Most folks on here want the Komets to make drastic changes, but to do that, you'd have to get rid of some people, and no one seems to be able to agree on whom to get rid of. Sure, some would like to trade a few of the vets, which is easy to say, but they would not report so they have no trade value. Getting rid of the youngsters doesn't do any good because you can't afford to replace them with significantly better players as the veterans make most of the money.
You know what? The best bet is to be patient and see how it works itself out. I'm not saying that to be mean or try to tick you off, but that's the reality of the situation. The roster is not going to significantly change, at least not within the next month. Where are you going to get players who have more potential than what the Komets already have right now, anyway? The best option is to rely on the veterans to come around and do their usual leadership job.
Maybe the Komets can work things out to bring in one or two key players, which they almost always do. Rod Aldoff, Justin Hodgman, Terry Marchant, Brent Henley, etc. And the rookies will get better because they always do under Al Sims.
Some of you act like David Franke and Al Sims will just settle for a half-a-- season. Not one person on this blog wants to win more than those two, which is partly why they have such amazing records. They've also never been afraid to make moves in the past. Remember last February 26 when Michael Franke said "It's time to make some changes. This team just doesn't perform well at home. It has not performed well at home all season, and we're running out of time." That was a LOT worse than this situation and they still made all that work.
No, they are not talking with Kevin Reiter or Matt Reynolds or Luciano Aquino or Mitch Woods right now.
Comments
You want to make a real, concrete difference? Let 'em hear it at the games. Don't save it for the blogs afterward because that is not getting through to them. That's just preaching to the choir. Remember when the fans used to all cheer after a line had a good, solid shift even if they didn't score? That doesn't seem to happen much any more, either, and that would also make a difference.
Blake I asked in the other thread, are any of the vet contracts guaranteed?
If they don't turn things around by the end of the year, what I would do "if I were the GM" (everyone else plays that, so can I lol ) is to flat out CUT one or two of the vets and bring in some young legs from the AAHL or elsewhere.
They may not have the pedigree of those vets that would be cut but I would bet they would play their bleeps off for their paycheck. Assuming the contracts are not guaranteed it would save the team money and give the fans the hussle they seek. Plus it would send a message to the vets that are left that nobody on this team, regardless of position in the community or past performance is going to be allowed to sleepskate through this season and collect a paycheck.
I knew it, its the fans fault! I knew you would figure it out, I will have a foo foo delivered to the press box friday night, what flavor you want? I will start cheering more.
to add... you say they won't report if you trade them. So cutting them means you probably don't have to worry about them showing up in another town and biting the K's in the backside.
Right, Snuff, because cutting one of these vets can be made up so easily by a player from the AAHL. Have you been drinking with Burpee again? There's a reason players are in the AAHL and maybe three have been called up to the IHL all year.
It's not the fans' fault at all, but all of this harping is not effectively getting through to the people it needs to get through to. Yelling at them on the blog is not going to wake them up, but doing it at a game might work.
Of course, some people are only happy if they are griping on the blog. You never, ever hear from them unless things are going badly and then they jump in with both feet. Besides I need that dime a hit on the blog to pay for my Christmas bills! Yeah, that's it.
Blake makes a GREAT POINT... Will I get thrown out if I bring a 24 pack of Charmin to the game??? Do we as fans have it in us to let the boys know how we feel during the game??? Lets start the "NO MORE CHARMIN" chant on friday.... Any takers??? Hmmmmmm....
Blake I don't look at it as replacing a vet with an AAHL guy as an even talent for talent exchange. Today Roy Halladay got traded for 3 guys who have never seen a big league pitch. Surely it wasn't done with the thinking that it was an immediate exchange of talent.
I look at it as if you are going to lose/spin your wheels in mediocrity, you might as well do it with cheaper/younger players. I think Komet fans are tired of seeing the same guys in those uniforms going through the motions. And by cutting those one or two coasting vets, you send a message to the entire team. I think what this team needs is to be shaken up. This team as it is currently constructed will not win a cup. So why pay big money for vets who aren't going to lead you to where you want to go? It is late, maybe I am not making sense but hopefully right or wrong you guys get the gist of what I am thinking.
Please tell me that some of the K's are watching the Blues/Blackhawks game... YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THE GOALIE!!!! Kudos to Sopel! Take some notes K's....
it been a proven fact year after year that the vets start pretty slow and around christmas new years they all start to play and the heart the team shows its true color. its too early to tell yet and blake is absolutly right. ive been trying to say the same thing all year but hes the writer and says it so much better. shooting for the 18th for first game back!
So I guess we should get drastically reduced ticket prices til the first of the year...
Hope all goes well and you make it to that game on the 18th chuckitt.....
I noticed you did not say Mike Sgroi = so does that mean they are trying to sign him.
Mike Sgroi= cement head who will cause more shorthanded situations = more losses for a team who can't score as it is. But ok... the healthy obsession with him can only be a good thing.
Glad to hear from chuckitt! I hope your there on the 18th.
I am afraid I agree with "Super Fan". On paper we are the best team. We just have to get off the paper and on the ice.
You have to hope that the vets do hit the "pride" button and realize that the cup won't be handed to them simply because they are playing for the Komets. If they are still hungry for a cup then things will be fine. If they are satisfied with their past accomplishments and don't care to put in the work that it takes to go for another then it will be a long season.
I can accept not winning a cup every year. That is sports. What I don't accept are paid athletes not putting in the work to be at their best to compete. I think the summer banquet/golf circuit made some of these guys forget what got them there.
JR: I LOVE your idea of cutting ticket prices. If our team is going to play at half-speed until they decide it's time to work, shouldn't we get the opportunity to pay half-price until we decide we're seeing their best hockey? The algebraic formula for it all works out as long as you do the same thing to both sides. Basic math.
I don't want drastic changes, I just want effort and better hockey. If these guys are not putting forth the effort till after Christmas, like JR said, I want my money back for the games that I've paid for.
I boo at the games, then the "die-hards" get all po'd at me and ask me to go out there and do what they're doing. So then I have a 10 minute conversation/argument w/ them and then promptly asked for my season ticket identification. If I don't have one, I guess I can't complain.
I don't care if they win, or even make the playoffs, I just want to watch competitive, relevant hockey and I'm not seeing it yet. It's nice that the back-up is put into a starting role, left unprotected and out to do the fighting. Anyone remember the Hansen beat-down in Elmira? A lot of on-lookers for that one also.
Foo Foo Friday is almost here, tonight, colts or survivor, colts or survivor?
Gosh Blake, are you having a bad day? These people are just expressing their opinions and venting their frustrations. They aren't doing anything that others haven't done before. Sure, some of the suggestions may be far-fetched and most of the rumors are just that-rumors. You never know, though. Things may be happening that the Franke's don't want anyone to know. The first of the year is just two weeks away. The fact is that for whatever reason the team can't buy a goal and it is wearing on everyone including players, management, and fans. When I read what you said in "Reality Check," I felt as though all of your loyal bloggers were "students" and we had just been sent to the "Principals offfice."
Chuckitt: I'm about to lose it here. First I agree whole-heartedly with Hit, now you put up a post that I couldn't have said better myself. Next thing you know, Blake is going to write something I agree with ;) Sounds like those around you need to have Dschebig talk to them about being able to voice your opinion. I've heard the Komets icon who sits near me boo and say derogatory things towards the Komets several times this year and he's had his tickets for over 25 years, so I don't think anyone can really say they have the right to tell you when you can and or cannot boo. Just sucks you have to miss 10 minutes of the game at a time.
Burgee: Get a DVR my friend. If not, obviously watch the Colts. Russel is going to win Survivor anyhow (hopefully). If not, when he's voted off and that cute blonde is given the ax, I'm done with it.
Alan: You've hit the nail on the head as you tend to do. Awhile back I felt there was a similar message sent to the bloggers on here in the post "Take a Deep Breath". I have to echo Frozen Water who echoes Dschebig's "right to your opinion" speech we've read on here from time to time. Dschebig, we all know you back "Super Fan" no matter what (or in Alan's post about being students, you may be the teacher's pet ;) ) but have you ever thought about addressing your next opinion's post in his direction? If you get a detention, a few of us will break you out!
Alan, Hit, and Andrea, I still check in from time to time to look for your posts because you tend to have very good information and help me to look at things from different (and usually better) angles.
In any event, I hope the Komets get things going, whether we do it with our current roster or with some magical Christmas wish player that we all have on our lists to turn things around, no matter who that person is (because as stated above, I don't think there is any way we could all agree who that person would be).
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good hockey night in Fort Wayne! (well, tomorrow night).
I now return to my exhile on the island of Elba.
Blake, I think that at the start of every game the fans reset, go into a positive mode, and are prepared to scream, holler, and cheer on individual lines as well as the entire team. I'm willing to do it, and I believe that most of the people that comment here are too. The problem is that the lackluster, non-committed play has sucked the life out of most everyone. The fans don't cheer because there is nothing to cheer for. The vets don't play and don't provide leadership for the younger players so the younger players drop their energy levels and level of play too. The whole thing then spirals ever farther south, and people become even more unhappy.
I'm a twenty year season ticket holder. I've been going to games for over fifty years. I don't expect perfection every game. I do expect hustle and competitiveness. I've seen far worse, but I don't want the team to lie to me and tell me that they gave it their all when we know that they didn't. At least be honest with us.
Friday night is a new chance, a new life. If the Komet vets come out and play like we all know that they really can then everything will take care of itself. Everything and everyone will be forgiven. If they continue to play like they have lately, then I don't think that you can be upset when people who have paid good recession-time money to watch them are less than enthusiastic.
I'll be there Friday. I'll be ready to cheer. I think that everyone reading this blog will be too. All that we ask for is a ray of hope. Give us that and the Jungle will be rocking again.
Go Komets!
Russell better win, i have a friend identical to him down in cajun country named johnny, acts, talks, walks you name it, identical except for the millionaire status.
I'm not saying you have to go into positive mode at the game or here. There have been plenty of times this year when if I'd have been sitting in the stands, I'd have booed like crazy. You have that right, (no, that obligation!) so use it when you feel they deserve it! I'm just saying that would be more effective than repeating the same stuff over and over and over here. I'm just pointing out that since none of us can decide which one or two moves that need to be made to fix this, maybe the best, most likely, route is to hope the players figure it out themselves as they have in the past. Management knows that has a better chance of working that tearing things up.
Wow, I am looking forward to getting to the games down there over the holiday. It will be interesting to see just how bad the Komets are. (Sorry for the sarcasm) Listen folks you have a two time championship team. You throw improved competition into the mix. Then you have a team that faces every other team's A game every night. Tight checking, hard hittling get in the face of the champions. Some players might be nicked, hurt in a way that allows them to play but not at 100%. I am not making excuses for the team just offering a perspective. I don't know a hockey player who doesn't give 100%, and I am sure Al and the other players wouldn't put up with it. Unless I miss my guess the Komets will weather this initial storm and come back stronger in the second half. Management will make the moves necessary and there will be a strong push for 3. Love reading the comments, looking forwward to our next visit. Happy Holidays Komet Fans.
I say you send a message by cutting the current and past captains. Yeah, I know... the loyalists will have me tarred and feathered for saying it but....
Hello RunningKomet. Good to hear from you again! Thanks for the compliment. I'm not sure if this has been reported on any of the blogs or commented on as yet, but the Flint Generals have waived Greg Bullock and Tyler Willis. I guess I'm kind of surprised by it as Bullock was their MVP last year. Willis is, well how do you describe it, a player who gets under the skin of the opposition. I know for a fact that two or three years ago David Franke was very interested in signing Willis. Anyway, we'll see what happens. Who knows if there are any teams interested in them. We'll find out if any team claims them. Again, a note to RunningKomet, hang in there and join the "frenzy" every once in a while.
Mike in Toronto: I'd say come and watch games on a regular basis like the rest of us do and when you see what we've been seeing this season, then feel free to tell us to listen like we have no idea what we're talking about or that we're just complaining to fill in time. That's not the case at all. Hopefully when you're here everyone plays like we are used to seeing them play in the past and you leave the fort still thinking we are just complaining to complain. Hopefully you don't see the lack of effort we've been seeing. Hopefully none of us see that anymore and we start seeing the hard play that we have come to expect from our players. As has been said over and over, I'll accept losses as long as our guys are out there busting their butts during the games. We just haven't seen that in awhile. Enjoy the show! GO KOMETS!
I think you are nuts anyway Snuff, but that's for an entirely different set of circumstances. My thought is the Komets' best chance to win another title starts with those three players performing. You get rid of them and you have absolutely no chance. Alan, not sure they could afford to fit either of them under the cap right now with what they are currently signed for. We'll see.
For those who think I'm being mean to Snuff, I was his best man. I'm allowed. In fact, according to wife, it's a necessity. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
Frozen, I listen and watch as many streamed games as I can. But I admit they are not the same as being there. And I don't expect a goaltender to have to stand up to the opposition. There was no disrespect intended. I have played at a pretty high level and I can appreciate the knowledge Komet fans possess. But you have to admit "getting rid of former and current" captains and some of the other remedies prescribed to "fix the Komets" are pretty radical for a two time championship team. Just an observation.