We are not sure what exactly was accomplished by yesterday's unexpected appearance by NFL commissioner Gary Bettman in Glendale. He meet with some of the parties involved -- although not with the Goldwater Institute since they refuse to meet outside a press conference -- and provided an update on the situation. That update basically came down to this: the deal isn't changing and the city and Matthew Hulsizer and the NHL are moving forward...perhaps.
While Bettman wouldn't put a firm timetable on what happens next, he also made it clear that this can't continue to drag on.
"Time is running out, and we are getting close to the end. I will not today say when the end is, and I will not today set a deadline, but at some point we may have no choice but to begin pursuing our other alternatives. Simply stated, this situation must be resolved," Bettman told reporters during a press conference before Tuesday's game.
In this interview with Fox Sports Arizona, Bettman questions how the Goldwater Institute can be "this obstructionist". GWI's two main points of contention relate to the parking fees that would be generated if those rights were sold to the city.
Both the Glendale and the NHL claim GWI is wrong on their legal assertions regarding the deal and question who and why the private institute can block the sale of the financing bonds without actually filing a lawsuit challenging the proposed deal.
Video of Bettman's full press conference can be seen here.