Craig Ferguson Investigates

For the bullet summary, please go here.

Just in case things don’t go the ‘Canadian’ Way in the Glendale Court…..

Fellow hockey fans of Southern Ontario, Canada, and the World:

Perhaps we are just not that important.

We can come to that conclusion based on the attitude of the National Hockey League, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the NHL’s Board of Governors, the reporting from major newspapers in the GTA, and others.

We are just not that big a deal.

Who are we kidding? After all, we are hockey nuts, right? Or, are we just nuts that like hockey?

We are powerful and have a strong voice that will really impact the NHL and they had better treat us right. Or, are we just a minor inconvenience that will blow over, and the true hockey fans located for the mostpart in the U.S. don’t know or for that matter, even care that we are upset. Is that it?

It must be OK for the NHL head office and the teams voting against Jim Balsillie to give it to Jim and to us. We’ll get over it. We are true fans, and we really can’t stay away from the game. We will get over it, and flock around our television sets once again when the puck drops next season. We will watch as the cameras scan over the crowds in the sunbelt U.S., strategically placed to ensure it looks like the stands are full.

We will watch, and we will wonder what it would be like to walk up to a ticket booth on game day, and buy some really good seats to see a couple of teams, and a game that looks much faster in person. Those lucky fans, we will think, as we blog, and gossip with other Canadians in Southern Ontario, that gather in front of the TV to watch the Canadian game, in the only way we can. Artificially that is.

We will continue to wonder if the circumstances that surrounded Winnipeg and Quebec City were truly as bad as we would be led to believe. We will wonder how they feel when they, on a Saturday night, gather with their memories and passion, around their collective TV sets to see the game in the only way they now can. Virtually.

We will wonder how they feel as they watch their old teams. Do they still have the passion for their team? The players are mostly if not all gone. Do they still think of the team as ‘their team’? We will wonder because that’s all we can do.

From coast to coast, the Leafs remind us of a passion that unites us all. The Toronto Maple Leafs would hope it was their team that unites us. The question is, does it?

The NHL must know something we don’t. The Toronto Maple Leafs too don’t seem too concerned. They must think this urge and desire to see real NHL hockey in person is a dream we can get over.

We will put our differences aside, and our resentment to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for the obvious attitude of superiority, and we will learn again to love those Leafs, despite how dismal a display they will have on the ice again this year, like all the other years.

We’ll get over it because we are hockey fans, and they are banking on us not being able to resist the game.

They know we are saps that will continue to take whatever they dish out, and come back. And, if we are lucky, really lucky, perhaps we will win the lottery, and someone will offer to sell us a couple of seats to a Leaf game this year.

We will get over our hope to have hockey for the masses. Where a family can go online and buy a few seats to an upcoming Hamilton game, and treat the family to true, professional hockey. We will survive. Our kids will survive. It’s just the way it must be.

And, we will get over the memory of knowing that the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team to the City of Glendale, AZ was more to do about land and area development, and that ‘that hockey team’ was simply a means to achieve city growth. We will learn to put our differences aside. We will learn to forgive the snow job fed the people of Arizona when the team is relocated. After all, all the hype of the court case by that time will have blown over, and reality will be easier to palate.

We will learn to forgive the notable hockey players in the NHLPA that didn’t squeek a rah rah when we were in time of need. We will learn to forgive the Canadian hockey players that have a better tax deal playing and living in the U.S., because despite the fact they are Canadian, we must forgive the fact they need to bank the millions now, while they are still healthy. We will learn that to be a Canadian playing the NHL game means sacrificing your heritage and patriotic pride.

It is much more important to have NHL hockey in the deep southern United States, where to sell a seat, you must throw in a program, perhaps a burger, and maybe that beer.

It is much more important to see if Gary Bettman and the NHL can get a lucrative TV deal despite the fact that college wrestling stands a better chance.

It is much more important to ensure NHL hockey gets exposed in a geographic manner so that more merchandise can be sold as a novelty to people that don’t really like the game necessarily, but think the clothing looks cool. And, let’s not forget Gary. Gary gets a piece of the profits of that merchandise. That is so important. What were we thinking?

Yes, we Canadians are expected to get over it.

We will not sign petitions, or stop buying merchandise, or revolt against the machine.

Yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a slogan, the Passion that Unites Us All!

I guess they will ensure the passion to see hockey will remain a passion to see ‘Leaf’ hockey, come hell or high water.

There may be a new passion building in Southern Ontario, in Winnipeg, in Quebec City, and other parts of Canada.

Will we get over it? They certainly hope so.

The new breed of ‘passion’ of the Canadian hockey fans may tell a different story in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.

There may be a new and improved passion that unites us all. Let’s see what that is!

For the bullet summary, please go here.

Has anyone had occasion to be taken advantage of?  To be wronged?

And, in the process of challenging the wrongdoers, did they attempt to turn the  tables on you? Did they try to make you feel like you were the guilty one? The one who is wronging them?

Well, if you know what I am talking about, you can likely relate to Jerry Moyes.

I have held from the outset, that Jerry Moyes was setup for failure by the ‘friends of Glendale’. His lease would not be negotiated to be less financially stringent. The SOF loan put a vulcan death grip on what remained of his finances. Bettman and the NHL, adding insult to injury, to put Moyes away, having him sign various proxies relinquishing rights as an owner.

And as if an admission of the ‘bells being chimed’, a flurry of activity to the article on this site entitled, “Was Jerry Moyes the Victim of a Squeeze Play?”. Within a short time, an investment company, the NHL head office, and the City of Glendale hit the site. Did we hit the nail on the head? Uh oh!

The court case today reminds me of those ‘rape  trial movies’ on TV, when you get to the point in the court case, where the guilty defendant’s lawyer stands up to question the poor girl, and says, “you wanted it didn’t you? You did something to turn the man on, come on, admit it”.

It’s this kind of low as you can get grovelling that is so beneath dignity that you wonder how those involved can actually sleep at night, and live with themselves.

Well, today in the Coyotes’ bankruptcy case that is exactly what happened.

Outside the courtroom, here is what Gary Bettman had to say:

“They feel that throughout this process there have been a series of frustrating obstacles that have been placed in their way, roadblocks if you will, to try, they believe, to discourage their bidding,” Bettman said.

What exactly were these ‘roadblocks’, I’d like to know? Would these obstacles have anything to do with the setup of Jerry Moyes by any chance?

How dare Jerry Moyes attempt to recover the $100 million loan he forwarded the Coyotes. Yes, once they had all his money, and he was no longer of any use to anyone in Glendale, they cast him off. And then when he tried to get to the bottom of the setup, and questioned why the City of Glendale would give favor to the Reinsdorf family over him in renegotiation of the lease, and concessions, and a better loan arrangement, it is claimed to be harassment?

Can these people really sleep at night? Truly feel good about themselves?

And the attorney for Jerry Reinsdorf claimed:

Klein indicated Reinsdorf was on the brink of withdrawing the bid.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be in here wasting time and money,” Klein said, noting that confidential information already had been made public by Moyes’ attorneys, who said it was a mistake and have apologized.

Sorry Mr. Klein. Would the money lost come close to the $100 million of Mr. Moyes? Didn’t think so.

The court process and strategy is called, for lack of better terminology, a ‘twisting of the truth’. A deferring and deflecting of the issues. The real issue is the abuse Jerry Moyes took from the collusion by the friends of Glendale. Let’s not forget that.

Let’s just hope Judge Baum is leaving all those issues on the table, at the back, and hoping they won’t be necessary. Perhaps it will take civil court action to bring these allegations to the forefront where they cannot be deflected and ignored. I feel sorry for Judge Baum, having to endure these crybabies. He is certainly earning his paycheck.

Until then, we will continue to swallow the court strategies, and suffer the indignities that must be suffered.

When the attorney for Jerry Reinsdorf says his client is ready to dash, the question we must ask is whether this bidder is truly here to do a good job to save the Coyotes? How hard would he be willing to work to turn the fortunes around? No, it sounds more like damage control at this point than true concern.

With a city that would sooner not spend a taxpayer penny on any concessions to save the team, where does the 11.5% sales tax come from? Do the local restaurant owners really believe it will make that big a difference?

As I write this column, the Jonas Brothers will likely be on stage entertaining the meddly of fans packing Jobing.com arena. An entertainment venue that does more than house 41 games of NHL hockey in a year. The top ticket price is close to or exceeds $100. How does that compare to trying to get people interested in NHL hockey?

The restaurants will do just fine, thank you, without having to pay the Coyotes 11.5% of their revenues. Why, so some rich people can bank some? No, restaurant owners work hard for every penny they earn. They do not need anyone’s hand in their pockets, thank you very much!

I have had just about enough of the ‘poor me, look what you are doing to us’ garbage that we are being fed from people who are far from destitute.

If I have contributed even in a small way to the cause to bring a little discomfort to those that feel it was OK to strip a man of his wealth, and then his dignity, you can sign me up to the permanent list of volunteers willing to continue the process.

In short, boo hoo, get over it!

We should all recover from the anger toward the insult to Jerry Moyes.

Jerry Moyes is a reflection of lack of concern for people and their well-being. No different than not caring that taxpayers have to pay close to $500,000 for a single parking spot. The money for that spot comes out of the pockets of every resident. Where is the concern that their standard of living suffers?

Jerry Moyes represents you, and he represents me. He, of all the people in this drama deserves support and credit. Credit for bringing to the forefront a league that is not OK. A league that is in dire need of repair. Exposing what lies beneath the surface. And having the courage to suffer indignities in the process. You see, there are not too many people in the world like Jerry Moyes. There are a lot like the ‘friends to Glendale’.

And, a vote of 26-0 against a man like Jim Balsillie speaks volumes to the brainwashing of a league to its’ governors.

‘Roadblocks’ Mr. Bettman? For the NHL, this is just the beginning.

Before this hockey fan can enjoy hockey again, the injustices to men like Jerry Moyes, and the injustices and abuse of the taxpayers of Arizona must first be remedied.

It’s time for people to stand up to this. If not now, when? If not for this cause, what?

Don’t be fooled into feeling sorry for the wrong people here. Those inconvenienced and frustrated for being exposed for some pretty inhumane behaviour.  No, they are just scrambling to cover their tracks.

Stand up tall. It’s time to not allow the victim to be seen as the perpetrator.