Mlrh

[probird]

What's the deal with this league? Are they expecting some new teams into the fold or are they not going to play this year? I would have thought they would have announced the teams and schedules by now. Don't leave much time for sponsorships and such.

[GR8SK8r06]

I think everyone has talked about this subject enough to know that there is no way this league can successfully launch their next season the way they said they would. If you ask me we need to quit talking about this because we are beating a dead horse. Lets be realistic here! The MLRH has seen the success that PIHA has been having and how difficult it would be to launch their proposed ideas and has seen the writing on the wall. If we haven't heard anything by now I'm sure they are packing it in.

[RichardGraham]

Hi GR8SK8r06,

It does seem like it's getting a bit late, but I intend to sit down and talk to Matthew O'Neill at the Let's Play Hockey Show at the end of this month. If there are no announcements by that time, there will be afterwards!

[skooled]

it would be nice to know one way or the other i guess

[growl89]

the lack of information should be the answer you are looking for...

[ACCCT2]

the lack of information should be the answer you are looking for...

Just because any of you have not heard any news on anything (rumored or otherwise) in "our sport", doesn't mean it isn't happening or can't be legitimate. I would guess Matt's very diligenty doing his 'due diligence" in putting everything together just so, just right and according to the realities of the "lay of land" in terms of starting-up a truly (paid-to-play) "professional" league. This takes time, patience, perseverance and certainly a passionate commitment to seeing everything through to its proper and truly "professional" completion.

FYI: "lack of information" is one of the weakest reasons to knock something. Sure, it might be frustrating, but confidentiality in partnership-building is a basic, as it helps in determining everything from potential franchise values to negotiating positions with the full spectrum of (actual or potential) owners, players, venues, suppliers, sponsors and media partners that Matt and his partners will surely have to deal with (and the 'hush' on information pretty much ensures that he can deal from a position of strength -- as opposed to taking endless pot-shots from the peanut gallery right up till the time the league "rolls-out" and the "pot-shotters" are then clamoring for a tryout). Personally, I think he's doing it the right way in not giving anyone the chance to 'rag' (or "pot-shot") on what he's attempting to do before it reaches a "ready to roll" point of reality.

The MLRH has seen the success that PIHA has been having and how difficult it would be to launch their proposed ideas and has seen the writing on the wall. If we haven't heard anything by now I'm sure they are packing it in.

As for this quote, all I can say is that from the numerous conversations, meetings and negotiations that I've been a part of over the years, first-off, the 'inline' hockey world is MUCH BIGGER than just what PIHA rosters and presents, or what anyone here (in the USA or on IHC) is merely "familiar with". Heck, even the potential viability of a truly (paid-to-play) "professional" league is FAR GREATER than anything that's so far been "rolled-out" in "our sport", so saying that simply because you haven't heard anything absolutely doesn't mean that it isn't indeed being researched, discussed, outlined, finalized or happening -- or that someone's supposedly "seen the writing on the wall" (?) and "packing it in". I myself haven't "seen" any "writing" anywhere that indicates or supports this clearly uninformed and unaware supposition.

[RichardGraham]

Mike,

I think this is one of your best posts. There's simply no point in knocking a league because it isn't sending out press releases. If MLRH doesn't happen in 2008, it will be because Matt and his backers figured it wasn't viable for this year. That doesn't mean it won't be the cat's meow in 2009 or 2010.

I think that with all of the big-press-release-fly-by-night-potentially-might-happen-but-never-did leagues that we all know about, it's extremely refreshing to see a league take a different tack.

I've talked to Matt O'Neill several times on the phone, and he's struck me as someone who wants all his ducks in a line before sending out press releases. That makes one heckuva lot of sense to me. He's got nothing to lose by keeping silent, but all kinds of things to lose by putting forth promises that he won't be able to keep.

As I said, I expect to sit down and talk to Matt and learn as much as I can about his plans for MLRH at the end of this month. After I've done so, I'll tell IHC's readers what I've learned.

[ACCCT2]

GEE, THANKS, Richard -- I like it when someone says "this is one of your best posts" (feels like I'm making headway in "asserting" myself in the IHC "forum-hockey" league...!!!

I agree about Matt being more concerned about doing it right, rather than 'quick' -- even if it means an '09 or '10 "roll-out", as I don't think "our sport" has a lot of ("come-up-empty") chambers left in its "rushin-roll-it" attempts at establishing a truly paid-to-play "professional" league. Even the big-time ice hockey equipment manufacturers are slowly but surely moving away from the sport (as 'ice' has its own serious retail and marketing problems to deal with), so what "our sport" puts up now as a serious attempt at a big-time "professional" league will surely make a lasting and maybe "last-chance" impression in a lot of corporate boardrooms.

And say what you will about "corporate" support, it will absolutely be the advertising, sponsor and media bucks and swag that will ultimately make or break a truly paid-to-play "professional" league like the one that Matt is obviously envisioning and packaging the MLRH to be.

[probird]

I agree. I think Matt is doing it right. It takes time to do something like this. You only get one chance at it.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Probird,

And there's certainly nothing wrong with wondering what's happening with the league and asking about it. I know that Matt is aware of IHC's readers' interest in Major League Roller Hockey and appreciates it. I will be very interested to hear what he has to say in Las Vegas, and I'll certainly pass along anything newsworthy.