Phoenix vs. Southern Ontario

With Jim Balsillie, Jerry Moyes, and the NHL all entrenched in a legal battle not seen since the Capulets and the Montagues were popular, I'll have more coverage this weekend on the first week of the "Battle For The Coyotes". While the NHL has been spinning as much positive energy about the stability of the franchise in Phoenix, Jim Balsillie has been drumming up Canadian support while trying to prove that what he did wasn't unethical in any way. And all the while, Jerry Moyes is simply looking for the best deal he can broker no matter who pays him, and the NHL can be damned (according to his tone).

So if you're a multi-billionaire, how do you gain support from people? Well, how about an online petition? The guy who can afford to buy an NHL franchise outright decided to nickel-and-dime a website where you can sign up and support the move of the Coyotes to southern Ontario. Make It Seven is Mr. Balsillie's website, and he needs your support.

He's not getting mine, however.

Look, the least he can do is put a little money and design into the site. The guy is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and it looks like his website was designed by a teenager. If I want to see fonts of various sizes when trying to make a point, I'll check out MySpace or Geocities. I do not expect a man of Mr. Balsillie's professional status to back a website such as this. In a word, that website is pathetic.

If you want to be taken seriously, Mr. Balsillie, the least you could do is post a serious website. Sure, the online petition is a decent idea. It will show that you have a number of people who support you from various walks of life, and that's what your proposal needs: support. But when you direct people to a website that appears to have been designed in about five minutes, you're really showing a true lack of professionalism. Especially when asking for my support in your efforts to move a professional hockey franchise.

The flip side to this equation is the latest efforts from a great Coyotes blog called Five For Howling written by OdinMercer. I thoroughly encourage you all to keep up to date by hitting Five For Howling often, or by checking out Save The Coyotes written by Greg Esposito. Both blogs are great resources in terms of the legal proceedings going on in Phoenix right now.

The reason I draw your attention to these sites is the backlash they are building towards Mr. Balsillie's "Make It Seven" motto. Obviously, neither of these writers want the Coyotes to leave Phoenix in the same manner that Winnipeggers never wanted to see the Jets flee for Arizona. And like the fans in Winnipeg, Mercer and Esposito are raising support by selling their "Keep It Six" t-shirts. For only $10, you can own a piece of history regardless of whether the Coyotes stay or leave. Not a bad price for a fun t-shirt at all.

I'll let the playoff poolies in on a secret: this t-shirt is one of the prizes I'm offering up in the playoff pool. I won't say how one can win this, but it will take a special effort to earn the "Keep It Six" t-shirt.

If I'm basing my support level on the websites produced by both Mr. Balsillie and the Coyote fans and bloggers, Mr. Balsillie had better find some additional investors. The bloggers are destroying you with their creativity and originality, and I'm leaning towards them with my support. After all, I went through a franchise move, and I can tell you it sucks. Coyotes fans are now experiencing what Winnipeggers felt in 1996, and they're rallying just like the citizens of Winnipeg did.

And just to show you that I empathize with you, I even bought a t-shirt for myself!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!