Today's Muskegon reaction

Let's put it this way, there's a reason why the Komets and the TinCaps are the only pro sports teams in FW history to last more than 10 years. And they have had mutiple failures with past owners. This is a very fickle town when it comes to spending money. There were a lot of owners who got tricked in the past thinking this was a great sports town.

Thanks Blake, that makes this decision almost impossible for the Frankes. Now I understand what you meant about costs. Primary being players. If you have to pay the top talent more money and same revenue for arguments sake then the "business plan" goes out the window. Not even mentioning travel etc. Again, thanks for the enlightenment.

If muskegon couldnt make it with 2800 fans a game, how is dayton, port huron and flint going to stay alive with around 1000 per game? its a sad day for the I to lose a franchise like muskegon that has been around for 50 yrs. in my opinion it might be time to bag this whole thing and move on. i dont think that it would be good to just throw in a couple more teams to try keeping this thing alive for another year. besides i wouldnt be surprised if dayton and flint folded then quad cities and bloomington move to the echl.

Snuff the AHL will never be dooomed, the nhl clubs pick up most of the tab.

They said similar things about the old IHL MM. Eventually, they have to make smart business decisions, and minor league sports is not a smart business decision.

The question is, what do you move on to? Are the other leagues in any better shape right now and do they make smart business sense for these cities? I'm not criticizing your suggestion, but I think the owners have to make sure the ECHL is in better shape than what they could be keeping the IHL. I'm not convinced that's a sure thing right now.

This all seems to go in 20-year cycles, but it's never been stable.

Also, I bet Hodgman is having a blast. NHL players travel all over the country, and they don't complain about it

Blake--DITTO

I guess whatever league the ks end up in, its better be a team that averages 8000 fans per game vs. a team drawing 2500. it should make the decision a little easier.

No league makes smart business sense..the IHL doesn't make smart business sense becuase if it did Flint, Port Huron, Muskegon, Dayton, and Bloomington all would be strong viable organizations. The IHL has mirrored all of minor league hockey teams and owners come and go and the strong survive. Fortunately the K's have been the one of the strong ones. I believe the Frankes have had plenty of chances to join the ECHL over the years but there is something there that they don't like or don't want any part of. But my question is does it really matter what league they are a part of?

As long as fans of the K's are just happy to have hockey in Fort Wayne, nothing will change... Why should the Frankes change a thing when 8000+ show up for the games and 3000-4000 continue to send in thier season ticket money every year before even knowing what they will have the next season??? It will remain status quo until the Frankes start to feel a significant bite at thier bottom line. Until fans start to tell the Frankes they want something different by not opening up their wallets/purses, we are stuck with this rickety shack they call the IHL...

I have figured out the root cause of this problem.

When Kzoo left Obama was president.

Musky announces they are jumping ship and Obama is president.

Although as one of the owners of government motors, like everyone else on this blog, I have got to complain that they did not charge me to fix my heater even though my car was out of warranty, how as a stockholder am I ever going to get my money back if they don't start charging for this stuff.

I think I will buy a toyota.

If China ever enters the professional hockey world we are all going to be in trouble.

Read not my words but what has been written young Jedi.

Like 20% of minor league hockey owners 20% of the readers will get this.

JR--With ALL do respect! When was the last time anyone held a gun to your head and made you attend a Komets game. It is really pretty easy to bad mouth people and their business practices isn't it. After all is said and done it is the only game in town. Build your own building say $25 Mil. Buy a franchise from the AHL or the ECHL somewhere between $500,000 and another Million. Sell the adds. Staff your office and Promote your team. I'll buy a ticket. You can than run the Franke family out of town. With a little luck people on this Blog or any other blog would be bad mouthing you complaining about everything you do they don't like. Don't get me wrong you put out some pretty good stuff on here. I enjoy most of it. I just wonder do you ever have anything positive to say? Peace my friend!

CBJ71....I have been to both ECHL (Toledo Walleye) and IHL games (all of them). I like the IHL better. I know the roster in the IHL, there is plenty of youth and excitement in the I for me, I prefer knowing my opponents weaknesses and strengths, and the I is my preference. Maybe if I lived in an ECHL city, my answer might be different, but I like the IHL. Sorry to be the one to blow a hole in your generalization.

Barf! blog foul, someone above brought obama into the chat.

What you call negative, most call realistic... Thats fine, you are one who is just satisfied with just having hockey in town, others are not... I stated, why should they Frankes change anything when they get a packed house with the product as is, if thats being negative, so be it... I never attacked the Frankes in that post, just gave my suggestions to those who want better hockey in town to object in the only way a business person notices...in the bottom line...

With all do respect, using the 'gun to the head' analogy is just plain ridiculous and beneath you, IMO. Also, for your information, I work in a feild where I NEVER hear anything good said about the industry I work in, although its vital to everyone's existance. What gets said on these blogs pales in comparioson to the BS I get thrown my way in my line of work... I spent 4 years in the military overseas where people spit at your feet just because your an American and had some of the most vile things said in my direction, so a few fans unhappy with the hockey they are getting in Ft Wayne or with the Frankes themselves and saying it civilly on a hockey blog just doesnt stack up to what most people get at their places of employment day in and day out....

muskegon mohawks-- He is totally harmless he drinks Foo Foo's and pops pills of assorted colors. Really a nice guy with bi-foguls.

Just how big a boy are ya? - Roy D Mercer

Relax everybody.

JR gave his opinion. I don't think he intended it as being negative at all. It was pretty much in line with what is going on. People in this town love the home team that is winning. The Frankes hve been perfectly awesome at giving us that. It is the rest of the league that is poop. Stinky poop for that matter. Is there a better answer for leagues??? Who knows. I see plus-es and minus-es on both sides of the argument. I understand Blakes point of view....is it that much better on the other side of the fence??? Not sure. Is this IHL thing the best avenue for hockey in this town long-term or even after this summer??? Not sure....it doesn't seem like it.....but we don't know everything going on behind the scenes either.

I suspect that something different that blows our minds is in the works. Either some different teams in this league worth the stay,....or a merger of teams to make something stronger and better.

If the K-Wings go AHL....this blogger will throw-up in his mouth.

JR- First thank you for your service to our country. Second, I am sorry you work for people like that. I have been there and quit. I now work for people who treat me like family. I have 19 employees who they want me to treat that very same way. We do not need nor want a union. Business is very good. Third, when your blood pressure gets to 260/145 your Doctor will tell you what mine told me . "Find another line of work or you'll be dead in six weeks". I left his office and quit. That was ten years ago. My BB is 136/68 the last time I had it checked. Nothing is perfect! No one is perfect! I always try to be on the positve side. I prefer to look at the glass as always being half full never half empty. I must admit than "any" hockey in the Fort is better than "NO" hockey. Oh I served 8 years in the Army 1966-74. Tell me about people spitting on you! Been there done that! Welcome home my friend!

Well, maybe I wasnt clear, its not the people I work for or with that are the problem (they are great) its the industry I work in and the publics perception of that feild thats the problem... I was attempting to point out that the Civil way that people voice their displeasure for the league/team/owners on hockey blogs pales in comparison to the BS that most people recieve at work... And I'm sure that you as well as I didnt go into the military with thanks in mind....It is appreciated though...

I think we can agree that with the Forts attendance figures where they are, we will always have hockey in town... You can bet on 4000-5000 diehard hockey fans being here year in and year out. For that group its in their blood, for the walk up crowd, I agree with Blake, the better the team the more walking thru the gates...

Thanks to all of you who have served, and thanks for that reminder....I, too, work in an industry that is under-or-not-appreciated, but you'd miss me if I were gone. (No, Blake, there is no store of office called "Redheads 'R Us"...I know, there should be, as many of us as there are on this blog!) My job is not in the armed forces, though....everyone can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as I am not carrying any sort of weapon. :) (and go ahead....I can hear the "if she had brains, she'd be dangerous" thoughts going on right now....let it rip...)...LOL.

Oops....store OR office called "Redheads 'R Us"...my bad.

JR.....do you still work as a Hooter Girl??? LOL

BLB....an industry that is under-appreciated that we would miss if you were gone....hmmmmm......hmmmmm???

I am trying so hard to be funny with BLB.....but I have jokers block I guess.

the komets belong in a league that is stable and trys to keep costs down to where the fans will support them. if its the ihl where the frankees are trying to do this or in the echl where they will have to follow this plan i dont think it really matters as long as the fit is good. in the history of the komets you have to remember that the last few years of big attendance is a fluke for the komets not the norm. there were many many more years where the avg attendance was under 5000 fans. and few fans in the barn is not as electrifing as it is with 8000. we have to be very careful for what we wish for cause if we jump up a league, and the town doesnt suupport the team then we will be just another city, a former hockey city. i for one like a league with 8 vets per team and a league i can easily drive to a road trip. if the ihl adds a few more cities that are stable then things will work out. if not then we need to go to the echl but that league also has to make some changes in regards to salary cap, travel, division match ups and number of vets. it all comes down to a wait and see propisition. id like to first hope the ihl succeeds and then worry about going echl if it fails. after all with our large support we are really in the drivers seat there. i just wish all of you franke bashers would sit back and remember that without them we wouldnt have hockey in the fort. when mr welker took our franchise to albany, no one but the frankees steped up to get us hockey. they were just fans and they pulled it off. we owe them much thanks for many years of good hockey and memories so who are we to tell them how to spend their money?? lets support the komets and support their bid to play in a league that gives us the most enjoyment for the least cost. dont know which league that is but lets let it play out, cause unless you got big bucks to take over we really dont have a choice do we???

I got it.....BLB.....are you Ronald MacDonald?

Chuck....I hear you, you aren't wrong at all. But isn't their money really our money first, we gave them some of ours so that is why they have "their" money. I am not even close to a Franke basher, nor am I a Franke apologist.....I am just a fan that pays for season tickets, buys merchandise, travels out of town for games, bought the B2 season pass, has a Komet shrine in his basement, and is a diehard fan. I tell hundreds if not thousands of people why Komet hockey is fun. I pronote them to everyone I know, and I am sold on the concept of Komet Hockey.

But I still think it is ok to discuss what we think about the team.

I am hear to be entertained....and I hope I can entertain you in the process....maybe just a tad-bit.

Let's Go Dupont Double Nutted Fruitcakes!!!! Beat the Roanoke Redheads!!!!

Hit, I told you not to spill my secret!!!!

Now, I'm spilling your's... Hit's my best tipper....LOL

OMG! JR, are you Bridget the Midget???????

Its Obamas money which was our money which is now GM stock........