An open letter to prospective Coyotes owner Greg Jamison from the Arizona fans.
Dear Greg:
We have a small favor to ask. Please say something. Anything.
Grant an interview with national or local media. Sing "No, Canada" at a Diamondbacks game. Ink your name to one of those bland, non-specific, NHL-issued statements. Tweet an update. Stick a Post-It on Don Maloney's door.
Don: It's all good.
My name on your check,
starting in Sept.
We're not asking you to finalize the purchase of the Coyotes. We'd like nothing more, of course. If/when you do, we'll throw you a parade that passes 500 E. Coronado Road so you can wave hello to the Goldwater Institute. We'll fan you with palm fronds as you pass our brick-red-painted chests. We'll hail you with semi-creative nicknames like "Leader of the Pack" or "Quasher of Quebec."
But after three-plus years of waiting, we're OK if you take your time. We understand this sale is more complex than the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. We understand investors come and go. We understand lease agreements and revenue streams are hard to predict and present when they keep facing local challenges. And we're immune to stated deadlines because we've seen so many come and go.
Still, we've got to tell you: Your silence is unsettling. The void is always filled with rumors and innuendo concocted by all manner of sources in a technological age in which credibility and journalistic standards are less important than web traffic.
Remember that May 7 press conference with Gary Bettman when you said you hoped to have the deal finalized in "weeks rather than months?" Hmm. What are we supposed to believe now?
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says "the deal is moving forward' but offers no concrete evidence. Shane Doan's agent, Terry Bross, says he is waiting to hear from you before his client determines where he will finish his career. Maloney says he is waiting to hear from you before he adds vital and currently missing pieces to his roster. Coyotes COO Mike Nealy is waiting to hear from you so he can make important business decisions and avoid losing more key staff members.
We're waiting to hear from you so we know if we're really going to have a team.
So what's the holdup? Sure, that pesky sales-tax challenge in Glendale won't go away. But if you're waiting for that July 30 hearing to make your move, we can promise you another issue will crop up. This isn't like driving to the store to buy a loaf of bread. You've wandered into a quagmire. This is like crossing a minefield to buy a loaf of bread.
The expiring collective bargaining agreement could still get in your way. Newly elected Glendale politicians could still get in your way. Something unforeseen could still get in your way. But if you have the money in place, as Daly insists you do, could you at least give us a hint of what's holding this deal up?
We know you're not a publicity guy like Matthew Hulsizer, but toss us a bone here. Show us a sign. Anything to take our minds off Steve Nash in that horrid combination of colors: purple and yellow masquerading as gold.
