p1130877

I'd strongly encourage anyone taking a side in the AAA debate that hasn't seen an AHL game to go and see one sometime.

Been to AHL, ECHL, SPHL. Would rather see a good OHL or QMJHL game than most regular season games in those leagues.

Prediction/theory.....
Had the Franke family sold the Komets to anyone over the last 10 years hockey would have been dead in Fort Wayne within 3 years of the sale date.

You want the AHL, get a campaign together to finance a new arena. Then hope your affiliate doesn't stink because most likely you will too. Then hope if they don't stink that your best 3 players don't get called up right before the playoffs.
I can hear the fans now
"I paid my money to watch us all season only to finish first and get knocked out in round one of the playoffs. I want a refund".
AA hockey with a loose affiliation is a great thing. The talent level difference between AA and AAA hockey is not much and you have much more control over personel decisions.

But all the saber rattling is just that. If you don't like the CHL/IHL/UHL/ABCDEFGHL then spend your money elsewhere. It happens in minor league towns all over the country. That is why in most markets fans don't know from one season to the next if there will be hockey, what the team will be called, who will own it, what league they will be in......all of the things Fort Wayne takes for granted because this town hasn't had to worry much about those things.
Most years you get a competitive team in a competitive league with a team made up of good people wearing nice looking uniforms with a great selection of souvenirs and wearables(check out some other minor league cities to compare), with a great mascot and great in game promotions. The Komets run a first class operation and treat their employees, players, advertisers and fans to a first class product.
The frustration of this year aside they have earned my loyalty and my business based on years and years of doing things the right way.
Off the stick box. Happy holidays everyone!

Oh look.. there is that pathetic excuse for an argument again. Both of them in one post thanks to Snuff.. "buy your own team" and "if you don't like it don't go" .... Good thing Frankes have more tact than that.

When you give these reasons you are basically saying "I have no idea how to support my side of the argument so I will simply stick my tongue out at you and say nah nah nah nah nah nah."

The other argument engulfed in that post is we wouldn't support an undoubtedly failing team. One, that would remain to be seen. Komets suck this year and still 5k or more go and always will... and two, how do you know the K's and fans wouldn't flourish?

But at last, I do not mean to take up "this side" of that particular argument.. Just long to see a stronger argument surface from most people on the opposition side.. More than that I hate seeing the rehashed defeatist arguments surface time and time again.

K123 and JM ... believe it or not, I do agree with you that as fans you should expect a certain level of performance out of your team. And I do agree that as business men, the Frankes should want to take input their customers. I grew up as a fan, watching the Komets from the old lower section 2 with my Uncle Ron through the time that I started buying my own tickets long before I "fell into my press pass." So, I understand completely what you're saying.

But in the mission of doing my job, I also have to look at things from both sides. I'm not saying you can like it or don't go. I'm saying nobody is given the "right" to exact change in the team simply by purchasing tickets. Believe me, I wish it were different.

I want to see AAA hockey here just as much as you all do. But let's just consider for a second that after your team just won three straight league championships (leaving the perceived quality of the IHL2 out of the argument for a second). Here we are roughly 20 games into a potentially terrible season in terms of win-loss and the fans are calling for everyone to get fired ... everyone, well except Schrock (who I think is exceptional).

I know the argument is you just want to see the output of effort, and I appreciate that, but I also appreciate the fact that sometimes your team just has to lose. When it comes down to it the fan side of me is just glad there is still hockey in Fort Wayne. I remember how sick I felt when the team was moved back in 1990 and we all thought there would be no Komets that year. The journalist side of me is damn glad the Komets are still here too, because it saves me from shooting nothing but high school basketball.

So even though I think the league they played in was a little suspect, I say three straight cups gives them a bit of a pass for a down year. If I didn't feel that way then I would stop purchasing tickets on the days I'm not hanging around with my press pass, supposedly talking down to everyone.