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  • Interesting article on the ruthlessness of one Gary Bettman ...

    Tuesday, May. 25, 2010 9:34PM EDT Last updated on Wednesday, May. 26, 2010 9:25AM EDT
    If there was any doubt about the shamelessness of the NHL when it comes to the Phoenix Coyotes, it was erased last Thursday when commissioner Gary Bettman had an ultimatum delivered to the city officials of Glendale, Ariz.
    Show us proof you have $25-million (all currency U.S.) available to cover the Coyotes’ operating losses next season, the suburban Phoenix community was told, or we will sell the team immediately to someone who will move it. Glendale city council member Phil Lieberman said Tuesday they were not told who was buying the Coyotes or where they were going, but he found out the destination was Winnipeg.
    The ultimatum was made one week after Bettman dismissed reports he had a backup plan to sell the Coyotes to True North Sports and Entertainment of Winnipeg. “Rampant speculation that has no foundation,” Bettman said in one interview.
    But there was Bettman’s henchman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly, dropping a Winnipeg grenade into the lap of Glendale city manager Ed Beasley. Cough up $25-million or we’re out of here.
    Officials from the city of 250,000 were given until 5 p.m. Friday to produce the $25-million guarantee, according to one source. They caved at 4:45, with 15 minutes to spare.
    People from Glendale and Winnipeg should be outraged. Bettman and Daly have long told both cities, with straight faces, that they would love to have both of them in the NHL. But not, apparently, before one is told to shut up and cough up, and the other is used coldly as a bargaining chip.
    “Well, he has the cards in his pocket,” Lieberman said when asked why the city surrendered the cash. “He’s got three aces – the franchise.”
    Glendale politicians are terrified of losing the franchise, so they willingly compounded one huge mistake with another. The first mistake was borrowing $180-million to build Jobing.com Arena for former Coyotes owner Steve Ellman. Now they feel they have no choice but to throw good money after bad to avoid losing the anchor tenant even if that tenant loses more than $20-million in a good year.
    Actually, the city missed a chance to throw Jim Balsillie’s money at the NHL. Last fall, when the BlackBerry billionaire was fighting to buy the Coyotes, he offered Glendale $42-million to drop its opposition to him. Even if he lost, Balsillie promised, Glendale could keep $25-million, no strings attached.
    Lieberman was the only Glendale councillor to say grab the money. So now the city had to cough up $25-million from what it calls an “enterprise fund account,” which is a reserve account originally ticketed for expenses that will come due in a few years.
    Oh, don’t worry, say some city councillors and staffers and, of course, Bettman. That money will not be needed because it’s only insurance in case the team isn’t sold and it surely will be. Oh yes, the sale has been nothing but smooth so far, hasn’t it?
    All the city really did was accept one ultimatum so the NHL could drop another one on it. The agreement spelling out how the city will cover up to $25-million in losses next season also says the city has until Dec. 31 to find a local buyer or the NHL will sell it to someone (hello True North) it has waiting to move the team. Lieberman said the city was told there was a cash offer of $170-million on the table.
    The problem is, Lieberman points out, this hogties the city in its negotiations with the only two prospective local buyers. One, Jerry Reinsdorf, is not that interested. The other, the Ice Edge group, is not that credible.
    “This means the city is almost blackmailed into accepting the terms of the owners,” Lieberman said, referring to negotiations between the two prospective owners over an arena lease.
    The city has a memorandum of understanding with both Reinsdorf and Ice Edge but that is only an outline of an agreement. Indications are that Reinsdorf’s negotiators are playing hardball over the details, and who wouldn’t, once it was shown the city is willing to surrender $25-million a year?
    “Suppose the NHL doesn’t accept any [lease] we approve and hand off to them for acceptance?” Lieberman said. “There’s a big hole there.”
    There is also the Goldwater Institute, the conservative watchdog that is looking to take Glendale to court for spending too much of the taxpayers’ money. One of their lawyers said Tuesday they are still studying the agreement between the NHL and Glendale.
    And also holding their noses, one supposes.

    Comment


    • As much as its pretty obvious that Bettman is looking for a way to get the NHL out of Phoenix...

      ... it was patently stupid that the NHL is in Phoenix to begin with.

      And whose fault was that?

      Oh yeah...

      Comment


      • How is it anymore stupid that the NHL is in Phoenix than it being in Dallas, Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, and having two franchises in LA?
        ------------
        <<< Jana Cova ...again (8 <<<

        Comment


        • I think it only comes down to the market...They certainly have the market for all 4 sports franchises

          Comment


          • Originally posted by Drew View Post
            How is it anymore stupid that the NHL is in Phoenix than it being in Dallas, Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, and having two franchises in LA?
            Pretty damn stupid... as all of those teams are hemorraging money, as I recall... when the primary reason the North Stars moved to Dallas and the Jets moved to Phoenix was because Minnesota and Winnipeg supposedly weren't rich enough markets. Dallas hasn't been as bad as the other places... but it still loses money regularly, even with a team that was championship caliber for many years.

            This entire mess was because Bettman got greedy... and now his league is losing more money than when those teams were in Minnesota and Winnipeg.

            Warm weather cities, as a whole, don't care about hockey. Phoenix doesn't give a shit, despite the begging campaign that managed to fill the seats during the playoffs. Tampa Bay doesn't give a shit. Miami sure as hell doesn't give a shit. Atlanta doesn't give a shit.

            Go back to Winnepeg. Go back to Quebec. Go to Washington (the state). Go back to Hartford; you know, the places that care. The places that Bettman decided were "too little" for his delusions of grandeur.

            Comment


            • Chem
              don't you mean go BACK to Washington? The first American team to win the cup was from Seattle.
              To be a professional means that you don't die. - Takeru "the Tsunami" Kobayashi

              Comment


              • Originally posted by chemiclord View Post

                This entire mess was because Bettman got greedy... and now his league is losing more money than when those teams were in Minnesota and Winnipeg.
                I will not argue Bettman is either greedy or stupid however, name me a sports frahchise that has not had profit problems since then?
                I long for a Lions team that is consistently competitive.

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                • Phoenix and Tampa and Florida etc... have been struggling to fill seats from their very inception. You can blame the current trends on the economy, but these teams were struggling from the opening gun. Dallas has managed to tread water because of their prolonged success, but even that team has been an odd fit at times.

                  Because no one in those warm weather climes wanted anything to do with hockey. They still don't. You might as well be trying to sell Eskimos on Jai Alai. It's a completely foreign culture to those southern cities.

                  And yes, Seattle, I know. For some reason, I missed the "back" part when I talked about Washington.

                  The root cause of all this madness is Bettman trying to make the NHL something it isn't; it's never going to be as money-making or as popular as football or basketball or baseball. Trying to force it into the mainstream by putting it in the most posh markets is not going to work.

                  That's not to say teams should never relocate because of a bad situation. The Nordiques had a rough go of things with a team that was second fiddle the entire time it was in operation in Quebec City. They moved to Denver, and it worked out. They went somewhere that had a hockey history, knew what the sport was all about, and truly knew the sort of investment it would take to create a good experience.
                  Last edited by chemiclord; May 27, 2010, 06:46 PM.

                  Comment


                  • Damn it!

                    Mr. Unsociable and Tailgunner both lost a 2L bottle of Mountain Dew to me over bets made for the Olympic Hockey Champion.

                    Now it looks like I am going to have to give one back to Tailgunner for the Stanley Cup Champs.
                    I long for a Lions team that is consistently competitive.

                    Comment


                    • Call child services....we have a pusher in the wires.

                      Caffeine whacks the youths minds maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
                      19.1119, NO LONGER WAITING

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                      • Originally posted by GONZ View Post
                        Call child services....we have a pusher in the wires.

                        Caffeine whacks the youths minds maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
                        Heh, heh.

                        Tailgunner is now legally an adult.:twisted:
                        I long for a Lions team that is consistently competitive.

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                        • Mark, you took Canada? Wow! I thought you would be gracious enough to congratulate U.S. fans, for their silver medal.

                          Chemi, nice posts I agree with almost everything you've written here.

                          Comment


                          • Wings sign Brendan Smith to a three year entry level deal. Will probably spend next year at Grand Rapids.

                            Now I hope they draft his defensive partner, John Ramage (father played in NHL for 17 years).

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by bill catalano View Post
                              Mark, you took Canada? Wow! I thought you would be gracious enough to congratulate U.S. fans, for their silver medal.

                              Chemi, nice posts I agree with almost everything you've written here.
                              For the Olympics, we got to pick our first team and second team. I picked Canada to win Gold and US to win silver.

                              Both of the boys were eliminated before the Gold Medal game as their favorites were Sweden and Russia.

                              Actually, I am a big fan of USA Hockey but I thought the Canadian team was deeper in talent and goaltending.
                              I long for a Lions team that is consistently competitive.

                              Comment


                              • Nice picks Mark. Myself, I saw a final of Canada vs U.S. or Russia or U.S. vs. Russia.
                                Russia was shockingly bad.

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