Calgary a Go...apparently

[Sam Hill]

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Calgar...04/764950.html

"They have in place their entire operation," said Joe Newman, chairman of the 35-team minor-league loop, by phone. "They've already got their offices, their venue and their dates that they'll be announcing very soon. They've got their team that's ready to play and we've even got scheduled dates."

Guarantee you that's a lie. Joe's idea of "in place" isn't exactly what most humans' idea of "in place" is.

Why does anyone put Ruby Richman back in charge of a franchise after the debacles in Chicago and Las Vegas?

"We're going to be playing at the Saddledome -- we expect to sign a lease there on Monday -- we've secured office space on 10th Ave., and expect to be in there on Monday or Tuesday," Richman said. "I've been working diligently the last few days bringing players in and we're starting to assemble some of the better players that we hope to use during the season."

Betcha they don't play more than two games at the Saddledome, if that. I don't see how they can afford to.

The ABA must think everybody is incredibly stupid. And unfortunately, most reporters seem to just write whatever he says without calling him on it.

[WallysWorld]

Actually the Calgary 88's of the World Basketball League played successfully out of the Saddledome for 5 seasons. And that was not during a NHL lockout. With the NHL Flames not playing, rent for the Saddledome is probably a lot cheaper as the Flames would rather have the Saddledome open with even an ABA game then closed. If (and that's a big IF!), the Drillers and the ABA can get their act together, the Saddledome is a better choice than the old Stampede Corral.

[Shootmaster_44]

Originally Posted by WallysWorld

Actually the Calgary 88's of the World Basketball League played successfully out of the Saddledome for 5 seasons. And that was not during a NHL lockout. With the NHL Flames not playing, rent for the Saddledome is probably a lot cheaper as the Flames would rather have the Saddledome open with even an ABA game then closed. If (and that's a big IF!), the Drillers and the ABA can get their act together, the Saddledome is a better choice than the old Stampede Corral.

While it is true the 88's played out of the Saddledome for 5 seasons, the difference between the Drillers and the 88's is the season. The WBL played during the summer months, so the NHL did not really effect them. The ABA plays in the winter and if the NHL ever comes back the dates would be gone for the Drillers.

Besides, a successful summer league team doesn't always translate into a successful winter team. Look at Saskatoon, the Storm and Slam usually played to crowds of 3,500+ during their run here in the summer. On the otherhand, the Saskatchewan Hawks drew under 1000 most nights playing during the winter. I wish the Drillers luck, but I think Otis Haley will have a sense of deja vu when he sees what type of crowds the Drillers get.

[Sam Hill]

Plus, there's no way the Drillers can afford even a reduced-rent Saddledome.

There's a certain level a building like the Saddledome needs to charge financially - a minimum level for it to make it worth their while to open up. They're businessmen, they're not running a charity.

And with Richman in charge, it's highly unlikely they can draw more than a few hundred people to a game, and that's not even going to pay a reduced rent, whatever it would be.

[WallysWorld]

Yes all of the above arguments are true, but one must remember that Calgary is now home to almost a million people and the 88's used to average about 7,000 fans a game the last two seasons of the summer WBL. Everyone said back then that the 88's wouldn't be able to suvive playing during the summer when the CFL Stampeders and the PCL Cannons also played and that people didn't want to be inside during the short summers. But the 88's did very well in the Saddledome.

I'm not saying that the Drillers will draw just as well as the 88's did, but if the Drillers get their act together quickly, there is no better time for the team to start than now with the NHL Flames not playing and before the NLL Roughnecks start in early January. Playing in the Saddledome will attract more people than playing in the old, but comfortable Stampede Corral. They can't make the mistake of playing out of the University of Calgary's sport centre like the National Basketball League's Calgary Outlaws did.

Unfortunately, this might be the case where the league folds around the Calgary team like the WBL and NBL did.

[Pounder]

You forget about the Calgary Hitmen, the WHL team playing in the Saddledome. They drew 16K on Sunday, are enjoying about 1,000 per game over last year's average overall, and gave Edmonton the impetus to go to the AHL.

The Saddledome folks are not desperate enough to cut a sweetheart deal for another un-team.

[WallysWorld]

I didn't forget the Hitmen, but without the Flames playing means an extra 41-50 empty nights for the Saddledome. Of course, the Drillers won't get a so-called 'sweetheat' deal for the Saddledome, but they wouldn't have gotten a great deal for old Corral either. The Stampede board is not known for affordable rents.

If the Drillers play out of anything but the Saddledome or Corral, then they are definately doomed to fail. Roller Hockey International's Calgary Radz played out of the Saddledome the first season and averaged over 5,000 per game. Next season, they moved to the 4,000 seat Max Bell Arena and attendance dropped to about 1,000 a game.

The Drillers have a better chance to survive by playing out of the Saddledome than any where else in Calgary.

As to Edmonton and the AHL Roadrunners there now, Calgary has had a WHL team for a decade now and it has always drawn very well. Edmonton had a WHL team about 7 years ago and it played out of the 4,000 seat Butterdome. The team couldn't make it and moved to Cranbrook. Edmonton tried junior hockey and couldn't draw. When the NHL starts playing again, I don't think the AHL Roadrunners can survive in Edmonton.

[Sam Hill]

Dude, the Drillers have no chance to survive anywhere - have you not been paying attention to this league and to the people who are running this thing and how they're going about it?

People aren't just going to magically show up to watch bad minor-league basketball at the drop of a hat just because it's in the Saddledome. And this management "braintrust" has never shown the ability to sell a ticket, and I doubt they have any money to make it happen.

[WallysWorld]

Well Sam, for a guy from Denver you seem to know Calgary fans pretty well.

Like I wrote before, I think Calgary would support the ABA if the league could get its act together. Again, this could (probably?) be another case of a league folding around a potentially good drawing Calgary team. I do agree with you that the ABA is a mess but there are about 10 current franchises (Arkansas, Nashville) that are better run than the majority.

I remember hearing the same negative comments about the WBL back in 1988 and yet the 88's averaged about 3,500 that first season.

But hey, you're right. I am trying to give the benefit of the doubt to the ABA and the Drillers' owners.

[Sam Hill]

I don't know eff-all about Calgary fans, nor do I pretend to.

What I do know about is what it takes to get people to show up and it's not just announcing you have a team and opening the doors.

And I also know about this league, the type of people they put in charge of its franchises, and the usual amount of capitalization these people have. The answers would be joke, shyster and very little in that order.

Ruby Richman couldn't organize a trip to McDonald's. He couldn't sell penicillin in Thailand.

Watch and see how this plays out. It's got nothing to do with the fine folks of Calgary. It has to do with a terrible product with no money behind it and a moron in charge.