Heartbreaking. Devastating. Stunned. These were how many fans and people within the Coyotes organization reacted to the brutal Tempe vote With such an impactful vote, this vote could’ve cemented the Coyotes’ future in Arizona. Despite that not happening, we cannot dwell on the past. The Coyotes are still in Arizona today. However, there is a plan for the Arizona Coyotes arena. They are still going to be playing at Mullett Arena next year. (This will be touched on later) Now, the team is still probably shell-shocked from the vote, but who is to blame?
Is there anyone to blame? Or did it simply just not pass? Let’s talk about it.
Coyotes Arena Failure Adds to Lengthy List
The Team Themselves
Where does blame get placed with the Arizona Coyotes arena situation? The team put themselves in quite a predicament going into the voting stage. They started their Tempe Wins campaign on February 23rd at The Shop Beer Co. That may sound like it was a good chunk of time before the vote. However, that’s not entirely the case. The opposition, Tempe First, started campaigning immediately. Once the vote went to referendum, they were out on the streets advocating to say no to all propositions.
The Coyote’s reasoning was to have the topic of the crucial vote be on the resident’s minds after the Super Bowl. This could’ve cost them many yes votes that were so important for the team. Another mistake the team made that cost them was advertising. Commercials on Bally Sports Arizona. The group that is watching hockey games, you already have them; they are fans of the team. Same thing at the games. They had advertisements going up on the jumbotron, but you likely already have votes from people attending your games.
The team also didn’t exactly sell to the Tempe residents. The Coyotes didn’t take the time to learn who the electorate was, and at the end of the day, it backfired. They had all the facts; they just didn’t message well. They didn’t tell the Tempe residents that the community would be safe, and they didn’t sell the idea, which is why it was voted no.
Although the poorly run campaign played a significant role in the whole process, there are other issues.
Tempe First Campaign
Get the popcorn ready, the Arizona Coyotes arena got dicey. Now that the drama between the Tempe First Campaign and Tempe Wins is over, let’s look at the Tempe First Campaign. First off, what did they win? What do they come away with after this win? The answer is nothing. They walk away today, gaining nothing but losing an electric entertainment district that would’ve revolutionized Tempe.
Drop off your ballot at Tempe History Museum TODAY (Mon, May 15) 8am-5pm OR vote in person at the same location on Tues, May 16, from 6am-7pm. #VoteNo pic.twitter.com/hbuP5TUIyF
— Tempe 1st (@Tempe1st) May 15, 2023
Tempe First also had clear blatant lies, just like this advertisement on Twitter. It depicts Coyotes President Xavier Gutierrez telling a toddler no to parks. What parks are being built on a landfill that could be toxic? There won’t be any parks in a year there. There won’t be any parks there, probably ever.
These were just one of the countless lies and misinformation the campaign spread. Many were simply not informed on the topic at hand. One major reason is that it’ll cost them taxpayer money, yet this entire project would be privately funded. The Coyotes were going to clean a landfill that will now most likely be cleaned by the city of Tempe. They were also going to provide over 6,000 jobs, as well as making money for the city.
Not being able to inform the audience separated both campaigns, and the lies and misconceptions got to people before the Coyotes could reason with them.
Alex Meruelo’s Past
Alex Meruelo, the Coyotes owner, made it very easy for people to view him as the ‘bad guy.’ In 2019 he was sued to pay at least $450,000 in fees. There was also the narrative that he doesn’t pay his bills. In 2021 the Coyotes didn’t pay their bills to the city of Glendale. Though the unpaid bills were an unfortunate human error they still rectified the situation quickly.
With those being in place, he didn’t help himself by any means. Another aspect of the vote we can dive into is how much even went into the campaign. How much was invested to secure your arena? According to Azcentral, Tempe First was operating on a budget of around $35,000. This is likely completely false; it is also suspected the Coyotes had a budget of around $700,000. With the Tempe First number being much higher, probably even more than the Coyotes, how do you get outspent?
This could fall on the team in general, or Alex Meruelo went cheap with the campaign, ultimately costing them in the end. How do you not put everything you have into this? Questions we won’t know for now, but when you look at it, it really makes you question some things that happened during the course of this campaign.
What Comes Next?
These are the questions every Coyote fan will be asking for the next couple of weeks. We have no idea. Insider Craig Morgan said this “Slow the talk of relocation period. I did not expect to say this today, but I am now hearing that there is still a path forward for the Coyotes in Arizona. The saga continues.” He knows something we don’t, and it’s probably for the better.
This was the news everyone wanted to hear on May 17th. Having the crushing loss of the Tempe entertainment district still raw, this was good news for everyone. The Coyotes will need to come up with something quick; the league won’t be waiting around much longer, and the owners surely don’t want to wait around longer.
The Coyotes announced that they’ll continue playing at Mullett Arena next year and try to find a long-term solution in the desert once again.
Main Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
