Category Archives: Mubadala

McCain: What a bobblehead…Is big John trying to quell the Goldwater roadblock to concessions?

Posted on November 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

Programs! Get your programs here! You can’t tell the players without a program!

John McCain was honoured at the Phoenix Coyotes game against the Montreal Canadiens the other night.

Circa 1980. What would Barry Goldwater really think of McCain's attack on fiscally responsible conservatism now?

McCain, Senator of Arizona has been remarkably quiet in the past few years on the subject of the Goldwater Institute’s battle to keep sanity in Arizona.

Barry Goldwater, we reported would be proud of the group of lawyers fighting for the little guy, that McCain has twisted to suggest are “fat cats”. This type of political smoke and mirrors is an old trick, and for the paper-reading public who don’t pay attention, McCain might get some attention.

But for us paying attention over the years, we were waiting for the powers that be to call in the bobblehead to give his two cents, complete with lack of sense. You see, the real fat cats are McCain’s friends.

The poor schmucks that carry lunch buckets in Glendale are being used by the powers that be, and McCain is supporting them because he cares. Yes siree.

It couldn’t be because of some other reason now could it?

Connections, connections, connections?

This charade is full of political connections to keep those that have power and influence happy.

We have seen that power flexed, and there is no logical reason for this team to not have packed the moving truck with Bettman and Daly serving similar service as they did to Winnipeg several years ago. They should be hanging off the back of the truck as it pulls out of Dodge.

We had a commenter recently, cleverly going by the name of “Daryl Jones”, tell us in a comment, “How about Injustice to Ice Edge Holdings?”, and he went on in another comment to suggest the Yotes aren’t leaving. The sick bugger that used Jones’ name obviously doesn’t know about the new boys. They are now calling out the corruption and warning investors to be weary.

Let me explain.

At one time, Research Edge’s Keith McCullough thought that real estate in Arizona would make a turnaround, and he supported Ben Bernanke’s policies to straighten out the economy. Boy, that sure changed. Now, after Greece is finished and the rest of Europe, McCullough now believes that Bernanke should be fired. Good call. See, it cannot possibly have been Daryl Jones in that comment because this group has reformed. By all accounts they have seen the light to such a degree that they are now advising their clients to beware of the markets.

I mean, where McCullough explained that Matthew Hulsizer was a friend of theirs,

Hulsizer is believed to be friendly with the principals behind Ice Edge Holdings. IEH has been in negotiations with Glendale for some time but have not been able to close a lease agreement.

Ice Edge chairman Keith McCullough told the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal earlier this week that his group had found a partner to help buy the Coyotes.

“Ice Edge would be a minority owner and an adviser,” McCullough said. “That investor is a friend of ours.”

and where they would have held a position in the Coyotes, not as owners, but as partners somewhere, the Hulsizer firm thought QE2 was a good thing. Jud Pyle explained that in his youtube clip from that article.

Surely, the rape and pillaging of the citizens of the U.S. is being warned against by awakening hedge funders to protect their clients right?

And surely, being so fundamentally opposed on this front must mean a deal-breaker was in the offing. Surely, Hulsizer would not hold favor with the boys making a complete about face.

Hulsizer may have since popped over to the Blues and is bidding there, but there are two replacement bidders in Phoenix – Greg Jamison, former San Jose Sharks President, and some mystery bidders. Are the mystery bidders familiar to us, and hence the resurfacing of the Ice Edge name? Round and round she goes, where the Coyotes stop, does anybody know?

But, we are talking about John McCain and his door-opening attempt to remove the roadblock that is the Goldwater Institute.

McCain wouldn’t recognize fiscal conservatism if it jumped up and bit him in the rear. Not like Ron Paul. Paul and Goldwater would make better bedfellows, and if Barry Goldwater were alive, he would be scratching his head in dismay to see that Ron Paul is being ignored.

Paul, a Libertarian may move tickets once he has debated the Federal Reserve loving Herman Cain, and embarrassed as many joke conservatives as he can. Can you say third party?

The truth is, guys like McCain are indistinguishable from the other lackeys in the Senate. You need to ask what party they support, because their values change with the wind. Or, should we say the tap on the bobble. Whichever way they need to blow they blow. Whoever tugs the string, gets the favor.

Anyhow, McCain is well connected, and we have said before there are plenty of markers out there I’m sure to suggest his friends may be calling in some favours.

After all, do we have to drudge this up?:

The powerful connections: William S. Cohen was the best man atJohn McCain’s wedding, and Cohen was the former Secretary of Defense. His Cohen Group is the lobby firm working for DRS Technologies, which Eric Rosen is  a Director. Let’s remember, Eric Rosen left Onex, to become a partner with Michael Dell at MSD Capital. And DRS Technologies is a major supplier to the U.S. government department of defense, granted several contracts

Johnny, I think what Barry Goldwater would really be upset about is your attempt to allow the offshore wealthy to have their land pillaging way with the average Arizonan. Republican indeed.

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Posted in Corruption, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics

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Find us a replacement Cash Cow!

Posted on March 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

Who’s kidding who?

Daryl Katz has said that the tax base would provide revenue from the new Edmonton Arena into “perpetuity”.

Let’s go south, way south, and ask  Glendale, AZ  if they could do it all over again would they have taken ownership of the arena that has the bondholders holding them hostage? And, I know you are sick of this question, but we are going to keep asking it until we get an answer – - who the heck are the arena bondholders at Jobing.com?

The financing for the Edmonton Arena District is also a big question. The mayor wants to approve it, but has he and council been given enough details to make a real decision? To look at the opportunity and true costs? To consider how this affects their model for City growth?

Who the heck do these boys from the NHL think they are coming into town like gangsters looking for “protection money” and holding the Oilers fans hostage? The city is obviously hockey mad. And to add to the experience, the Rexall arena is apparently a great cozy place to take in the game.

If you want to compare a similar mistake, head over to the ACC in Toronto and compare the feeling you got at  Maple Leaf Gardens of old to the new, improved giant. Memories and Dreams has been replaced by, “wow, we are way up here aren’t we?”

But, despite it all, the Rexall Place lease is up in 2014, and they will not be renewing their lease. They will simply not be playing there, according to Gary Bettman. It’s too small potatoes for the vision of greatness and those confusing “revenue streams” that are so important. The big question remains who gets the biggest revenue streams? And, is the stream of cash going offshore?

For the 2009/10 season average attendance at Rexall was 16,839. With capacity at 17,100, we are close to filling the place, but not overburdened at Rexall. Gary Bettman sees it a problem that true hockey fans represent 60% of attendance – - individuals that is. I say where’s the problem? Hockey is for individuals. The Coyotes under the Gretzky Project could not find businesses to buy into the corporate game, and that was the telltale kiss of death. If there were enough individuals in love with hockey in Phoenix it might stand a chance.

How is it perceived that Edmonton will find more fans to pay even more than they are now?

Both the fans and residents will no doubt be paying large to fund the new digs.

There are examples of taxpayer nightmares all over the NHL wasteland, and the road show has now been taken north because the roadkill of the south is starting to stink in the heat.

In Columbus, the owners followed the lead of the NHL and built the private boxes and the new arena, and they still lost money. The answer from the NHL we will learn below, was to tap into the community as a whole.

Is it all about the big money surrounding financing?

Why pressure Edmonton now?

It’s easy to see the lure to exploit a city making some money, and where people have some pretty good jobs.

It’s time to take Alberta’s current economic boom and dip into the trough of dough of the City of Edmonton. But it should be understood they are a little tight, and in debt themselves. The City’s  AAA rating hasn’t been ravaged by the aggressive aspirations that ruined the City of Glendale. We all know they are now one of the most debt-burdened cities in the entire U.S.

Edmonton would be wise to ensure they don’t go down that road on promises backed by hot air.

Unfortunately we have seen that once the city takes on the gamble, the fiasco in the desert of Arizona has proven that the finance pitbulls aren’t going to release the death grip. They will call the shots, and the municipality and the league will have to react and keep them happy. Common sense and what is good for the game will not be at the control of those supposedly in charge of bringing a game for the benefit of the fans. Options, options and more options!

What else could be behind Bettman and the NHL dragging their heels and bending over backwards for a team that by merit needs to relocate?

Is it those pesky financiers of the Jobing.com arena? Yeah, it’s got to be a rhetorical question, n’est-ce pas?

Important here is the  capacity of Edmonton to weather the storm of a potential similar mistake. Where do they stand financially going into this  critical, and ill-informed decision ?:

The City is projecting that the tax-supported debt burden grew by 60% in 2009 to $878 million, or $1,123 per capita, with ongoing capital projects pushing the burden to roughly $1,800 per capita by the end of 2011. Although this represents a significant increase and further squeezes the budget due to debt servicing requirements, DBRS views the burden as potentially manageable provided the City continues to exhibit fiscal discipline. However, Edmonton will have consumed most of its room to manoeuvre within the current rating category. Beyond 2011, the outlook for capital spending and debt is less certain. DBRS notes that any material increase beyond the current tax-supported debt forecast would likely apply notable downward pressure to the rating.

A decent credit rating and some room for more debt makes them a target for abuse.

Who are the real investors and bondholders and developers behind this mega project? Will they be hidden from public view and scrutiny as in the case in Glendale, AZ?

It’s my ball, and if you don’t play my way, I’m taking my ball home

Or, as Darcy Olsen would say, Gary Bettman is playing hide the ball.

I must apologize to Darcy Olsen of the Goldwater Institute, I didn’t realize she was a lady, and a sharp cookie at that!

She can be seen here discussing the issues of the Constitution with Judge Andrew Napolitano. I think Gary Bettman must wonder how the whole country wasn’t in on the taxpayer tapping party, and the Constitution it would seem is a roadblock, at least in Phoenix, to the sports leagues ability to squeeze the taxpayers more:

It’s almost too much research to do, but we don’t have to dig hard to scratch the evidence even at the surface.

When Ross Perot Jr. and Tom Hicks took on the Victory Park Project in Dallas, it wasn’t long before their vision of world-class venues and offices, and apartments went caflooey.

How about Columbus and their “arena district”. How have they done? Gone “world class?” Well:

Priest said he met with National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly more than a year ago and presented the team’s business plan, wondering how, despite decent ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, the team was still losing so much money. The league’s response: The team isn’t making as much money off the arena as other clubs.

It’s all about taxation folks. Quick, simple. Hockey doesn’t make money without taxing residents of a city. Is the verdict in that it brings in more than it takes away?

Perot and Hicks’ Victory Park – promises, promises

Read up on Dallas’ Victory Park and make your own decision. The game seems to be the same. Someone somewhere is making money, but it is not because the developments have been successful.

And why should they be when the coercion cart was put before the development horse?

The people making decisions were not experts in land use planning, but sales agents for sports leagues, and the NHL seems to be a driver. The real money is holding the debt that is backed by the city’s taxpayers.

Tom Hicks is losing or lost most sports teams so why is he still on the finance audit committee and Vice Chairman of the NHL ?

Where’s the real set of books when teams from all over are charging less for a nosebleed seat than most people can see a movie for?

A team is only “unsustainable” for as long as it takes to get them to build an arena.

And we haven’t gotten to the title of this article yet. Show me the new money.

How much you want to bet that Winnipeg sees hockey only if Edmonton builds the arena district? Otherwise, the NHL will “exercise” other options. And those options will include putting the Coyotes in a place where sooner or later an arena district will be needed.

Winnipeg, you made a mistake in having an arena all ready for the team.

The options the NHL is considering may have more to do with finding the replacement cash cow for a bunch of rich dudes in a place where sand is everywhere.

If Edmonton isn’t Glendale’s replacement opportunity for taxpayer- related revenue streams for those mystery financiers, then they may yet again shun Canada.

If you build it they will come. If you sold your league out to greedy financiers you may have to build it whether they come or not. And then, you will start looking stupid by all the excuses you have to make.

You might really get agitated when a group like the Goldwater Institute rains on the parade, and throws the plan off-course. And worse, it may expose the game surrounding the game.

If Edmonton doesn’t pay the price, the fans of Winnipeg may pay a price too.

In a league where it’s a new arena and development “or else”, the pure enjoyment of the sport is lost. And in the case of hockey for Canadians, it really is a shame, eh?

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Posted in Banking System, Competition Bureau, Corruption, Dallas Stars, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes

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Hulsizer: ” I don’t know why the NHL would cut its price. I don’t know about Glendale cutting the bond offering.”

Posted on March 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

Think back to how fast the Winnipeg team was swept out from under the feet of the good people of Winnipeg. And let’s be clear, I am not one of those good people. I am not from Winnipeg. But, after all this time, I feel like a brother. I feel like the moment I cross the border into Manitoba, it will feel like going to a friend’s house, where his mom asks if you would like to stay for dinner, and although it’s Canada, there’s “an apple pie in the oven”, and boy does it smell good.

Matthew Hulsizer caught wind it would seem that the NHL may have a further trick up its sleeve to sell to someone, anyone, at drastically reduced prices, because although they need revenue to cover losses, they may not want to admit what might be the bigger kettle of fish facing them.

It may not be about getting value for a franchise as the facade being displayed to the hockey world. Something tells me that if the powers that be say hockey will remain at Jobing.com arena, the gods have spoken. Hockey will remain!

Those encumbrances were not part of the picture for Winnipeg way back when in 1996 (it was then, wasn’t it?). You can look up some old video on YouTube where a lady in a bar is seen saying why should the team take tax dollars away from the City of Winnipeg when we have starving homeless people on the street?

That’s just it, isn’t it? Why should a sports league demand a situation where cities are held hostage? Well, one might consider this: Is it the NHL that has taken on more than it can chew in Glendale with whomever holds those nasty Jobing.com bonds? Worth repeating, the lawyers for the City of Glendale mentioned in court that if they lost the team, another hockey team would have to replace it.

Okay, search everyone, search. Where’s the legal arrangement that is holding everyone hostage? It’s so bad, that things will become even more obvious.

What if there are a bunch of rich dudes in Abu Dhabi that are jumping up and down, adamant that this get fixed, or else!

Hulsizer is scratching his head. Hey, wait a minute, why would the NHL sell this team for less than what it offered it to me?, he might be thinking. Would he be then getting ripped off? What’s up with that?

Well, Mr. H should remember Jim Balsillie’s offer that was but wasn’t $212.5 million. Or was it higher? Eh, doesn’t matter really, because unless it was a bajillion dollars it would not satisfy the “sales tax” hound investors likely!

According to the Bet man, the offsets and credits would make it a much lesser number, but it didn’t matter. Probably it didn’t matter because it wasn’t a bajillion “walk away” dollars. It was probably about 87.5 % shy of breaking even to break out of the deal. How much cash is in the NHL vaults? Uh oh!

And unlike the Military Industrial Complex that can raise bucks by telling us all that a guy in a beard hiding in a well-ventilated cave is a threat, the Sports Industrial Complex has to do it by creating a “fear war” that a franchise is not viable if you don’t go along with taxpayer-buck-sucking developments fronted often by owners coming across as “good generous guys“. Oh my, they are so nice to make our city world class! Hurrah for the big complex that the Mayor is just wondering why there aren’t any details for – -hurray!! Find the money quick – - keep those investment savages happy – - hurry !

To admit the team must, by some agreement somewhere be kept in Glendale would suggest there are investors behind the scenes that didn’t exist in Winnipeg.

Things happened a whole lot differently where there were no incumbrances, eh?

That huge sucking sound was the arena and the team draining down the bathtub hole – — squish shoomp – - good to the last drop, get over it Winnipeg, pretend we never were here! I think I could see Gary and Bill in their overalls on the back of the moving truck attaching the sticker “Phoenix or bust”.

Okay the verdicts in — it’s BUST!

The next rabbit up the sleeve might be even more telling and embarrassing for the embattled Commissioner: What if he has to sell at any price to keep the team in Glendale because those investors won’t budge? What if those investors are going to get that sales tax related revenue by cracky or it’s going to get Coyote ugly for the NHL, and all the good boys that put this stinkin‘ deal together? Ouch!

Might lead to a very weary Commissioner feeling a little less than happy to have his job right about now. The house of cards, she’s a shakin’ no?

The option is “whatever someone might pay, right Mr. B?:

“I will not say today when the end is and I will not set a deadline. But at some point, we may have no choice but to begin pursuing our other alternatives,” he said. “We have options but I’m not going to discuss them.”

A rock bottom price might be negative $40 million.

That’s right, pay us $40 million a year and we will put our name on the ownership papers, because wasn’t that what the team lost on pure hockey operations this year?

And, let’s look at the parking thing.

Goldwater says that the City has rights  to parking, and the City is saying the team does. Someone call Jerry Moyes…..“Jerry Moyes to the stand, the plaintiff calls Jerry Moyes”. “Mr. Moyes, did you know you had rights to parking even though you asked repeatedly, and the City of Glendale never returned your phone calls?”

That would mean Goldwater stayed awake during this two-year merry-go-round.

Let’s see, there was Jerry Moyes trying to hang on to the team asking for parking rights – - nope, City no talky to Jerry (Moyes that is, the other Jerry, different treatment).

Ellman wanted to dip into parking at some point too. Sorry Mr. E.

Reinsdorf came with concession list in hand like a kid at Christmas laying out the cookies and milk for Santa. Nope, not even the White Knight can pull it off. Bye Jerry, see ya buddy!

The “low-lying fruit” that Ice Edge had included in their thinking that would get this off the ground, including parking, we were not supposed to remember? Man, no wonder the NHL  was so quick to want to get this resolved in court, but as soon as the case was over – - they put the brakes on, and went back in the huddle for a year and a half or so. Problemo amigo!

And, the rabbit that Glendale hopes is in the hat to solidify their case is parking?

They were hoping the Goldwater Group would not remember the charade of parking concessions paraded up and down every single offer as crucial to make the deals fly?

Is it any wonder Goldwater wants to do a joint press conference with Gary Bettman, but Bettman will not fight the losing battle?

So, if the last rabbit from the hat is Glendale cutting the bond offer, and the NHL will have to give away the ship because of the men in Abu Dhabi it would be so sweet poetic justice wouldn’t it?

It would mean the NHL and Glendale’s only other option would be to maybe pay those mystery men $720 million  - – the lease break penalty and hope they go away. Then Glendale could sue the NHL, but then they would be up against every sport like football and basketball, and all other sports that tap into taxpayer dollars. Well maybe not basketball, Phoenix would have that problem.

Yeah, the Goldwater Group might just look at the Sports Industrial Complex and see it is just a means to separate people from their money. Is it a wonder so many hockey owners also run the horses and Casinos?

See – - nobody lies! They tell us exactly what it’s all about, we just choose not to see the monopoly of wealth suckers because they go by the title of sports owners, foreign investors, investment bankers, and on and on.

Don’t pay attention Goldwater to the fact that all the sports teams were behind keeping the Coyotes in Glendale. They were so nice to support a friend in the NHL. It makes us all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it? Yeah, they had no reason to support the location of a franchise built on land and urban planning, no. It was all just the “principle of the thing”. Mmmmm hmmm.

So Mr. Hulsizer, if you can find even a little cash on your own, here’s a hint, forget the bond offer, do us a favor and help us show just how desperate and helpless the NHL really is on this one.

And at that point, the jig will officially be up!

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Posted in Banking System, bankruptcy, Canada, Canadian Politics, Competition Bureau, Corruption, Ice Edge Holdings, Money, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes

The NHL: The common denominator in City Development

Posted on March 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Did you know the NHL is also great at Urban Development? And we thought the problem was unique to Glendale. How silly of us!

Are there more opportunities to tap into tax dollars that have investors and owners thinking outside the box?

Oopsie! The U.S. is suffering. They’ve done all the damage they can down south, so it’s time to take the roadshow north to Canada! Rumour has it there is a good economy and plenty of tax dollars, especially in Alberta.

Doesn’t it seem a little odd that the Mayor of Edmonton, Stephen Mandel feels held hostage by a sports league trying to dictate how the development of the city will come off? At least in Glendale, you had a Mayor in Elaine Scruggs that bought the plan hook, line and sinker, and “sink” is the operative word at this point. She sold her taxpaying residents down the river.

When we studied the Phoenix Coyotes case we uncovered the City of Glendale’s desire to use the Coyotes to build their tax base, and develop their economy. We knew about the Westgate Arena Development but thought it unique. We even overlooked the link in Dallas, and the white elephant project that was more to do about urban planning, than just to bring in a good sized arena for the Stars.

It was only when we started to see the issue move north into our Canadian turf that the bell went off, and we are discovering who the common denominator of urban planning really is.

So, it’s time to work a little. Who are the private investors ready to build the Edmonton Arena District? Sounds way too familiar, doesn’t it?

We will be looking into the link between taxpayer funded sports, area development and the strange link a hockey league has to building infrastructure in not only America, it is now affecting  Canada.

We will likely all need to heed the words of David Zirin, of Edge of Sports, to find out how bad owners are ruining the sport, and interestingly fitting here is how to tap the taxpayers dry with pricey development financing. Will Edmonton go the way of the Dodo bird, as Dallas and Glendale did? Canada is not as populated as these areas, so the tax  base is smaller. Yikes!

How will the financing be obtained for the infrastructure of the Edmonton Arena District? In the video below of Daryl Katz, substitute Elaine Scruggs of Glendale and an eery picture starts to form.

What about the white elephant of Dallas? Was that all about development of many varieties all stemming from the hockey league too? The Victory Park Project was anything but a victory. Did Tom Hicks hold favour with the NHL when he was supported as he ran into financial trouble, while Moyes was left with proxy in hand because of the ties to land? Because, if land development was the goal, Hicks had it down:

Hicks Holdings is a partner with Hillwood Development Company in the Victory Park project in downtown Dallas.  Hicks Holdings is a developer of a 75-acre urban town center /multi-use development on the land adjacent to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington; and of Champions Park, a 40-acre office/retail development in Frisco

Is the NHL now trying frantically to help the bond issue in Glendale to preserve the development pie? If this is remotely true, how would the conflict of interest have shaped the handling of Jerry Moyes?

Yeah, every situation is different alright. It may vary by who is working the development, and who are the underlying investors. What remains the same is the taxpayers getting the raw end of the deal. And in Canada, what better way to hit the heart strings than wave the hockey carrot. Those Canucks will pay anything to get hockey, muhahahaha! Front man, coming up!

If a hockey league needed to keep investors happy (how’s it going Mubadala and Goldman Sachs?), then would the need for Glendale to keep a hockey team be substituted with a different opportunity – - maybe where the economy is better, and hockey is actually popular?

Would the investors  be calling the shots behind the scenes, and the residents and taxpayers  held hostage? And why should all taxpayers pay for a sport if they aren’t interested? More importantly, why should sports owners reap profits to entire “districts” of development? What happened to the business of hockey alone?

When Gary Bettman eluded to the bankers building arenas in his interview with Ron McLean on HNIC, we might look upon the dialogue a little differently depending on the underlying circumstances.

Could Edmonton be the “replacement opportunity” as Glendale fades away? Interesting possibilities, eh?

Would this explain why a land developer, Vieste LLC, the NHL head office, and the City of Glendale all wanted to see the article on Moyes being the victim of a squeeze play – -Vieste and the NHL, totally unconnected right?

And, try not to freak out when you think of Scruggs in her speech that the hockey district would create a world class area to help the City of Glendale, when you watch the similarity to Katz and his talking points. But, whatever you do, don’t envision  Katz in a skirt.

But think of the common denominator and the possibilities.

How does a hockey league continue to be involved in area land development that extends beyond hockey? And, would that explain why they would not want to move a franchise like the Coyotes at all cost – - because they have gotten involved in development of land, not just sticking to hockey? And for God’s sake, don’t do a google search like this! It might just get you mad thinking back on the McLean – Bettman interview that might mean the reason was income from development as  the real issue Winnipeg and Quebec City were shunned!

It would make Bryden’s exit ramp pale in comparison to the money attached to not just arena development but urban development. Sales tax related funding coupled with property tax and income tax funding would effectively put pressure on already debt ridden Canadians that cannot afford the current cash flow crisis. The theme is a common one : The few rich making tons of money off the sweat of the many (taxpayers).

It has the Mayor of Edmonton concerned, just as the Mayor of New York wasn’t going to go for the big idea of Related Companies. He had sense, thank goodness.

Since when has Daryl Katz been a sales agent for land use causes? Starting to stink again, and this time it’s personal. Is Katz the next Tom Hicks? When you buy an NHL franchise you become a “partner” in the club. Not a consortium Mr. (Ron) McLean, remember Gary said it was a “partnership”, and the partners get to decide who joins the club, and where arenas get built.

I suppose the partners in Toronto didn’t want land developed by the outsider, Mr. (Jim) Balsillie. There might be a second set of books that Jimmy B. would be too honest to go for.

Would it explain why a new Commissioner wouldn’t be on the table at regular intervals? Imagine the conversation:  “Okay new Commish, this is how the owners and investors make extra money – - they build mega projects at the expense of the taxpayers, and so your job is to make sure you keep track of all these investors and deals, ’cause we gotta keep ‘em all happy. What? Yeah, the hockey operations are an excuse to get at the real bucks, so what’s your point?”

Or, it could also explain why a guy like Balsillie would not be a good fit. “He actually cares about the fans!! Get him outta here. It’s not about the fans, it’s about taxation and profit taking. The partners allowed in this group have got to be well-picked, seasoned, and must know the real score”.

As Dave Zirin points out, the long term good of the game is sacrificed by owners’ greed.

Yes, what if it’s  all about land development beyond Phoenix – - extending to everywhere? It might suggest that “free financing” was not the goal, but expensive financing might be. You know, the sales tax financing like in Glendale –  the “gift” that keeps on giving!

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Posted in Canada, Canadian Politics, Competition Bureau, Corruption, Money, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Sports, US Politics

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Time to take the rabid dog with shotgun to the back 40: This Coyotes fiasco has been tainted from the start

Posted on February 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

Which came first…..the arena chicken or the development egg? Who is ultimately responsible for lining Glendale up with a bond obligation that might put them over the edge?

So when Jerry Moyes tried to play nice with Council in the open meetings in Glendale months and months ago, he wasn’t dealing with a fair deck.

Moyes was continually shunned as he explained the Coyotes were not viable, and the $50 million Jim Balsillie was offering the City to relocate the hockey team was at least enough to cover off some interest.

At the root of memory sticks some points that cannot easily be shaken from the frontal lobe – - the biggest was Glendale’s comment in court that if the Coyotes should leave, they would have to replace the team with another hockey team. That sounds more like a deal with greedy investors promised sales tax related usury over taxpayers – - making it seem less likely the N.H.L. was behind the arena deal (although there were rumors there could be conflicts of interest for certain parties of influence…shhh…..you could be waking up in Vegas! Shhhhh……). Yep, those private mega-suites — sweet! But that’s another story isn’t it? I hate this sport, I hate this sport, show me the next arena, I hate this sport….

And for the need to replace the hockey team with another, we said, “says who?” What kind of team ya got in mind, Glendale? Does it matter?

Bizarre isn’t it that a comment like that came out. One might as easily have missed it, but for some reason it was bizarre enough to stand out and continue to rear its ugly head.

Who really controls the Jobing.com financing? Who’s pulling the strings? Who holds those arena bonds? How did this nightmare financing bubble get born? Why is Mubadala so interested? What’s on the surface is becoming less and less, as the city councillors are on a “need to know” basis now, and they aren’t being told much!

Perhaps a councillor, such as Joyce Clark, who voted against the current deal should ask these questions. Perhaps, but good luck Ms. Clark, the heads in charge have a track record of only telling folks what they want disclosed.

We only need to look at the heavily edited emails sent to the Goldwater Group, as if a slap in the face, “who are you to ask?” gesture. Those emails from a long time ago also stick in the mind, and so does the reasoning of it being in the best interest of the City not to disclose some information.

Which brings us back to issues of democracy.

How is it possible to have a political process where a few key individuals get to dictate how the approval process works? It would seem a few key individuals may have more power at the City Hall in Glendale than is good for the residents. We only need to ask councillors like Joyce Clark what it’s like to get proper information to make a rational decision. I’m sure based on recent experience she is frustrated, possibly suspect of the agenda behind the scenes.

Why is information not readily available, and how come debate is not wide open?

This case has stunk since inception. We could see deception from the beginning. The charade and arrogance continues but it would seem it is coming to an abrupt end.

In a fashion of poetic justice, perhaps potential bondholders are looking at a City that professes a good game, but has a track record that barks, “Warning Wil Robinson”. Perhaps they are looking at the treatment (or lack thereof) of the past owner of the franchise, and are thinking if they can throw him away like an old newspaper, what will they do to us as investors?

Come to think of it, the NHL brass threw Moyes under the rig, too, didn’t they? They were all too eager to dispense with one of their own. No loyalty to anyone from anybody. Cover your butts 101, eh? What was the big secret that is tied to land development, not hockey? Land development or arena land development? Who is the most guilty? Who was deserving the “instigator penalty” for this one? Was it a City that made a bad deal on it’s own, or a group looking to take financing and build, build, build, muhahahahahahaha!

Nonetheless, the party’s over – - locally and globally! Credit is dried up. Like the con man who borrows all over town, and never pays back, eventually his luck runs out.

Who was the greediest? Who might have looked at sideline income that might have justified using other peoples’ money? Who may be suspect based on secrecy and blacking out emails, that would suggest using their positions for potential personal gain? Is it an issue for the fans and players of a hockey league, or  the residents of the City of Glendale to be concerned with?

And why did the bullpen immediately get on the phone together as if looking for the relief pitcher in the 9th inning, when we asked if Moyes was the victim of a squeeze play? And why did they jump to this site to see what could be the ugly truth becoming known?

To figure out this whole conspiracy of making lots of money on development we would have to look at two coins — one looking to build a city, the other a potential empire of sports venues.

Yeah, we’d have to look back on our notes, and that would be exhausting, perhaps not worth it at this point. We’d have to see who had big connections and influence with key people in the sports leagues, and in political circles, and had connections with wealthy investors in the background.

No sense to bother with that stuff now, is there? No sense to really join all the pieces and present a clear picture, right?

Oh, and we’d have to see who stood to build the monopoly they wanted, and who they were influencing, perhaps giving a cut of the action. Yeah, that would be too much work. What’s important at this point is whether the Coyotes can hang on, or should they be taken to the woods. We know the answer. We see where the thread dangled, and when tugged it unravelled more than anyone had bargained for. We are tired though, and perhaps ready to hang up our thinking cap. It’s over…. but just to close two other things are stuck in my mind: The vision of the video of the Winnipeg Arena being torn down after the streets were filled with mourning fans, and the other comment that “the league decides where the teams and arenas get built”. Yeah, those are tough ones too. Really makes one ponder, and think of all the possibilities.

The dog of Glendale has been bitten by deceit. It’s turned rabid.  Time to take him to the back 40, and put him out of his misery.

The dog isn’t the question, the question is who represents the dog?

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Posted in Corruption, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Sports, US Politics

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Where to take a chance: And how to lose money in municipal bonds

Posted on January 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Glendale facing bond issues, lawsuit

What in the world is happening with the way the globe looks at credit and risk? Here’s a hint, it’s not good for Glendale looking to raise significant cash to pay lucrative concessions to Matthew Hulsizer.

China and Russia have decided to trade amongst themselves in a currency that is NOT the U.S. dollar.

China is reducing it’s position in U.S. treasury bonds. It is also bailing out Europe. But, there is a new way to do business for China.

China Select Capital Partners have issued bonds on the Toronto Stock Exchange looking for foreign investment sources:

“We are one of the first movers in our nascent industry and eager to capitalize on the growing China private equity market through facilitating foreign investment in China and managing Renminbi-denominated funds.”

The strategy away from the United States bond holdings is underway for China. Instead, they are looking to take ownership positions in firms in the U.S. And that is to the tune of an initial $9.6 Billion which includes banks, even Coca-Cola:

The filing offers a glimpse of how China is trying to diversify its more than $2 trillion in foreign currency holdings with stock, rather than investing almost entirely inUnited States Treasury bonds and other debt securities issued by governments and by government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae.

All the while, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of J.P. Morgan, claimed to be frontrunners in the manipulation of the gold and silver markets to bolster the U.S. dollar, explained that there will be more U.S. municipalities going bankrupt:

“If you are an investor in municipals you should be very, very careful,” Dimon said at the conference.

So, if you are Glendale, AZ looking to sell bonds that total over $100 million you might have a problem.

And that has Winnipeg getting a little excited yet again!:

The worry is there’s credit contagion going on and that a replay of the mortgage market (meltdown) is now hitting the municipal bond market,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Chicago-based Harris Private Bank, a division of BMO.

Ablin isn’t predicting the sky will fall in Glendale but he said many American cities and towns are financially stretched with rising debts and falling tax revenues. They’re also bearing the brunt of the pullback from the private sector over the last two to three years.

He described the municipal bond market as a “patchwork quilt” of offerings with an average size of $30 million. The money raised is typically used to fund upgrades to sewer systems, hospitals, schools and sports facilities.

On top of it all, despite the woes of raising the cash, the Goldwater Group is investigating the issue and considering a lawsuit against concessions again.

In recap, you have foreign investors leary of bonds preferring ownership positions directly in corporate America, and who knows what the folks in Abu Dhabi are thinking.

And if you think the sub-prime mortgage fiasco, leading into the derivative scandal was fun, you ain’t seen nothing yet - – watch the bubble burst on commercial real estate for the next round of incredible U.S. slaughter known as their economy.

Should be an interesting close to a very twisted case that has Canadians on the edge of their collective seats.

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Posted in Banking System, Canada, Canadian Politics, Corruption, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Sports, US Politics

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Tax lien certificates are a license to steal money: Tapping into the municipality that used hockey for infrastructure and tax-base growth

Posted on October 25, 2010 | Leave a comment

We had reported on the foreclosures in Arizona, and mentioned the fact that municipalities have plenty of reasons to link up with firms that can aid in tax collection. There is an unpleasant but lucrative business opportunity related to unpaid property taxes. Buying for back taxes and selling for more is one way, but beware, without proper title and the derivative, mortgage backed-securites being in question, this could be risky. You might not end up owning what you think you paid for. But that is not for this discussion.

Remembering that the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team was more about land development and not hockey, we have continued to look for connections surrounding business people who have been partnering with Glendale to solve the hockey issue. The question about being a “business reason” to own the Coyotes, where there would be sources of revenue outside of hockey stays prominent in focus.

The Ice Edge boys all gave some interesting tidbits. Daryl Jones said it was a “business reason” to own the Coyotes. Keith McCullough asked ‘who wants to go to a game in Phoenix anyways’. Hence the reasoning to shuffle off a few games to Saskatoon.

Strange for a team looking for a dedicated owner(s). And Anthony LeBlanc had tipped us off that Canadians were snapping up real estate in Arizona. Foreclosures were ripe for the pickins.

The above paints a vague picture that might suggest the business opportunity is related to properties, because, who the heck is really interested in hockey in 105 degree heat? Hmm…

Of course, we now have McCullough who supported the policies of Ben Bernanke in the past supporting the new friend, Hulsizer, who happens to be in a similar business, and would want to keep the Ice Edge boys in action in Glendale with the team. Who wants it? It doesn’t seem to matter. Swallowing pride (gulp), McCullough tells it this way:

Ice Edge chairman Keith McCullough told the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal earlier this week that his group had found a partner to help buy the Coyotes.

“Ice Edge would be a minority owner and an adviser,” McCullough said. “That investor is a friend of ours.”

Our last article pointed out that Hulsizer’s firm, Peak6 Investments as supportive of the Feds quantitative easing policy as if it were a good thing. The flavor is the same. No wonder it doesn’t matter who technically takes the team. There is a picture forming.

And, because everybody and his brother is looking at Mubadala today, let’s not forget they could be involved as they were with CityNorth. They could be the bondholders for the Jobing.com arena. But, will we ever know?

Where are the opportunities in Glendale that would make the Coyotes a viable loss-leader?

What if a City didn’t really care as much about hockey as it did collecting taxes? What if there were a whole bunch of homes that were vacant, and owed taxes for, and mean a double edged sword – no collection, and no future tax prospects.

Food for thought continues:

It seems to be Wall Street vs. everyone else.

Unless the U.S. economy experiences a dramatic turnaround, we are going to continue to see large numbers of Americans get behind on their property taxes, and the big banks will continue to be there to scoop up the tax liens.

Large numbers of poor and elderly Americans that don’t even have a mortgage will lose their homes and it will all be perfectly legal.  Executives at the big banks will be having a good laugh about their huge bonus checks as thousands upon thousands of our most vulnerable citizens are dumped out into the street.

And, we must pay close attention to the supporters of policy that support Wall Street. Any players entering the game to bail out the Coyotes must be scrutinized from this important perspective.

Remember, we have a municipality that might just be feeling the pinch from being strapped to a usury bond in Jobing.com arena, on top of a shrinking tax base.

Remembering the first thing the U.S. government might do with quantitative easing is to buy up toxic mortgage debt and pile it onto the taxpayers, there is also the issue of credit default swaps and the nasty business surrounding houses being worth more foreclosed than staying with homeowners.

If JP Morgan is involved with tax lien certificates via newly formed entities to stay off the radar, they might have lots of work for investors looking to tap into the lucrative tax/foreclosure game. After all, they are no strangers to checking things of this nature out:

16 Jul 17:06:17 Firefox 3.6 WinXP unknown United States New York,
United States		 Jpmorgan Chase & Co. (IP removed)[Label IP Address]
makeiteighteh.com/2010/07/16/martin-feldstein-bilderbergs-promoter-of-adjustable-rate-mortgages-and-the-subprime-mortgage-crisis/
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Hyperinflation coupled with a falling dollar will mean greenbacks are not as valuable as the collateral that was taken to secure the debt. No wonder the banks want to foreclose:

The horror show playing out before our eyes in the foreclosure markets, is the continuing collapse of perhaps the greatest financial swindle in the history of mankind: the derivatives markets. The story revolves around the way that derivatives were used to create a giant pool of fictitious capital, nominally based on home mortgages, and the way that the banks are now attempting to seize the homes to turn their funny money into hard assets.

It might make a “tax district” seem like a nice diversion from the real tax-related money of unpaid taxes on properties. As Glendale becomes more desperate for relief, the more accomodating they might become.

Hockey might be the least of Glendale’s worries, but might attract help looking to cash in on peripheral opportunities, or to aid and abet the Bilderberg agenda,  and the derivative housing scam’s effectiveness. We just need to look at the big picture, follow the money, and put the pieces together.

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Posted in Banking System, Bilderberg, Corruption, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, US Politics

Tagged , ,

The only true question is will there be “Sachs” of cash for Ice Edge?

Posted on June 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

Sorry, red alert!

How many months have Ice Edge been in the running for the Phoenix Coyotes? Six, eight? And, they are telling us even at this late stage there may be an issue with financing? The turnip truck is to the left, take a number, I hear they turn corners extra sharply these days!

What on earth?

Tonight, the Council of Glendale (pip,  pip cheerio!) will vote on the viability of Ice Edge. Deja vu, didn’t we just see this with Reinsdorf who is yet again sidelined?

The only real explanation for all of this delay and apprehension is those responsible for  dangling  the debt obligation on the arena lease, or those with the investment money are monitoring the grander scheme of the world.  Daryl Jones is right.

I would suspect that  the money and the debt has been the issue for quite some time. Those holding the power over the debt may be deeply entrenched in the U.S. economy, and have influence. A political tie to more than hockey.

In the last article regarding Mubadala and Goldman Sachs, what I did not mention was that at close to 3 AM just as the article was posted, Mubadala was hot on the trail. They are very interested.

But just in case it isn’t a question of preaching to the choir at Goldman Sachs and Mubadala, we have news for the rest of the interested.

The U.S. economy is being imploded on purpose. The money is being tapped out of the country to the offshore (mob) bosses in all forms of taxation, bailouts, the coming healthcare premiums, the coming carbon taxes, etc.

The balance between income from the private corporations and public jobs is getting more and more skewed. Only 42%  comes from private corporations, but isn’t it private industry that funds all income innevitably? It’s no wonder there is going to be an implosion.  The elite are looking to destroy the economy, come hell or high water.

Debt  payment obligations are expected to tap out all GDP in  approximately seven years from now.

The jobs Obama (aka Soetoro) brags about are the rehiring of census workers temporarily. Are they laying them off monthly and rehiring? What a joke! Bilderberg wants more people dependent on the government, and effectively on welfare. The people seem more harmless that way, and much more easily manipulated. The good news is we are on to Bilderberg and their tricks.

Arizona is in crisis. Illegal immigrants are running rampant, and this is also the case in several other States. There are 17 States that have now joined Arizona in effecting law to do what the Feds refuse. And why do the Feds refuse? They want to create infighting in the U.S., and not enforce law upon the illegal immigrants. The illegals will also create a growing voting force against legal citizens. In short, the Federal Government is not working for the people of America.

The 2010 Bilderberg meetings held in Spain also came to the conclusion that war with Iran in in order. Will it happen now that it has the seal of approval of the global elite?

Goldman Sachs may be behind the potential financing of the Ice Edge Group, or it could be at the direction of Mubadala. Heck, we even had the corrupt at the United Nations checking out Ice Edge. Hockey fans? Please!

Everyone has been playing the stall game with this team and the poor fans of Glendale that are unaware of the forces outside of hockey pulling all the strings.

It’s time for all parties to put this fan base out of their misery, don’t you think?

Time to get off the pot.

Are the “Sachs” of money going to be there for Glendale or not?

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Posted in Ice Edge Holdings, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Sports, US Politics

What was that Daryl, “financial turmoil in the world”, you say?

Posted on June 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

Hello Sports Fans!

Did we all just hear Daryl Jones of Ice Edge tie the “real world” into the sports world, specifically the NHL?  Did Jones really mention that global financial issues might affect the financing and sale of the Coyotes? What’s that you say?

For Ice Edge, that would be arranging what could be tightening credit.

The good people of Phoenix (and the rest of the U.S.)  know the problem with getting credit, which is the reason many had to leave their homes. That was the housing crisis.

The bailout funds to the banks, including Goldman Sachs were to free up mortgages, but Tim Geithner, the day after the funds were advanced changed that game, and would no longer tell anyone where the money was going, but it wasn’t to the poor homeowners in the U.S.

As you may have wondered how a blogger on makeiteigheh could seemingly and suddenly change gears into politics, please know that the road was set before me – the path had little choice. I didn’t ask for this to become a political, let alone “global” issue, but I am thankful for Daryl Jones’ comments to Canoe.ca to back it up:

“It’s hard to gauge the probability of this deal closing. One thing that everyone has to be realistic about is there has been a great deal of financial turmoil in the world over the last 45 days, which is going to make it harder for us or any group to close this transaction though we do remain optimistic and feel good about our chances.”

Ice Edge has pledged to keep the Coyotes in Arizona and under the terms of the MOU, they are committed to staying for at least five years.

There is so much turmoil that the original idea of committing to Glendale forever has now also been replaced by five years. And, the group expects to be sold Jobing.com arena should things sour too, no doubt to take advantage of one of the hottest concert venues in the U.S.. In short, Ice Edge are no dummies.

Hockey and the Coyotes has almost become a sub-issue at this point. It was a great ride that began with the exciting possibility that Hamilton and Canada could be honoured with more of the sport we call our own. Fitting really, that a political battle for Canada would be fought as a result of the uncovering of many truths regarding our rights as hockey citizens, and more importantly as global citizens.

Regardless of how Ice Edge fairs in this battle, I wish them well. They have been put in a rather unenviable position I believe, to be the salvagers, not the scavengers. To do a few favours in hopes of collecting at some point.

But as Daryl Jones has mentioned, these boys have some worldly business smarts that are looking at the bigger, global picture and perhaps seeing the very real threat of war with Iran. That would further cripple a U.S. economy already ravaged by the likes of the criminal minds of Bilderberg.

As we mentioned, Charlie Skelton of the Guardian in the UK had been giving us eyewitness accounts of the current 2010 Bilderberg convention in Spain. He called the troupe of brave reporters as guerilla reporters, frequently being detained and left to return to the trenches of real journalism.

While mainstream media in North America turn a blind eye to the real power brokers of Bilderberg, there are tremendous signs in Europe that this group is being reported on from Spain, Germany, and Russia, and more. North America may report on the G20 and leave us wondering why we have a high security cost. If you knew about the seedy side of politics, the underbelly of the beast, you would see why there is a growing need to keep things this ugly in the dark. Yes, it is an ugly agenda indeed.

We have an unsung, potential hero here in Canada by the name of Stephen Harper.

Unsung Canadian heroes?

You may not have noticed, but he seems to have seen the light (at least it looks that way), and is battling the demons of Crime, Incorporated head on.

While the attack of Canada by the corrupt of the world is after our money in the form of bank tax and climate legislation, Harper is resisting with all his being.

But you won’t read about this in the mainstream North American media.

Don’t worry though, we are just getting warmed up. We are ready to follow the global story of good vs. evil to its conclusion, all the while hoping you will join in on the awareness campaign.

What may just seem a distant thought as reflected by Daryl Jones, is a tip of the iceberg hint that all is not well on this planet.

And, our problems have nothing to do with the climate. It has everything to do with the money and control it represents.

Harper knows it. It’s time you did too.

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Posted in Canada, Canadian Politics, climategate, Corruption, Ice Edge Holdings, Money, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Sports, Stephen Harper, US Politics

First comes Sachs (love), then comes Mubadala (marriage), then comes the United Nations (that would be the baby in the baby carriage)

Posted on May 23, 2010 | Leave a comment

The debt that will not allow us to part!

 

For better or worse, this baby seems to be Glendale's

Bear with me for a moment, won’t you?

These are strange days indeed aren’t they? And our Phoenix Coyotes hockey drama is no exception.

As you know, we have been following the Coyotes case for several months, and we have been bombarded with evidence of “special interests” that have come around to see what’s being said, by who and why.

There have been visits to this site over time from some very key players in my opinion (no not hockey players) that have helped paint an albeit circumstantial but thought-provoking case to suggest there is a story to tell of who is pulling the strings in the battle of this NHL franchise.

So, again, please bear with me on this one a bit longer. Something has occurred to me based on recent and past activity that might shed some interesting light on the circumstances and reason we are still talking about Glendale and their ability to hold onto this team.

This case we have argued has transcended sport and has touched on the political realm in many ways.

If you are still here despite my apparent losing it, you might fall into one of three categories – one that just picks out the hockey stories. Or, you might have been intrigued by the Global world issues and how it may tie in with sports. Or, you may be interested in  a combination of the two; that either came originally for the hockey discussion, or later when we got into the globalist issues, and  perhaps you decided both had relative merit. Whatever the reason, thank you for being with us.

I may be able to bring more closure to the many questions that remain. Could it be that world powers that have investment in the United States and it’s municipalities are truly running the show? Let’s see what’s old and what’s new.

Jim Balsillie and his team were baffled when  the City of Glendale didn’t take his $50 million offer seriously in court, an offer that would have covered off approximately four years of bond obligations on the arena lease. The Balsillie legal team was  also leaning their case in the direction of pinning hope on the Goldwater case against concessions, and also there was a tremendous emphasis on the Toronto Maple Leafs apparent (no make that “obvious”) veto rights. The NHL Constitution was on the forefront, but there was something very strange by the way Judge Redfield T. Baum disregarded the Veto issue. Could he have been tipped off that it was not going to be a factor? With so much reflection and thought, Baum made an abrupt ruling that I would assume he was not too proud of. I am sure given the circumstances, he would have preferred to send a clear message that the creditors should come first in bankruptcy court, but it would appear there was influences that he was not necessarily in control of. His ruling left us hanging and feeling let down. It just didn’t seem in keeping with his character and his credentials. Politics may have played a role. I believe Baum himself felt disappointed by the direction he had to proceed in. Justice was surely not served to the man who was set up by the colluding parties in this case. The bankruptcy trustee,  Lashinsky came with a bark, but left with no bite.

For Glendale, we must remember that hockey was a means to an end – a way of attracting residents, business, and tax dollars, and it was part of the bigger infrastructure aspirations of the Glendale City Hall. They made the decision, as did Phoenix to go for broke in the method of financing when they took on the very iffy demand for hockey, that did not match the very concrete lease and bond obligations. It would appear by their desperation, they were not being let off the hook by whoever controlled the bonds for the arena. One comment that stands out in memory from the court case, was Glendale’s urgency that if they lost the Coyotes, the would have to replace the loss with another hockey team. There did not seem to be an option.

While Jerry Moyes gave free advice that made sense, which emphasized that concert venues would be more lucrative, he was backed up by the same advice from the experts at Beacon Sports – bring in more concerts in a year. Seemed obvious, no? Obvious to everyone except Glendale. Or maybe it was obvious, just not allowed! Remember the comment that they would have to replace the lost Coyotes with another hockey team. Oh yeah, says who?

 We had Michael Dell investing in land and land deals in Glendale and Phoenix, and famous of these was CityNorth, which was challenged in court for violation of Gift Laws. He shared that space with Related Companies, and in the mix was Mubadala. Mubadala and Dell are no strangers in other areas, with Mubadala suppliers of the AMD chip for Dell Computer, and we can go on from there.

The relationships seemed to intertwine in this case, which shares that space with the Glenn Beck show’s direction these days. Not to say I trust Glenn Beck, but what truth he brings, albeit contrived and in a questionable manner, it remains the truth. His recent tying in of all kinds of lo and behold friends in Crime Inc. reminds me of this hockey story.

So here we are. The NHL has apparently come to terms with Glendale City Hall on keeping the Coyotes in Glendale for one more year, as the City has guaranteed $25 million in losses.

That would not be as big a deal under other circumstances, but it is the timing that is suspect in this case.

Here’s what I am getting at.

Within the last couple of days, I reported on Goldman Sachs visiting the site, checking out Ice Edge. Sachs is implicated in several global issues of corruption and is also implicated in the derivative scandals in Europe. Their reputation – not so good.

Then, we had Mubadala come back to our site, they too interested in Ice Edge. Mubadala, having interest in Phoenix (CityNorth) was suspected by past visits to be a strong candidate to be bond holders for the Jobing.com arena. And equally important, the nature of Mubadala investment is “secretive”, where they do not want to be known as investing anywhere. That is just their nature. Bear this in mind.

Then, we had the “mystery bidders” that have come on the scene that do not want to be disclosed. Coincidence? Could it be our friends Mubadala that all of a sudden have come to the rescue of their investment? Could they have pressured the City of Glendale to ensure that a “hockey team” occupies that arena? Would it explain much?

And if Mubadala was an international influence to the United States, would any court action be dampened by controlling powers within government to ensure they are kept happy?

What of the past visits by Mubadala checking out Ice Edge? Was Ice Edge put in place to be a potential solution?

As Daryl Jones pointed out it was a “business decision” to come to the rescue of the Coyotes. And, Keith McCullough thought that nobody in Phoenix wanted to go to a game anyways, so what was the attraction to the Coyotes? Where exactly was the “business reason for Ice Edge? Could they have been, as suspected, either a diversion or a prop put into place by the powers that be? After all, lots of government past relationships with this group, wouldn’t you say? Possible at the very least.

And now, the coup de gras, the icing on the cake.

We have said for a while that visits to the site could be a coincidence. That is always possible. It is always possible. The question remains, under the circumstances,are they all just coincidences?

Could this visit by the United Nations beaming to the category of Mubadala also be a fluke? 

21 May 13:19:12 Safari 3.1 MacOSX unknown United States New York,
United States		 Ci2/united Nations (IP removed)
makeiteighteh.com/category/mubadala/
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I suppose we should all make sure they stay happy now!  Would they be the bankers that Gary Bettman alluded to in his interview with Ron McLean that seemed a lifetime ago?

We had asked the question with bad grammer, Who is them?

Perhaps Gary was right all along – don’t get your hopes up Canada. There is more to this than meets the eye. It’s damage control and not personal. The NHL dirty laundry was just the casualty of dashed hopes when a country sells itself out, and anything remotely fair becomes far from  possible. For that,  I can see whyBettman would have wished this  never happened.

It was perhaps the most relative 20 minutes from finding a new owner sports will ever know.

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Posted in Carlyle Group, Competition Bureau, Corruption, Ice Edge Holdings, Mubadala, National Hockey League, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Politics, Related Companies, Sports, US Politics