PIHA Northeast Division

[SWAMPDONKEYS29]

Now that it's been officially announced, I just want to let everyone know how excited we all are to be joining the league next season.

Ruppy Hailey
Boston Roller Rats / Holbrook Swamp Donkeys

[vapor10]

Good to have you with us. Next years going to be awesome with all of the new teams.

[minutemen27]

its going to be alot of fun traveling up to boston next year

[SWAMPDONKEYS29]

Yeah.....we're looking forward to the trips to NJ as well!

[wolves89]

how many new teams are being added? where are they all going to be from?

i'm not slow, i'm patient

[SWAMPDONKEYS29]

So far, the pro teams will be the Boston Roller Rats, the Massachusetts Bombers, The Connecticut Blaze and the Hartford FireAnts.

The minor league teams will be the Holbrook Swamp Donkeys, the Tewksbury MAD, the Manchester Flames and the Glastonbury Warriors.

The Roller Rats and Swamp Donkeys will be affiliated and play their home games at the Holbrook Inline Sports Center in Holbrook, MA. The Bombers and team MAD will be affiliated and play their home games at Sports World Center in Tewksbury, MA. The Blaze and the Flames will be affiliated and the FireAnts and the Warriors will be affiliated. Those four teams are slated to play their home games at Z-Rink in Glastonbury, CT.

There will be more additions to both the pros and minors in the near future, but as of right now, those are the committed teams.

[vapor10]

Wow this is gonna be wild . .I'm pretty sure we'll be the Southern most team in that region, unless Wallington puts a team in. Any news on a New York team or a Long Island team?

[GROWL]

I believe that Wallington and the Rockers have expressed interest, but nothing more then that to report.

[wolves89]

As a league i think that we have to watch though... If ISCA and Rockers both put in a team, with morristown already having a team, that will make 3 teams within a 30 mile radius... where is all of this talent going to come from to field competative teams? And the last thing we want as a league is for teams to start dropping out of leagues. THis is why we all came to this league to being with.

Do not get me wrong, i think expansion is a great idea!! but just think of how good the team would be from Northern NJ if you took the best line from what each of those teams would get next season. It's Kind of like the Philly area and the Growl... Instead of having breakaway, downington and the growl, there is just one highly competative team.

This is all just food for thought, but the last thing i would want to see is teams stop showing up because they are getting beat time and time again because the talent is spread too thin... anyone agree / disagree?

i'm not slow, i'm patient

[vapor10]

Definetley agree with that Bill . . . but I also think talent flows to a properly run organization and the appeal of that organization to the player at hand. Notice why you and your brother play for Philadelphia and not Morristown. So as I do agree with having the talent spread too thin, I also think it comes down to what players will get out of the organization. It'll be interesting to see what happens and especially to see what organization fall and which will succeed, I still feel that it all comes down to the management of a team . .thats what keeps your best players happy.

[GROWL]

That i totally agree with. You make a fair case in saying that we are strong because breakaway doesnt exist, but dont throw downingtown into that mix. If anything that made the Typhoon stronger not us. While we did re-inherit Fischer and Catalano, they were ours to start with.

As for my original comment, I was only making a comment about who has expressed interest. I doubt highly that all of these teams will exist. However i beleive there is pleanty of talent up there to fill those teams. it's never a question of talent. i could field an entire second pro team, its a matter of people who are willing to put the work in as an owner and also the top players in that area supporting the whole process. If Harrisburg can field two of the best teams in the league then Philly and Jersey can field 4 each. They have always had the support of Mazer, Yoder, and the Ying's out there. In order for the same to happen in your area up there, the best players need to get completely on board.

[DblJ44]

So Flynn, does that mean you are going to tell the North Jersey and NY guys on your team to play with a more local team? I understand you run a great organization but your team does draw a good number of players from New Jersey, a few of which I'm sure travel farther to play for your team. Maybe there needs to be a rule about playing for the a team with in so many of your home or some other rule of some kind. Dunno.

Im fat, bald, and slow.

[33]

can't do that. these players come to play for organizations not so close to them because of the organizations and the support of their rink. anthony and mark and mike do a great job of running things and that's why they have guys that travel quite a distance to play there. kean does an outstanding job with the typhoon and that's why we have guys coming up from virginia and reading and downingtown to play with us. if there was a "locality" rule we probably wouldn't be able to field a team or at best would have to merge with the lunatics to form a competitive team.

[DblJ44]

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, Im not that guy....well most of the time. But I don't really think its a good idea to put 3 teams in North Jersey, and not have some kind of rule that keeps local players from playing with local teams. I doubt that those teams will be able to compete, or will be able to have enough players to commit to travel and that kind of thing. I know there is a large pool in North Jersey but 3 teams spreads things kinds thin, and if 3 teams from that area were to come into your league, I think they should be afforded some protection.

And for the record I have no personal interest in PIHA, Im not involved in any team, I'm just a player who's been involved with a "pro" team and understands the problems that arise.

Im fat, bald, and slow.

[GROWL]

No that isnt what that means. What it means is that teams need to make it worth it to players to play for their team. I'm sure if the north jersey players felt that the teams in their region were run the same as ours that they wouldnt think twice before playing for them. Jimmy V and Jonh Pinheiro (my two long distance players) will tell you that its not my roster that attractted them to my team, it was our organization and attention to detail.