Thread by @BrooksDSimpson

The story of the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes is one of a series of poor ownership decisions and a poor choice of venue in the move to Glendale. It's not one of fans unwilling to support a team, but alienated by the continuing instability and poor decisions.

The ASU location is far from ideal, to put it mildly. Should the team not get the green light to build at its proposed site in Tempe, for all the talk of Plan B, I suspect that relocation will be on the table.

Although I once got into a pointed discussion about the location of the team from a devoted West Valley advocate on a disastrous first (and only) date (but there were free tickets!), the location issue is key, and the Glendale arena, while serviceable, was not inspiring.

Of course, the team struggles to foster fan allegiance shifts (I never knew there were so many Islanders fans in AZ), but it's hard to pledge undying loyalty to someone who always seems to be stumbling as they head for the door.

The ASU location poses a challenge. To survive financially, the team will charge ticket prices that hockey fans here have not paid (the Coyotes had all sorts of deals and the secondary market was weak).

The venue could be small, intimate, and loud.

But unless you sell "the Arizona Coyotes ASU experience" as something radically different, the return business will be uninspiring. Tell me why I want to pay more to see a struggling product that might leave.

By the beginning of the NHL season, we'll have a good idea of the fate of the Tempe project. Ownership claims there are alternative possibilities, but those folks understandably don't want to say much to demonstrate their desire to build on the preferred spot.

What we have is an old-style NHL expansion team minus the hype of being new and shiny (and with no draft to build a contender). Fans have become used to playing Charlie Brown to the team's Lucy and being deprived of a fair shot.

It's been my fate to have rooted for one team with major arena problems (#Isles) and with some ownership uncertainty. Solid ownership getting a new arena deal done saved that franchise from moving. Call Brooklyn the #Isles ASU experience.

After all, the two teams shared an owner (Steven Gluckstern) and a flawed arena layout (America West Arena offered a preview of the Barclays experience).

But the #Isles now seem stable in a beautiful facility that, unlike Glendale, has its own vibe.

I get why lots of NHL fans are scratching their heads about NHL hockey in Arizona, but the Coyotes' struggles aren't due to the interest in hockey or a fickle fan base. It was very passionate in the 1990s.

But this is their last shot. #Yotes #Coyotes #arizonacoyotes

From the beginning ...

The quieter the @ArizonaCoyotes are about what's up (and I understand why they are playing their cards as they are), the more restlessness there will be about a team that plans to play at "Naming Rights Arena" on the ASU campus at Tempe.