Sodboy13

I'M RIGHT HERE DAMMIT (brb there's a crash on 35W)

18 miles from Downtown Phoenix to the Jobber. 1) That's hardly boofoo 2) Phoenix traffic doesn't suck as hard as people claim it does (I've reported it) 3) People drove farther in worse weather to a sketchier area to see the Bulls at the United Center during the entire Tim-Floydastrophe 4) If there are not enough people willing to drive 15-30 miles to see hockey on a weeknight to even half-fill your arena for your division-champion, conference-final-reaching team, your franchise is a lost damn cause 5) If "people won't come here on weeknights" is your built-in excuse, consider the ECHL instead.

Plenty of tickets under $10 on StubHub for Monday's tilt with Nashville, though. Should be another 4-digit evening.

Ollywood Ulk Ohgan?

Ha, I noticed that too. Time to pull a WCW and have everybody move to one side of the arena. "Get me a crowd shot." "There's no crowd!"

I guess the question is whether his Gang of Seven will stick by Bettman after the way he guided them through the lockout (not particularly well). All he needs is the backing of those seven to continue on this fool's errand. Plus, if he couches it as "it's either Glendale or Québec City", he might get Geoff Molson on board.

I'm not sure, but I THINK they have to honour the deadline. That being said they probably won't extend the deadline like the last council constantly did. They could pull out but it might lead to a lengthy legal battle if they do. However if Jamison doesn't get his deal done in the next two weeks the new council is under no obligation to extend the deal and in fact were elected claiming they didn't want this deal and opposed it. So hopefully Jamison doesn't get this done by Jan 31. If it gets all the way down to January 31st, and the new city council actually does tell him to put up or shut up, the league is going to "loan" him the money to buy the team. Continue the omnishambles!

Did somebody say "Coyotes KickStarter?" Also, did somebody say "shameless self-promotion of my attempt at a hockey blog"?

THERE ARE NO PARKS IN WINNIPEG

The Arizona Coyotes: Because YOU THAT'S WHY

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/07/report-jamison-still-seeking-financing-to-purchase-coyotes/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Well, now that all of their financial problems have been solved, the league has told Greg Jamison "Hey, how about we just give you the money to buy the team from us?"

That seems very, very accurate, to the point where I wonder if Nike's getting ripped off in-house at one of their overseas factories. I know the Steelers' sleeve stripes used to be a sewn-in insert - anyone know if that's carried over to the Nike overhaul?

January 31st, and we don't. Unless the new city council, which takes over mid-January after being elected on a "Jesus CHRIST, these effing people" platform, decides to come charging out of the gate and tells Greg and all his imaginary friends to go pound sand.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/28/bid-fo-referendum-on-coyotes-lease-deal-comes-up-short/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Glendale residents couldn't get enough signatures to force a referendum on the lease deal. So the only thing holding back Greg Jamison from being able to buy the Coyotes is Greg Jamison being able to buy the Coyotes. 5 weeks allegedly left on the clock, Greg. Time to check if Qantas has any good deals on January fares.

Paul Allen wanted to buy the Coyotes in 2001 and move them to Portland, but the league thought they had things lined up to get an arena deal in Scottsdale. Whoopsies! Here come your Arizona Qatar Foundation Coyotes!

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/28/jamison-reportedly-traveled-to-middle-east-in-search-of-coyotes-investors/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Look on the bright side. Greg Jamison still has five other continents to try to find people who'd want to fund his purchase of the Coyotes.

I got The Instigator for Christmas, and tore through it in past two nights (thanks for the recommendation, Admiral). One of the interesting bits of Coyotes history I was previously unaware of was that Jerry Colangelo, the point man in bringing the Jets southward in 1996, wanted to be free and clear of the thing by 1998, and it was more or less in Gary's hands (either by his own choosing or not) to scrape together enough couch cushion change and various local investment to keep the 'Yotes afloat. Bettman's taken the lead on saving desert hockey with duct tape and Fix-a-Flat for nearly 15 years now, not just the 4 since Jerry Moyes went teats-up and tried to shuffle them off to Noted Enemy Jim Balsillie. They are, in so many ways, his team.

http://m.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/12/27/glendale-signs-arena-management-deal.html?r=full Glendale's signed the lease with Invisible Moneybags Jamison and his investment group of leprechauns, even though Jamison still hasn't bought the team, nor shown he has the money to do so. This is going to be ever-so-delightful when the new regime takes over in two-and-a-half weeks and Jamison still isn't the owner.

It's amazing how ardently counterfeit buyers defend their purchases and lavish praise on their alleged quality, yet are almost always unwilling to post photos of them. Put up or shut up.

Well, it looks like one of Glendale's cornerstone issues will be addressed, as reports floating around tonight say the team will change its name to "Arizona Coyotes". Pat yourselves on your backs, Glendale City Council. All it took was $400 million in taxpayer money, but you finally got the team to name itself after the state instead of the major city that gave your hilljack exurb such an inferiority complex, it had to leverage its future on questionable real estate developments at the apex of the bubble in a foolhardy attempt to overcompensate. Bravo!

Glendale was in some trouble, what a sad sad story Needed a new owner to retain false hopes of glory Where, oh where was he? Where could that man be? We looked around, and then we found, the man for you and me And... now... it's... Springtime, for Bettman, and Jamison Outlet, mall hockey, is saved Mortgage, our future, to save some face Guaranteed, plenty, of parking space Springtime, for Bettman, and Jamison Piss on, Columbus, they're done Springtime, for Bettman, and Jamison Hey Arizona, bend over, we won!

There has to be some sort of dire reckoning in Glendale before that full 10 years is up. Remember the frightening numbers from the Camelback Ranch fiasco. The good news is that, though the league's going to have to own a team for another 10 years, it'll probably only play hockey for 6 or 7 of those years.

And by "it", we mean another 30-day extension, but that's it! (That last "it" will also be a 30-day extension.)

Jobing.com Arena has such bold flavors, you guys.

*stares at screen* *takes long, slow drink* *spits drink across room* BAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA