Spin, Spin and more Spin

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freddypuck
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Spin, Spin and more Spin

Post by freddypuck » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:05 pm

Wow.... amazing how hard the league elders are working to quiet the rumor mill. Between Franke, Lisman and others, they are putting in quite the effort to dispell the reality that is "the collapse of the UHL as we know it now".

Rockford is gone as confirmed by the Governors

Read between the lines of their statements, and you'll see that Elmira is done next year, too expense to travel.

How long will the city of Port Huron go down the losing road before they look elsewhere to draw downtown. Flint is probably out next season.

Indianapolis pulled back on their dealings with the UHL and renewed their lease with the USHL for 1 more year. I am sure they want to see how the future of the region shapes up and what becomes of the U next season.

Key league people have or are pulling out - Werger gone to Pittsburgh, Brosal leaving. The 2 people who know the true standing of the league and probably had the best gauge of its future. Obviously they don't want to be around for it.

UHL will be the midwest bus and beer league.

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Post by Pounder » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:32 pm

That's if there's a UHL... or as the rumor goes, the IHL.

Thing about Elmira- the rumor is that Doc Afr's name is NOT on the application to the ECHL. It's kind of well know that the E wants nothing to do with Afr. Sale, anyone?

The Quad City owner hedges greatly on the Franke statements... and there are rumors that Taylor is promising some season ticket holders that they're jumping to the E.

Bloomington owner offers cautious support for Franke, but manages to mention that they'll also jump if there's no more than 6 teams left.

At this point, I wouldn't have a cow on "spinning." Franke knows he has to "sell" just to keep a league- it's obvious by the spin. This one's become a mere curiosity compared to most of the brouhaha on OSC. Since the E presents its own challenges, there aren't any empty nets here.

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Future of the UHL

Post by radiodavel » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:59 am

I can't let you pick on the owners about this, we asked sportswriters from around the UHL what the future for the U would be. As you can see below the writer's did a great job in getting responses...below are some of the articles about this, plus our initial email to them...plus an article from Toledo today in the Blade about a possible UHL team in that city...living in Rockford we had heard all of the rumors going around, that is why we did this information to search...


Commissioner wants ECHL to stay active in Toledo

By MARK MONROE
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

Pat Pylypuik, the Storm's current general manager, said he has a group of investors, including 10 locals, who are putting together a deal to bring a new hockey team to the area. Pylypuik said the team would play in the Sports Arena until it is torn down.

The group also would build a new 3,500-seat facility estimated to cost $5 million for the team to play in after the Sports Arena is razed, according to Pylypuik. He said the group is looking at a few locations, but that it would not be built in Lucas County.

"I guarantee you there will be hockey here next season," Pylypuik said. "Mayor Finkbeiner has assured us that the Sports Arena will be available."

Pylypuik said his new franchise could play in the United Hockey League or be a junior league team.


Bloomington - Rumors flying about future of UHL


http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007 ... 254903.txt

see below from QC

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/03 ... 797362.txt

Ft Wayne story
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentin ... 980424.htm

Port Huron - Future in the UHL

http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/blog ... index.html

Lisman: UHL will play on
http://www.mlive.com/sports/chronicle/i ... xml&coll=8

The Senior Reports
http://www.bright.net/~wkki/sreport.htm


email to writer's -
UHL in 2007-08: The Senior Reports

http://www.bright.net/~wkki/sreport.htm

We are contacting sports writers from around the UHL...

* - will the UHL be around in 07-08?

* - how many teams will still be a part of the UHL?

* - is your franchise considering the ECHL, SPHL or possibly the OHL?

* - or will a new International Hockey League (IHL) be in business?

all results will be compiled and forwarded back to you...rumors are continuing to grow among fans and sports folks

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One thing is constant: K’s will be on the ice

Post by radiodavel » Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:51 pm

One thing is constant: K’s will be on the ice
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgaz ... 998012.htm

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Post by sportsguy12 » Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:39 pm

[quote=""radiodavel""]I can't let you pick on the owners about this, we asked sportswriters from around the UHL what the future for the U would be. As you can see below the writer's did a great job in getting responses...below are some of the articles about this, plus our initial email to them...plus an article from Toledo today in the Blade about a possible UHL team in that city...living in Rockford we had heard all of the rumors going around, that is why we did this information to search...[/quote]

I can't let you pick on the owners? What does that mean?

Wouldn't the owners have more info on what the future of the league is than a group of sportswriters? Sportswriters can only write what information they receive ... usually from GMs or owners. I don't follow the logic here as far as the owners being picked on.

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Post by radiodavel » Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:09 pm

what was meant by this was when owner's were asked the tough question about the UHL they gave some tough answers, they were not out looking to "spin" the issue...I have a lot of respect for those that own any minor league franchise, it is there money that allows us as fans to have that form of entertainment. I think if you ask any of them they would rather have no problems such as this...the U has provided me as a "fan" a lot of entertainment, when we worked with the sportswriters they asked the questions, got the answers and cleared up some items...some gave there thoughts as a writer as well...they did there jobs, otherwise some of the rumors would not been answered...

plus now Toledo is surfacing as a possible UHL franchise

Commissioner wants ECHL to stay active in Toledo


By MARK MONROE
BLADE SPORTS WRITER



Pat Pylypuik, the Storm's current general manager, said he has a group of investors, including 10 locals, who are putting together a deal to bring a new hockey team to the area. Pylypuik said the team would play in the Sports Arena until it is torn down.

The group also would build a new 3,500-seat facility estimated to cost $5 million for the team to play in after the Sports Arena is razed, according to Pylypuik. He said the group is looking at a few locations, but that it would not be built in Lucas County.

"I guarantee you there will be hockey here next season," Pylypuik said. "Mayor Finkbeiner has assured us that the Sports Arena will be available."

Pylypuik said his new franchise could play in the United Hockey League or be a junior league team.

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Post by Pounder » Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:13 pm

Can't pick on the owners? So what?

Thing is, think about an owners meeting where this might be discussed. Even the semi-dim amongst humanity recognizes the possibility that one or more of the lads across the table could be lying when the lips move.

That's what's on my mind when I suggest the strong possibility that WE know more or at least as much about what's going to happen next as those owners do. There's probably no difference between interviewing sportswriters and owners. Of course, owners being human and all, what's the beef about picking on them?

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Post by radiodavel » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:16 pm

UHL governor says it will be 'business as usual'

http://www.star-gazette.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 00324/1002

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Owners and Boners

Post by freddypuck » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:06 pm

Why does it matter who gets picked on? As in anything, thats life.

Because the league is privately held, their requirement to tell reporters anything is limited. But I have always found plenty of people around the league to chat with and almost all of them have loose lips.

The UHL has a large problem and is the result of a combination of factors that have over time festered and compounded.

In the league's efforts to grow over the past decade many poor decisions have been made. The commissioner of the league was allowed to be the analyst for the league's market area decisions, all the while with a contract in place that pays him bonuses for each new team he brings into the league, regardless of whether or not the team remains a viable team or market. (Not Good for anyone but the Commish).

Ownership approvals are a joke. There is absolutely no accountability on these owners and most of them do not have a stake in the market they own rights to. EXCEPT: the handful of owners that actually do this because it is their business... those markets are the successful year over year and have owners that belong to the communities they serve. Hmmm.... can you guess them? Rockford (ultimate success), Muskegon, Kzoo, Fort Wayne... The owners that do this as a hobby or status symbol, usually hire management staff that is compiled of retired players, ex-coaches and interns. Who is running the ship? Where is the business professional? business manager? These are multi-million dollar budgets managed by people who have no professional training in running a company. Ownership oversight is from hundreds of miles away. Just look at Utica, Adirondack, Richmond, Columbus, Roanoke, KC, Missouri, Motor City... and most recently Chicago

Among the hundreds of players that take their career seriously and conduct themselves as professional atheletes, there are a couple of handfuls of players that have these incredibly timely injuries right at the end of the season and file claims against the team's workers compensation insurance. These same players collect all summer while they work under the table doing other jobs and then amazingly are cured just before the next season starts. Thereby taxing the WC insurance to the point that the owners have to pay huge premiums for their annual coverage. This is completely unfair to everyone including the players that do truly get hurt and deserve the coverage. The CHL used to have the same problem and changed the way they conduct player in and out physicals to minimize this.

Mix up all the ingredients and brew the "perfect storm"

years of poor market selection causing insatbility and added expense to team ops

years of allowing anyone with a fat checkbook to be an owner - this has led to many of the league's current financial woes.

Owners counting on ex-athletes to run their company - back door deals with vendors, under money, management using corporate sponsorship for personal gain, ineffective and weak business operations...

Incredibly high insurance, league dues and fees - Someone has to pay for the commish's car and perks that go with the big chair and Worker's Compensation that has been so abused that many owners pay 3X what they should

stir these all together and you have the current UHL

When the league finally gets a new commissioner and as long as he is not from within the league, that person will have a huge mess to clean up.

While the rumors fly, keep a few simple things in mind: I believe the UHL holds the record for the most teams that have come and gone in a decade than any other sports league in history. The first league in hockey history to have its own Mafia team. Have left more cites holding huge debts than any minor league in any sport. The first league to have the commissioner of the league participate in a conspiracy to cover up the assault of a referee without any sanction or punishment (almost incomprehensible that the governors allowed this).

I am sure some of these problems plague other leagues to some degree, but the U has mastered the art of combining them all.

Its time for the UHL to create some standards for its front end operations, return integrity and proessionalism to its reputation. Although I fear it is too late to recover from the storm.

Who pays the price for all of this? The hockey players that work so hard to make it, the fans who put their heart, soul and pocketbook out for the team, the hard working employees of these arenas and teams and in many cases the local businesses and citizens are also indirectly affected.

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Post by indy legend » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:25 pm

[quote=""freddypuck""] I believe the UHL holds the record for the most teams that have come and gone in a decade than any other sports league in history. [/quote]

Sorry but I'm sure the ABA holds that record and it has only taken 6 years for them to reach the level of incompetence they have attained. The ABA lost at least a dozen teams this season alone and I would guess at least 60 oin the last 3 to 4 years. The UHL(although a mess) in comparison to the ABA is very well run.

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