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Tailing the Komets

From WANE: Komets at the Mad Anthonys

Posted in: Komets

Comments

mightbite
Tue, 06/15/2010 - 4:02pm

http://www.mlive.com/generals/index.ssf/2010/06/announcement_on_future_of_flin.html#comments Hope this is good.

Silly Season
Tue, 06/15/2010 - 6:39pm

Flint Generals are history as Perani Arena choses to give lease to NAHL's Michigan Warriors instead

http://www.mlive.com/generals/index.ssf/2010/06/flint_generals_are_history_as.html

JungleMonkey
Tue, 06/15/2010 - 7:18pm

So Flint is done, Port Huron appears to be done.... The IHL division of the CHL is going to be pretty small....

Hit Somebody!!!
Tue, 06/15/2010 - 10:04pm

Gonna love the new IHL Division of the CHL....all 4 teams of it. So, will we play Dayton 20 times, Bloomy 15 times, and QC 15 times? Or more than that?

The IHL is officially dead in my opinion.

No K-Zoo
No Musky
No PH
No Flint

What a sad day this is.

CHL or bust baby!!!

Sounding like all of the familiar players we are used to won't be back next season. JC had a very good blog article spelling out what might happen to the roster next season. And he says, get ready to not see some real main-stays come back. Lots of our guys will jump over the pond to Europe next season.

Feel free to blast me for bringing this info up on here.....but it doesn't sound real great people.

I will still wait and see, but the news coming out keeps getting sadder and worse by the day.

We should have caved in and went to the ECHL. At least we could have played some teams closer in proximity and closer to travel to, we don't have that option now outside of going to the beautiful luxerious Hara Arena.

I am sad that there will be no more FuryJack, No more Border Beacons, and no more Flint Generals.

You have to admit, this really really sucks.

JR
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 4:47am

Wow, what now???

Does the IHL have anymore rabbits in that old top hat? 3 teams from last year down, 4 still standing. As it stands today, I think the CHL has a lil more leverage in the rest of the negotiations going forward for the merger/working agreement/absorbtion/affiliation (whatever they want to call it)... Is it time to call a spade a spade???

RunningKomet
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 6:35am

Hopefully something else turns up. I may just sit on paying off the rest of my season tickets at this point to see what is going to happen. I'd rather get screwed out of a $100 deposit than get screwed for the full season ticket prices with a four-team league that was made to sound like it was part of another 14-team league.

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 7:50am

Hit-JR-& RK-Please explain to me, and anyone else that reads this, just how any of you can turn nothing (that's what we know about this association or whatever it is) into this, feel sorry for all of us negative, trash talking pitty party? I know your expressing your opinions. You certainly can do that, I admit and respect those. My real question should be when we know really nothing of what is going to be the outcome how can we assume it is going to be all bad? I choose to believe that this may be the greatest thing since sliced bread. I do that because I would rather be optimistic than pessimistic. It is not my intent to bad mouth any of you in anyway. I know you'll accuse me of that and that is OK! The IHL hasn't even had their meetings yet and you all know what the outcome will be. I am truly amazed. Most importantly I hope your all wrong! Peace & Love my blogging friends. I am going to drink some more orange cool-aid take some of Burgees little pills.

JR
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 8:24am

Dennis, my question is what now? You are absolutely correct that we know nothing of the pertinent details of how this (insert correct description here) is gonna work; but we do know that 4 teams are commited and they said that up to 7 could be involved with Port Huron and Flint counted in that group of 3. 2 of those possibles are now gone which would leave Evansville, I would assume. So that led to my original question of "what now?".

Its ok for us to discuss possibilites and thats the direction my questions was intended to go. It is my opinion that leverage in the discussions has moved in the CHL's favor, just like it would have been my opinion that the leverage would have been on the IHL's side if they were able to secure a 5th, 6th, or 7th team for this (whatever its called) in the negotiations...

Myself, I havent asked anyone to feel sorry for me, I just want to discuss what could, should, etc... happen with all of this... Whatever this ends up as, its going to be a big culture change for Hockey fans in Ft Wayne and I am trying to wrap my head around the potential changes to prepare myself.

Now my question to you, to further a good discussion, would be, how can whats come down in Flint and Port Huron be a good thing for whats happening? I understand your faith in that things will work out; but what are your reason's beyond faith that would sway a fan reading this who may be on the fence as to how to feel good about recent developments? Like you, I am not taking shots, just want to see your point of view.

Oh, and its orange Kool aid with a "K".... lol :)

JR
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 8:26am

Oh wow, I posted an "Alan"......LOL

Just kidding Alan... :)

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 9:08am

JR-I have some knowledge I can't talk about for one thing. There is still a possiblity of 2 or 3 teams. Port Huron was out of the mix from the gitgo. The City of PU shot themselves in the foot. I think Flint was a hopeful possiblity.

There are "rumors" of several teams coming. New Teams! Evansville is another hopeful! Their owner has bugeted $500,000 to lose the first year. He can afford it. I have heard he is prepared to purchase everything and anything left in Muskegon including players rights. I think that depends on being accepted in the new endeaver.

I am hearing the talks IHL/CHL are going along great. The IHL meetings hold great promise! We just do not know everything the two leagues are working out. You and I know that there is a lot to work out. These talks had to be on going for several months. These things do not just "Happen"

I have always believed that there will in fact be "Komet Hockey" next season. I could say at face value that is good enough for me. I wasn't real happy with the UHL when is first came in. Some of the teams should not have been granted franchises. AA hockey is a riskey business at the very least. I don't care if it's the IHL, CHL or the ECHL. Franchises come and go primarily do to the economy and the costs involved. If this were not so all the teams from say, ten years ago, would still be playing.

Fort Wayne today is a solid market for hockey. It is that way because of the efforts of the Franke family as well as all of Fort Wayne's fans. I can remember a time when that was not so. Yes I am giving credit where credit is do. We lost our team in 1990 not due to the fans but very poor management. Having lived through that experience I have all the confidence in the Frankes to keep hockey alive in Fort Wayne. I happen to like the Kool-Aid! with a "K"

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 9:09am

Alan- Sorry I got carried away!

JR
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 9:32am

I have also heard the rumors of the "new" teams kicking the tires in regards to this CIHL endeavor (which I believe I will start calling it...); but I have heard they would be next season at the earliest. Granted, rumors and minds change daily as we've all seen in past regarding Minor league hockey; but I want to see things done correctly, like you, and dont want to see too many Evansvilles rushed into the league guaranteed to lose money right off the bat. IMO, that gives the impression of desperation, something the IHL doesnt need.

I think you have to understand that alot of K's fans like to travel and with the only really close team to travel to being Dayton, its frustrating because they've lost many close cities to travel to. With the ECHL on the doorstep, they see several close teams for travel and to build rivalries with. I'm not insinuating that the K's cant build rivalries with the likes of Tulsa, Colorado or Rapid City; but I dont think it will be the same as others when we could travel in mass to big games...

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 9:51am

JR-No one enjoys traveling to away games as much as me. Who put together bus trips last year? Anyone who wants to do that is welcome to it. Lots of work and if your not careful you can lose money very quickly. I even tried (at least looked into) a two game overnight road trip to Quad City and Bloomington. Very difficult to make happen. Not impossible just difficult.

Let's look at it this way. To get something you might have to give something thing! I think you would agree. While not being able to travel for a season might be hard to give up the greater good of the League is far better in the long run.

I think all of AA hockey will be better off for the efforts being put forth this summer by people who are dedicated hockey people. I am not just speaking of the the Franke's they can not do anything in and of themselves except take care of the Komets. They do that very well and we the fans are the benifactors of that effort.

JungleMonkey
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 10:14am

Teams in the IHL-2008

Kzoo, Muskegon, FW, PH, Flint, QC, Dayton, Bloomington

Teams Status 2010
Kzoo-Echl
Muskegon-No Pro Hockey (jr)
PH-No pro hockey
Flint-No Pro hockey

FW, QC, Dayton, Bloomington... "Merging with the CHL for survival"

What word do you use for something with a 50% success rate?

Burgee
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 10:42am

What word do you use for something with a 50% success rate?: in this economy, extraordinary!

Alan
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 11:04am

One thing that seems to have gotten "lost" with the Flint announcement is this: there is a very capable owner out there who officially has no team now. That owner is Larry Kinney. May I speculate that he may get involved with a new venture somewhere else besides Port Huron and Flint? From some of the other posts it seems Geary in Evansville is set to take a ride this season as well.

Lets see what happens.

Both JR and Dschebig are correct with their posts. There are so many unanswered questions out there in hockeyland that the alternatives are endless.

I just wish they could explain their thoughts more briefly. (Gotcha both, guys!!!)

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 11:15am

Alan-Hindsite is always 20/20. What is worse we both apologized. Could have been worse!

Bob
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 11:35am

Out of curiosity has Craig Drektah (Chicago Hounds) been attending any of these meetings? I have a hunch that he might be observing with some interest...

JR
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 11:43am

Last rumor I heard about Craig is that he and the ECHL were talking fairly seriously...

JungleMonkey
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 12:36pm

50% Success rate=extrordinary?

Wow, I want to work for Burgee. My company doesn't allow the economy to be used as an excuse.

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 1:22pm

JM-It is plain to see you do not own the company but work for one. Any baseball player hitting 500 would be worth a lot of money. They make millions with a success rate of 30%. Business does not operate that way. In this economy a business hopes to do what they did last year and that would be successful. My company lost 1% last year and still think they had a good year. Exspenses went up approx 7%.

JungleMonkey
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 2:23pm

I'm a minority owner. And quite frankly our sales were up 14% last year based on innovative approaches from our sales and management team. Expenses were higher, but overall our gross margin was the highest in 10 years. Some of the difference may be the individual industries we are in, but a large majority is mindset. People watch too much MSNBC, Fox News, radio nutjobs and other doom and gloom. If you have a positive outlook and put in the work, more often than not you are rewarded. If I only hoped to do what I did last year I'd be selling myself and all the people that work for me short.

But I guess somethings aren't all that "plain to see" for all of us.

Dschebig
Wed, 06/16/2010 - 2:57pm

JM-I am in the wholesale auto parts business. I am on the distribution end of it. Our sales people do outstanding work. Our problems are if people don't drive they don't service their vehicles as often. It makes no difference if your the greatest salesperson if your customers are not moving parts they have no need to replace parts. Please forgive me I didn't mean to insult your abilities, if I did. I am very happy for your business if it is doing well in this economy. They are amoung the few who are. A one point drop for ours was $1M. We are one of the largest in our field in the nation at what we do. It is coming back so far this year.

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