I grew up in a time when being a Cardinals fan was difficult. At times impossible. At times embarrassing.

Embarrassing play on the field. Vast sections of hot empty seats in the stands. The constant changing of the nameplate outside the coach’s office door. The annual hassle of a first-round holdout. A cheapness that permeated throughout the entire organization.

At one point it was so bad there was a theory floating around: let the Cardinals leave for L.A. if that’s what they want. That way — as some reasoned — when the NFL expands, Phoenix would be in the front of the line.

Can you imagine? Fans wanting the team to leave for the hopes of something better.

As I’ve said many times, there is an entire generation of Cardinals fans that will never know how bleak it all once was.

Coyote fan have it worse.

I don’t know if Glendale has a legal leg to stand on. The only law I practice is when I get my daily dose of sports legal advice from Monica Lindstrom.

I don’t know if the Coyotes should explore leaving a place where they’re clearly not welcome.

I have no clue if moving back to downtown Phoenix is nothing more than a mid-summer daydream.

But what I do know is that no fan base in the history of this market has had it as rough as Coyote fan. Ever.

Westgate. Ellman. Moyes. Los Arcos. Bankruptcy. Balsillie. Goldwater Institute. Jamison. Toronto. Seattle. LeBlanc. Barroway.

Now it’s Arizona Statute 38-511. Now it’s Craig Tindall.

No wonder that building sits half full on a Tuesday when the Predators are in town. Chances are you have some trust issues when it comes to this organization and its landlord.

All I can offer is empathy and hope that — like the Cardinals — one day there will be a generation of Coyotes fans who can’t remember how hard it was to be a Coyotes fan.