Another setback for Jim Balsillie

Last week, Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie upped his offer for the Phoenix Coyotes. The latest bid-US$242.5 million-includes up to $50-million for the jilted city of Glendale, Ariz., which doled out piles of cash to build the arena where the team now plays (and where only 2,000 fans showed up for the first preseason game). Clearly, the offer wasn’t juicy enough. In a closed-door meeting last night, city council chose to back the NHL’s much smaller bid, which would keep the franchise in town for at least this season. Jerry Moyes, the Coyotes’ current owner, begged the council to accept Balsillie’s bid, but the mayor threw him out of the chambers and locked the door. "The city of Glendale would be better off without hockey," Moyes said, suggesting concerts and events staged at the arena would bring the city more cash. "This team is going to be gone in a year."

The Arizona Republic