and subsidize? I don't think so.

 

[kihekah19*]

You mean the city that looked for a way to get a new cheaper lease and instead pulled the trigger blowing their own brains out??

Frisoni and Tindall, who gives a ****? They still were dirty and it blew up on them.

City of Yokels

I think a more accurate description would be a frustrated city council. They were so frustrated that they rolled in and looked to sweep the floor (not unlike many posters regarding the team itself) and now they worry nobody's going to dance on it.

 

[MaddyB85]

Lol LeBlanc is such a blowhard

 

[RemoAZ]

There are greedy, ego maniac on both sides of this. If it were just a bunch of shrewd businessmen, there would have been a new deal in place a long time ago. Now both sides care about looking like the winner more than getting a fair deal done. I'd like to see them all get tasered a couple dozen times.

 

[CC96]

Glendale had a bad deal shoved upon them and took the first out. Not brilliant business, but neither is clearly violating a self dealing statute on the part of IA. In fact, the fact they did so should scare all of you, and you need to pay more attention to what is done by IA, not said. They managed to lose a sweetheart lease because they were either too stupid to check the local laws regarding hiring ex city employees, or worse, they did it intentionally.

So many of you seem convinced that other municipalities are begging for the Coyotes to come to them when it's the other way around. There isn't actually a better temporary home than GRA, and nobody more motivated to try and reach a short deal than Glendale and AEG. This is a ****ing stupid move. All the dating analogies need to stop, because the amount of arenas capable of supporting NHL hockey in the valley that are willing to accept the team on a deal that can keep them afloat are finite.



The "yokels" outplayed what are supposed to be very savvy businessmen running a professional sports team.

IA is as stupid as could be, but Glendale has to be borderline ******** to think the Coyotes would want anything to do with them, after cancelling the lease agreement, no matter how lopsided it was in favor of the Coyotes.

 

[XX]

IA is as stupid as could be, but Glendale has to be borderline ******** to think the Coyotes would want anything to do with them, after cancelling the lease agreement, no matter how lopsided it was in favor of the Coyotes.

I'm sure the feeling is mutual, considering the city attempted renegotiation first and then had to deal with Leblanc running his mouth about suing the city for hundreds of millions. That went nowhere. Say what you want about the city, but that deal always relied on the Coyotes supporters on the council maintaining a majority. It wasn't a good deal for the city. So democracy kicked in and it tipped the balance. Glendale has a net better deal with AEG now, so they're not nearly as upset as IA wants you to believe. IA ****ed themselves a lot harder than Glendale did.

This is just not how professionals act. That letter is so cringy and embarrassing. I can't stand to see people cheering on middle school level behavior. They're certainly acting like the small timers they really are at this point. Too bad our hockey team is hanging in the balance, otherwise I couldn't care less.

 

[Snarky Coyote]

Not really sure that this isn't karma biting Glendale in the ass - and yes both Gongdale City council and IA have behaved like idiots in the past. I would be upset, to put it mildly if I signed a 15 year lease and it was unilaterally broken. timing of it was to screw the coyotes and deprive them of tickets and sponsors for the new year, that's when IA had to capitulate in order to salvage what was left from the wreckage. Anyone expecting anything different here has not been following the narrative. Signing with AEG for more than they were going to pay IA clearly shows it was a mistake. I cant wait to drive by the arena and see this generations trotting park. The Coyotes may be screwed, We as fans may be screwed but Glendale is definitely screwed. I cant wait to see the effect of time on the ruins of westgate.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

-- signed, The Canadian Chuckleheads

Seriously, you defend Glendale and pan the Coyotes for wanting out as if you had a financial stake in this whole thing. If you have a stake in a Westgate store I feel for you.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I'm pretty sure that the icing on the cake was when the IE realized that the COG was going to pay AEG a million more a year to manage the arena than they were paying the Coyotes.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I can't believe I've watched more Coyotes council meetings in the last four years than I have playoff games.

Seriously? Everything was decided in advance of the public meetings. You were watching dog and pony shows.

 

[Coyotes2000]

I'm pretty sure that the icing on the cake was when the IE realized that the COG was going to pay AEG a million more a year to manage the arena than they were paying the Coyotes.

Pure fabrication according to some folks here...

 

[TheLegend]

I'm pretty sure that the icing on the cake was when the IE realized that the COG was going to pay AEG a million more a year to manage the arena than they were paying the Coyotes.

Pure fabrication according to some folks here...

The folks over in BoH would probably have fun explaining how that claim is bogus. These are people who can and know how to decipher contract language.

LeBlanc has made this claim twice now, without taking the time to show it's legitimate. Because he's making a pure PR claim for public comsumption.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Seriously, you defend Glendale and pan the Coyotes for wanting out as if you had a financial stake in this whole thing. If you have a stake in a Westgate store I feel for you.

I actually did have a financial stake in this thing for 11 years. I don't anymore. The reason I pan IceArizona is because they're either shifty or stupid. Perhaps both. But I guess fans around this city are so desperate to find someone they can call an ally against relocationists and hockey traditionalists that even the shifty and/or stupid are welcome vessels for their trust.

The folks over in BoH would probably have fun explaining how that claim is bogus. These are people who can and know how to decipher contract language.

I think the only thing that most of the folks gloating about this letter care less about than Glendale is the BoH forum, man...

 

[XX]

Pure fabrication according to some folks here...

It's only true on a net basis if you completely ignore revenue streams and how the deal actually plays out. Under the old deal, the Coyotes never met their obligations to the city, so the deal was even worse than it was on paper. The city lost money, and way more of it than the new AEG deal exposes them to. You can't actually evaluate a deal that shares revenue until, you know, some revenue has actually flowed. The city has a much better deal now in terms of upside. AEG would have to colossally **** up for the scenario where it's worse than the Coyotes deal to come true. They're fully incentivized to not do that. Both contractually and because they have a reputation and actual business to manage (unlike IA).

Apparently basic contractual math is beyond you (and Morgan, who gleefully repeats this nonsense). It makes every single thing you say extremely suspect, as if branding Glendale "yokels" and cheering on the death of the deal that would keep the team here for 15 years wasn't enough.

This is the easiest example of pure spin from IA, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread it around. It's simply not true.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I actually did have a financial stake in this thing for 11 years. I don't anymore. The reason I pan IceArizona is because they're either shifty or stupid. Perhaps both. But I guess fans around this city are so desperate to find someone they can call an ally against relocationists and hockey traditionalists that even the shifty and/or stupid are welcome vessels for their trust.



I think the only thing that most of the folks gloating about this letter care less about than Glendale is the BoH forum, man...

IE did something bone headed in hiring Tindall. This crap goes on all the time across the world, including congressional aides and congressmen who become lobbyists. IE didn't know Arizona law. Now, COG didn't have to tank the agreement. They clearly were the ones who started this latest mess. Serves them right to have to pay so much to AEG.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

IE did something bone headed in hiring Tindall. This crap goes on all the time across the world, including congressional aides and congressmen who become lobbyists. IE didn't know Arizona law.

To me the conflict of interest stuff is small potatoes compared to the results of Glendale's audit. LeBlanc keeps bloviating about finding a "true partnership" when his partners and he failed to deliver on their partnership with Glendale.

Tindall was a loophole Glendale exploited in the same fashion as a broken clock is right twice a day. They wouldn't have exploited it if they found that IA was making their payments in full and on time. Had IA simply followed through on their end of the lease deal, nobody would have made a peep about Tindall or Frisoni, and instead of talking about scrambling for a new arena deal, we'd be talking about the out clause like usual...

 

[_Del_]

IA was idiotic when they made questionable hires. It cost them an arena deal or damages. Glendale was foolish to jump into an arena assuming growth would continue linearly. Even more foolish to try to strong arm a new deal after a few short years and after the Coyotes dumped cash in to upgrade the arena. Neither side is composed of saints.
The Coyotes will end up with an arena here or elsewhere, and Glendale will be trying to fill an empty barn they are still paying for. The biggest loser is Glendale, who is losing an anchor tenant and the optics after the Supee Bowl fiasco and this. No matter how bad the last lease was, I think they'll find it was better than the consequences of trying to strong arm a new one. I don't think they they thought the Coyotes would go anywhere. They thought they could use the threat to leverage a more favourable lease, but they're going to learn the hard way.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I don't think they they thought the Coyotes would go anywhere. They thought they could use the threat to leverage a more favourable lease, but they're going to learn the hard way.

I'll be honest with you - I think both sides are best quit of each other. Glendale is still run by small-town goofballs in various stages of corruption, and IA are like boardwalk discount Rolex salesmen. In another reality they might have gotten along swimmingly - Gary Drummond and Ian Hugh could swap tips about the best way to pull other people's strings - but as things stand the farther each gets from the other, the better it is for everyone.

Glendale will go forward with one less barrel to be bent over (leaving their current running total at, what, five?). IceArizona will go forward looking for subsidies from some other Phoenix city and, failing that, they'll either shoehorn themselves into the Suns' new barn and say sayonara to most of their revenue or they'll pack it in and load the moving vans, blaming Glendale for everything the whole way out of the state.

 

[Grvmnd]

I really hope negotiations with whatever's next is a lot further along than what's available publicly. LeBlanc sounds like a scorned teenage girl. He can feel that way but button up until you can say 'were done with Glendale, here's a PowerPoint of what were doing instead.'

 

[WrinkledPossum]

I don't see how anyone can honestly look at Glendale and think they've made a smart move. They had 41+ dates filled. That's hugely important to all the local businesses surrounding GRA. Even with the claim of the AEG deal being much better b/c of IA not meeting revenue expectations etc etc etc, (not proven on here though)

The deal has to be incredibly better for Glendale to have come out on top after missing revenue from the local businesses which may have to shutdown. With a new arena being built in the valley competition for events is going to be much tougher. The current council is completely inept.

Also on the constant criticism of the Coyotes needing subsidies, the Winnipeg Jets in what's thought of a strong market recieves something like 12.5m in subsidies...

 

[RemoAZ]

I'll be honest with you - I think both sides are best quit of each other. Glendale is still run by small-town goofballs in various stages of corruption, and IA are like boardwalk discount Rolex salesmen. In another reality they might have gotten along swimmingly - Gary Drummond and Ian Hugh could swap tips about the best way to pull other people's strings - but as things stand the farther each gets from the other, the better it is for everyone.

Glendale will go forward with one less barrel to be bent over (leaving their current running total at, what, five?). IceArizona will go forward looking for subsidies from some other Phoenix city and, failing that, they'll either shoehorn themselves into the Suns' new barn and say sayonara to most of their revenue or they'll pack it in and load the moving vans, blaming Glendale for everything the whole way out of the state.

Sure does seem like this is what they are angling for.

 

[cobra427]

My experience is that people who spend millions of dollars negotiating 20 some year long contracts don't like it when one party unilaterally decides it wants out a couple of years later. The IA guys are pissed. Glendale has proven it isn't a stable barn. They chose to bail on the team as a negotiating tactic when IA said they weren't going to reneg. It's no surprise they don't want to help out Glendale who is sitting on an empty arena.
I think Glendale's end game was a better lease deal with the Coyotes. I don't think they ever thought it would go to court. They lost that game when IA decided they weren't going to be muscled. Most people are reluctant to deal with parties who don't honour agreements, and try to hard ball the other signatures. IA idiotically lost the favourable lease, but they aren't going to give Glendale the satisfaction of renegotiating a new one.
If you dont think players at this level have personal grudges, you're being naive.

I agree. IA is not a random vendor. They were clearly business partners, and the COG unwound the lease in the hopes that they could jam a new lease down IA's throat. IA screwed up by giving the COG an out, but the COG not working with IA is not being a good partner. While I am not sure where the team will play, I totally get the letter sent by Anthony. In form, the COG had every right to play their hand the way they did, but in substance it killed the business relationship. I learned a long time ago, that even if you have the upper hand in a negotiation, you don't always take every last nickle off the table, it can haunt you.

 

[Jakey53]

IE did something bone headed in hiring Tindall. This crap goes on all the time across the world, including congressional aides and congressmen who become lobbyists. IE didn't know Arizona law. Now, COG didn't have to tank the agreement. They clearly were the ones who started this latest mess. Serves them right to have to pay so much to AEG.

COG wanted a divorce and they got it. Their divorce from AEG will be in about a year, but in the meantime, I would assume AEG will demand upgrades to the arena that will cost millions so they can attract, or should I say try to secure more dates.