Now it’s just a renovation. Now he is promising that thanks to “new technology” the arena will still hold a sufficient number of fans. Except it was reported on sports radio that leading architects have said no such technology exists and the only way to make it work is to expand the footprint in such a way that would require a new arena.

The closest thing we have seen to this arena situation is Key Arena in Seattle and the Kraken. Except the only way they could make it work was to demolish the entire arena except for the roof, which they had to keep because it was deemed a landmark, and then expand the footprint to accommodate an NHL ice sheet. It wasn’t a renovation, what exists is an entirely new arena.

Also, as reported on sports radio, Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who has a net worth 5 times the size of Ryan Smith’s, said if he knew the NHL would force the sale of the Coyotes he would have bought them and built a new shared arena for both the Coyotes and the Suns. Unlike Salt Lake, the land for such a project exists one block away from the current Suns arena.

The truth is Ryan Smith promised the moon, he can’t deliver what he promised. There were other options.