For hockey fans, the situation regarding the Arizona Coyotes and the organization’s current dilemma with the city of Glendale has been well documented. After the city voted to terminate the team’s lease earlier this year, the speculation regarding the future of the team in Arizona became front-and-center news once again.
And now, it’s not just diehard hockey fans that are talking about the situation going on in Glendale.
John Oliver, the host of the popular show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO, took his political satire and focused it on stadiums that are often funded using public funds when there is really no need for it.
He starts off talking about the Detroit Red Wings getting approval for a new arena just days after the city filed for bankruptcy before touching on some other sports franchises. He then comes back to the NHL with his talk of the situation in Arizona (that begins around the 14:00 mark of the above video).
Oliver mentions the city of Glendale wanting to get out of the deal he dubbed as “awful” that was costing the city $8 million per year. After showing the clip of Ronda Pearson, the fan who not only chastised the Mayor of Glendale during the public hearing, but also got a chance to use a taser on the mayor, Oliver used her own words against her.
“While I can see her passion is real,” he said. “You don’t get to call someone childish when you are the one arguing for spending millions of public dollars you don’t have to keep a giant slab of ice in Arizona.”
He added: “No one should want a stadium so badly they’re willing to electrocute an old man for it.”
It’s definitely a video worth watching in it’s entirety as Oliver hits on quite a few solid points regarding stadiums and public funds. And don’t forget to leave your thoughts on the matter in the comment section below.
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