By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Concerning Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie's (on the left) attempt to buy the Phoenix Coyotes franchise and move it to Southern Ontario, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (on the right) had this to say:

"It doesn't take into consideration all the people and the money that has been spent on and devoted to the Coyotes franchise here in Glendale, both in the creation of a new building that was paid for largely by taxpayers and in the emotional and financial connection Coyotes fans have with their team.

"In any situation we believe, once you've committed to a market, you have to give the market a fair chance to succeed or fail and I don't think this market has had that chance at this point of time."

I can think of two words to say to Mr. Daly - Winnipeg and Quebec. My guess is that there would be few tears shed by the departure of the NHL team in Phoenix. The people of Winnipeg would dearly love to have another crack at a franchise.

Are people worried about too many teams around Toronto? New York has three teams and New York citizens don't have the same passion for hockey Canadians do. No, this is not a convincing argument.

So, what's the problem? There is no doubt that a Southern Ontario team would be a success financially and in fan interest. Many are saying that much of it is the struggle of egos between Jim Balsillie and league commissioner Gary Bettman, which is why Daly made the most recent response. I think there is something else to consider.

The NHL keeps trying to convince the Americans that it is a major player on the sports scene. It's all about marketing. Looking at the current Canadian teams, Toronto and Montreal are solid. Because Calgary has hosted the Olympics and Vancouver will be hosting them, Americans are aware of them. Edmonton has been on shaky ground for years. Going there is compared to being sent to Siberia. In the league's eyes, if the American public doesn't know or care about a city, it is expendable as in Winnipeg, Quebec and Edmonton.

You can imagine, then, the tremors the league's brass has when they contemplate hockey night in Hamilton or Waterloo. To them, Kansas City and Portland are more recognizable to Americans. Putting a team into these city will give the league more credibility in the eyes of the US media. Forget what is in the fans' hearts. My guess is that Moscow or Toyko has more of a chance of a franchise than Jim Balsillie's attempt to put one into a hockey-starved Southern Ontario city. Of course, Canadians don't share or accept this view, but try telling somebody in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles that his team has to fly to Hamilton, Ontario. Where?

Don't believe me? Tell me, which city has a greater population, Kansas City or Hamilton? It's Hamilton. Hamilton is bigger than Buffalo, too, and about the same size as Portland, Nashville, Seattle and Baltimore. Who would have thought that? Not many. But which cities will capture the hearts of Americans as being seen as a sport having arrived in prominence? Not any of the Canadian ones except Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

And that is probably why Jim Balsillie has met his Waterloo.