Toledo vs. Wheeling 8 times; vs. Kalamazoo 14 times; vs. Cincinnati 15 times; vs. Elmira 7 times; vs. Reading 6 times; vs. Everybody Else 22 times. That's approximately 70 percent of the schedule against five teams and 30 percent against the other 14, or an average of 1.6 games against everybody else. They play three games in a row at Florida, two games in a row at Gwinnett, and play the same team at home on back-to-back nights several times. They'll also probably
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Yet you have bloggers complain about the IHL's 7 team league and the schedule. They have been c/p's about the "New" league and they haven't a clue how or if that will end up. Oh well! It looks like we will have to wait until the IHL's meetings have been completed. It's only June I can wait.
Yes, there are bloggers who are tired of the IHL's 7 team schedule that is down to 6, that could be down to 4, that could be........
Besides the Komets jaugernaut playing the sisters of the poor, the washington generals, bad news bears, and whoever else the league gets to stand in front of the firing line is getting old...
And think if Toledo had FW, QC, BLM, and Dayton to play, they'd have double the amount of opponents in the same area. THUS, the reason it makes sense.
4 TEAM IHL!!!!!!!!! 4 TEAM IHL!!!!!!!!! 4 TEAM IHL!!!!!!!!!
I have never seen (doesn't mean it hasn't been published) a column which details travel expenses.
Most people don't have a clue about what it costs to travel.
I haven't looked at the Toledo schedule, but the claim of the 22 other games costing the same as the other 50 would be real interesting to look at if real numbers were used.
Cyclones, I remember back in the '90s, probably near the end or the Komets belonging in the old IHL, a weekend trip to Denver for the team ended up costing almost $60,000. It was higher then most trips because of weather and re-routing issues but that gives you an idea of how bad it could get, and that was in '90s dollars at a time when air travel was cheaper then it is now.
That's why major league teams lease (or own) their own aircraft, it's cheaper.
A sleeper bus to ft myers for those 3 games will get into the 5 figures I bet, basing that on $1,300 for a bus from ft wayne to flint for only 10 hours. The trip down and back would probably need 2 driver changes each way, per diem, hotel rooms, non union employee expenses, it just keeps adding up.
I must have missed something....
Did the Komets walk all over the league this year? What place did they finish the regular season in? Two years ago how many games and overtimes did it take them to win the championship? I don't recall them having a particularly easy time each of the last three years. And this past year, you had a very competitive league top to bottom. So forgive the Komets for doing the bastardly thing of winning.
I think I missed something... in the previous 7 posts I don't see anyone complaining about winning...I see travel expenses being discussed, Toledo's schedule... No complaining of winning...
You did miss something....
"Besides the Komets jaugernaut playing the sisters of the poor, the washington generals, bad news bears, and whoever else the league gets to stand in front of the firing line is getting old
YOU MISSED chicago winning the cup OR YOU SEEN THE FLYERS WIN IT :)
Gotcha Snuffy... I missed it. My mistake.
The bus I charterd to go to Port Huron for the Play-off game was $1,650.00 10 hours, one driver. I am sure if I had a deal with any bus company for all the games it would be a little cheaper. But not much. The 2 buses to go to Dayton were $2,400.00. If you use $1,300 as the example 38 games I get $49,400.00 I am sure that is on the low side. That would just be to IHL cities. Just ballpark figures based on my experience. Taking fan busses.
Mr S....great post.
I would have to disagree with the competitive from top to bottom idea... I really thought that the talent level had increased throughout the league going into the season and had the contrary stance in many discussions w/ Blake on this blog when he said that the talent level was way down. Blake was correct, talent was waaaay down this season.
The Komets stayed stacked and toyed with the league this year. Bloomington, Dayton, and Quad city were all weak, Port Huron was built around the powerplay (soft), Muskegon was Muskegon-alot of individual talent that never jelled together as a team, and a terrible 1st half Flint team was able to make a huge run in the second half to get into the playoffs.
The Komets are a well oiled machine with decades of experience that are going up against teams in the IHL that range from what 1/2 yr. (Dayton) to 4 years (Kinney) of experience??? No competition, IMO...
JR, you can of course have a negative skewed view of the league if you wish. It isn't hard to find fault with any league if you focus on the perceived negatives.
With the exception of Dayton, who did manage to jump up and bite some teams including the Komets the other teams in the league had a nice competitive balance.
Quad City was well over .500 record at home.
Bloomington had it gotten any type of goaltending could have had a better record than the Komets this year.
Flint was one of the best minor league stories in any sport in many many years.
Talent being up/down, who knows. There were several guys with NHL experience playing this year. There was an influx of new talent. I don't agree with the talent level being down as much as I think the league got younger this year.
So JR I guess it is up to each fan to decide if they were entertained or not. I myself was. Heading into the playoffs I had no idea who was the favorite or what was going to happen. I did say in February that if Flint snuck in they would be dangerous and that proved correct but the playoffs were anybodys to win and the first round was proof of that.
I am looking forward to whatever happens next year. Komet hockey on and off the ice is great entertainment. Besides, what else are you going to do on a Friday night in Fort Wayne? Go watch the bearded lady trip over her pole at Showgirls?
Snuff, you of course can have your homeristic skewed view of the previous season if your so inclined... You can focus on all the maybe's or what if's if you chose to make it look like the league was stronger than it actually was, your perogative...
Dayton was a good owner, money, front office, and several good players away from being decent... The one thing that kept them in games was John Marks, who they fired...
QC had a good home record and yet still ended up 6th in the standings...
The ticking time bomb Bloomington had a great start to the season then self destructed slowly thru the course of the rest of the season...
Flint was horrible the first half of the season and then after adding a quality 2nd goaltender caught fire, which was a great story; but doesnt paint a rosy picture for the overall quality of the league.
etc... etc... etc...
Was I entertained at times? Yes... Was I bored out of my mind at times? Yes... I just can sit here and objectively say that this was a talent laden league when all the talk was wait till around the holidays, thats when the vets really start playing (and the K's remained in the hunt)....or quotes from the Port Huron 1st round series when players were saying, I guess we just needed or backs up against the wall before we started playing Komet hockey... To me those are excuses for a team toying with the rest of the league...
So now we "toyed" with the rest of the league??? Wow....un-freakin-believable. If the Komets lose, people criticize them. If they win, people criticize them. They really, truly cannot please some of you, can they?
Nice posts again, Mr S....for the record, you have one person here who thinks you are correct.
Its just my opinion BLB, I'm not asking anyone to agree with me... I'm not going to be a follower and buy orange pom pom's and cheer on the team no matter what happens...
If you really want to know what would make me, as a fan, happy then give me the level of hockey that I am actually paying for or even a league where there are teams that are on par with the operating capabilities of the Komets.
I just find it interesting on here how some deem comments as positive/negative.... If they agree with thier opinion, thier positive and if they disagree, their negative......
JR--I respect your opinion. While I disagree with it you are intitled to it. If your not happy with the Komets, the Franke's or any part of the League they play in don't support it. It is your money so don't spend it. I personally could care less.
There were times this past season that I was disapointed in the performance on the ice. I would like to see the K's go undefeated. Is that going to happen? I don't think so. At least not in my lifetime. Could it have been worse? Sure it could. Just as it can always be better.
I have admitted to having drank the orange cool-aid many years ago. In fact I continue to drink it and I am proud that I do. Sometimes it needs a little sugar to sweatin it up, I'll admit.
I can not afford to own a team at any level or in any league. So I (like you I think) must except what is offered up.
I will say this I have never been screwed or lied to by the organization. I believe they want to give the fans the best hockey they can afford to put on the ice. For the record I am a fan first and foremost. I have seen NHL, ECHL games that I found wanting. Just as I have seen Komet games wanting. I think when everything is said and done Komet Hockey will be alive and well. Orange & Black will be back. I really do not care what moniker they play under. For the record I go back to the late 50's and remember some of the very hard times years ago. Hard time not just for the Komets and different owners but just saving a league in which to play.
Many very good and even Great players have played here. I hope to see many many more. Some on their way up and some who have made the show and are on the way down. Remember this it isn't just hockey it Komet Hockey.
Comments on here are never taken personal, opinions are always welcome. There are those who like my comments and I am sure there are those who do not. That's Life! I have a wife who loves me and one of those exwives I am sure don't.
You've also got to ask yourself if you are ever going to be happy then, JR, because those options are likely not ever to happen. Komets have tremendous advantages with tradition and attendance that 99 percent of minor league clubs will never be able to match. That's just the way it is. I certainly would not invest so much of my time in something I'm not happy with. I guess I don't understand that. Not that you're not happy, but that you'd put so much time and energy into something like that. Not meant as a criticsm, just an observation.
LOL, Schebig....funny last sentence there....
And JR, you're right, I don't have to agree with your opinion. But I can offer mine. You can sit there and complain that someone pointed out the "negative" in your post, all the while you called Mr S a "homer"? Wow. That's interesting, too.
And I like my orange pom poms and cheering for my team....I call that being a Komet fan. OK, I don't really have pom poms. I can choose to go or not go. I choose to go and enjoy myself. Trust me on this one: it's way more fun to have a good time. ;)
B.L.B. thank you :)
JR I am going to "homer" and put on newspaper pom poms for Blake because I couldn't have said it any better myself.
The amazing thing is that alot of you automatically assume that because some of us chose to look at the Komets, IHL, Frankes in an objective manner that we dont enjoy ourselves at the hockey games... Far from it, I have fun with friends watching the only live pro hockey in town. I do, however, hope that one day we as fans in Fort Wayne will get the level of hopckey that we pay for. This deal with the CHL could be the start of that....