[News] Coyotes to Change Franchise Name

[Northendzone]

If I was a citizen of Glendale (glendalian, glennenite?), which I am not, I would be super browned off that a load of my tax money was poured into this team and now they belong to the state....eff that noise!!

[saskflames69]

Arizona Iced Teas

[Mr.Coffee]

Dave Tippett is a great coach. His teams play well.

Dave Tippett's style is boring as ####. If I was mildly interested in hockey because 'hey, nothing else to do let's check out a hockey game' and cruised on down and witnessed the rape and atrocity that is Dave Tippett hockey, you bet your ass I would never return.

The NHL is for entertainment for the fans. And while winning is fun... in a place like Phoenix, you need to not #### all over the game while you present it.

[Mr.Coffee]

And further I like NHL hockey and am a Canadian and I play hockey, grew up with it, it's in my blood yadda yadda yadda.

But they'd have to pay me to be a Coyotes season ticket holder and watch that crap for 41 times a year. Good lord is it just awful.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Dave Tippett is a great coach. His teams play well.

Dave Tippett's style is boring as ####. If I was mildly interested in hockey because 'hey, nothing else to do let's check out a hockey game' and cruised on down and witnessed the rape and atrocity that is Dave Tippett hockey, you bet your ass I would never return.

The NHL is for entertainment for the fans. And while winning is fun... in a place like Phoenix, you need to not #### all over the game while you present it.

I don't think the casual or new fan in Arizona appreciates the difference between boring and exciting hockey. If the team wins, they are probably entertained.

A boring hockey game live is still more exciting than basketball or baseball.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

And further I like NHL hockey and am a Canadian and I play hockey, grew up with it, it's in my blood yadda yadda yadda.

But they'd have to pay me to be a Coyotes season ticket holder and watch that crap for 41 times a year. Good lord is it just awful.

Did you enjoy watching The Flames in the year 2003/2004? what an exciting brand that was.

[Senator Clay Davis]

^ And yet they sold out the building every night. The Coyotes are in pretty much the same scenario and have to give away many tickets to have a building 65% full. I know you're committed and thats great, but every single piece of available evidence suggests the Coyotes are destined to fail, or be a massive money loser for whoever owns them.

[djsFlames]

I hate Coyotes most of all thanks to their brand of hockey. I agree with the couple posters above. It drives me mad because they suck all the fun out of games consistently. Especially games in their building.

Not to mention their incredible luck with scoring the most garbage goals that just make you throw up your hands in disbelief. Goals that wouldn't happen any other blue moon with any other team, and they're often game breakers. Sharp angle goals, goals that bounce off 2-3 players. It's just absolute garbage. Then they go to the 4 and 1, Smith locks it down and it's just waves on rocks for the rest of the game while Coyotes fans cheer on about the fact that their ahead, yet not noticing the significant drop in watchability of the game at that point. The rest of the game is an automatic cycle of skating around, rushes being broken up, and nothing actually happening. It's maddening.

#### the Coyotes, indeed.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Wow. A few folks need a life

[IMG]Let the Butthurt flow through you...

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Did you enjoy watching The Flames in the year 2003/2004? what an exciting brand that was.

They worked hard, they played extremely physical, and punched people in the face when they were losing.

What wasn't to like about the 03/04 Flames?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

^ And yet they sold out the building every night. The Coyotes are in pretty much the same scenario and have to give away many tickets to have a building 65% full. I know you're committed and thats great, but every single piece of available evidence suggests the Coyotes are destined to fail, or be a massive money loser for whoever owns them.

The 03-04 Flames? Actually, they didn't sell out the building every night. By the end they did, but the early part of the season was probably the lowest point in franchise history. I remember not even getting 17k for a game against Edmonton. Only to be expected since the season started with more of the same.

The important thing for the Coyotes owners is the escape clause. I think we'll see by the start of year 3 (2015-16) whether the team really is "here to stay". No turnaround by then, and the owners will likely be closing in on the magic figure of losses to relocate after five years.

[troutman]

I have the feeling things are going so bad for the owners and Glendale, that they both will be prepared to tear up the agreement and walk away before 5 years are up.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I hope so, they need to move that shizzle elsewhere!

[Tyler]

The Coyotes owners bought the team to flip. Bettman just needed a group to eat $50M in losses before they could flip the thing and make $100M when they're sold to Seattle or Quebec

[nik-]

No they didn't. They bought the team to eat the losses so they could move then franchise. No ownership is going to just eat a bowl of #### for 5 years or $50 mil in losses because Bettman needs to save face.

[Resolute 14]

Well, if things don't change, the losses will be well more than $50 million. The escape clause, iirc, is that the lease can be voided after five years if losses exceed $50 million. They could surpass that within two seasons if the revenues don't improve, but will still have to eat three more losing seasons.

I think plan A for RSE is to turn things around in Phoenix. That has always been a long shot, so Plan B is relocation. That is their hedge against losses. Move the team to the Golden Horseshoe and the immediate increase in value would cover most or all of even the most extreme losses in Arizona.

[Vulcan]

No, you're both wrong. They bought the team with the hope that with stable ownership, they can make it work in Phoenix. Of course being business men they have an out and if they can last they may come out okay by moving or flipping. They're finding out that stable ownership isn't the answer either but they did try to protect themselves by borrowing $80M from the NHL and $120M from Fortress.

Here's how they can leave early.

Gosbee and his partners have an escape clause from their lease after five years or a cumulative $50-million in losses. At the same time, they do not have to pay the principal on the NHL loan until five years has passed. That just happens to be the time period when arenas in Seattle, Quebec City and perhaps Las Vegas will be ready.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle13130564/

[Brannigans Law]

hold on a second, this is pretty important news. they can leave BEFORE 5 years is up if they have 50 million in losses??

this is really exciting stuff. we could have the nords within 3 years!

[Vulcan]

In any case the NHL looks to take a haircut to the tune of $104M after losing the lawsuit against Moyes.

Gosbee and LeBlanc raised $250-million to buy the Coyotes. But they have little skin in the game, as they say, since $205-million of that is borrowed money. Fortress Investment Group, which lends money to distressed businesses at healthy interest rates, provided $120-million with the NHL chipping in $85-million.
Even better for Gosbee and LeBlanc, they do not have to make any payments on the principal of the NHL loan for five years. This just happens to be when their escape clause from Jobing.com Arena in suburban Glendale kicks in, if they can also show a total of $50-million in losses.

Here he contradicts with the word "also" but later says

Then again, in five years or even sooner if the magic number of $50-million is reached, LeBlanc and Gosbee could sell the Coyotes to someone in, say Seattle or Las Vegas, for a big whack of cash and everyone goes home happy. Well, everyone except some fans in Arizona.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle14806679/

Some confusion but all in all a big mess.

[Resolute 14]

Well, the league will make that money back through a relocation fee. Especially if, say Bell and Rogers decide they can't play nice together as Maple Leafs owners and one company gives up their stake in exchange for a free relocation into the Toronto market for the other.

If the Coyotes can't figure out how to draw fans in the next couple seasons, it is Glendale that will be left holding the bag. Everyone else breaks even or turns a profit.