Next Season

[PIHA'sTyrant]

I think that we should raise the league fees to $10,000 next season, to help make sure that PIHA is never in debt. Then we should have 10 less games, continue to not have an all star game, make all the teams pay their way to Conference Finals and the Finals. Then we'll be able to afford the brand new $10 trophy to give to each team that wins their division. Then we stiff the team that wins the Finals(That saves us $7,000). Then we expand to markets in Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming, Mexico and Uraguay but we can give them a discount. This is the only way we could get SoCal and Michigan on board.

Signed by the PIHA Czar.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread... so behave.

[JawzTerritory]

Wow PihaTyrant, a bit sore. Did your $10 trophy break?

[whalercane]

Yea, this one's got "break it up!!" written all over it. Why not just lock it now and save all the bickering?

[PGHhockey]

Free entry into my Summer Classic Tournament for anyone who can rid the board of PIHA troublemakers!










ok i was just kidding

[minutemen]

Hey use the private PIHA forum for this. I understand your upset but not the place. Yes a lot of things have to get worked out before next season. I know a lot of teams are upset, but this does not help the cause, it can only hurt it.

[Drexel63]

Hey use the private PIHA forum for this. I understand your upset but not the place. Yes a lot of things have to get worked out before next season. I know a lot of teams are upset, but this does not help the cause, it can only hurt it.

I'm pretty sure there isn't one ounce of PIHATyrant that really cares about "the cause" or hurting anything...

If so, he would have posted under his real username, and not one that he obviously made up just to stir up emotions, (obvious, since a first time poster basically quoted several different topics which have been hot on here lately)

I wouldn't even bother... The people on here who care are on the private forum, and posting constructively, looking for the best of things to come for next season..

[SPORTSPLEXJEFF]

I propose that next years league fees also supply one everlasting gobstopper! (Like the ones in the movie that last forever)

[PIHA'sTyrant]

Come on guys these are all good ideas. I want to run for Commissioner for next season, Oh wait PIHA is not a democracy but more like a dictatorship.

[SWAMPDONKEYS29]

I think that we should raise the league fees to $10,000 next season, to help make sure that PIHA is never in debt. Then we should have 10 less games, continue to not have an all star game, make all the teams pay their way to Conference Finals and the Finals. Then we'll be able to afford the brand new $10 trophy to give to each team that wins their division. Then we stiff the team that wins the Finals(That saves us $7,000). Then we expand to markets in Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming, Mexico and Uraguay but we can give them a discount. This is the only way we could get SoCal and Michigan on board.

Signed by the PIHA Czar.

Great post! It must have taken you quite some time to thoroughly think this through and organize it in such a constructive manner. Here's a suggestion, if you don't like the league, don't play in it. Just simply quit or if you aren't currently involved, please keep it that way.

That being said, I've sat back and watched all of the recent posts regarding the PIHA, it's founder, and the league budget. Until this point, I have chosen to lay low and not involve myself in any of the mudslinging. However, I feel that some of these issues should be addressed, as they have in the most part been wrongly presented.

#1 To the best of my knowledge, the league budget is available upon request to any team owner who is in good standing with the league. For any of you wondering what puts a team owner in good standing with the league, consider the following. A team is required to submit to the league a number of time sensative documents at the beginning of the season before any games are to be played. Teams are also of course required to meet the league's deadlines in terms of their financial obligations. The league specifies in writing when those funds are to be collected and each team is expected to do their part in regards to paying those fees. If a team has not yet fullfilled your obligations in all of the above mentioned items, I would probably say that teams should look in the mirror before casting any stones at the league.

#2 The amount of money collected by the league and how it's being spent is no doubt a valid question, but it is one that should be addressed by a team owner to their divisional director and certainly not just thrown about on this message board or any other, for that matter. I, along with a majority of team owners, am a firm believer that the league budget should be calculated in a different fashion next year. Unfortunately, there are a number of involved parties who have decided to dedicate their time to come on here and rip the league, something which you have every right in the free world to do so by the way, instead of offering up some constructive criticism. For those of you who are part of that group, ask yourselves this simple question, "Am I being part of the problem or part of the solution?" Talk to your team's owners about your concerns. Come up with a possible way to resolve whatever it is that bothers you within the current PIHA landscape. If after you've addressed these situations with the league you still feel that they have not dealt with them in a satisfacty manner, then you obviously have a choice to make. I would like to think that the league would be interested in making their teams happy. After all, the teams are currently the league's main source of income.

#3 The amount of money that the league has received through it's entry fees that's being thrown around this season is inaccurate. It's basically just a launching pad for people not associated with the league to pile on when they see a chance to do so. This league, as good as it is, is not perfect and I don't recall anyone ever saying that it is. However, it does have tons of potential and an extremely solid foundation. It's often times way too easy for people to ignore the problems staring them in the face and just try something new than it is to fix things and make the current product even better. Making things better requires a lot of time and even more hard work, but it can be done. I hope that the latter is the path that everyone chooses, but only time will tell.

#4 Some people have gone as far as making personal attacks on the league's founder. Although a person in his position needs to be willing to take the bad with the good, I feel that some of these attacks have crossed the line and those of you that have done so you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you have any issues at all with the man, give him a call. Don't conduct your filth on a message board while hiding behind a screen name, especially when he is not personally on here to defend himself. It's simply classless! That being said, I want to go on the record as saying that Charley Yoder is a good man who operates with an old school approach. A handshake to him is as good as a contract. Unfortunately, sometimes a handshake agreement is too easily broken and in all fairness, can be done so by both parties. It's not to say that anyone does things with malice intended, but in a world of lawsuits and such, legal contracts are no longer optional. Charley does in fact care very deeply about our sport and the PIHA...in that order. When people say that he is lining his pockets and getting rich through the PIHA, you are all grossly misinformed. For any of you who care to discuss this further with me, feel free to PM me and I'll be glad to give you a call. I'm 100% positive that I could shed some light regarding the finances behind running a league.

In closing, I want to mention a few things as I've been quiet on this forum for a while.

I would like to applaud everyone for not ripping MLRH as it appears that they will not be starting up any time soon. Although I personally believe that they operate in smoke and mirrors from year to year, I was hoping that they would be able to get their act together. There is indeed a place for checking and fighting in inline hockey and the PIHA is not the place for it. To have an alternative, especially playing during the PIHA offseason would be great for the sport in my opinion.

To Anthony Flynn, great job with the Northeast / Atlantic Division All Star game at Skatesafe this past weekend. I was unable to attend but was told of what a fantastic job you did organizing and executing everything. Job well done!

To Dave Garland, your continued hard work with the Gateway Division is evident by the success that your division is having both on and off the floor. If I were going to start my own league, you would be the first person I'd contact to run the Marketing Department. Great work with great results. Keep it up!

ACCCT2, you were on a role for a while, offering up some very insightful ideaology regarding the state of inline hockey. It's quite obvious that you do in fact care about the future of this sport. I think I am speaking for a lot of people when I say please keep your future post positive and/or at least on topic. I think it's safe to say that EVERYONE who frequents this forum knows how you feel about the PIHA and some of the people associated with it and yes, you have every right to do so. Nobody is questioning that. Your posts, although I do not agree with many of them, are well though out and presented in a way (minus the formatting) that at least makes people consider what you have to say. In the end, isn't that why you post on here? Or are you on here to do exactly what you've been accused of...stirring the pot? Now, before you decide to respond in a way that is defensive and negative, or you decide to make this another personal attack, I urge you to please read what I've written twice. This is not me attacking you. This is me acknowledging your passion for the sport and od course your dislike for the PIHA. That has already been established. I for one would enjoy reading what you have to say, whether I agree or disagree, as long as it is fresh and new and on topic. I think that we could all benefit from more of that and less of what we've seen lately, especially the foolish post that I am replying to.

Well, that's my thoughts for the day. Good luck to everyone in whatever it is that you do that makes you a part of this great sport.

See you at the rink,
Ruppy Hailey

[Tekkaman]

Great post Ruppy!!!! I believe next season will bring a big surprise to the league. Most likely more teams and maybe a couple new divisions. I see the future of PIHA to something like the that of college basketball one day. You have your good divisions and you have your bad. You have your great teams and you have your bad as well. At the end, it'll all come down to a March Madness type of ending. Yes i know, people don't like the idea of too many teams, but its nice to think about a league with over 100 teams. I can already see the crap i'll get for saying this, but oh well. It's my opinion and that's what counts. But think about it!? How's that for a great finish to determine a national championship. 64 teams in one tournament for the national championship and the right to say they are the number one inline hockey team in the nation!!!!!!!

[alex]

Come on guys these are all good ideas. I want to run for Commissioner for next season, Oh wait PIHA is not a democracy but more like a dictatorship.

Great point. Because successful businesses are run just like democracies. Oh wait...

[RichardGraham]

Excellent post, Ruppy. Thank you.

[Mlrhnorthfan]

Great Job Rup!

[pburghbandits]

Why do people feel this league needs 100 teams? Do we really want to see a over the top nationwide adult league? 1000 players is a joke. I get the feeling that some people on here refuse to accept the fact that we already have too many players and that the league is already diluted with sub-par adult leaguers.. Maybe some of you want the 100 teams, that way you will never get cut, because you know that if their was a good pro league with only TRUE pro players, you wouldnt be able to hack it.

And let me add this to your thought.. Do you really think that if the league expands to 100 teams people like Sullivan and Thompson will play.. why would the top players want to play lower than adult level hockey and risk getting injured by some scrub? If the league expands more you will lose more good players.