Coyotes Relocation Stirs Ugly Seattle Sports Memories (Part 1 of 2)

The impending relocation of the Arizona Coyotes doesn't directly impact the Seattle Kraken - other than trading one visiting building not up to NHL standards, Arizona State's Mullet Arena, for another, Salt Lake City's Delta Center.

But the move sure is relevant both to hockey and to the history of Seattle sports, which makes it an appropriate topic in this space.

Trading Kachinas For Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching

When Valley voters in 2023 rejected public funding for a new Coyotes arena, the NHL went looking for greener pastures. They were found in the Beehive State, where Utah legislators have already approved a sales tax increase.

"The imposed tax would raise about $1 billion in up to 30 years to fund the project," reported the Idaho Capital Sun .

Why This Sounds Familiar, Mariners: Tax money paid for the home of the Seattle Mariners. "Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) cost $517 million to construct; the Mariners paid for $145 million of that, including $100 million in cost overruns. The rest was paid for with public funds." ( Seattle Business Magazine )

In 2018 , "The King County Council approved a controversial package which will allow the Mariners to use $135 million in lodging taxes for Safeco Field improvements." ( King5 )

Why This Sounds Familiar, Seahawks: Seattle's NFL entry got its new playground in 2002. "A majority of the $430 million price tag was financed by taxpayers: $300 million worth. The team's owner, Paul Allen, paid the remaining $130 million." ( Forbes )

Real Threats, False Benefits

Before Tempe voters went to the polls last May, Sportsnet suggested , "A 'no' victory would legitimately jeopardize the future of the Coyotes in Arizona. If they won't let you build an arena on a landfill near the airport..."

Why This Sounds Familiar: "Had Safeco Field not been built, the Mariners almost certainly would have been sold to the same Washington, D.C., group that later pilfered the Expos from Montreal.

"Then-Seahawks owner Ken Behring had loaded the team’s equipment in vans and shipped it to Southern California in 1996. After a court order forced a temporary halt to the move, Paul Allen agreed to buy the club — but only on the condition that a publicly financed stadium replace the Kingdome." ( The Daily World )

What Owners & Governments Don't Say: Economists generally agree that the promises of public stadium financing, aside from retaining teams to cheer for, are largely sketchy at best.

"Not only do taxpayer-subsidized stadiums harm the local economy and fail to benefit the hard-working Americans who pay for them, they also do not lead to improved success on the field." ( Taxpayers Protection Alliance )

Editor's Note: We haven't even discussed two Seattle pro franchises which did skip town, the NBA Sonics and the MLB Pilots. We'll do that, and explore how the Kraken developed a more taxpayer-friendly approach in part 2.