Just an opinion. NHL vs. "Pro" Inline

[NJRH10]

Who?s in worse shape? The NHL or the ?Professional? Roller Hockey world?

After hearing Gary Bettmans comments made on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show yesterday, can anyone truly stand up for the players union? If what he says is true, the Players Union went out of there way to set up the NHL as the bad guy by leaking out to the press that there would be a season starting in March. With all the lying and distrust going around can anyone really make the point anymore that the Players Union is doing the right thing?

And speaking of distrust, does all the petty arguing and egos getting in the way of the good of the game look eerily familiar to what goes on in the ?Professional? Inline Hockey world? Between leagues not working together and players feeling cheated because they can?t play in three leagues at once, the whole hockey world looks like one giant dysfunctional family. So while the money might not be there it looks like we are not that far off from being just like the NHL. Let?s just hope we can all come up with a situation that puts our game, the best game, out to the people who love it.

This is the link to the Bettman segment on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show.

http://wfan.com/chrismikeaudio/local_audioclip_052180730.html

[SpeedDemon]

Well, the easy answer is that we have a season and they don't :)

[Brooklynite10]

Not that easy of an answer. Minutemen vs. Growl over the weekend drew about 12 fans. Sucks to be a player and look out and see that kind of support. Roller hockey has a lot of work to do ! I am just sick of posting what needs to be done; check my other 10 posts on this issue.
NHL vs. XIHL,MLRH,PIHA = DRAW !

[GROWL]

When the Minutemen come to Feasterville it will draw way more then that. Fans don't just appear, it has to be worked at.

[GROWL]

Without revisiting the same subject over and over, you can atleast thank Steve, Benny, and Charlie for putting their egos aside enough to purposely try to not overlap the PIHA and XIHL seasons. The snow storm created an unfortunite situation for this coming weekend, but it shouldnt effect things too much. Best of luck to those playing this weekend.

[fishersfans]

Without Brian Fisher you expect fans. HA.....The only reason you got that at your first home game was because of a torunament. When there aint squat goin at the sportsplex you wont have any fans there.

[ScrappersSponser]

There have always been plenty of fans attending Growl games and there always will be. It is all the interaction with the crowd and the exciting games that they present that will put butts in the stands. Not just one specific player.

Jeff Haze

[5_hole_master]

Fisher are you serious??? have you seen the growls roster, he couldnt tie those guys skates, i would go see johnny P, tracy, JD, vivona, beachamp, over fisher any day

[Brooklynite10]

Thanks ! If you have games, Good luck to you guys this weekend. I changed my tune a little and agree with you about the leagues. It's not a bad thing that we have a contact & non-contact league just as long as they don't overlap. XIHL and MLRH just need to combine for one solid contact league.

[Brooklynite10]

I'm hurt Billy ! You failed to mention the Minutemen's roster, it's not too shaby either. Are you and your bro making the Championship sunday ??

[SpeedDemon]

While Brian is a great player to watch and play with, he was not responsible for the majority of fans in the building during all of last year, and we broke attendance records if I recall. So I don't think that argument holds any water.

Playing during tournaments is a good idea. It maximizes the exposure, and when you have a team with players from TORHS and NARCh pro teams, kids get to know who they're watching.

[Drexel63]

On a side note, there is ample opportunity for another record breaking attendance, as this weeks game (Growl v Rage) is being played on the same day as a makeup ECRHA event, and there will be over 20 teams from the ECRHA there for the day with games both before and after the PIHA games...

[5_hole_master]

who's billy?

[NoMoreNiceGuy]

Since Charlie runs PIHA, his involvement guaranteed that XIHL would not infringe on his season, but both leagues tried to step all over the MLRH season. So how can you commend them.

[Rebecca]

Drexel63 - thanks for the plug!
I am posting this here not in the college forum. The ECRHA is holding an important one day event on two rinks at the Sportsplex in Feasterville on Saturday Feb 26th. The GROWL game will fall right smack in the middle of our excitement so this is a great oppotunity to see a lot of great hockey. Here is our schedule. Note the games that fall in the evening around the GROWL game.

GM HOME Rink 3 AWAY
# Saturday
1 10:30 AM Millersville vs UPENN
2 11:30 AM Delaware vs James Madison
3 12:30 PM RIT B vs JMU B
4 1:30 PM UPENN vs West Chester
5 2:30 PM James Madison vs Rutgers
6 3:45 PM NOVA B vs JMU B
7 4:45 PM NOVA vs Delaware
8 5:45 PM Pittsburgh vs James Madison
9 6:45 PM JMU B vs PSU B
10 7:45 PM PITT B vs NOVA B
11 9:00 PM James Madison vs Suffolk
12 10:00 PM PSU Main vs Delaware
13 11:00 PM JMU B vs PITT B


GM HOME Rink 2 AWAY
# Saturday
14 10:30 AM West Chester vs Neumann
15 11:30 AM Delaware B vs NOVA B
16 12:30 PM Pittsburgh vs NOVA
17 1:30 PM Temple vs Millersville
18 2:30 PM PSU B vs RIT B
19 3:45 PM Drexel vs Suffolk
20 4:45 PM Neumann vs UPENN

GROWL GAME

21 8:30 PM West Chester vs Millersville
22 9:30 PM Rutgers vs Drexel
23 10:30 PM PSU B vs Deleware B

<A HREF="http://www.ecrha.net/schedule.php?event_id=356" target="_new">http://www.ecrha.net/schedule.php?event_id=356</A>

Rebecca

http://www.collegerollerhockey.net/bb/files/avatar_stallion.gif

[GROWL]

Because I have zero affiliation with MLRH and it was MLRH that refused to sit at the bargaining table to discuss working together in these matters. It was also major league that changed its season and gthrew a wrench in this wjole scenario.

[GROWL]

As much as I like Brian, he did very little to help our attendance since season one. We will continue to draw the best crowds in pro inline hockey. No one puts the effort into games like we do and it shows in the stands. I will not engage in a Brian Fischer debate of any kind. Brian was offered a spot on the 2005 Growl and passed on it, end of story.

[GROWL]

Besides I guess we dont have enough star power to fill the stands. We have Justin Nazarenko!

[GROWL]

As I am very well aware and working with Rebecca to make the two interactive.

[MDE3]

There was no MLRH "season" when the XIHL schedule was formed, and the timing of the PIHA schedule was designed not to interfere with the XIHL. At the time it was done, no one even knew for sure there would be an MLRH season.

[SpeedDemon]

Shhh. That'll keep people from coming.

[NoMoreNiceGuy]

You people walk out on MLRH and then blame MLRH for not bargaining with you. I believe Jamie made the same complaint after he started his league and then wanted to rejoin MLRH with all his teams intact. MLRH season has always run into April, sometimes to May. Your goal was to put MLRH out of business. How many XIHL teams were not MLRH teams the prior year.

If the founders of XIHL wanted to work for the betterment of roller hockey, they would have stayed where they were, you can do more good working inside an organization than outside. So why did they leave? Maybe they thought MLRH was making too much money on the merchandising rights and they wanted a piece of it (least that?s what I heard).

XIHL certainly wasn?t run any better. Teams still fail to show, some games very one sided. I don?t believe they even require a player to be on a given team during the season to play for that same team during playoffs.

[MDE3]

I think we are all a bit &quot;underinformed&quot;....

From what I understand during the original days of the formation of American Hockey Properties, I believe there was an attempt made to include everyone under one roof. However in that process, differences of opinion emerged between the parties involved. Specifically between American Hockey Properties, and Bill Raue over the rights to the MLRH name. I am not siding here with either side. There were legal issues which apparently remained unresolved. From what little I understand, this is what lead to the breakdown in communication between the major parties.

As outsiders to the disputes between the parties, most players or people involved, had no idea of what was going to transpire over the 2004/2005 winter season for full contact inline hockey....to the point nobody knew if there would be a league of any kind.

Then the XIHL announced their plans. Bill continued to promote his European Superleague, and only once the XIHL season was committed and had begun it's demonstration "Festival season", did he begin posting on the particulars of the 2005 MLRH season on the East Coast, at least from emails I recieved from him, and posts on IHC.

At this time players and teams were already committed to PIHA or XIHL. To my knowledge, there was no direct conspiracy to block the MLRH league...Based on all the start-up/scheduling problems they had from beginning the process so late, they had their hands full just getting something off the ground at all.

An ongoing attempt is being made through the formation of American Hockey Properties to pursue something that was percieved as a better arrangement than the status quo....actually an attempt to unite the various factions within &quot;Pro Inline Hockey&quot; So far it is pretty much &quot;up in the air&quot; as to whether it is succeeding.

I would still like to see the whole effort coordinated under one roof....such as the one which has been made, or if needs be back under the MLRH umbrella....Unfortunately due to personality conflicts so common within this sport, this attempt may also be falling short.

As far as the eligibility issues are concerned, there is a paragraph in the player contracts with the XIHL, which very specifically covers play-off eligibility...Basically to paraphrase as follows.... &quot;a player must play at least three games for the team he will represent in the play -offs, and four total games during the course of the season for one of the teams in the XIHL&quot;. I am assuming this paragraph was in place when the players signed their original contracts.....How many bothered to read it is another issue.

When I posted elsewhere on this conflict, and was also unaware of this clause at the time....it has since been brought to light.

[ScrappersSponser]

Naz....the people always show up for you.....Remember when we threw the coat over your head just to sneak you out of the building. They all are still waiting for us to install your statue out front!

Jeff Haze

[SpeedDemon]

Yes, the statue would commemorate my hands of stone and concrete-boot skating speed.

[GROWL]

I was not involved in any way with the creation of the XIHL or its members leaving MLRH. So for that I can not speak, but I will stand up and say that MLRH would not work with PIHA or their own disgruntled teams that wanted a combined effort. I believe this is probably the reason that their was a mass movement to XIHL. Would it be best if there could be one league, absolutely. If 90% of the teams left however, i find it hard to believe that the league isnt the one to blame. Again I don't know all the details, but that was always my take on the situation. I have seen a continued effort from Major League not to work with others and maybe they should take a long hard look in the mirror.

[ScrappersSponser]

How many pesos is it for an autograph this season. I already know yokes autograph is going at a rate of 10 screwdrivers.

Jeff Haze

[GROWL]

As if yokes needs more to drink...

[ScrappersSponser]

Flynn I have 8 Jagerbombs waiting for your autograph!

Jeff Haze

[GROWL]

Why over pay!

[ScrappersSponser]

Cause your signature is a collectors item!

Jeff Haze

[GROWL]

I hear the collective laughter.

[yokes]

Wow does everybody know that the ONLY professional i am is "drinker"? Ahhh screwdrivers droooolllllzzzz

If you dont hit me im not stopping it.

[yokes]

and my second favorite drink, i knew i joined the right team.

If you dont hit me im not stopping it.

[ScrappersSponser]

Drinkers I believe we all are. We all seem to have bottomless pits when it comes to the lovely fruit of alcohol.

Jeff Haze

[Rebecca]

OMG I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS WEEKEND

Rebecca

http://www.collegerollerhockey.net/bb/files/avatar_stallion.gif

[GROWL]

HAHAHA... to many trouble makers in one place at a time... I think i'll cancel, jeff be by the phone around 5 on saturday.

[patrick14]

Keep in mind that your half full 500 seat stands would make most of the facilities in any current roller league (PIHA/MLRH/XIHL) look packed (ala standing room only)

[GROWL]

Very true... another dismal 200+ crowd Saturday night at the Sportsplex...

[5_hole_master]

i'll be nicer this post.... there was not 200 + there, staff do not count... i was there, 200 fans did not pay to watch<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by 5_hole_master on 02/27/05 02:14 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

[GROWL]

Since we let all of the College players in for free, no i guess there was not 200 "paying" fans, however if we choose to let people in for free that is our own marketing choice. Was there that many people at this game YES, was there a decent venue again for the players to play in front of YES! Maybe our perception of what these games are supposed to be like is just completely different. I as an owner am not looking to provide myself with an early retirement on my $4 admission charge. It helps to off set my game day expenses and my job is to fill the stands, so the effort we put out for our game day operations does not go to waste. 5 Hole... if you wanna be nice, just stay off the boards until you have something postive to add. That or come clean to who you are... I'm sure you'll do neither!

[RichardGraham]

Hi 5Hole Master,

Do posts like these do anything to help our sport in general? I don't think so. Come on, man, try to find something to support, rather than tear down. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[5_hole_master]

sorry richard... you correct, hadda little too much to drink after the growl game last night

[RichardGraham]

Thanks, dude! I appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central