On May 6, 2013 Dan Bickley posted a column on Arizona Central. Here is the link http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/danbickley/2013/05/06/coyotes-new-money-new-ownership-bid-new-problems/. It is entitled Coyotes: New money, new ownership bid, new problems. I typically do not read Mr. Bickley. He apparently is just as often wrong as he is correct in his reportage and now, as the Coyotes ownership saga comes to a head rumors are multiplying like rabbits and flying faster than a 747 jet.
What I did find interesting was this, “But the league wasn’t at all happy with Monday’s front-page story in the Arizona Republic, which listed the true cost of running Jobing.com Arena at less than $6 million.” Well, no one should be happy. Yesterday I posted facts and figures in three separate blogs, Fuzzy Math, A Magical, Mystical Number and There’s an Elephant in the Room. The true cost of operating Jobing.com Arena annually is about $12M.
Everyone is touting LeBlanc/Gosbee as the front-runners for ownership. Let me remind you that they are only the first participants in the parade of would-be owners. That does not make them sure-fire, guaranteed owners. Other parade participants are standing in line, Pastor, Jamison, Hulsizer, Reinsdorf and Kaites. Whoever was scheduled to meet with the current council first would have received the tag, “ front-runner.” That is exactly what it appears LeBlanc wants to happen. He would like to be declared the de facto winner of the contest and chase his other competitors away forever.
Bickley goes on to say, LeBlanc’s group – Renaissance Sports and Entertainment “…is committed to absorbing $40 million in losses over the first four years, with an out clause if the economics don’t improve.” If Bickley’s reportage is accurate, this is a cause for concern. In the last go-round when LeBlanc was part of Ice Edge they wanted to play 4 or 5 games in Canada. I assume it was to dip their toes in the waters of the Canadian market to see if it was to their liking. A 5 year out clause, if LeBlanc is successful, may portend the Coyotes’ future. If we see another bid to play some regular season games in Canada that action will tell us more than mere words.
All of this conjecture becomes moot if there is no majority on council to support an annual lease management fee in the range of $10M to $12M. To date, it appears that this council is fixated on a $6M number. It’s a bogus number as I stated in my blog, A Magical, Mystical Number. It was created out of thin air and because it has been publicly stated ad nauseam, it is treated as if it’s a real number based on fact. What continues to amuse if it weren’t so sad, is that the current council really believes they can find an arena manger willing to take $6M a year, cover all operating costs (which means they begin by losing somewhere in the neighborhood of $6M annually) and float the city a loan to cover necessary capital repairs and replacements. Amazing! Stay tuned…Glendale’s version of the Amazing Race is not over!
Joyce Clark Unfiltered should be required reading for the current council….Doncha think!
I think the 4 or 5 year “out” clause is a ddirect challenge to the “sports fans” of Phoenix.
It may not be a bad thing as long as we are assured that should the “economics improve” the team will stay.
If the new owners establish this “out” clause, I hope the first thing that they do is to spell out what will change the 4 or 5 years to an indefinite situation.
I’m only in my 3rd year now as a fan..I just walked in one night and loved it.
But, in my opinion, the entire thing revolves around the fan base.
I heard that one of the new owners actually said on canadian radio that “People in Phoenix don’t like to go to hockey games”
It would appear that his mind is already set.
People always mention the Coyotes attendance being 2nd to last in the ESPN “attendance average” column (13,900)…they obsess by that “average”..
What the average dosen’t say is that in the months of March and April the Coyotes averaged 15,000 in 8 or so home games. (14,377 in the month of april alone and better in March with 2 sell out games.( Canucks and Red Wings)
So, average means nothing..
What hurt the average were the 2 games on January 23rd and 28th (8581 and 8355..pathetic)
IF the Coyotes work hard and talk the casual fans who whine about living in Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler into showing up and filling those seats on a consistent basis..WILL THAT CHANGE THE NEW OWNERS PLANS?
Or is it already a done deal?
If worse comes to worse, I guess I’ll have season tickets for the next 4 years to the greatest game and team that I have ever had thre plaesure to see..which is 4 more years than I thought i’d get to see
Which in Indiana cornfield vernacular” “Is better than a sharp stick in the eye”…….I guess.
Very thoughtful comments. Thank you. I would remind you of the 1997 Whalers when owner Peter Karmanos announced if the number of season ticket holders increased substantially he would keep the team in Hartford. Well, the fans bought every one and Karmanos still moved the team to what is now the Carolina Hurricanes. So, I believe in trust but verify. I am not convinced that any owner with a 5 year out clause has a true intent of staying. Their options are many.
The people of Glendale will have bigger financial problems if the Coyotes no not stay in Glendale! If the current City Council members believe they will be better off without the Coyotes, they will no longer be on the Council one the people realize the big empty hole that will be created that keeps draining City Budget money!