Cincinnati Cyclones Are Back Baby

[rams80]

Originally Posted by ECHLfan

It is great to have a team back in Cincinnati, but with the attendance as it is how long can they survive?
The building holds what about 10,000 and they have played games with crowds in triple digits - can't be making any money there.
Have the people in Cincy, given up on hockey? What happened to all of the fans during the WHA Stingers?
Hope they come back for next season, but don't know how.

If you will recall, the WHA folded in 1979. The amount of franchise instability and infighting Cincy has gone through since then has probably significantly degraded the market's joy for the game.

[indy legend]

I've been somewhat surprised at the lack of support the clones have gotten,espesially after the demise of the Ducks. There was a time when Cincy had great support for the Cyclones and even did well early on when you had two teams in town. At least you folks have people in town willing to give you another shot at pro hockey. It seems there is always some one willing to try it again. I wish we had people like that in Indy. We were drawing close to 5000 a game in the CHL when Horn Chen decided to up and move the team to Topeka. That worked out well for him(folded after drawing around 1200 per game for one year). We stll draw around 4500 a game for junior hockey now but I see little chance we will get a pro team here anytime soon. I go to the Ice games occasionaly but also make trips to Cincy and Ft.Wayne for games too. I hope things pick up at the gate for the Clones and that they will return next year, and that someday Cincy and Indy are in a league together.

[Dilbert]

Originally Posted by rams80

If you will recall, the WHA folded in 1979. The amount of franchise instability and infighting Cincy has gone through since then has probably significantly degraded the market's joy for the game.

Wrong, The Stingers demise didnt start the downhill slide of hockey here in Cincy. When the Stingers left the WHA in 79 they joined the CHL and folded midseason due to bad attendance at Riverfront Coliseum (US Bank Arena today) The Tigers played a full season at the Coliseum in the CHL in 1981-82. Hockey didnt come back to Cincinnati until 1990 When the Cyclones joined the ECHL at the Gardens, they played two seasons then joined the IHL in 1992. The Cyclones would draw near capacity crowds at the Gardens. When the Cyclones moved to US Bank Arena in 1997, the AHL relocated the Baltimore Bandits franchise to the Gardens and the city opperated with two AAA hockey clubs. A lot of the Cyclones fans stayed at the Gardens because you didnt have to go through downtown to get there and it was cheaper than the Cyclones at USBA. This was the start of what was called the Cincinnati hockey wars. When the IHL folded in 2001 they went down from AAA to AA in the ECHL a lot of fans thought this lower league wasnt as hard hitting or professional enough for the city so they went back to the Gardens to the AAA Mighty Ducks. When the Cyclones folded in 2004. Many of the fans went back to the Gardens with the Ducks. But the diehard Cyclones fans didnt go back. To them its Cyclones or nothing. When the Ducks folded in 2005, it left the city without hockey for the first time since 1989-90 hockey season. Things seemed to have died down durring that time without hockey, durring this time the Rail Raiders came into play trying to get people from both fan bases (Ducks and Clones) they fell just short because the diehard Cyclone fans wouldnt buy the tickets. When the Rail Raiders failed the Cyclones came back to USBA and the ECHL, since then the diehards (about 700 or so) have returned but no one else did. Even players on the Cyclones have complained saying "It's horrible here, nobody comes to the games." People here except for the diehard Cyclones fans want to see the return of AAA hockey to the Gardens. This is why the Cyclones are doing horrible at attendance.Really the hockey war is still going on but it has died down since there is only one team.

I support the Cyclones and wish them the best but I dont go to the games as US Bank Arena is too expensive. I always went to the Gardens and hope a AAA team returns there soon

[MarshalsFAN80]

I had to hop on here tonight and talk about this for a minute because I'm coming back to Cincinnati on Thursday for the Cyclones game against the Storm.

As someone who attended 36 Cyclones games in their previous season (last season before this year...I believe 2004). I attended the first home game this season but I haven't been back. I moved to Columbus, which explains why I haven't been to a game, but I'm not surprised that people haven't been coming back.

The first game this season was not fun for me. It just didn't seem like that HARDCORE/ROUGH Cyclones hockey that I grew up with, and enjoyed. Unlike most people, I was disappointed to see Wildman Walker no longer the PA announcer. While I was happy to see that he was still involved with the team, I just didn't feel that it was the same.

I'm going to Cincinnati on Thursday night for the playoff game because it's important to me to go and see what could be the last playoff series played in Cincinnati for a long time to come. If the Bluejackets were in the NHL playoffs, I would be at their games but, I'm not going to hold my breath for that.

As a hockey fan, I think that even the minor league game was affected by the past NHL lockout especially in Cincinnati. For the most part, Cincinnati is a MAJOR LEAGUE TOWN, the Reds and the Bengals take up the majority of time on the Sports Radio in Cincy.

One problem with Hockey in the past has been the lack of coverage that the teams receive in the "birdcage liner". It's usually a one liner in the 'Sports Digest' section of the sports page. They get some press because they make the playoffs but, I just don't feel that the Enquirer cares about the Cyclones organization or the hockey fans in Cincinnati. (barely any NHL coverage either- but it gets more than the Clones do)

This Cyclones DIE HARD attended Ducks games when the Cyclones were not in town, during the hockey wars because I enjoyed seeing the AHL. I'm hoping that this Thursday's game is the Cyclones making their way to the 2nd round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs because I don't want to have to go to the game on Friday night too LOL

The other big problem that most people have about the clones is that the prices are "TOO HIGH". AHL/Ducks tickets were cheaper than the current Cyclones ticket.

I'm looking forward to Thursday's game against the Storm but I'm afraid this could be the last series that both of these teams play against one another.

[HockeyRulez]

When are they gunna get rid of this team already? They may have won a title but its not like people come out in droves to any degree.