Goodbye, Coyotes? (Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale: buy, construction, club)

[Ponderosa]

From some of these posts you'd think that the arena is near Yuma. It is not really that out there anymore. In fact, it is nearly 10 miles east of the fastest growing part of the valley in Surprise and Goodyear. It is getting closer in with every passing day. Not only that, it is very easy to get to from everywhere and has acres of easy access parking.

The major reason the Coyotes are a flop is because they don't have enough fans in this area to support them. They will be a flop downtown too. Hockey has no place here. You want hockey, move to the frozen country where they actually play the game. Don't be asking the taxpayers of Glendale to foot the bill for your passion.

I saw Stanton (PHX mayor) on TV a couple days ago. He was opining about how great the Coyotes were for the area and how he would do whatever he could to help them stay here. When asked if that meant spending city money, though, he backed away like the place was on fire. Everybody wants them; no one wants to pay for it. It is a losing proposition. They will either come to terms with Glendale or be on their way to somewhere else soon.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

From some of these posts you'd think that the arena is near Yuma. It is not really that out there anymore. In fact, it is nearly 10 miles east of the fastest growing part of the valley in Surprise and Goodyear. It is getting closer in with every passing day. Not only that, it is very easy to get to from everywhere and has acres of easy access parking.

The major reason the Coyotes are a flop is because they don't have enough fans in this area to support them. They will be a flop downtown too. Hockey has no place here. You want hockey, move to the frozen country where they actually play the game. Don't be asking the taxpayers of Glendale to foot the bill for your passion.

I saw Stanton (PHX mayor) on TV a couple days ago. He was opining about how great the Coyotes were for the area and how he would do whatever he could to help them stay here. When asked if that meant spending city money, though, he backed away like the place was on fire. Everybody wants them; no one wants to pay for it. It is a losing proposition. They will either come to terms with Glendale or be on their way to somewhere else soon.

Being where they are DOES make them a less attractive option during the week. It's hard to build a bigger fan base when getting there is such a grind. Sundays for football, not an issue. I-10 westbound is no place to be at rush hour if you don't have to be there, and there are other entertaimment options for east side folks without that traffic burden. Stanton emphasized keeping the Coyotes in the Valley. Downtown makes the most sense, but the funding issue is a big one. The other option I've heard about for a location for a multi-team facility, which has similar traffic issues but in the opposite direction, is Talking Stick. That's a more palatable funding option, as the success of Salt River Fields would indicate. But, things are still a long way from any option right now.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by observer53

Being where they are DOES make them a less attractive option during the week. It's hard to build a bigger fan base when getting there is such a grind. Sundays for football, not an issue. I-10 westbound is no place to be at rush hour if you don't have to be there, and there are other entertaimment options for east side folks without that traffic burden. Stanton emphasized keeping the Coyotes in the Valley. Downtown makes the most sense, but the funding issue is a big one. The other option I've heard about for a location for a multi-team facility, which has similar traffic issues but in the opposite direction, is Talking Stick. That's a more palatable funding option, as the success of Salt River Fields would indicate. But, things are still a long way from any option right now.

Downtown does have the advantage of having a reverse commute for weekday evening games and that might put a couple thousand more butts in the seats (they did not have the worst attendance in the league this year even though the team was atrocious, FWIW), but I don't see them filling the stadium anywhere unless they are a top tier team. Phoenix is a bandwagon city of the worst kind and not into hockey to make matters worse. They will never be in the NHL elite and thus, will never be financially viable without sweetheart taxpayer deals like they worked out with Glendale. I guess we have to decide if we want to pay to keep them or let them go.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by observer53

I can tell you don't live here. Tempe is NOT going to build a new football stadium. ASU is doing a major renovation of Sun Devil Stadium as we speak, but the NFL is not going back in there. That wasn't a good partnership, either. I don't think the NCAA is unhappy with the Glendale stadium at all.

And yes, I'd heard talk about a new downtown arena before the recent statements (after the Glendale vote) about bringing the Coyotes downtown. Very preliminary talk, mind you, but it was happening, because newer is better in terms of those facilities, all over the country, and US Airways Center is one of the older ones. I doubt they've as yet spent the money to have architectural plans drawn, but it isn't as if there was no talk about a new arena at all until a few days ago.

Exactly, and the notion of converting the existing arena into a mall came from one city councilman who seems to have no clue about what works in an urban area. Demolishing it would make more sense if a new area was built.

[sithlord72]

The Coyotes leaving Arizona would be the best thing that could happen to the town. Why in Gods name after a private owner buried this team in bankruptcy, the City of Glendale stuck their noses in this mess and agreed to pay this team $15 million/ year when it was already on unstable footing is beyond me ? When are these gutless politicians going to take a stand & one day say No to any of these overrated, rich owners who use their franchises to extort and pimp out the taxpayers for newer stadiums so they can make more $$$ then they already do ?

Let the team go to Seattle, KC, Quebec ,, let the Coyotes be someone else's problem.

[Slater]

I believe Bruce Cooper from Channel 12 Sports remarked that if the Coyotes packed up and left Arizona there would be zero effect on the valley's sports landscape, with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Suns in town. They simply wouldn't be missed by most folks.

[canadian citizen]

For the person who suggested that hockey should only be played in "the frozen north " .

You do know that the Tampa Bay Lightning are playing in the NHL finals, right now ? And that the Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup in the past, too ? As have the Anaheim Ducks. NHL teams can and do prosper in warm weather cities.

Weather outside the arena has nothing to do with the team that is playing inside of it. The city has had a serious problem with the fact that it is just too dam small to support a professional hockey team, as well as the other sports teams that are there.

Personally, I think that the NHL will eventually decide that there are more receptive cities elsewhere, that would welcome a NHL franchise to their community. Given that there are 3 teams in the NYC/New Jersey triangle, Toronto could easily support a second team in our region.

Jim B.

[Slater]

Originally Posted by canadian citizen

For the person who suggested that hockey should only be played in "the frozen north " .

You do know that the Tampa Bay Lightning are playing in the NHL finals, right now ? And that the Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup in the past, too ? As have the Anaheim Ducks. NHL teams can and do prosper in warm weather cities.

Weather outside the arena has nothing to do with the team that is playing inside of it. The city has had a serious problem with the fact that it is just too dam small to support a professional hockey team, as well as the other sports teams that are there.

Personally, I think that the NHL will eventually decide that there are more receptive cities elsewhere, that would welcome a NHL franchise to their community. Given that there are 3 teams in the NYC/New Jersey triangle, Toronto could easily support a second team in our region.

Jim B.

Nothing against hockey, it's just that historically Arizona has not been a hockey environment and most folks don't follow the game down here.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by canadian citizen

For the person who suggested that hockey should only be played in "the frozen north " .

You do know that the Tampa Bay Lightning are playing in the NHL finals, right now ? And that the Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup in the past, too ? As have the Anaheim Ducks. NHL teams can and do prosper in warm weather cities.

Weather outside the arena has nothing to do with the team that is playing inside of it. The city has had a serious problem with the fact that it is just too dam small to support a professional hockey team, as well as the other sports teams that are there.

Personally, I think that the NHL will eventually decide that there are more receptive cities elsewhere, that would welcome a NHL franchise to their community. Given that there are 3 teams in the NYC/New Jersey triangle, Toronto could easily support a second team in our region.

Jim B.

I'm not buying that. Phoenix is the 5th or 6th largest city in the US and the 13th largest metro which is why the NHL has bent over backwards to get and keep a team here. It sounds good on paper. It is bigger than virtually every other city that has an NHL franchise. Hockey is played in winter here which is the nice time of year and there are a million things the people of this city would rather be doing than going to a hockey game. There is, as the poster above said, simply no hockey history or culture in this town. A winner would make all the difference, but we have seen nothing but bad team after bad team and even worse owners.

[Wally Sconce]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I'm not buying that. Phoenix is the 5th or 6th largest city in the US and the 13th largest metro which is why the NHL has bent over backwards to get and keep a team here. It sounds good on paper. It is bigger than virtually every other city that has an NHL franchise. Hockey is played in winter here which is the nice time of year and there are a million things the people of this city would rather be doing than going to a hockey game. There is, as the poster above said, simply no hockey history or culture in this town. A winner would make all the difference, but we have seen nothing but bad team after bad team and even worse owners.

How many "winners" has Phoenix had in the last 20 years in all sports?? Hockey will never be as popular in Phoenix as it is in Toronto or New York but there is enough of a fan base in the valley to succeed if it's done right. "A million things to do in the winter" really? On a weeknight after dark? I only went to 7 games in the last 4 years because frankly.... GLENDALE SUCKS.

Professional hockey has nothing to do with the weather outside the building.


WTH is Glendale going to do with an empty arena? LOL Maybe Ultimate Frisbee can move in http://mlultimate.com/ LOL