We are within sight of another major league team, the NHL, and once again the small brains are at it.
“Too much other fun stuff to do, too many other problems, not big enough fan base” Etc etc. Really? What about the cities with multiple pro sports? What about Detroit and St. Louis and Chicago? Have they solved their problems of crime and homelessness and traffic ?

I guess they should just raze their sports facilities and surrender their teams. Detroit is a depopulating combat zone, but they’ve just broken ground on a new arena .By this time tomorrow Chicagoans will have murdered more of each other than Portlanders will a month. Would you trade their problems for ours?
In my lifetime Seattle has built three major- league stadiums. Not Portland.We’ve built bike lanes and streetcars and food carts. Seattle gets the Yankees and Patriots and Packers and Dodgers. We get the Do games and skaters. In my lifetime Seattle has had two MLB teams, an NFL Team, and was robbed of its NBA team. Can anyone remember our bush-leaguers? Fire? Storm? Weirdo’s?
Instead of the Moose Jaw Nobody’s, can you imagine having iconic hockey teams- the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers –visiting? Can you imagine their networks showcasing our city?
You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate what big league teams bring to a city, and I don’t mean just the prestige. You can’t tell me that bringing a few dozen millionaires into our city a few dozen times a year isn’t good for business.
For once, think big. Welcome the Portland Coyotes. If we miss this chance we will continue to be thought of as the Portland Pikers.