Greg Jamison has funds together for Coyotes purchase

 

The Phoenix Coyotes sale saga has trudged on for so long that most hockey fans, including those in Glendale, have been conditioned to shrug off any news of an impending sale. This time around, however, it appears that buyer Greg Jamison does in fact have the $170 million cobbled together. A familar name is also involved: Ice Edge Holdings, who made an unsuccessful bid for the franchise previous to Jamison and Matthew Hulsizer's failed bid. This being the Coyotes, the whole thing can't possibly be as easy as Jamison writing a check. And it isn't.

 

Jamison must wait on the finalization of the lease agreement between himself (and his investors) and the City of Glendale. ESPN's Scott Burnside says that should be done by the end of September, so all clear, right? Nope. Now the Arizona Court of Appeals has approved the inclusion on November's ballot of a measure supported by the Save Glendale Now group. This measure would reverse the $125 million sales tax that the City of Glendale passed earlier this year to finance the arena lease and other municipal shortfalls. 

It's understandable why citizens of Glendale would be upset with tax dollars going to prop up the sale of a hockey team when there have been layoffs in municipal workers such as police and the like, but even if the measure passes the Glendale City Counsel would not consider that to be retroactive to the previous law. This means appeals, and this means that potentially the Arizona Supreme Court is going to have to get involved in the whole kerfluffle. 

On top of all of this, as the Sporting News points out, if a deal isn't finalized by Election Day, Glendale'll have a new mayor and counsel members who could undo a lot of this progress on the sale. Jamison's on the clock; the arena lease needs to be solved quickly so that check can be written.

About Laura Astorian

Laura Astorian is the head editor for the SB Nation blog St. Louis Game Time and has been a Blues fan from childhood. She promises that any anti-Blackhawks bias will be left at the door. Maybe.

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