WHA + ACHL + WHA2 + SEHL + EHL = ONE BIG MESS

[patmc16]

Big Chris may have a years supply of a$$ holes of the month by picking any name associated with any of the leagues above. Looking at the various web sites, there are more conflicting statements than in a MK "press conference". The WHA says that they have issued a cease & desist against Waronker using the WHA2 name. They basically wash their hands of him, and the leagues debt. Meanwhile the WHA2 teams say they are leaving the league behind because of backstabbing and a general lack of direction by the WHA. Its the whole chicken and the egg thing. Did Waronker jump ship because the WHA pulled the name, or did the WHA pull the name because Waronker jumped ship? I have to say its the first time I've seen the WHA say the WHA2 is not connected to them other than the licensing of the name. I thought I read about a year ago that the WHA2 was the development league for the WHA??????

Over on the other side 6 of the 7 WHA2 teams (sans Miami) have joined the EHL along with 2 of the 4 teams in the SEHL. Links to the Winston-Salem and Hunsville websites are on the EHL website. However, when you look at the SEHL site, it says that all 4 teams have committed to playing in the SEHL for next season. These are ALL releases posted in the last few days by the way, so its not just a timing issue. Both the WS and Huntsville websites do not mention what league they are in (other than in old press releases). If WS & Huntsville do move, what happens to Cape Fear and Knoxville? If you believe all of the info, then WS and Huntsville will field 2 teams each in 2 leagues..... not likely. Will most of these teams be in their 3rd league in 3 years? Do any of these leagues have any credibility anymore?

Like I said, ONE BIG MESS!!!!!!!!

[wncsport.com]

I found the WHA antics laughable. How many teams do they have in their league again?




What Waronker is doing is maneuvering to force a merger of the two leagues to one. What the SEHL (Cherney) is trying to do is hang on. The reality is he lost the lease to Winston Salem because they didn't exercise that option. It sounds like Terrell Owens. Ditto Huntsville. Now both leagues are fighting for them.

Huntsville is the key here. If it goes EHL, Winston-Salem will have to go EHL. When that happens, Cape Fear and Knoxville has little choice but to join.

Frankly, I can't say I disagree with what he's doing. It's debatable if ONE A level hockey league can make it in the south, it certainly is not debatable that two can't.

In any event, I posted the notes of the press conference and the conference call below. Waronker addresses a number of issues including league debts and such:


http://www.wncsport.com/ehlpressconference.htm

[the fish]

So lets say the Asheville lease is still valid (apparenlty still being investigated by City Attorney). At the time of inception ... there was no ownership group for Asheville. If DW is only going to be driving the seals... who's to take ownership of Asheville?

Thanks for posting all of those notes. How did you get in on that Conf Call? Is Brub going to write something for the CT?

[the fish]

ps. to the originating post...

This will be poor Macon's FIFTH league in FIVE seasons.

[Big Chris]

I covered the glut of crappy new leagues popping up in my latest rant. (If you have more info on some of these guys I will give them serious consideration for May's Lahey Of The Month.)

I have said this before and I will say it again, if you are a sports enterpreneur and are SERIOUS about forming a team, get an expansion team in an existing league. DON'T set up a league of your own. If you do that you are implying that you are:

A) Too broke to afford to get into ANY league and

B) Will not last 2 months once you do get rolling.

I am sick of all the "new leagues". They badly delude an already horrible talent pool in minor league hockey nowadays and it is killing potentially good hockey towns. (League folds, the few well supported teams die with it and sours the said towns on the sport for years to come.)

[wncsport.com]

The lease IS signed, the deposit IS paid, Waronker said as such and has the cancelled check.

How did I get in the conference call? I'm the "Drudge of Asheville Sports."

That and OSC had the press release on here for a while and I happened to catch it.

I can only assume Brubaker is going to be the "owner."

Brubaker got the word to write to the Citizen-Times from Keith Jarrett, who was on the call and is the senior sports reporter there. So I expect a column sooner or later.