Just talked to David Franke who said he was looking over a first draft of the schedule, and he confirmed the Komets will open against Rapid City in Fort Wayne on Oct. 16.
Just talked to David Franke who said he was looking over a first draft of the schedule, and he confirmed the Komets will open against Rapid City in Fort Wayne on Oct. 16.
Comments
I agree JR. I see what Snuff is saying to some degree, I know his angle, but I think the angle has passed by. It was a good idea to try and form a new league that promised rivalries, better and closer travel, familiar players, so on and so forth, but it didn't work because the economy took a dump, and the Michigan teams that were so strong couldn't hold it together any longer. Teams like Dayton, Evansville, and Bloomington are not strong enough to keep this thought of IHL or else together. I can't even make-up any new locations that the IHL could move into that would work in the future unless the ECHL folds shop and teams like Muskegon, Chicago, Rockford, Indy resurface, which is nothing more than a dream in this point in time.
It was a good effort. The Frankes had a great idea, it just didn't work. They put their time and effort into it and things were simply out of their hands as far as economy goes.
I feel sorry for that.
But I think they need to be realistic. Why not work to make this CHL as strong as they can make it. Work very hard to get the Midwest to embrace what the CHL is doing and build this thing into what they envisioned the IHL to be, but better, meaning that they have the strong Midwest, and a South West/ North Central, or some directions that the CHL might have.....who knows what to call it right now, and maybe, just maybe you get the ECHL and CHL to wisen up and work together at this AA level and make amends and form a 30 something team league of strong franchises in which Fort Wayne can be a huge part of.
I know the IHL and 6-10 teams is a great dream....
But think about 2 divisions of AA hockey, say 16 -20 teams in each division/league working together.......playing together.....and bringing us rivalries of Toledo, Cincy, Kalamazoo, etc. through the backdoor so to speak. The only way this thing works out is that people work together and that starts with dropping the nonsense of having a "dead" league to fall back on as a security blanket. They are painting themselves into a corner with the IHL, instead of working together and embracing something better.
Maybe I am totally wrong here, if I am, someone in the IHL needs to explain the point of the IHL under the CHL moniker.....tell us why it is.
That is all I ask, I am sure there are several other hockey fans, Komet fans, and CHL/IHL fans that would love to know the answer as well.
Just talk to us......we will listen.
I would like to know what 4-6 teams in the very near future would be willing to take a costly gamble to give the IHL2 another shot? Thats what would be needed in two seasons from now to get the 'bus league' back off of life support...
Traditional minor league hockey towns like Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Flint, Port Huron, Quad City have all moved on and committed to other leagues... Most are in solid and secure leagues right now and have seen the IHL2 go on CHL life support. Whats the sales pitch to try and lure these or other teams for another go at the IHL bus league? On paper, it was a solid idea; but in reality the league barely held on for 3 seasons before the 'endeavour'... Right now the only hope for this to happen again is for a major shift in AA hockey thinking and a reorganization across the board, IMO... The only way for this to happen would be for the NHL to step in and make a system somewhat akin to MLB's minor league system. The only problem is that I dont believe the NHL gives a rats rear-end what happens below the AHL (at least not enough to put the time and effort into a massive project like this....).
Guys let's put it this way...
AA hockey teams should NEVER be travelling from Indiana to Colorado and vice versa. It makes no sense when there are enough teams much closer to form a viable league.
Instead of a 20 team CHL with all that travel, split it in half and form two geographically sensical leagues. The ECHL (whatever that means) is even worse.
So yes, I do believe in the next few years with or without the NHL that there will be a restructure of minor league hockey just like baseball. Would the Tincaps ever go and play the Colorado Springs Sky Sox?
Of course not. It would not make sense....and yes I know they are at different levels but the Indianapolis Indians don't travel there either.
You guys assume that Kzoo, Quad Cities etc are going to be good where they are in 2-3 years. I don't think so.
So.... here is my idea for a AA league... call it the SNUFHL
Division 1
Fort Wayne
Kzoo
Toledo
Quad Cities
Bloomington
Division 2
Wheeling
Dayton
Cincy
Elmira
Now....the 10th spot is open for tinkering
If Indy, Chicago or Evansville work out you move Toledo here...
And if Rockford and Peoria struggle, they could come to this league or perhaps join a league with teams in the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas etc.
For the sake or argument...forget how things are in 2010. Things are NOT stable. Teams will be free agents every year!
So.... again for the sake of argument... look at the league I have above. It makes sense... and could be called....the IHL?
I believe everything is going to change in the next few years. The leagues as we see them today will be very different by the end of this decade. I think the Komets ownership sees that. And Blake correct me if I am wrong, don't they "own" the name/trademark of the IHL? If so, I can see why they would be motivated to keep it alive until everything shakes out.
Ok, so who is going to step in and realign minor league hockey??? I agree that it makes the most sense; but its not going to be the Frankes, IMO because owners are walking away from thier grand plan and not towards it....
Its seems to me that you are missing the point that this IHL model SHOULD be working now more than ever with the economy being the way it is and not on life support.... With the down economy this bus league you mention makes the most sense and yet its the only league not working.... Cities in the midwest should be running towards this idea of less travel and yet they remain in the nationwide ECHL or the slightly less spread out CHL. Why?
So I ask again, whats the sales pitch? It would have to be ALOT more than it looks good on paper and less travel costs... There are next to no positives that you could pitch from this last 3 years of the IHL2. Also, whether you like it or not alot of people would have to know that the Frankes are not going to be running this bus league for thier own benefit before they could get the fans onboard with this experiment. Especially in cities that have tried and left the IHL2 these last couple of years...
It is what it is, it are what it are. It will be what it will be. We will be playing hockey in Fort Wayne. Under what moniker, handle, name of league who knows for sure. Until the hockey Gods decide to use common sense we have no choice but to plow ahead. I except what we have today. Now lets get this darn season underway. Is it the "Best"? I do not think so! Could it be worse? You bet! Can I change it? Not hardly.
I do think (I know that's dangerous) in 3-5 years minor league hockey will not look at all like it does today. When the changes come there will still be those who will go Huh? Why? How come? Stupid and complain.
Imbrace what you have and live in the moment. Life is to short to get all stressed out over what you have zero control. Burgee's little pills help a lot.
Lets all enjoy the rest of the summer! To be continued! (because this debate will never end) It is interesting however.
I nominate Hit Somebody for post of the year. Seriously, hit the nail on the head and drove it through the board (pun maybe intended?).
Bill Davidson is my new hero.
The one thing I haven't got about this off season is why Franke (seemingly the only one) is so intent on having this death-grip on the IHL name, monicker, etc. It simply doesn't make sense. I am in complete agreement with Hit, let the IHL go, embrace the change that is the CHL, and work to make *it* the new 'standard'.
Sure, the IHL has it's history; but really, when something you love is dying, sometimes it's best to just put it down.
We'll see in a couple of years how smart Bill Davidson really is...
There may be reasons for keeping the "IHL" alive that we, as fans, have no idea of. Perhaps it is time to quit worrying about why announcements that contain "IHL under the moniker of the CHL" continue. I will agree that it gets a bit old having to re-read that disclaimer all the time, however.
"AA" hockey has me pretty confused right now. Teams in Michigan playing teams from Florida. Teams from South Dakota scheduled to play in Indiana. Teams from Southern California to play in Alaska.
The ECHL is stretched pretty far in the West. The ECHL is stretched pretty far in the East and Mid-West ( and could find themselves in real trouble if one or two franchises would fail). Division alignments would make no sense and don't be fooled, it will happen sooner rather than later.
The CHL has just as much chance of failing. The CHL has now stretched themselves even further with the IHL teams on board.
Holy cow! Can't anyone see that a total makeover of "AA" hockey is going to be necessary? It all should be torn down, rebuilt, with four leagues (maybe more) strategically drawn together by 1) geography, and 2) streamlined rules such as officiating, salary cap, vet limits, and schedule.
At the end of the regular season, have a super playoff of league winners to crown a "AA" champion.
I don't know, but maybe the Franke's are just waiting to see what becomes of the "AA" teams in the next 2-3 years knowing that until everything hits bottom, the motivation to bring common sense to the industry is merely a dream.
Anyway, thanks for reading.
Alan thanks for echoing my thoughts. Maybe the two of us will convert some of the others LOL.
JR to answer your question of "who" is going to remake minor league hockey. I don't believe it is going to be any one person. I think finances and other factors will dictate the changes.
BTW, on the long subject of Flint, Port Huron, Muskegon... in this day and age with the economy being what it is, they cannot support AA hockey any more than Fort Wayne could support an NHL team. Those cities have lost a ton of population and there is no money there.
There has been talk about putting a team up in Livingston County Michigan. Why? Because the county is growing rapidly and there is a ton of money there. That may be another trend you see. Teams popping up in areas you may not be familiar with because of the financial resources and population of the area.. If Hoffman Estates can get their act together....Heck I might take a look at a market like Naperville Ilinois or Schererville Indiana which is growing rapidly and has other large cities nearby. Times are changing and the way hockey does business is going to change too.
I just think we have a lot of frustrated fans. Who can blame them? Not too many real positives have come along the last few years.
I think most Komet fans, here on this blog anyway, really yearn for some sort of stability and reasonableness to calm their fears of an interrupted season, ever changing landscape, or even leagues that go dark. ( I know, Blake, "get used to it because the next few seasons will be full of turmoil for "AA" teams and minor leagues.")
Sometimes I feel like it is watching a train speeding down the tracks when you know the trestle ahead has weakened to the point of collapse. You know the train is going to crash, you know the solution is to stop the train and repair the trestle. You also know that no one is going to do anything until after the train is destroyed. Then, and only then, does the "problem" get the appropriate attention and the "fix" is made.
"AA" hockey is the engine, the "leagues" are the train cars, the "franchises" are the passengers.
The "trestle"? Well, the trestle is the brain trust of each league who refuse to talk, negotiate, reason, and help each other to the point of destroying themselves and the other leagues.
Alan your thoughts are very well thought out and do make sense.
I would say at the very end of your post that whatever this is with the IHL/CHL may be the start of some of that reason and helping you mentioned. While having the Komets as a part of the CHL is certainly good for the league, they certainly didn't NEED the Komets as much as the Komets perhaps needed CHL right now.
What it tells me is what I have said before, the Komets and the Franke family will do whatever they have to do in order to keep the team playing. I do not believe though that they have any long term desire to be in a league where travel to Colorado is a necessity. And in my opinion they have every right to feel that way because if things were done correctly they should never have to make that kind of trip.
This venture with the CHL is creative and it was needed to keep Komet hockey going next year. I do not believe it will be needed in the coming years.
Mr. Snuff--Right on! Can I ride in your caboose? That would be the safest place in case the train wrecks. It isn't a matter of will it as much as a matter of when will it?
Wow, I didn't realize this was that kind of blog.
He's also correct, Dschebig. It's gonna happen. Heck, it's already happening.
Schebig, Schebig, Schebig, send me your comments before you post, oh my!
if you are riding in Snuffys caboose i may as well jump on his trunk.
Baaaaahahaha! Schebig has finally shown his true colors!! I guess all that flirting with the redheads was a massive front to hide his secret. Although, looking back on it, this does explain why he was such an expert during all the fruit cake chatter over the winter... Enjoy your train, boys!
Burgee with all the pills you take plus foo foo's and suntan lotion it would need to be a padded trunk in the baggage car. I just drink Kool-Aid!
RK--You and Burgee have very sick minds. I know the caboose went the way of the rotory phone but I am old enough to remember when every train had a caboose. In fact I know a guy who owns one and live in it.
Add me to the list of sick minds. I'll never forget that Christmas ad that ran every year in the paper for a while: "Ride on Santa's Caboose!" :S
Holy cow!! A guy tries to use a train wreck as an analogy of the situation in minor league hockey and look what happens!!!
Blake, Burgee, RunningKomet, Wendy all used their imaginations ( better description than sick minds) and really piled on Dschebig. OOPS, I shouldn't have used "piled on" should I?
Actually, when I read Dschebig's comment....I thought "Oh My", I think he should've phrased his response a different way, but maybe no one will notice. WRONG.
That is one long train going into the tunnel.....
Come on ride the train.....woo woo!!!
I always thought Burgee was odd.....
Warning. Many will consider the following post "useless" or it may "infuriate" you.
It is fair to say that I speak lowly of the CHL. It is a lousy league. At best, it is A and 1/2. However, I have never said anything that is negative about the Ks. It is true that I have said that I disagree with many things that the Frankes have said and done over the years, but I have never said one negative word about any of the players.
I have to go now. It is time to take a chill pill. I hate to be rude. Plus, I have to get ready for the troll convention. It is where all of us CHL haters meet to discuss our strategy regarding spreading our gospel.
Cool deal Indy ks fan. You will be missed i am sure. /cheers .. hopefully your convention proves fruitful for ya
Hit, I'm even........with Schebig that is! For now.
No train but y'all can sit on my lap and I will tell you stories about the good old days of hockey
Is that pre-corporate sponsorship when things were pure and we didn't kiss any cabooses?
Interesting comments Alan but I'm not sure I agree with the "most Komet fans" part. Attendance continues to grow, season ticket holders continue to grow, and I think corporate sponsors continue to grow. All in all the casual fan in the stand probably isn't following any of this all that close. They're happy to have hockey and are paying more attention to who is being signed then such issues as traveling to Colorado to play. I also think that applies to the average fans of the other teams.
Yes it matters to the people on this blog. Same applies to the fans in other cities who post on their blogs and forums. But we represent a very small portion of the fans. All the active participants on both blogs here wouldn't fill up one row in a section at the coliseum.
Understanding those fans is a prime factor in the formula for success in minor league hockey. It's something the Frankes do very well.
Minor league hockey would reorganize overnight if 50% to 75% of its fans cared about or even understood these things as much as we do. They would have to listen and get their act together then. As it is, I doubt it will happen until there are more failures and lights being turned out before things will change. Among other things there are very strong and stubborn egos running the leagues, combined with a portion of control freak.
Hit, when was this period of "purity" and no corporate sponsors? Or in other words when did corporate sponsorship start? As far as I can remember it has always been there, going back to year one. There is more of it now then back then, and it's more obvious with the boards, ice, and in some cases uniforms covered with advertising, but I think it's always been a part of keeping a team on the ice.
Heck, where would little league and soft ball leagues be without it?
I have a cousin who is a longtime STH and though I don't think she knows or cares about the blogs, she has often expressed the same concerns that people express here. For example, just last Monday, she was griping about the lack of information despite the upcoming due-date to pay off tickets. So there are more people than just visitors to the blogs who care about such things. Still, you are absolutely right that at least 50% of the people filling the stands at games don't care. I'd be surprised if that percentage of the "fans" actually cares about anything that happens during the summer either.
I'm not against corporate sponsorship. I'm just nostalgic for the days when sponsors knew their place and didn't expect their names to be plastered all over everything in exchange for their money. I was looking at websites and saw an Australian team that is required to say the name of one sponsor every time they mention the team's name. Imagine this: "And here they are! You're Bank One Fort Wayne Komets!" [shudder]
Wendy for what it is worth, our sponsorship includes a program add, website link, a few promotional things where we give stuff away at the door and in contests and we do have one "exclusive" sponsorship connected to the team. We are not one of the larger companies with a voice over as a player enters the penalty box etc.
Also for what it is worth I too would love to see no advertising on the uniforms beyond the logo of the manufacturer but in the times we live in I guess I'd rather they cover expenses that way instead of raising ticket prices.
not one fan can change it but if we all join together and boycott the komets than we have a good chance to bring better hockey and entertainment to fort wayne. United we stand , divided we fall. Who's in?