Phoenix CXI: Awaiting CoG arena manager decision [UPD: AEG new Arena Manager?]

[mouser]

Previous thread here:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1991471

Click to read more...

 

[The Feckless Puck]

To get the new thread up to speed, a quick summary of the discussion:

• IceArizona is a group of posers headed up by majority owner who basically likes letting his parents drop the puck before games.
• Coyotes "shadow puppet" owners are chumps because they don't have precognition about potential sponsors.
• Every attempt of the ownership group to create something positive - e.g., a new Arizona Youth Hockey Foundation headed by Shane Doan - is an elaborate cover-up for an already-concluded sale agreement with Bill Foley in Las Vegas for next season.
• The City of Glendale is on the short list for the Nobel Prize for kicking the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena after this season (even though the lease agreement runs through next season).
• mesamonster is extremely fond of exclamation points as primary punctuation.
• The poutine at Smoke's inside Gila River Arena is putrid.
• The NHL is holding back expansion proceedings because the Coyotes are 100% moving at the end of this season, for realsies and no lie, trust us, we've known about this all year.

Carry on.

 

[Llama19]

To get the new thread up to speed, a quick summary of the discussion:

• IceArizona is a group of posers headed up by majority owner who basically likes letting his parents drop the puck before games.
• Coyotes "shadow puppet" owners are chumps because they don't have precognition about potential sponsors.
• Every attempt of the ownership group to create something positive - e.g., a new Arizona Youth Hockey Foundation headed by Shane Doan - is an elaborate cover-up for an already-concluded sale agreement with Bill Foley in Las Vegas for next season.
• The City of Glendale is on the short list for the Nobel Prize for kicking the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena after this season (even though the lease agreement runs through next season).
• mesamonster is extremely fond of exclamation points as primary punctuation.
• The poutine at Smoke's inside Gila River Arena is putrid.
• The NHL is holding back expansion proceedings because the Coyotes are 100% moving at the end of this season, for realsies and no lie, trust us, we've known about this all year.

Carry on.

So say you...

 

[Killion]

To get the new thread up to speed, a quick summary of the discussion... Carry on.

... unhuh.... wrong choice of words with "up to speed" TFP... more like "reckon I'll just pour on some kerosene here to get er' goin".

 

[EvilCoop]

Wait, there's a Tim Horton's and a Smoke's inside Gila River? They really are going all in with the Canadian eateries at the Arena. What next? A Swiss Chalet? I never would have thought that Rotisserie Chicken and Pork Ribs would be a good combination.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

... unhuh.... wrong choice of words with "up to speed" TFP... more like "reckon I'll just pour on some kerosene here to get er' goin".

Gotta keep the heat goin' what with all of the snow over the past few days...

I'm just surprised we couldn't come up with a good CSI pun for the thread title. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR CREATIVITY!?!

Wait, there's a Tim Horton's and a Smoke's inside Gila River? They really are going all in with the Canadian eateries at the Arena. What next? A Swiss Chalet?

Actually, there are TWO Tim Horton's inside GRA. The Smoke's, though, is definitely not up to par. I haven't eaten the poutine there but I've seen it and it's barely third-rate.

I'm still annoyed that they haven't found a way to import some Coffee Crisp and Smarties for the concession stands. Priorities!

 

[Fugu]

Gotta keep the heat goin' what with all of the snow over the past few days...

I'm just surprised we couldn't come up with a good CSI pun for the thread title. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR CREATIVITY!?!

Mouser. He's the serious one.

 

[EvilCoop]

Actually, there are TWO Tim Horton's inside GRA. The Smoke's, though, is definitely not up to par. I haven't eaten the poutine there but I've seen it and it's barely third-rate.

I'm still annoyed that they haven't found a way to import some Coffee Crisp and Smarties for the concession stands. Priorities!

When I was working in Ottawa, I recall Smoke's Pulled Pork Poutine being very good. Shame they haven't mastered arena concessions (or an American expansion) yet.

Smarties are nasty, like...uh...John Scott's hockey game.

 

[kihekah19*]

To get the new thread up to speed, a quick summary of the discussion:

• IceArizona is a group of posers headed up by majority owner who basically likes letting his parents drop the puck before games.
• Coyotes "shadow puppet" owners are chumps because they don't have precognition about potential sponsors.
• Every attempt of the ownership group to create something positive - e.g., a new Arizona Youth Hockey Foundation headed by Shane Doan - is an elaborate cover-up for an already-concluded sale agreement with Bill Foley in Las Vegas for next season.
• The City of Glendale is on the short list for the Nobel Prize for kicking the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena after this season (even though the lease agreement runs through next season).
• mesamonster is extremely fond of exclamation points as primary punctuation.
• The poutine at Smoke's inside Gila River Arena is putrid.
• The NHL is holding back expansion proceedings because the Coyotes are 100% moving at the end of this season, for realsies and no lie, trust us, we've known about this all year.

Carry on.

Excellent summation!

Actually, there are TWO Tim Horton's inside GRA. The Smoke's, though, is definitely not up to par. I haven't eaten the poutine there but I've seen it and it's barely third-rate.

I'm still annoyed that they haven't found a way to import some Coffee Crisp and Smarties for the concession stands. Priorities!

It's fairly good and easy to eat at a game.

 

[Killion]

Excellent summation!

Indeed. If everyone here pretty much is going to criticize incldg myself... can dish it out but cant take it in return? Good for TFP. Got Moxy.

 

[Fugu]

You railed against the Wings decision (& rightfully so imo) for signing a highly visible anchor sponsor of dubious repute so while the circumstances are different in both situations bad relationships. Optically imprudent move by the RW's with Amway in Detroit. Financially an imprudent move by IA with mix1. Mistakes in both cases, mistakes of 2 different kinds but mistakes are mistakes. What the Hell were the Ilitchs' thinking? Wheres the much vaunted integrity in signing on a False Hope Multi-Level Marketing Merchant like Amway as your "Presenting Sponsor"? That name & brand has Coodies and their gunna rub off on the organization, staining their name & reputation, the logo & colors themselves. Hell, Mr. Hockey himself, the greatest player in Red Wings history got shafted by Amway & wound up having to sue. I could go on & on & on over that one... or the ill suited Quicken Loans deal (usury lenders with a really bad rep - bad fit for the NHL in terms of demographics which is predominantly upper middle class & well educated) in SoCal.

But your suggesting now that if whomever has the money or as in this case of mix1 "appeared to have the money" and everyone "comfortable", just go ahead? I dont think so. Lot more to sponsorship & associative brand identification with an individual, a team or a league than that as you well know. Absolutely a protein drink is an excellent fit however, beyond that, do they have the kind of distribution upon which co-op spin-offs at P.O.S. can be jointly executed with the Coyotes along with Budget & how much? As their newbies, how long have they been in business & who are the principals, whats their background? Do they have the kind of experience to give flight to what is essentially a start-up? These are all questions that shouldve been asked as right off the bat, Red Flag; seed & operating capital being derived through a public offering. Very little private placement. Would you not be "concerned" about their ability to pay for that sponsorship which just happens to be a fairly choice platform? That youve blocked yourself from signing a financially solid sponsor in taking a risk on a company who's short track record is cause for concern?... And so this is what happens. Not only do the Coyotes get stiffed but theyve given away a choice sponsorship which they couldve sold to someone else without having to worry about whether or not their invoices get paid. Double whammy. mix1 was over-sold, possible mix1 over-promised thinking the sponsorship would result in immediate & substantial dividends, all kinds of things go on. Thats why you want Pro's running an operation like the Coyotes & GRA. To avoid precisely these kinds of mistakes.

Yes , I did rail against it but that was an example of something that deserved it. The Coyotes are not in a market with a lot of its own, homegrown brands. Yes, I thought that partnering with mix would block Gatorade or similar, but did you really expect that as a possibility? So a smaller company wants to make a splash. They probably had to put up funds to get it going. They were not of ill repute. (Not sure what the Quicken thing is about... .??)


Oh, and I think the Scamway deal was not Mike's doing. He has been very ill for a few years now, out of the picture. I think it was Tom Wilson.

 

[saskganesh]

Points for the summary. Well done.

 

[Killion]

The Coyotes are not in a market with a lot of its own, homegrown brands....

Precisely. So they'd be selling sponsorships desperately. Never a good position to be in. A tonne of competition in the market ranging from TSA (Suns, Rattlers etc) to the Grapefruit League clubs & facilities; event & concert venues, special events & so on & so forth. I get that. I understand how such a thing could transpire, follow its genesis using deductive reasoning. But its still, imo... Rookie Mistake. Situation entirely avoidable. If it ever does get aired before the Bench, no settlement in the interim then I guess we'll see whats what huh?. Really rather a minor issue in the grand scheme of things however... indicative & illustrative of a number of issues.

 

[cutchemist42]

Nothing to add except Im surprised at the Smokes being there as its not too large of a Canadian franchise. At the same time, it sells the most distinct Canadian fast food. I've eaten at one in Wpg, I could see myself enjoying it at a game.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

When I was working in Ottawa, I recall Smoke's Pulled Pork Poutine being very good. Shame they haven't mastered arena concessions (or an American expansion) yet.

Smarties are nasty, like...uh...John Scott's hockey game.

I'm sure the legit Smoke's is good, but the Levy Restaurants version of Smoke's at GRA has somehow missed the formula. It's definitely packaged well like kihekah said, though.

RE: Smarties, BITE YOUR TONGUE. Canadian Smarties are so much better than the plastic-wrapped miniature Tums that pass as Smarties in the US. Actually, all Canadian chocolate products are better because they don't put in the same waxes and preservatives that US producers do. I have a buddy from Alberta who smuggles the good stuff to me a few times a year.

Indeed. If everyone here pretty much is going to criticize incldg myself... can dish it out but cant take it in return? Good for TFP. Got Moxy.

Gallows humor is the only way those of us who have stuck it out these past few years survive. If you think of it as an extended Monty Python sketch, it helps.

But seriously, mesamonster, a period or an ellipsis would not be out of the question...

 

[Killion]

Gallows humor is the only way those of us who have stuck it out these past few years survive.

... ya, I can relate in some respects, Leafs fan... serious case of PTSD though for other reasons of course.

 

[Fugu]

Precisely. So they'd be selling sponsorships desperately. Never a good position to be in. A tonne of competition in the market ranging from TSA (Suns, Rattlers etc) to the Grapefruit League clubs & facilities; event & concert venues, special events & so on & so forth. I get that. I understand how such a thing could transpire, follow its genesis using deductive reasoning. But its still, imo... Rookie Mistake. Situation entirely avoidable. If it ever does get aired before the Bench, no settlement in the interim then I guess we'll see whats what huh?. Really rather a minor issue in the grand scheme of things however... indicative & illustrative of a number of issues.

The only reason it's being discussed is due to Llama's detective work. I'd gander this kind of thing happens all the time, and no, don't think it's just a rookie mistake. It s beyond small potatoes, and I still think the team should accept sponsors that fit the sports niche.

 

[EvilCoop]

Yeah, while we all admire Llama's ability to read between the lines, deadbeat sponsors aren't news.

 

[Llama19]

The only reason it's being discussed is due to Llama's detective work. I'd gander this kind of thing happens all the time, and no, don't think it's just a rookie mistake. It s beyond small potatoes, and I still think the team should accept sponsors that fit the sports niche.

Like Killion stated, due diligence has been spouted by LeBluster(tm) since 2009, and along with his magical 75 page business plan...

Things like this just reinforce the notion that they don't really know, and don't have the expertise,
to make this franchise viable, which requires revenue streams in the millions, not in pennies...

 

[Killion]

It s beyond small potatoes, and I still think the team should accept sponsors that fit the sports niche.

Sure, they should accept them provided they can pay for the platform. If your big league you dont go cutting iffy deals with junior league product or service providers. Every sponsorship deal IA has announced (excluding the building naming rights deal with the Gila River Band) has been from what Ive been able to determine low dollar or no dollar contra arrangements... yet LeBlanc has the brass to announce them as major signings, major sponsorship deals, programs & promotions. All smoke. So rather like the issue of anemic concert & event bookings whereby with his own admission "we underestimated the length of the runway", revenues upon which the COG was relying, he also seems to have underestimated the length of the runway in securing sponsors... spending his time off the end of it wandering around beating the bushes looking for them and finding nothing but Dwarf Rabbits. Surely, like the concert & event business, local competition fierce, he had to or should have known that procuring corporate sponsors for GRA & the club was going to be a seriously steep incline after all thats transpired. So he cuts these odd deals, mix1 included and it comes back & bites him. I dont know what you'd call all of that, the pattern thats well established, but I call it Rookie Neophyte. In way over his head.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Yeah, while we all admire Llama's ability to read between the lines, deadbeat sponsors aren't news.

I appreciate Llama's aggregation capabilities (he's a linking machine!). He needs his own app on Android.

 

[TheLegend]

Indeed. If everyone here pretty much is going to criticize incldg myself... can dish it out but cant take it in return? Good for TFP. Got Moxy.

Better he did it than me........ I tend to cut through the "bluster" and go for the jugular.

 

[Killion]

Like Killion stated, due diligence has been spouted by LeBluster(tm) since 2009, and along with his magical 75 page business plan...

I dont half wonder if he isnt a bit of a dipsomaniac Llama...
Which would actually be ok in my book... explain a lot...

 

[Llama19]

I dont half wonder if he isnt a bit of a dipsomaniac Llama...
Which would actually be ok in my book... explain a lot...

This new thread is turning me into a dipsomaniac...

 

[wpgallday1960]

To get the new thread up to speed, a quick summary of the discussion:

• IceArizona is a group of posers headed up by majority owner who basically likes letting his parents drop the puck before games.
• Coyotes "shadow puppet" owners are chumps because they don't have precognition about potential sponsors.
• Every attempt of the ownership group to create something positive - e.g., a new Arizona Youth Hockey Foundation headed by Shane Doan - is an elaborate cover-up for an already-concluded sale agreement with Bill Foley in Las Vegas for next season.
• The City of Glendale is on the short list for the Nobel Prize for kicking the Coyotes out of Gila River Arena after this season (even though the lease agreement runs through next season).
• mesamonster is extremely fond of exclamation points as primary punctuation.
• The poutine at Smoke's inside Gila River Arena is putrid.
• The NHL is holding back expansion proceedings because the Coyotes are 100% moving at the end of this season, for realsies and no lie, trust us, we've known about this all year.

Carry on.

It's only January but I nominate this for post of the year. Best laugh I've had in a while. Good to see you have a sense of humour on the subject.