Dysfunction in the desert: Finger-pointing, fear and financial woes roil the Coyotes organization

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IceNeophyte

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Please explain then.....

What I mean is that the article is not unreasonable, and is backed with facts, with a couple dirty lobs like drilling down to the napkins thrown in. Meruelo should have just let it roll off his shoulders, but instead decides to release a formal hissy fit about a negative story and basically calling The Athletic liars and harassers.

What I know. His two casinos, Grand Sierra and Sahara are both ****holes. He refused to pay SLS $450,000 in licensing fees and thus lost the branding for what he had to rename back to Sahara.

What I surmise: They handled Chayka in a bully-like manner, even to the extent of forcing his contract period after they had approved his talking to another team. I now better understand his leaving after reading this article. I've worked for companies like this. They own you, you are not a person, and they will extract every ounce of blood they can, and this attitude is from the top.

So when I say he protests too much, I mean that his diatribe says more about him than it does the Athletic.
 

Mightygoose

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What I mean is that the article is not unreasonable, and is backed with facts, with a couple dirty lobs like drilling down to the napkins thrown in. Meruelo should have just let it roll off his shoulders, but instead decides to release a formal hissy fit about a negative story and basically calling The Athletic liars and harassers.

What I know. His two casinos, Grand Sierra and Sahara are both ****holes. He refused to pay SLS $450,000 in licensing fees and thus lost the branding for what he had to rename back to Sahara.

What I surmise: They handled Chayka in a bully-like manner, even to the extent of forcing his contract period after they had approved his talking to another team. I now better understand his leaving after reading this article. I've worked for companies like this. They own you, you are not a person, and they will extract every ounce of blood they can, and this attitude is from the top.

So when I say he protests too much, I mean that his diatribe says more about him than it does the Athletic.

Agreed, it's more common and professional IMO to revert to the 'no comment' stand

Instead the team responds to a story reporting about them in a negative light that's behind a paywall by posting something anyone can see giving more attention to it? And now it's got the attention of one of their major media partners.

Is this is how the team is going to react to anything that's critical towards them and by way things have gone under this watch, will happen more often?

This franchise has bypassed Ottawa as the worst run team in the league a long time ago
 

TheLegend

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What I mean is that the article is not unreasonable, and is backed with facts, with a couple dirty lobs like drilling down to the napkins thrown in. Meruelo should have just let it roll off his shoulders, but instead decides to release a formal hissy fit about a negative story and basically calling The Athletic liars and harassers.

What I know. His two casinos, Grand Sierra and Sahara are both ****holes. He refused to pay SLS $450,000 in licensing fees and thus lost the branding for what he had to rename back to Sahara.

What I surmise: They handled Chayka in a bully-like manner, even to the extent of forcing his contract period after they had approved his talking to another team. I now better understand his leaving after reading this article. I've worked for companies like this. They own you, you are not a person, and they will extract every ounce of blood they can, and this attitude is from the top.

So when I say he protests too much, I mean that his diatribe says more about him than it does the Athletic.


You need to do your homework.

Meruelo was going to return the Sahara brand to begin with. The group that owned the SLS brand was way over their heads (they drastically undersold property to Meruelo) and was looking to grab what cash they could out of it going out the door.

Chayka was responsible for the scouting debacle that put the franchise in a deep hole, eventually costing them several key draft picks. He didn't like the cultural shift that happens with any ownership change so he LIED to Meruelo about going off to New Jersey job hunting. Chayka was asked point blank by the Coyotes CEO if he was going to be on-board with them just prior to the bubble last year and Chayka's response was to clean out his office and walk. He walked out on them when they needed him the most.

I used to work at the Grand Sierra in the mid-late 80's (it was originally called the MGM Grand Reno then and later Bally's Reno.) I worked there during that ownership change and witnessed the cultural shift first hand. Not everyone takes to change well.
 

Fatass

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Apr 17, 2017
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Here we go again :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

The Athletic's Katie Strang discusses her piece regarding the alleged dysfunction within the Arizona Coyotes organization, including the amount of litigation, micromanagement, and questionable financial practices.


Strang: Coyotes' culture 'not a healthy one' as new allegations surface - Sportsnet.ca


Did the writer really put to ink what we didn’t already know? No fan base should have to suffer like the poor Coyote fans have. Their team is fun to watch now too, and looks to be getting better.
 

gstommylee

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Jan 31, 2012
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Agreed, it's more common and professional IMO to revert to the 'no comment' stand

Instead the team responds to a story reporting about them in a negative light that's behind a paywall by posting something anyone can see giving more attention to it? And now it's got the attention of one of their major media partners.

Is this is how the team is going to react to anything that's critical towards them and by way things have gone under this watch, will happen more often?

This franchise has bypassed Ottawa as the worst run team in the league a long time ago

Nothing passes the Tampa bay lightning mess that pretty much just about caused financial ruin for that franchise after it was formed.
 

IceNeophyte

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Nov 14, 2017
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You need to do your homework.

Meruelo was going to return the Sahara brand to begin with. The group that owned the SLS brand was way over their heads (they drastically undersold property to Meruelo) and was looking to grab what cash they could out of it going out the door.

Chayka was responsible for the scouting debacle that put the franchise in a deep hole, eventually costing them several key draft picks. He didn't like the cultural shift that happens with any ownership change so he LIED to Meruelo about going off to New Jersey job hunting. Chayka was asked point blank by the Coyotes CEO if he was going to be on-board with them just prior to the bubble last year and Chayka's response was to clean out his office and walk. He walked out on them when they needed him the most.

I used to work at the Grand Sierra in the mid-late 80's (it was originally called the MGM Grand Reno then and later Bally's Reno.) I worked there during that ownership change and witnessed the cultural shift first hand. Not everyone takes to change well.

I worked for Bally's Reno from 1988 to 1993. MGM to Bally was nothing. Bally to Hilton was brutal.

And it looks like every bump in the road is someone else's fault, without fail. When asked if you are on board, wouldn't you agree it matters how you are asked, Alex? "Are you a ****ing traitor, or are you still going to be onboard?" I don't know exactly how it was asked, but I somehow feel like you do. :)

And of course the SLS debacle was all SLS's fault. Honestly this is Melnyk 2.0

(I know you aren't Alex, I added that for humorous snark effect)
 
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Rob

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Ernie

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So for those who can't read the article, the journalist documents multiple cases of the organization refusing to pay invoices on time then shaking down the people they owe money to for lesser amounts.

Is this due to the current financial climate, or is this just how Meruelo does business?

It seems that it's the latter:

One executive at a company that provided services to the team, said that once his unpaid invoices started stacking up, months before COVID-19, he feared he wouldn’t be paid at all. He eventually got a call from one of Meruelo’s associates, who questioned a litany of items on each invoice, asking who had signed off on an expenditure or whether someone who no longer was working for the organization had authorized it. The vendor felt defensive and flustered, which he now suspects was the intent.

Either way, it seems that the NHL is investigating.

During a two-day span during the first week of January, two individuals associated with law firm Seyfarth Shaw met with Coyotes employees in Glendale. It is not immediately clear what prompted their involvement.

According to multiple employees who met with these individuals, one topic discussed was sexual harassment, both in broader terms of workplace atmosphere and about one incident specifically, including the team’s holiday party in December 2019, held at a local restaurant. At the party, an employee of the Meruelo Group allegedly made an unwanted sexual advance toward a female Coyotes employee. This incident was widely discussed within the organization; five employees told The Athletic that they had heard about it. (The female employee declined to comment when reached by telephone.)
Among the other matters Seyfarth Shaw representatives have asked about:
  • The accuracy of financial documents provided to third parties, such as banks and private lenders, required to meet specific loan obligations.
  • The accuracy of financial reports the organization sent to the league, which reflect team revenues and can potentially impact player salaries and the salary cap.
  • The team’s appropriation of monies from the Industry Growth Fund allotment provided by the league, which is given to all 31 teams, “to help fund programs and initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion in the game, as well as promoting social justice and racial equality,” according to the NHL/NHLPA’s collectively bargained Memorandum of Understanding.
  • The general workplace culture of the organization, including allegations of intimidation and threats made against current and former employees.
  • Health policies and procedures, particularly relating to COVID-19 protocols and internal compliance.
  • Separation agreements with former employees, including Paris, the sales manager who is suing the team for what he alleges are unpaid wages.

That is quite the list of questions. If there's anything behind the first 3 questions this could blow up quickly.
 

gstommylee

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Jan 31, 2012
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So for those who can't read the article, the journalist documents multiple cases of the organization refusing to pay invoices on time then shaking down the people they owe money to for lesser amounts.

Is this due to the current financial climate, or is this just how Meruelo does business?

It seems that it's the latter:



Either way, it seems that the NHL is investigating.



That is quite the list of questions. If there's anything behind the first 3 questions this could blow up quickly.

and how much was that from past ownership.
 

DoyleG

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Life in the Yotes organization....
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kaiser matias

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Mar 22, 2004
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Since when is Bill Armstrong a Stanley Cup-winning General Manager? Is their oversight so bad they think they hired Doug Armstrong. Refuse to answer questions, and then respond with a bush league statement like that does not reflect well.

Armstrong was with the Blues as an assistant GM and director of amateur scouting when they won the Cup, so it is technically accurate to call him a "Stanley Cup-winning General Manager", albeit rather misleading.
 

93LEAFS

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Nov 7, 2009
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Armstrong was with the Blues as an assistant GM and director of amateur scouting when they won the Cup, so it is technically accurate to call him a "Stanley Cup-winning General Manager", albeit rather misleading.
A statement like that is so intentionally misleading its ridiculous, and undermines whatever else is written along-side it. It is technically accurate to call him a Stanley Cup-winning Assistant General Manager. Then any person hired as a GM who has a cup at any position could be called a Stanley Cup-winning General Manager.
 
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