Surf employee critical of AC management (?)

[ACsurfan]

Anybody read the July 8th letter written by a former Surf employee named John Leon? If so, can it be posted or recapped on this board?

Here's what the Surf pitching coach had to say about the Leon letter in part:
"The way in which our ownership was portrayed in a July 8 letter by former Surf employee John Leon couldn’t be further from the truth."

[zuma jay]

Surf's down -- in attendance and in quality A once-viable and family-oriented venue has been run into the ground by an owner who thought that running promotions like he did in the Midwest and South would work in Atlantic City. When they didn't, he decided to fire anyone who made any kind of salary at all to save money. He also decided that by moving the team to the short-season Can-Am League, he would save money and fans would still pay to come to Bernie Robbins Stadium.

He was wrong.

At least in the Atlantic League, you had a chance to see some former Major League players, and they have been numerous throughout the years. Ruben Sierra, Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson, Bill Madlock, Sparky Lyle, Jose "Chico" Lind -- all have passed through here.

The Surf has drawn fewer than 1,000 fans in four different games, and on a bad night in the Atlantic League, they drew 1,200 to 1,500. If the fans don't support the team, it will either disband or move out of the resort. The owner, Mark Schuster, will claim that the area doesn't support the team and therefore will have to move it to make any money.

The scoreboard doesn't work properly; the stadium lights are out in some places and the field looks like a mess. There's been no marketing (the person doing the job was fired), and staff was released.

So it has come to this: The Atlantic City Surf is dying a slow and painful death at the hands of an owner who couldn't care less about the area fans and what they bring to the team.

Neither the players nor the fans are to blame at all for this demise, as the players are trying to put a decent product on the field. It's just not happening. They have raised the price of parking and concessions to make up the difference.

These players have the Surf logo on the front of their jerseys, but it is only a name. The real Surf had a general manager who was local and cared; they had a manager who was a local resident who cared, and they had the last three seasons of exciting and affordable family entertainment -- and they made the playoffs each year.

Was it perfect? No, but it was light years ahead of what is being put out there now.

JOHN LEON

Absecon

[gamipitcher87]

Well im a galloway native. ive lived there my whole life. I play baseball and ive watched the surf team slowly crumble. I used to go to games all the time until i got old enough to realize that I can play for them. I was supposed to tryout last season and the general manager never called back. I think he just wants to see the team hit rock bottom and then move them out of Atlantic City. I dont want this to happen because i plan on starting my career with the AC Surf and hopefully help them build a foundation. My whole college pitching staff wants to try out this summer and I was hoping someone on here knew some information about it. If u do please write or post back as soon as you know or could find out, because being a native, I think will really bring people back to watch the surf.