The biggest supporters for the Phoenix Coyotes to fail is the fans and media of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They are absolutely salivating over the prospect of returning the Coyotes to the northern prairie from which they fled south in 1996. They thrill at every bit of negative information about the process and have become the Goldwater Institute's prime constituency.
It must have been extremely painful for the Winnipeg Free Press then, to report this latest blow to their small town hopes and dreams.
"Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz said he doesn't believe the Phoenix Coyotes will return to the franchise's birthplace," the WFP reported in a terse online story.
"Speaking to reporters outside his office this afternoon, Katz urged Winnipeg hockey fans not to believe every rumour they hear about the NHL's return."
It's hard to say how much a small town mayor like Katz really knows about the goings-on between the NHL and the team who currently resides in the 12th largest TV market in the country. Maybe Katz is just practicing the ancient art of "reverse jinx". Or perhaps he actually knows something of the good news that the rest of us are waiting (impatiently) to become official.
Editor's Note: We have every intention of leaving the image of flesh-eating fish on the front page of SB Nation Arizona as long as we possibly can. We do this as a reminder of the GWI lunacy and because we are fairly certain the opportunity to have such a picture on our site will not come around again.