opinion

The one guy who can keep four pro sports in the Valley

There are times when the solution to a problem is obvious – or should be -- to everyone.

Sill we hem and haw, sidestep the straightforward answer, dodge the indisputable explanation for reasons of politics or business or legalities or ego -- or all of the above.

This is one of those times.

Problem: How do we keep all four major professional sports franchises in the Valley?

Solution: Jerry Colangelo.

Not long ago the Arizona Coyotes and the city of Glendale settled their contract differences by way of a deal that will cut down the cost to the city and give the team a way out in two years.

It’s clear that Glendale was the wrong place to build a hockey arena. There are too many weekday games in a hockey season and the facility’s location makes it too difficult for residents of the East Valley to get there.

Also, arenas dedicated to only one professional sports franchise aren’t economically viable anymore.

Likewise, the Phoenix Suns will soon be in a position to force the city of Phoenix into some kind of deal that will build them a new arena.

So, how do we get these two professional sports operations to work with the city of Phoenix to build a shared arena downtown?

Jerry Colangelo.

Dealing with the politics, economics, legalities and egos of such a deal is messy and complicated.

Colangelo has been there and done that, several times.

He make basketball a signature sport in the city, almost from the moment he became the youngest general manager (only 28) in the NBA. He later brought baseball (and a World Series championship) to town.

He helped to negotiate the deals that created the venues where those teams currently play.

He’s also been involved with the WNBA and arena football.

Since 2005 he has been Director of USA Basketball, with teams he put together winning gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. He’s staying on that job through the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

He is a very busy man with deep Chicago roots, but he loves Phoenix, as evidenced by the affectionate profile of him last week by Arizona Republic sports columnist Paola Boivin.

The city, the Suns and the Coyotes need to convince Colangelo to serve as a consultant. They should pay him whatever he wants and allow him to create a working group of representatives from the two teams, local government and the business community to work out a new arena deal.

Two-tenant arenas are the new normal for pro sports. Dallas. Boston. New York. Denver. Los Angeles. Philadelphia. The list goes on.

A centrally located two-tenant venue in downtown Phoenix is the only long-range solution for the Valley retaining all four professional sports franchises.

The Diamondbacks are fine. The baseball stadium is in the perfect spot. The Cardinals also are in a solid spot. Their stadium is fine where it is. Pro football games are a unique once-a-week destination. It’s not that way with every sport.

Colangelo understood this from the start and make sure that baseball and basketball are played in a spot where everyone in the Valley can get to them. The same should be true of hockey. Everyone knows this.

Why mince words?

Do it.

Hire Jerry.