Corporate controlled professional sports are no longer an entrepreneurial venture. Now it is a mix of government funds with heavy pressure from league officials.
Investors, the taxpayers and other forces can now destroy even winning teams.
These fans just found out that even when you put together a good base of support, the rug can get pulled quickly and they found out in a horrible way they just watch their teams final game.
Salt Lake City will become the home of this struggling professional sports team
Phoenix Arizona has exploded in size in recent years, now sitting as one of the most populated cities in America.
Businesses and people have flocked to the area, especially from Democrat-controlled states like California.
However on Thursday, League officials announced that the Arizona Coyotes professional hockey team will depart for Salt Lake City, Utah.
The move takes effect immediately, with the Coyotes leaving in time for the next NHL season.
This means that fans who attended last Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers witnessed the final Arizona Coyotes game.
The relocation agreement gives Arizona the ability to acquire a new expansion team if they build a new stadium within the next five years.
Low attendance and disputes regarding the Coyotes’ home stadium have plagued the team for years, with many taxpayers hesitant to foot the bill for a new stadium.
Former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo sold the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the Utah Jazz NBA team for $1.2 billion.
Meruelo addressed distraught Coyotes fans following the move, saying “It is simply unfair to continue to have our players, coaches, hockey front office, and the NHL teams they compete against, spend several more years playing in an arena that is not suited for NHL hockey.”
He then attempted to address fans and taxpayers alike adding, “But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona. I have negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years, and have retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo. I remain committed to this community and to building a first-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public.”
Meanwhile the new owners, Ryan and Ashley Smith, haven’t skipped a beat preparing for next season.
As far as a new name and mascot is concerned, the Smiths said, “We’ll start with Utah on the jersey and we’ll figure out the logo and everything else, and what it is that we are, but that’s a one-way door.”
He added, “You’ve got to do it once. And with this timeline, I think both the league feels better and we feel better to just run the process and then we’ll drop it when we drop it.”
Arizona’s failure to hold onto to professional hockey demonstrates the true cost of a sports team
Many cities and towns work tirelessly to pour professional sports teams however history proves that grass is not always greener on the other side.
For example, the Coyotes required significant investment and upkeep for a sport that few people in the Phoenix area know anything about.
Push comes to shove; Arizona taxpayers did not want to fork over millions of their hard-earned tax dollars to watch ice hockey in the desert.
Read All About It will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
