Interesting news out of Phoenix Monday that the Phoenix Coyotes have inked a one-year marketing gig with PGA Tour regular Jeff Quinney.
Guessing Tiger Woods wasn't up to adding a few Benjamins to his inflated bank account or simply doesn't like hockey. I'm guessing the latter.
Quinney will wear the Yotes' logo on his shirt during tournament rounds. Hey, it could be worse for the 2000 U.S. Amateur champion. At least it's not the Kings.
On a personal level, I think the Coyotes would be better off signing mega-hottie Natalie Gulbis to the contract, but that is from a strictly selfish standpoint. Men don't generally watch women's golf, but Gulbis is a reason to. And you can bet those fans will be, uh, looking at her shirt. Instant marketing. Everyone wins.
In all fairness, Quinney is a remarkable talent, making this an innovative marketing ploy from the Yotes. Jeff Quinney spent a couple of years on the Canadian Tour and I had the chance to get to know him well, and the kid - who isn't really a kid anymore - is the real deal.
The timing of the deal couldn't be better. Quinney, who hails from Scottsdale, Ariz., will be in the starting field this week for the FBR Open in the desert, which features an obnoxious gallery so drunk and rowdy that they put most bachelor parties to shame.
Great idea among the Coyotes' think tank, sure, but does it not come with at least a tinge of desperation? Sounds like a franchise scraping the bottle of the barrel in the hopes of adding two or three people to their fanbase.
It is Arizona, after all. In Phoenix, a draft-day party consists of the waitress, bartender, custodian and two or three people who still haven't mastered the fine art of Mapquest just yet.
In other words, they got lost.
This a few months after an all-you-can eat promotion for Coyotes fans attending games. Hey, if the product on the ice doesn't give you a heart attack, cramming hot dogs, nachos and pretzels in your mouth for two and a half hours should get you laying on the wrong side of the grass in a hurry.
Listen closely. You can almost hear Winnipeg laughing...