In another court hearing which draws more headlines than any transaction or game in years, U.S. Bankruptcy Court moved up the date for prospective local buyers of the Coyotes to Aug. 5.
It sounds like a potential life raft for the Coyotes, but this boat is sinking.
Judge Redfield T. Baum made it clear that hockey fans were going to have to help this cause by lapping up tickets and spending money to help a woefully sunken franchise. It’s a nice sentiment, if only fans had been given any reason to drive an hour across town in rush hour and fork over scarce dollars to watch an inferior product.
But most don’t, and even if a local mogul or Jerry Reinsdorf comes swooning in and buys the franchise, the money will continue to freefall. A franchise in limbo doesn’t attract free agents (neither would their salary requests for a team financially sunken in the red).
The Coyotes aren’t on the cusp of a significant playoff run, are hemorraging money, and beyond a miniscule, passionate group of fans, haven’t been of Joe Fan’s interest regardless of the economy.
Jim Balsillie offered $213 million to move the team to Ontario. Given the state of the franchise and local NHL interest, I can’t imagine Reinsdorf or any other local ownership group would match that figure. And even if someone(s) does keep the team here beyond the 2009-2010 season, how long until that group is tired of bleeding their bank accounts dry, and we’re back in courtrooms?
The NHL has been too stubborn to acknowledge defeat in the desert. That’s an odd thought for a league with $213 million in-waiting while it continues to be an afterthought in all but a hand’s worth of “hockey town” markets.
Should Balsillie’s original offer remain when relocation owners make a bid September 10, it would move the team into a hockey haven.
A league desperate for dollars would be wise to let outsiders enter, take the money and run.
Really??? You call yourself a Valley newspaper and this is the crap that gets published? I’m disgusted. How about saying some positive things about the team? Of course people aren’t going to support the team if this is the crap they have to read.
Apparently this reporter doesn’t know anything about Reinsdorf’s ability to take a sport team and turn it into something exciting _and_ profitable.
Doesn’t know anything about hockey.
Doesn’t know anything about Moyes and his utter mismanagement.
Typical local hockey reporting.
Typical myopic, short-term focus on East-side versus West-side.
Honestly didn’t think the coverage could be any worse than it typically is, however. I will say that Heller has proven me wrong with this drivel. I hope you didn’t get paid to write this cr@p.
Move along. Nothing to see here…