Exerpt from X-IHL game

[MDE3]

"Jablonsky has the puck and is flying down the boards...he better watch it, two of the defenders have him lined up with their sharpend stick blades"...."OMG..Jablonsky tosses the puck skyward off his stick, then leaps up onto the edge of the boards in a high speed grind"....."He rolls into an invert while doing a 540 over top of the defenders." "He lands smoothly backwards on one skate. and catches the decending puck on his blade" ...."Jablonsky spins into another 360 and slings the puck past the mesmerized goalie.....GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLL"

"Wow.....now that's what you call "extreme hockey" "

[sactosaxons]

MDE3: I've read your posts regarding the new XIHL and I do understand your thinking/reasons for not embracing this new league but... Instead of criticizing & making fun of it, why not keep an open mind, listen to the still-unfolding information about it and then form an opinion about it? I think Charlie, Benny, and Steve deserve at least that from all of us.

[NLane]

I guess it's the name that grates you but I remember players thinking MAJOR LEAGUE Roller Hockey was a stupid name in the beginning also. It was the product that made the name legit. Same will happen here.

[MDE3]

I have had some vicarious involvement with "extreme" sport which is what may be influencing my thinking...from bmx'ing to motocross and flat track quad racing..with all the injuries and daredevil stunts that ensue.

Those who participate in the sport, do so for the thrills and the high from taking the risks, from the participants through the fans. That is their choice.

However to create that kind of image and expectation from fans to whom the word "extreme" has a very specific context, is to misrepresent the sport, and risks once more trashing it's credibility which is already a frail enough thing. Do you not think Pro Beach hockey with it's ramps did enough of that? Do we head out in the same direction again?...I challenge anyone to find 20 players who did not think Pro Beach was a joke. Where do you think that concept came from..the players? Is the same TV carrot being used to drive the inclusion of the word "Extreme"? If so can we expect the same resounding acceptance that Pro Beach recieved? And then there was "Speed Hockey"

Look, I do not have issues with the goodwill and dedication of the three partners involved in this latest incarnation of the sport....my concern is that they do not hinder their own efforts to gain credibility by starting off with a name that will in most cases impede their struggle to gain acceptance of the sport rather than enhance it.

If their market analyses has shown that there are too many fans with whom the league name MLRH has a negative context, or if the legal issues involved in the continued use of the MLRH handle are too great to overcome, then at least start with a new league name that will not have 2 strikes against it's future success.

I am all for improvement, but adding the term "extreme" may be creating expectations and subsequent dissapointments that will hinder their prodigious efforts from the beginning.

What you may see as a "spoof" above, is in the eyes of the fans who expect "extreme", not a spoof at all, but would in fact be consistent with their expectations.

Let me put it this way....if the league founders had come to you before the fact and asked if you thought the name "extreme inline hockey" should be the one used for a new league to replace MLRH...what would you have told them?

All the positive feedback we see about this latest news is from fans and participants who know the people involved, and are willing to overlook their own reservations about the new handle, simply based on the credibility of their past relationships with those individuals. However the feedback we really need is from those outside "the circle of friends"..the fans who know nothing of the past and politics of MLRH but are viewing the league soley on it's own merits.

[NLane]

A full check, offsides inline hockey is extreme compared to the other versions as far as I see it. Only the Pro versions of any tournament group comes close. The name Pro Beach wasn't a problem was it? Just the product...my point. 2 of Webster's definitions of extreme: 1.in or to the greatest degree and 2. far from what is usual or conventional. Works for me. I like the name.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by NLane on 08/09/04 09:09 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

[MDE3]

However to hockey fans who might just watch NHL hockey on television....(whenever it may reappear)

[NLane]

Hopefully they will settle their conflicts and we may again see them play (NHL).

[dcdonkey]

I wouldn't consider roller hockey anymore extreme than ice hockey. Oh wait, they're extreme because this league plays while wearing roller blades. Obviously this name isn't a suitable representation of the actual product that will be played. Would we be providing a false promise to a fan that hears only the league name and a location of a game (without any other information)? We should also look to names that have been successful to the public like: IHL, ECHL, WCHL, WHL, OHL, NHL, NBA, NFL, MLS, and so on. I would also assume that to use the word "extreme" would represent a lose in professional credibility from the beginning. How is this hockey "far from what is usual or conventional"? I wouldn't consider the use of roller skates far from usual or conventional.

[NLane]

Do our 16U play check inline hockey? But ice do so to the teen ice player this isn't extreme, but to the roller player it is. And doesn't TORHS still play cherry pick hockey with no offsides in the Adult division? Hitting in the middle of the floor is extreme to the other forms of inline. I don't think I wrote that it was more extreme than ice hockey.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by NLane on 08/09/04 09:56 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

[Rebecca]

On the lighter side....

think of it though this way

This has been the Generation of X. So many thing have used the "X" in the title, whether extreme in nature or not. Its almost just a catch phrase. Now I have no comment on why the league was called "X-anything" but I also have no problem with the league name if the product puts out and is going to unite MLRH and PIHA groups (under those names or any other).

But, imagine this......

What will the next generation be?

My take on it will be Generation B. (B standing for Bankruptcy).

Or to do a 180: Generation-R. (R standing for Recovery).

Bankruptcy from: depletion of Social Security, monies spent on health care, monies spent on Drug addiction, monies spent on the rebuilding of losses from September 11th, monies spent on attorneys from false allegations against celebrities and the media hype around them, monies spent by Paris Hilton, monies lost in Sports-contract fall outs, monies spent on campaigning, monies spent to make documentaries, monies spent by the government on oversees projects, war, champagne spending on beer budgets, bad investments, yuppie spending on $300k homes with balloon payment due on year 15, and inline hockey ventures.

Recovery from: Drug addiction, Parental discontent, September 11th, Sports injuries, false allegations against celebrities and the media hype around them, Paris-Hilton wannabees, Sports-contract fall outs, Burnout, general dissatisfaction of the government, war, champagne spending, bad investments, divorce, layoffs, and rebuilding inline hockey from the ground up.

So, dunno bout you guys but the name XIHL sounds a whole lot better to me than RIHL or BIHL which sounds like Bill when you say it and that wouldn't work out.


Rebecca

[NLane]

HAHAHAHA

[jamie20]

If you don't like it don't participate or rather your son.
It's easy to sit here and comment on what should, who should, instead people should get off their ass and try themselves before they rip someone elses efforts. I know because I tried and failed not because of my efforts but because of the lack of efforts from everybody else who committed and didn't follow through on their ends. These three guys have a well thought out business plan. They only need to keep the owners in the loop for now. The rest of you are on a need to know basis and thats that.

[SpiderRat]

How about a like to know basis? I'd like to know. Just kidding Jamie. Lighten up kid.

[MDE3]

Well that's an encouraging attitude...I am not &quot;ripping&quot; the efforts of these people at all....just seriously questioning the choice of the name in the hopes of short circuiting what I see as an avoidable problem....

I applaud the efforts that Steve has provided last year, and the efforts that all the owners must be also putting out to make this thing work. Rather than knocking these efforts, I am more concerned that they are being wasted..as I know better than most exactly how much effort is involved and for what small returns. You know that I have as great a desire to see any elite inline league succeed as anyone involved in the whole industry..so take that into context in reading what I write...I am not simply taking the time to write this stuff for my own edification..I do have other things to do.

As for your invitation for my son to &quot;not participate&quot; in any league that may arrive...he has nothing to do with my posts, and does not even read them, so I would seriously hope that is not some sort of veiled &quot;threat&quot; from you as a team owner, as a way of getting me to stop expressing my opinion....

[FAfromCT]

The girl has a dam good and valid point!! I like the way you think Rebecca!!

[MlrhFan101]

Is there a web page for this new league, i would like to look at it, also anyone know what teams are in it yet?
Thanks!

[MlrhFan101]

Everyone should be happy that roller hockey is expanding, maybe roller hockey would get more press, who knows, roller hockey, from what i see, has NO press at all, maybe this league will help it become popular. Maybe even be put on tv. If it has been on national tv already i haven't seen it, but wouldn't it be a good thing if a good game is televised?

[dcdonkey]

Yes, roller hockey has been publicly televised, even on ESPN. However, you wouldn't know it was on if there was not a proper marketing campaign in place to make viewers aware this game was on and also give them a reason to watch. Surprisingly enough, no one pays attention to minor league hockey league all-star games on ESPN and ESPN2. I can only assume the XIHL would share it's target market with these same minor league hockey organizations.

To a great majority of the general public, roller hockey is only played in the streets. From a general public perspective, roller hockey is considered inferior to its ice predecessor. Somehow this sport needs to make people aware that it has a lot more in common with the ice hockey they pay to see then they realize. In addition, people should be given the knowledge that roller hockey brings several qualities that ice hockey does not, including the NHL?s biggest problem of the amount of scoring. Also noteworthy is the fact that roller hockey has no star power. The general public can relate to Brett Hull or Peter Forsberg but have no idea who CJ Yoder or Rob Laurie are, except that they weren?t successful ice hockey players. Successful as measured from an NHL standpoint. This thought was developed with the idea that any hockey player would jump at the opportunity at playing in the NHL if it were presented.

We may even go as far as assuming that roller hockey will not be on national television for a very long time as Pro Beach Hockey may have ruined the sports media potential. This may be due to the fact that ESPN did not receive ratings that were sufficient to keep the game afloat on their network. Perhaps PBH's presentation may have worsened roller hockey's perception to the general public.

[5_hole_master]

"Perhaps PBH's presentation may have worsened roller hockey's perception to the general public."

i dont think that Perhaps is the right word to use in that sentence, more like, THE PBH DESTROYED roller hockeys perception...

i play college ice hockey and let me tell you, when i tell them that i play roller hockey, they all still ask me if i use a ball, are there ramps?, what's it like playing on the beach, have i ever made a 2 point shot... it's a joke, then i try explaining how that is not what real roller hockey is and they all laugh...

even when talking about to people who know nothing about roller hockey what so ever, they still frown upon it... so i think that word perhaps may be an underestimate, hopefully the new XIHL will take the name of roller hockey and make it a respectible sport for more then just the people involved in the league.

[cyclonewinger]

Leave Inline Hockey out of the so called Pro Leagues and leave it truly to Amateur Sports.

[sactosaxons]

Thank you, thank you!!!! I have no idea why the Three Wise Guys chose the name they did, nor do I know whether that name will help or hinder the sport of roller hockey. What I do know is that, thanks to those Wise Guys, we may have an opportunity to unify, promote, and grow this sport we all know and love. By any name that sounds pretty good to me!!!

[NLane]

They laughed when my son wore a MLRH jersey to the first practice of the college ice hockey club team but guess who ended up getting a point a game as a defenseman. One of them did become a Destroyer (MLRH) and really liked the game. The practices almost killed him.
I think there were as many ice guys as inline guys that played the Pro Beach version, or have I just missed Chelios on any MLRH rosters? The ice players should be the ones embarrassed by that experience.

[CoachChrisG]

The name can have negative connatations to those of us who have been on this board dating back to the old board in the late 90's-early 2000's.

The "XHI" and all of the crap surrounding it in 2001 was pretty bad and a league name that sounds like it is a bit greasy. The people involved in this league make everything okay by me but the name may deter people in Michigan. (You MSU guys will know what I'm talking about...)

If it were me I would have gone with something like Major Inline Hockey Association or something like that. Not all that original but it does the job.

[dcdonkey]

How exactly do you classify the difference between "ice" and "roller" guys? Most of the PBH players play(ed) both.

[NLane]

What were they known for at the time. Jason G (who played for Baltimore then the DC Voltage-MLRH) I only knew from inline. I don't know if he played ice too. I look at all the rosters I can to keep up with the names in inline events. Anyone who gets paid to play ice doesn't usually play inline for free so they are mostly known for their ice play. Those I call ice guys. Year round inline players are true inline players to me. Sponsored inline players are true inline players. Some ice players have transitioned quite well. But being from Hampton Roads I just can't think of B Goudie as an inline player. Watched him skate at Vulture hometown hero game but also watched him skate ECHL too many times.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by NLane on 08/09/04 07:11 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

[89jettawolfs]

i was playing ice hockey the other day and one guy was saying he hasn't played in a while. just roller. and another guy said but that's not really hockey.

to most people that's the way they think. Whatever it takes to change their mind is fine by me. don't judge a book by it's cover.

[dcdonkey]

So how would you classify Gerry St. Cyr or Rob Laurie? They have been paid to play high-level professional ice hockey yet they get paid to play roller hockey as well. These guys are also considered two of the top players in the world of roller hockey. The given explanation deciphering these differences is really rather vague. Furthermore, some NHL players (look at the photo gallery on this website for more information) have played in local roller hockey house leagues and parking lots. What does that make them because they played roller hockey for free? What is a sponsored inline player? Theoretically, I'd imagine that would be any player who plays on a factory team or received aid of any kind for their services; therefore, they're sponsored. The only way to categorize people who play ice or roller hockey is to put them into the category of "hockey players."

[NLane]

Hockey players it is then. I think what I feel is an ice player is someone who thinks inline hockey isn't hockey, is vocal about it, but will play it if someone pays them. I do hope I get to see Rob Laurie play some day. Just haven't been at the right place at the right time.

[FrankFrank]

I can account for the opposite of this and some hope that we May be accepted at some point as real hockey players.
A bunch of my local crew in PA went off to play some pick-up ice and kinda got laughed at as we put on our roller hockey pants instead of the socks like everyone else. Honestly, we skate on ice maybe 4 times a year during the winter... so we are terrible skaters. But everyone gave us our just dues when they saw us stick handle around everyone without skating real well. Now I'm not tooting my own horn, I'm just saying that even though the ice guys may laugh at us for playing on those silly wheels, pure blood roller hockey players still have some attributes that they envy. After we came off the ice, they asked us where we learned to move the puck and control the puck so well... enough said.

Frank~Frank

[yokes]

You should of displayed a little bit of that at TORHS for us. hehehe

Goalies do it better with their eyes closed!!

[dcdonkey]

Frank Frank on ice? Now that's something new... Barney On Ice and Sesame Street On Ice finally have some competition.

[sactosaxons]

You guys are brutal!!! But Frank Frank makes a great point - that he can't skate!!!! Seriously, the roller game does develop skills not found in many ice-only players.

[rt12]

The name is bad.

[rt12]

MLRH sounds better/legit than 'eXtreme'. Frig, the name sounds like something out of a skateboard competition or something. Terrible.

[MDE3]

"Jablonsky"?

[FrankFrank]

HAHA... Crap, my secret is out. So much for acting like I know what i'm doing out there. I think I'll just stick to the wheels and call it a day.
Yokes... have no fear, u'll see the hands when we play you guys. Oh that's right, I forgot who's on your team... Think I got a shot at atleast workin Yings? haha.

[rt12]

lol no XIHL.