With a 4-3
vote, the Coyotes barely scraped by, and with bags prepared for Seattle now
being unpacked, let’s talk about that one vote. One vote. ONE. Against Glendale’s
mayor. And they still won. There is some irony to be mentioned in the underdog
winning by just a small margin. But unfortunately the underdog doesn’t always
win, and this fairy-tale ending didn’t come to many teams like it did the
Coyotes. Some teams didn’t get that one winning vote for them, and some barely
got one vote at all. And while Coyotes fans are cheering that for once someone
actually cared about them, the other less-fortunate teams are still being told “it’s
just business” while still choking back tears.
Fellow
desert friend Texas, just two states over from Arizona, is still struggling
from the recent loss of the historic team the Houston Aeros. While the Coyotes
were saved by caring human beings, the Aeros fell victim to utter greed of a
single man. Forty years of hockey history gone in a single decision. And guess
where they’re going? Iowa. Another state that has lost a hockey team, multiple
in fact. At least the Coyotes were planning to go to Seattle, where there are
more people than corn. Not that you can blame Iowa for losing their teams
because just like Houston, the fans may have been loyal, but “it’s just
business”. Yeah, gets old to hear doesn’t it? That was someone’s team to watch
growing up. That was the team that got someone into the greatest sport on
Earth. That was the team someone made friends over, spent time with their
family to watch, and opened a whole new world of sports loving. That was their
team. And now they’re gone.
Despite the
heartache, Aeros fans will suck it up, because there’s no crying in hockey. We’ll
be happy for you, because as fellow fans always being told that you can’t sell
hockey in the south, we’re glad you were able to argue otherwise. And though we
give you a nice pat on the back, please understand some of us are a touch
bitter. You got the story-book ending we hoped for, and struggled year after
year alongside you, but in the end we still lost our team. And it’s not just us;
many cities have lost their teams and have felt the same pain we do now. We’ll
still be happy for you though, but we won’t deny our jealousy.
This one
hits home, and it hits hard. The Coyotes are staying and with that, the reputation
of hockey in the south just got a bit brighter. Fans can breathe a sigh of
relief and get a nice pat on the back. But is it too much to ask to be a
shoulder to cry on for those less fortunate? Now that Coyotes fans know the
exhausting struggle of asking day after day “Will my team still be here next
season?” and the final moments of panic and uncertainty as you wait for the
final decision, maybe you’ll be sympathetic to those who went through the same
thing but got the very results you were terrified to get. From all the
broken-hearted fans holding back their tears, we’re happy for you Phoenix…but
can you please get us some tissues and chocolate?
