Truth is always war’s first casualty.

As pointed out by a long time and valued member of the Jetsowner.com forum this week, there is a troubling number of news stories that have come out that are related to the fight for the Coyotes.

The member offers a candid explanation for some of the news stories and how they might be related to each other. “Just seems ironic that a group involved with the CFL gets exposed as a troubled team financially; and the same guys are stating their interest in an NHL team. This is Tom Wright the CFL commish (at the time of the money loan) giving Ballsy some tips on how to make your competition look a bit weaker.” The post goes further and says, “Why would someone expose this NOW when it happened so long ago?” This is in reference to the Toronto Argos co-owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski secret loan from David Braley, the BC Lions owner, of roughly half of the sale price of $2 million, ironically also out of bankruptcy, to complete the purchase of their team. These same two gentlemen are one of four groups supposedly interested in buying the Coyotes and wanting to keep them in Phoenix as Gary Bettman has indicated.

The fans and the media would be wildly Offside to believe any of these stories without first putting them through a reality check.

It doesn’t take rocket scientist to figure out if you have not the cash to fund your CFL team purchase you simply aren’t in any position to talk principle ownership of an NHL team. The connection to the CFL and Balsillie through Tom Wright, the then-Commissioner of the CFL seems to connect the dots. Balsillie would be trying his utmost to knock the legs out from under any prospective bidder bidding against him for the Coyotes. Even the suggestion that a CFL owner had that kind of coin available is almost laughable; This revelation confirm it.

It seems that small number of degrees of separation warrants another look by the media and the CFL. Just who outed whom? Were any covenants broken by the past CFL leader in revealing sensitive details outside the CFL? Clearly, the conspiracy theories have some initial merit.

But the conspiracy theories don’t end there, as many involve the NHL as well. The timing of all these groups in South Western Ontario wanting a second team seems to also be curious. For years they have been silent even with several rounds of expansion occurring. These tangible opportunities now made public would help persuade Judge Baum that expansion to the region is very possible, even close at hand. Therefore, the need to compensate the NHL also becomes more tangible if Balsillie get his way with the Hamilton Coyotes.

It is also very troubling that the NHL clearly has been looking for new Coyote owners for several months and clearly came up short. With the then-private-but-now-public email from Gary Bettman to Bill Daly indicating that it is seems hard to convince someone to get excited at losing $40 million a year as a new owner and that if none come forward a club move may be next. (This is the same email in which Gary Bettman says if the club has to move then it should be first offered to Winnipeg.) So in the matter of a few short weeks, after months of failure, the NHL has found 4 groups that wish to buy the club and keep them in Phoenix. Even Judge Baum said that this was hearsay at best. But we know enough to suggest that the NHL may have been taking serious liberty with the truth when making these claims in court. Did the NHL ask those Ontario groups to make their interests public in time for the judge’s deliberation?

Out of the four prospective Coyote ownerships that the NHL mentioned, only one seems to hold any validity. Beyond the Argos owners, there is a local mystery person as a potential owner. That wasn’t even worth the time it took to type it. Next, the small time minority owner of the Coyotes now wants to buy the team, knowing full well for months if not years Moyes was wanting to unload the team and walk away with heavy losses. Where was he then? Wouldn’t the NHL ask first the existing owners if they wish to take the reins from Moyes? Maybe an inheritance was granted in the last few months? Two words for three groups: highly doubtful.

That leaves Jerry Reinsdorf's bid. Stories were going around in early spring that he took one look at the books and ran away from the Coyotes. Now he apparently has seen the light and wants to buy them for $130 million and get this, keep them in Phoenix. His bid may very well be with the NHL's own money as another Jetsowner forum member pointed out, “the NHL boosted its operating loans by $130 million last month. Curiously the figures match almost exactly.” If you believe that the NHL wants “anything but Balsillie” this conspiracy works. Another option is that Reinsdorf may have been promised to relocate the team to another, better US market within say 2 years, once Balsillie is spurned. Some writers have suggested Las Vegas, but that would only happen if Jerry Bruckheimer has closed the door to the NHL for good. If the door is still open a crack with Bruckheimer, you can be sure the NHL has reserved Las Vegas for him as an expansion cash cow, much like Ontario’s cash cow. So is Reinsdorf offer legitimate? Yes and no. Yes since it will allow sale to proceed. But past statements in spring seem to suggest this offer is a front for NHL control.

So if the NHL wants to keep them in Phoenix and out of Balsillie's hands, they have many ways of that happening. NHL fans and not just Canadians had wished in hindsight that Gary Bettman tried at least as hard to keep the teams in Winnipeg and Quebec. However, it is more likely that the NHL is trying hard to avoid Balsillie and loss of control at all costs, and without any regard to the Coyotes current state. Yes that does grant Gary Bettman and the NHL some leeway about the loss of 2 hockey icons, at least until we see how this drama in the desert plays out. The Balsillie bid of $212.5 million is starting at roughly $100 million behind all others due to the need for his bid to pay compensation to the NHL for either relocation fees or territorial rights compensation or both. This opens the door wide for the $130 million Reinsdorf offer to win as it keeps the team in Phoenix and avoid those fees.

If however, Reinsdorf decides he wishes to back out and remain the owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox only, then you can expect Winnipeg will be asked last minute to “pinch hit” at terms favourable to both its’ ownership group and the NHL’s, to once again avoid Balsillie. For the Coyotes, only one man, Reinsdorf, needs to walk away from the Coyotes before calls to the MTS Centre occur. It will be a very interesting hockey “off-season” for Winnipeg. Especially with many other teams approaching Coyote levels of desperation.

In a way this has become "Survivor: NHL". For those unfamiliar with the show, those voted off previously by the group must decide of those who remain, who to choose to be the winner. To have a reasonable chance of winning the big prize, an NHL team, you must end up being in the final two standing, with the most underhanded, reviled contestant standing beside you. But unlike Survivor, Mr. Balsillie won't be getting any prize for coming in second, again. So maybe just maybe I'll put him on my Christmas card list, if we see NHL hockey in Winnipeg shortly. Might be an ironic twist on his make it seven campaign!

If you have a different way take on all the spin doctoring, feel free to let other people know, on our forum. www.mbmbforum.com

Chris
Chair, Manitoba Mythbusters
www.ManitobaMythbusters.com
www.myNHLincludesWinnipeg.com
www.TheOffsideBlog.com

~ The Reality May Suprise You! Excite You! ~