If Phoenix gets expansion. Is Murelo the owner?

[Kai Yo T]

You overestimate the ethical mores of the various professional sports leagues. The only reason Meruelo is getting kicked out of the club right now is that he's making them look too publicly stupid. He'd be welcomed into the NFL with open arms if he had the money to do it.

Could he afford to buy and run an NFL team though? Thats part of my assessment.

 

[DustyDangler]

Could he afford to buy and run an NFL team though?

He will be pretty close after the NHL launders his NHL team.

 

[Kai Yo T]

He will be pretty close after the NHL launders his NHL team.

I don't follow other sports and I only follow the ownership group for this team a bit. Are there other owners in professional sports that were kind of forced out of one league only to buy a team in a different professional sports league?

Edit: Or are we just saying that anything is possible here?

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I don't follow other sports and I only follow the ownership group for this team a bit. Are there other owners in professional sports that were kind of forced out of one league only to buy a team in a different professional sports league?

It happens all the time. The main things you need to be a professional sports owner are either money or the ability to convince people you have it, and an ability to schmooze and play the political game with your peers. Meruelo has the first... maybe he'd have the second in the NFL because most of the NFL owners don't bother to try and appear ethical like some of the NHL guys do.

 

[Kai Yo T]

It happens all the time.

Like who though? I can't think of anyone that literally had one professional sports franchise force them out, but then went on to get approved to buy another one in another league or professional sport. The NHL is paying him a pretty big chunk of change to go away, if the rumors of sale price are true.

I'm not aware of any, but again, I don't follow much outside of the Coyotes.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Like who though? I can't think of anyone that literally had one professional sports franchise force them out, but then went on to get approved to buy another one in another league or professional sport. The NHL is paying him a pretty big chunk of change to go away, if the rumors of sale price are true.

I'm not aware of any, but again, I don't follow much outside of the Coyotes.

Anthony LeBlanc himself almost immediately got a job with Ottawa after being the biggest public disaster (up until then, of course) the Coyotes ever had...

 

[Kai Yo T]

Anthony LeBlanc himself almost immediately got a job with Ottawa after being the biggest public disaster (up until then, of course) the Coyotes ever had...

Yeah, but that's a job with a team. I'm talking ownership. Even if Leblanc is a small part owner it's not the same as being "the guy". I'm sure he could be another Barroway.

 

[Sinurgy]

grifting, narcissistic sociopath whose superpower is manipulating people rather than running a fair, transparent, and honest business.

I believe the term you're looking for is "billionaire."

 

[Edenjung]

Wasn't the Woman who owned the Cincinnati reds forced to sell?

And John spano too.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I believe the term you're looking for is billionaire.

...except do we really know if he is one? I think there is some doubt starting to creep into the equation lately...

 

[MayDayMayDay]

Listened to 32 Thoughts this morning. That has shifted some things in me.

I feel a lot of hope for expansion.

It sounds like the NHL wants to be here, and is going to be here, whatever it takes.

It also sounds like they're going to go over the top to burn Meruelo by setting the bar for him to maintain his expansion chip so high. If he's serious about owning a team, he'll go above and beyond to make it happen - starting with winning that auction. Prove it to the League, the fans, everyone. Given the adamancy that Fridge communicates the leagues desire to come back, I wonder - if AM pulls out of the auction, does the league step in to buy the land themselves?

Or who knows, maybe this is a full on asshat take from me.

I have no faith in Meruelo. I have faith in Elliott that an NHL team is coming back here, and the league will do their damnedest to make sure it happens as timely as they can.

Something Id like to add. When I moved here to AZ, you guys were such a huge part of helping me get acclimated and make Arizona home. That's you, this board, these hockey fans. Y'all love the game. Please don't ever lose that love of the game. One of the most valuable lessons my move here taught me was, that it's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything. I lost just about everything in Illinois. So I did what made me happy and came here, to find so much more. Let's grieve what we've lost now. And when we're ready, let's work together toward and look forward to what we will find later. Much love F40. Let's keep our heads up.

 

[XX]

It needs to be Ishbia with a new building in hand. There's really no other way. And it needs to be at a heavy discount so the franchise isn't saddled with a ton of insurmountable debt.

 

[BlazingBlueAnt]

It needs to be Ishbia with a new building in hand. There's really no other way. And it needs to be at a heavy discount so the franchise isn't saddled with a ton of insurmountable debt.

Has Ishbia ever even shown interest in owning an NHL team? He seems like a basketball guy through and through. I don't imagine he's chomping at the bit to pay a ton of money for a hockey team.

But yeah, it's gotta be him or nothing. There's nowhere to play and nobody's gonna make an entertainment district without the headliner

 

[HowlofRevel]

While I think the NHL would not mind coming back to Phoenix, I do not see it for 12+ years. Plans will need to be in place for a new joint Suns/NHL arena before the league comes back.

Meruelo will not get an expansion team. I don't think he can afford it, I think the league wants to be rid of him for good, and I don't think he can mend the bridges burnt with the local fan base.

Personally, I won't be able to support any team he owns. I have thought he is a scummy liar for years, but this whole last few weeks is unforgivable. If you are in heavy negotiations to relocate the franchise, STFU about your grandiose plans for a new entertainment district. You don't have to tell everyone the truth while negotiations are ongoing, but let silence on the issue speak volumes. Instead, the organization decided to lead the whole fanbase on, get everyone hopes up, just to quash them unexpectedly. Hell, they just sent out a mass email THIS MONDAY about the land auction and arena plans. And that type of organized news story and presentation probably came from actual comms and marketing staff, and not his dipshit lifestyle branding kid. F**k Meruelo.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

While I think the NHL would not mind coming back to Phoenix, I do not see it for 12+ years. Plans will need to be in place for a new joint Suns/NHL arena before the league comes back.

Meruelo will not get an expansion team. I don't think he can afford it, I think the league wants to be rid of him for good, and I don't think he can mend the bridges burnt with the local fan base.

Personally, I won't be able to support any team he owns. I have thought he is a scummy liar for years, but this whole last few weeks is unforgivable. If you are in heavy negotiations to relocate the franchise, STFU about your grandiose plans for a new entertainment district. You don't have to tell everyone the truth while negotiations are ongoing, but let silence on the issue speak volumes. Instead, the organization decided to lead the whole fanbase on, get everyone hopes up, just to quash them unexpectedly. Hell, they just sent out a mass email THIS MONDAY about the land auction and arena plans. And that type of organized news story and presentation probably came from actual comms and marketing staff, and not his dipshit lifestyle branding kid. F**k Meruelo.

I'm this close to writing an open letter to the Meruelo family for the Republic...

 

[Kai Yo T]

If I were to follow the team to SLC I'm staying a fan of that team. I'm not coming back to support a new team here in AZ again, especially if AM owns it. I left the Red Wings in 1996 for this team. Lesson learned. f*** bouncing around.

 

[Spirits]

if we could gain $700m and be hated by a subset of sports fans

And apparently adored by a ton of salty Canadian fans glad to see the Yotes leave AZ.

 

[TheLegend]

Anthony LeBlanc himself almost immediately got a job with Ottawa after being the biggest public disaster (up until then, of course) the Coyotes ever had...

Well he did have a gig selling weed inbetween those gigs.

 

[AZviaNJ]

Zero chance that idiot and his cronies will ever own a professional sports team, again.

 

[benedictTavares]

He will be pretty close after the NHL launders his NHL team.

He will not be able to get anywhere near a NFL franchise. The NFL requires competency and the ability to deal with local governments and leverage contacts to get things done. He has shown zero ability in any of these regards. He probably hampers any bid he gets near for the NFL.

 

[wunderpanda]

Like who though? I can't think of anyone that literally had one professional sports franchise force them out, but then went on to get approved to buy another one in another league or professional sport. The NHL is paying him a pretty big chunk of change to go away, if the rumors of sale price are true.

I'm not aware of any, but again, I don't follow much outside of the Coyotes.

the maloofs. they were sacramento kings owners, were forced out of the nba and became 15% owners of the vegas knights.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

This thread is ... f***in... f***in wild.








He's keeping the Roadrunners?! What the hell?? And they're playing at Mullett?! What the actual hell?!
And that right of refusal is contractual?! What the hell does that mean?!?

Any lawyers up in this mug?

 

[These Are The Days]

Theoretically, couldn't an expansion team not owned by AM just play at Gila River Arena? Probably a stupid question but this outsider wants to see you guys get a team back

 

[HowlofRevel]

He's keeping the Roadrunners?! What the hell?? And they're playing at Mullett?! What the actual hell?!
And that right of refusal is contractual?! What the hell does that mean?!?

Any lawyers up in this

I can't believe how arrogant Meruelo is. The fanbase in this city hates him, so he is going to burn the fanbase in Tucson too? In the unlikely event he builds an arena and gets a new NHL franchise, what is he going to do with the Roadrunners? Move them back to Tucson? Will the city of Tucson even want to deal with him again? What is the point of moving the Roadrunners? Is there a penalty in the lease with ASU that will cost him more than next year's lease if he does not have a team in Mullett? Senseless.

The only positive I can think of is that having a professional team in town, even just AHL, will be less harmful to the youth hockey programs in the valley than having no team.

 

[SniperHF]

Theoretically, couldn't an expansion team not owned by AM just play at Gila River Arena? Probably a stupid question but this outsider wants to see you guys get a team back

This would perhaps make some sense in some future scenario if the league and mostly Meruelo hadn't, to paraphrase the prophets of Green Day, nuked that bridge they torched 2000 times before.

If some future expansion team is not owned by Meruelo? More of an option. There's no ice plant though and by that time you're now talking about a 30ish year old building.

Nah, I think if some harebrained near term expansion gambit actually occurs at some point it will be with a new building ready to go. No one is gonna wanna do this dance again in this valley without an arena. Same as it ever was, no number 1 centers and no arena are kinda a drag around here.



More likely this is revisited in a decade by someone else.