Anyone hear anything about $200,000 Euros inline tourney in Europe?

[sidewalkshinny]

I've heard a rumor that there will be an international inline hockey tournament with $200,000 Euros in prize money (that's over $260,000 USD!) -- anyone else hear anything about it? Supposedly, the location is being finalized, but it's supposed to be held in a European country sometime in the spring of 2008. I don't know if it's true or not, but if it is this certainly would be a serious development and step forward for the game.

[ACCCT2]

As a matter of fact, YES, the "rumor" is TRUE! Our company is presently working out the location/venue details and logistics, as well as setting entry fees, rules, draw-size and competition parameters. We are also obviously negotiating and outlining sponsorship, travel incentive and marketing programs, so we are still in the 'heresay' stages of bring everything together for the event. Just so everyone knows, the "rumor" of a 200,000 Euro 'purse' is also true, in fact, it might even go higher to as much as 250,000 Euros if our backers feel it will further enhance the event's status and popularity!

We can't say too much about the specifics right now, but basically the event allows for no more than 2 players per roster that have played any level of professional ice hockey above Major Junior or Minor Pro in North America; Elite/1st/2nd Division in Europe; AIHL/Elite in Japan or Korea; or any FIRS or IIHF "National Team" World Championship experienced players from the USA, Canada, Austria; Czech Republic, Finland, Germany; Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland or Russia in the last 2 years leading up to the tournament date. We believe that this limiting of "Elite/Pro" players per roster will prevent unfairly 'stacking' rosters, open-up the unpredictability of the competition and encourage more international teams to enter, especially those from not as well known and developing hockey nations.

We will obviously post and advertise (?) on this and other international sites as wetget things set and ready for announcement. I Hope that this all helps to clarify the exact nature of the "rumor" a little bit more!

[LABEDA]

That is sounding like a huge venture and event, good luck in making it happen. If you are making this a roller hockey only event you would be better off coordinating the dates between October and March focusing on the roller specific players. I understand the restrictions you are placing on the players to prevent teams from stacking players but in doing so you are limiting teams from attending. The Tour Mudcats and PAMA Cyclones are two of the best teams in the US but have had a number of players qualify and play on the US National team. You may want to add as a restriction no roller hockey National teams so players that play on national teams may still play with their local or travel league teams. I believe creating a true roller hockey championship is an awesome idea but you do not want to punish the real roller players for any individual success they have achieved. By placing the Championships during the ice season you will limit the influx of potential ice hockey ringers. Otherwise you are creating more of a second tier level tournament. Just my opinion!

[growl89]

labeda, i agree and disagree with you on this post, while the mudcats and cyclones, are by far, the best two pro teams we have around right now, it does get discouraging for other teams to enter such a tournament.... For example, with these roster restrictions, it basically leaves the tournament open to everyone. With out them, who else from the states would honestly waste their money to go over seas to watch the same two teams play against each other, that always do. It's a tough situation, but IF this tournament happens, and i think that is a big IF, there are going to be major worldwide sponsors there, with that kind of cash prize being given out, there will be tv exposure ect. So wouldn't it be great to see 30 teams competing for the cash as opposed to 2-4 teams? I think this is a great way to get roller hockey on the map and it is a tough sell with the roster restrictions, i agree, But Pama and the mudcats could each send 2-3 teams and still be just as competative.

I realize i have babbled on a little too much, probably b.c it is late haha, but i see it like this, if the states went over with like 10 different teams, and they all placed highly, think of how good that looks compared to the rest of the world.


what teams would go? who is interested already?

[ACCCT2]

Actually, "growl89" has it EXACTLY correct as to why we chosen to "limit" the entering teams to 2 "Elite/Pro" players per roster. Our research has shown that one of the problems of inline hockey is that however well-intentioned, the industry's support of ONLY "Elite" level teams, players and organizations has led to a stream of thoroughly predictable and consequently meaningless and UN-exciting, UN-competitive tournaments and "championships" for any team NOT one of these few "stacked" clubs.

To use the clubs you mentioned as an example -- for the Tour Mudcats and PAMA Cyclones, YES, they might enjoy close, competitive games and the consequent 'swapping' of titles in smaller and smaller "Elite" level divisions, but why would anyone else, especially UN-supported teams, want to enter a division simply to be used as "entry-fee-roll-over-cannon-fodder" for these clearly "stacked" teams? This is what leads to other "good, but-not-as-good" teams to 'sandbag-down' into other "lesser-Elite" divisions, which leads to more "sandbagging-down" and the creation of "SUB-divisions" to accommodate "demand", and ultimately in turn creates the TOTALLY meaningless conflagration of "divisions" and "SUB-divisions" and abundantly worthless "treasure-trove" of the meaningless morass of "championships" and "medals" that permeate and actually belittle and demean the sport.

Tell us, what media network/outlet is actually going to cover in any way, shape or form a tournament (or tournament series) that "awards" 80, 90-some "medals" for roughly 350 teams in HOW MANY "divisions" per event? Do the math -- at worst, it's a 1-in-4 chance of "medaling". How exciting or even "competitive" is THAT? Even the inline hockey industry won't and clearly doesn't really support the sport the way it should -- they're not going to give any more than the minimal sponsorship support that they have to without media/broadcast and crossover, NON-inline adverstising/sponsorship and media support of any said tournament event or "series".

Inline hockey is still a HUGE internationally growing sport that somehow inexplicably lost the media momentum and exposure it was clearly basking in in the mid/late 90's. That the RHI "Pro" concept, however mis-applied and mis-marketed and mis-venued it was, could 'devolve' into the "Pro" leagues we're stuck with now should tell you how thoroughly TOO MANY MEANINGLESS "championships" and "medals" have REALLY HURT and DAMAGED the game's credibility and ultimately, its marketability.

This is a great part of the logic and thinking behind the event that we're presently negotiating. The RHI was competitively successful because their talent was spread around -- almost any game was an UN-predictable and exciting contest. The RHI's major problem was generally that it was trying to fill and pay-for VERY expensive NHL-size arenas and would've been much better off going for smaller, but more financially viable and visually exciting "Minor-Pro" arenas. 4,000 - 5,000 paying fans looks MUCH "fuller" in this type of arena as opposed to a 19,000 - 20,000 expensive NHL behemoth that can only appear 3/4 "empty". But the RHI concept and "product" itself WAS an excellent and exciting presentation of the sport itself -- colorful, competitive, fan-friendly and FUN, being the a season-long (and paying) "Pro" league that awarded ONE (1) "championship" made it the BEST we've ever seen in the sport. Everything since has clearly been "1-step-forward, 5-steps-back" as far as we're concerned.

At Wimbledon, no-one cares how "old", or how much experience, or whether someone is "established", or "Pro" or NOT -- when you actually WIN at that tournament, you are considered "THE" champion of the sport. Same at the "Masters" in golf. Or the "World Cup" in soccer. Or the "Stanley Cup" in ice hockey. These "championships" don't hand out "medals" for dozens of "age" or "skill" (or whatever "SUB-category") "divisions" -- if you're GOOD enough to actually win over EVERYONE, then there's ONLY ONE (1) "Championship" trophy or award and maybe a "runner's-up" recognition in any of these tournament events.

Personally, I'd rather finish 4th, or 5th, or even 10th in a truly international, 86-team "Open" and 200,000 - 250,000 Euro "prize-monied" tournament event (like we're presently working on) than "champion" or "medal" in ANY of the 20-some-division "medal-fests" that is quite frankly, the sport's only other alternatives for competitive "adult" and so-called "Elite" players.

We are presently negotiating this event with government oversight agencies and tourism boards in 3 different countries. ALL 3 are spectacularly scenic, cultural, historic, shopping and nightlife "vacation destinations". Whichever one logistically outlines and contractually agrees-to the BEST travel, hosting and competition format will be the one we "sign-on" with. As we ARE in "tourism development" negotiations, as well as working-with each of these countries' "tourism boards" specifically to "develop" an event that will inspire and attract as many international participants as possible, it is imperative that we inspire a realistic sense of "possibility" in a player or team's actually considering committing to travel-to and compete-in the event.

Besides hopefully "inspiring" and "attracting" the best and most eagerly devoted of North American teams and players, as well as the cream of the European "hockey" countries like Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Holland, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia to enter this event, we (in concert-with and tasked-by the "tourism boards") also want "inspire" and "attract" other "devoted" players and teams from other emerging, but no less "devoted" inline hockey hotbeds like China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore in Asia; Australia and New Zealand in Oceana; Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico in South and Latin America; and even, believe it or not -- Israel, Iran, Turkey and the UAE in the Middle East -- all in all, a truly international "championship" event -- THIS is what interests and "attracts" international "crossover" advertising/sponsor/ and media/broadcasting attention, support and coverage!

We hope this gives everyone a little more insight in our logic and purpose. It'll be interesting to see (through feedback and commentary) whether we've struck the RIGHT nerve and position on this idea...

P.S.: Also as per "growl89"'s perceptive observation -- the 2 "Elite/Pro" player "limit" would not preclude, nor prevent either the Tour Mudcats or the PAMA Cyclones from rostering (and entering) "2-3 ("A"/"B") teams" in the event.

[towson9]

so what would be the entry fee, $100,000? lol .. $260,000 USD is ridiculous .. i hope this happens

[ACCCT2]

Actually, depending on our "hosting" negotiations work out, there might be NO entry fee whatsoever. However, if there ultimately is a per-team entry fee, realistically we can't see it being any more than 1000 - 1200 Euros or so per-team.

Oh, and it IS happening. We'll keep you posted.

[ACCCT2]

Actually, depending on exactly how our "hosting" negotiations work out, there MIGHT be NO entry fee whatsoever. However, if there ultimately is a per-team entry fee, realistically we can't see it being any more than 1000 - 1200 Euros or so per-team.

Oh, and it IS happening. We'll keep you posted.

Also, as it is currently be outlined and presented, this event will feature an 86 - 96 team, 3 - 4 rink draw. We expect fully 1/3 of these teams to come from the USA. We are holding 1/3 of the draw for European clubs and expect the final 1/3 to come from Canada, Asia, Oceana and the rest of the world on a "first-come-first-served" basis.

There would also be a 6-game minimum, with a "losers" bracket that plays-out for a cash prize as well, so all teams can stay "in" contention and "in" the tournament for as long as possible. Details/options are stil being assessed and worked-out, but as we said earlier, we'll let everyone know everything they need to as soon as everything from our end of things is finalized.

[Dave Garland]

Is the 200,000 E the total prize money or the top bracket prize money? (meaning there may be even more money).

[ACCCT2]

Just a little aside on what we were talking about in regards to the 'cheapening' (which we refer to as the 'tinning' of the "medals") of 'inline' hockey's all too typical version of "championships": NARCh's 2007 FINALS TEAM LIST was just posted and while it is impressive and deserves credit for enlisting a total draw of 402 teams, with 30 "divisions/categories" (30...!?!), that's a roughly a 1-in-3.94 average chance of "medal-ing".

While 402 teams IS obviously financially good for NARCh and the overall image of the game's popularity, this "1-in-3.94" medal-chance average absolutely doesn't do anything for its "Olympic" of "professional" aspirations and sponsor/advertising/media $upport of such. Nobody watches the "Masters" in golf or "Wimbedon" in tennis or the "Stanley Cup Finals" in ice hockey or even the "Superbowl" in American football or the "World Series" in baseball or the "NBA Finals" in basketball to see what 'sub-categoried' players and/or teams "medal-ed" in their myriad of "sub-categoried" draws.

This ever-available and ever-abundant plethora of "championships" and corresponding "medals", along with the far more important IIHF/Inline vs FIRS "NGB" sanctioning (read: ("Olympic" sponsorship moneies) war/fiascos is what ails the sport's "stepping-up" in the consciousness of potential sponsor/marketer/advertiser/media partners.

NARHCh (and TORHS and PIHA and MLRH and the NCRHA) all have their VERY valuable place in the game (especially in engaging and encouraging younger players), but if there is EVER to be the kind of TRULY "paid-to-play" and TRULY "professionally" packaged, presented and programed league, as well as the corresponding sponsor/marketer/advertiser/media $upport and coverage that the game is presently and inexplicably lacking, then the leaders and visionaries and YES, the "industry" of the game NEED to "step-up" and find a BETTER way to harness and maximize the grass-roots popularity and potential of the game and its athletes, teams, leagues, tournaments and events.

And THIS IS what we're presently doing with the E200,000 European event: 86 - 96 teams (to start); ONE (1) "Champion"; ONE (1) "Runners-up"; and ONE (1) "Consolation" award -- THAT's IT. The overall "inclusiveness" and "in-it-as-long-as-possible" features of the actual competition format, as well the amazingly scenic, historic, cultural, shopping, adventurous and festive nature of all 3 of our "host-candidate" countries and the affordabilty of the "travel-packages" that their tourism boards are indeed presently researching, outlining and putting together, SHOULD make the event one worthy of ALL the (hmmm, "Hyper"?) "hype" that we have $uccessfully been able to attract our own sponsor/marketer/advertiser/media partners with. Just IMAGINE how EMPOWERED we WOULD BE and what we ALL COULD DO if we were ALL to free ourselves from the petty "do-almost-nothing-but-charge-fees" NGB's and there TERRIBLE "stewardship" and "marketing", as well as THEIR ever-dimmer, ever-duller version of so-called "good order of the sport"...!?!

And to answer Dave's question regarding the E200,000 "prize money" -- right now, that's the total "prize money" for the 3 aboved-named teams that would 'win' a share, as well as the "monied" individual player awards ("points"; "goals"; "assists"; "defensemen"; "goalie"; "captain" and "sportsmanship") -- BUT, as we are still 'selling' the event, we could go even higher and further into the "Final Four" teams.