My only contention with this is I don't think the Komets are running roughshod over the league. That's too simplistic, unless you haven't watched the actual games. When you're down 3-1 in a series and 2-0 in a game and need to stop a breakaway from it being 3-0, that's not running roughshod. Especially when you win Game 6 despite 8-2 power plays against.
Same thing two years ago, too, plus they've had very compelling playoff series against Muskegon two years ago and Kalamazoo last year which could have gone either way. Flint could very easily have won these last two finals gamese gone either way.
Look at all the one-goal games they won two years ago and the 350-man games they lost to injuries last year. This run by the Komets is actually a freak of nature type thing, the best run in the franchise's history.
Could you say the Komets are running roughshod simply because they were smart and lucky enough to sign Nick Boucher? That is actually more logical.
Comments
The one thing I am fairly confident in is that there will be hockey next year in Ft. Wayne... If the IHL has to limp thru another season so that the viable clubs can get thier ducks in a row to move to the CHL or ECHL it will happen.
The trump cards in that statement could be the Port Huron/NAHL rumors and the word that the Mallards are on the block looking for a buyer and the fact that thier agreement actually calls for a minimum of an 8 team league, so they could go at any time... Uneasy offseason ahead...
BTW, very nice post RunningKomet.....
Hit, my comment about losers wasn't directed at anyone on here, it was directed at some of the critics of the Frankes and the IHL who are fans of teams that have not made it to the finals or even the playoffs (not necessarily IHL in one or two cases) and blame that on the Frankes.
I've stated this before, and guess I'll state it again. I don't disagree with all that's being said, especially about the stability of the league and the future of it. I think most of the plan is very sound but could use a bit of tweaking. It's the economy and a couple of bad owners that are hurting it. In other words, timing may have more to do with it then anything.
Heck, the ECHL was started by two men, Bill Brabham and Bill Coffee. It had only five teams, yeah that's right, five. Three of them were owned by Brabham, Coffee owned one and the fifth was owned by a partner of Coffee. I wonder what a lot of the anti-IHL people would think if the IHL looked like that? Given time of course that league grew and absorbed others and has seen some success. So the question begs to be asked, if given time can the IHL do the same?
I realize we could very well end up in the ECHL in a year or two. If so of course I'll continue to support the Komets because I'm also a hockey fan. But the ECHL, as it is now and always has been, is not the end all to minor league hockey. It's not all that more stable then the IHL, just more teams. The skill level in it is arguably less then the IHL because of it's lack of veterans. It's rate of turn over of players is much higher so the skill level isn't going to improve. Some fans can live with that and some can't. Those who can't will quit going.
I'm curious to see what happens in Kalamazoo over the next year or two, especially if there isn't a merger of some sorts. Their attendance hasn't gone up and their expenses have, so they will be looking at price increases soon and maybe a loss of fan support.
The other thing bugging me are the claims of "facts" with none being given, especially about the Frankes controlling the league and/or buying the cup. The only "facts" seem to be nothing more then opinions of a few posters on other blogs and forums.
Again it comes down to two possibilities. We'll either have the IHL next season or we won't. No one here will have anything to do with how that works out, it's beyond our control. If we don't like the way it works out we can always stop going to games, or we can continue and still complain about it.
With a couple of exceptions we are all Komet fans. I mean nothing negative or derogatory about my fellow Komet fans, I intend no personal attack. I may disagree, even venomously, with some of the opinions expressed but in the end I think we want the same thing. One thing I know, when this series is over we will share our joy or sorrow depending on how this series works out.
Primis is a Kalamazoo fan, he doesn't have a dog in this fight and for the life of me I can't figure out why he bothers to post here. Maybe he misses the days when half or more of the fans sitting in his stadium were Komet fans?
Chaulker isn't a fan either. He doesn't go to games and he's rooting against the Komets so like Primis he can't contribute to the conversations about various games, players, etc. unless he's B2ing them or watching them on public access. I see no way they can add anything positive or constructive to this blog so I suspect their intent is the opposite. I guess positive or constructive could also be a matter of perspective though. I will have to think about his comment about moving to a competitive league. I don't know how more competitive things can get then they have been in this league.
One more thing Hit, I absolutely do not drink foo foos. Never have, don't, and never will. :-)
Nice post steve; but its getting late to post anything in depth so I will just add this. I understand your comment about Primis not having a horse in this race anymore; but you couldn't be more wrong about Chaulker. He is an avid hockey fan and former Komets season ticket holder and he has every right to comment here. Chaulker has many solid sources for information about this league and has soured towards the way things have been run by the IHL. He still goes to games, jut not as many and has invested a ton of money into Komets merchandise going to extremes to find vintage gear... IMO he has every right to post here and add to any discussions...
Steve -
I post here, and read here, because I post on IHL-related stuff... just like I do CHL-related stuff, and have started following the SPHL a bit... even though my team is now in the ECHL. Given Musky going to the USHL next season, I'm probably then going to start following that a bit more as well since the league won't seem quite so distant now.
I'm a hockey fan, period.
Why is it so foreign to some of you guys that there are actual hockey fans out there that follow more than just one team, or one league? Are there really so many of you that are so Komet-centric that the mere idea of following anything BUT that and that alone confuses you?
As for Kalamazoo attendance they posted the highest attendance this year since the old IHL when they were the Michigan K-Wings -- so in over a decade. Look it up. Here, I'll even link an article for you:
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2010/04-05_attendance.htm
Steve Says:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:29 am
"Chaulker isn
Man i miss a lot when i go to bed early and yes i popped the little white ones because i needed some sleep!
i want some juice on the playoff finals blog hit bonus thats going to be dished out.
Primus, thanks for the link and info. I knew attendance was up some but the over all average increase is a bit more then I thought it was. New league and major promotional effort pays off, doesn't it? Next season will be the telling one, will attendance stay the same or continue to increase or will it decline? How many fans will come back? Has the season ticket base increased? How many of those (like in Fort Wayne) are give aways and parts of corporate sponsors? I truly hope attendance continues to grow for Kzoo, I don't want to see any team in any league fail. I'll go as far to say I hope somehow we end up back in the same league, trips to Kalamazoo for hockey (we also have friends who live there but aren't into hockey) are something I miss.
The concept of following/supporting/rooting for more then one team/league is not foreign to me. I grew up in Fort Wayne and have been attending Komets games since their first year. I also lived on the East coast for awhile and went to Bruins games. I lived near Milwaukee for several years and not only was a fan of the Admirals I worked for them one season. I also lived in the UP and became a fan of the Marquette Iron Rangers in the old USHL. I still follow the Admirals and to some extent Marquette although that's over for them.
There are teams in other leagues (including in Canada) I keep and eye on for various reasons, mostly because I know their coaches or someone on their staff. What I don't do is get involved on their blogs/forums but for me part of that is probably not having the time to do so. I can also imagine the comments I would get if I commented on the state of affairs and management situation with the Swift Current Broncos (another of my favorite teams). I envy you the time you must have on your hands, I'm retired and still don't have that much time.
Having said all that, you're still and outsider with no horse in this race.... :-)
Chaulker, did I pull your chain a bit?
You stated earlier in this thread, "I miss K
What? Look at the title and topic, I'm not here to hold anyone's hand and tell them the K's are awesome. I'm here to talk about Fort Wayne hockey and it's future, which I hope changes, therefore, I'm stating my opinion about it.
If this was a thread about Game 3, then ya, I'm in the wrong place. I've been on Blake's blog for many, many years, I have no idea who half of these people are or when it got so "weird". I reluctantly read some comments as I was attaching Blake's blog to a website that I oversee and update about minor hockey and noticed that there was a false sense attributed to an article. So I posted, now I'm posting more again, you don't know me or my kinship that a "roll" w/, so I'll continue to talk about where the Komet's future is in this thread and not have to pledge allegiance to the Komet's current bloggers, who obviously have something a little more serious then going then I thought.
Wow!! Think I will go to bed now. Good night people.