OK, how WE would do things...

[ACCCT2]

OK...

I've finally decided to "come down from the mountain" and am letting everyone here on IHC know that we now have 3 international inline hockey events fully set for the coming 24 months. A brief precis of what is presently being finalized and planned for with all of these events:

There will be one event each in North America, Europe and Asia. All 3 are in amazing "vacation" destinations (during "vacation" times of the year).

All 3 will feature 64 team draws (16 teams max from 4 regions: USA, Canada, Europe & "The Rest" so as to insure full and fair global participation).

All 3 will feature over $400,000 USD in "purse/prize-money" for each event ($200,000 1st; $100,000 2nd; $50,000 3rd; $25,000 4th; $10,000 "MVP"; $5,000 each for being "Best" in/as "Goals", "Assists", "Points", "Defenseman", "Goalie" & "Captain").

All 3 will feature an entry fee per team of $2,500 USD per team and ALL teams will be required to book travel and accommodations ("event travel packages") through each of the events' respective "event travel partners" ("event travel packages" will include all international "gateway" airfares, hotel accommodations and all airport/hotel/game transfers, as well as all event parties, special events and diplomatic receptions). The "event travel packages" will feature special discounted "zone-fare" pricing that makes the entire team/player/fan registration, booking and confirmation process an easy, affordable and care-free "one-stop-shopping" experience. The "event travel packages" will be available ONLY on the event websites (due for May 1, 2010 'roll-out' -- stay tuned to IHC for more "ads" and more on all of this).

We are also currently working on a 4th "Super-event" that will be held in Europe, though some key final details are still being worked out. We're presently talking about offering an additional $100,000 "bonus" for any team that would win either the "Trifecta" (for all 3) or $200,000 for the "Grand Slam" (for all 4) of these events -- either all in the "same calendar year" or all consecutively "in a row" (we're still discussing the "plus/minus" issues of this particular "same/row" part of the "bonus" scenarios).

The most interesting aspect of all of these events is that a very unique interpretation and application of "Co-ed Rules" will apply to all 3 events. While each team can choose whether or not to roster women (or men?), should a woman score a goal at any point in any game, that "goal" will be scored as 3 points on the scoreboard. We believe that this will encourage teams to roster women (almost like basketball's "3-point" specialists) and help grow the game on an international "inclusive" and "cross-gender" (!?) basis. Imagine actually seeing teams putting out MORE women on a power-play or penalty-killing or end-of-game situation in order to maximize and possibly capitalize on their "3-point" capabilities. A game would NEVER be "over" until it was truly "over" with these very dynamic and exciting scoring rules in place. It would also be, by the way, the very first time ever that a series of major "team sport" championships would feature men and women playing on the same court/surface with and against each other. And WOW, just try to imagine the much more inclusive, exciting and FUN atmosphere that all of the pre and post game social gatherings would feel like and engender (pun intended!). We firmly feel that pro-actively including and encouraging women to participate on a "Co-ed" basis is a vital part of setting our sport above, apart and far-and-away much more ad-affinity-effective from all the others out there and will ultimately encourage even more young girls and women to play, a key factor in making our sport a truly unique, exciting, inspiring and attractive sponsorship vehicle.

All of this said, we'd like to put out this "feedback/feeler" forum-post to help us in gauging the up-front interest and response (basically for "value-ing" the attendant advertising/sponsorship support opportunities) that these events would generate within the international inline hockey community.

Looking forward to all your replies and obviously, in good old passionately IHC-forum-posting style, let us know what you think in general.

All the Biscuit-Best to ALL,

ACCCT2

[Hockeydevil29]

Love the idea of sticking a female player out there, doubt it'd be a problem if some 6'2" 230lb pro player came barreling into a 5'0 100lb woman. Hope you have good insurance.

Any thought to a player in a wheelchair scoring and awarding 5 points? Or an assist from a monkey or player under 10 years old counting as 10? hey at least "no game will ever be over"...

[siberian khatru]

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_ml...726_index.html

http://tcgayhockey.org/about/

What standards are being used to determine that a player is "really" a woman? What could stop a formerly male player from getting on a roster as a female player and racking up points for a team?

I'm all for women joining leagues and playing on co-ed teams but this scoring rule seems a little too gimmicky and patronizing.

[Hockeydevil29]

Also what if the desired amount of teams do not play, I'm not sure if there are even 64 teams in the world to participate. So if only 6 teams decide to play, do the prizes still stay the same.

I am pretty sure that the other National tournaments that offer money prizes do not base it on "if" they get a million teams to pay registration fees and also pay "travel packages" that money is also earned from. There is a set prize and no matter if 6, 8, or 16 teams play that is the prize.

[ACCCT2]

Hey, I know I'm gonna' take really cheap-shots on this one.

FYI: The game is DYING, dudes, much the way that the NBA was dying before David Stern, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and yes, the 3-point play came along and saved it.

As for "barreling into a 5'0 100lb woman" -- hey, besides the fact that most international inline hockey leagues and tournaments are non-checking anyways, I know some top-notch women that would (and could) put any PIHA or AIHL player flat on their butts whatever the rules were. Besides being what sponsors are looking for ('cuz the game as it now stands SUCKS, marketing-wise), we've already got a lot of international women's "national" ice hockey team players very excited and on-board, so I'm really not too concerned with an uninformed, small-minded and chauvinistic "Archie-Bunker-ish" assessment of either the events' insurability or long-term prospects.

With virtually NO HOPE in sight for any kind of truly "elite" or paid-to-play "pro" league in sight, this quite frankly is the BEST you're ever going to get challenge-wise (or maybe YOU like "barreling" into anything or anybody for NOTHING, eh?).

[ACCCT2]

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_ml...726_index.html

http://tcgayhockey.org/about/

What standards are being used to determine that a player is "really" a woman? What could stop a formerly male player from getting on a roster a female player and racking up points for a team?

I'm all for women joining leagues and playing on co-ed teams but this scoring rule seems a little too gimmicky and patronizing.

LOL!!!

Internationally recognized "Legal" standards will apply (HONESTLY, dudes -- you don't know what constitutes a "real" woman -- SAD!).

In short -- OUR event, OUR "rules", OUR "purse" = OUR call. Take it or leave it, whatever "gimmicky and patronizing" way you want to.

[Hockeydevil29]

I love your analogies. First off I am not being chauvinistic by saying that a woman could get REALLY hurt if pro players are out for blood trying to win 200k. I know guys that would break their sisters arm in a game just to win a house league tshirt so I could only imagine what would happen here.

You compare this to the NBA and talk about the sport as dying. Well for years the talk was that the NHL was dying, so if all of a sudden Gary Bettman announced that female players were allowed to play and their scores would be worth more, you don't think everyone would call it a joke...including you.

I will make my statement today Nov 11th 2009 that in the year 2010 you will not run 3 MAJOR events with 64 teams in each giving away over 400k in each. I hope you do...but talk is cheap and I only criticize because you'd be the first to do the same to anyone else.

[siberian khatru]

LOL!!!

Internationally recognized "Legal" standards will apply (HONESTLY, dudes -- you don't know what constitutes a "real" woman -- SAD!).

In short -- OUR event, OUR "rules", OUR "purse" = OUR call. Take it or leave it, whatever "gimmicky and patronizing" way you want to.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009...hysiology.html

I really didn't mean my response as a cheapshot but obviously you took it that way, hence the crack that I don't know what constitutes a real woman.

The South African runner Caster Semenya recently aced "her" female competition with a man's body type and testosterone levels.

There are tons of North American gay and transgender-friendly hockey leagues: http://tcgayhockey.org/about/links/ , some of which probably have roller hockey players born as men that might want to participate as women if their teams get three points for every goal they score.

It seems you'll be opening these games to controversy and appeals unless a very clear gender definition is distribued to the participants.

[imasieve30]

And just for the record, now that "you" are ready to come out with all this information, who exactly is "we" and "OUR"?

[ACCCT2]

Also what if the desired amount of teams do not play, I'm not sure if there are even 64 teams in the world to participate. So if only 6 teams decide to play, do the prizes still stay the same.

I am pretty sure that the other National tournaments that offer money prizes do not base it on "if" they get a million teams to pay registration fees and also pay "travel packages" that money is also earned from. There is a set prize and no matter if 6, 8, or 16 teams play that is the prize.

Trust me, the are definitely enough teams to play (Europe alone has a very vibrant tournament network that draws some amazingly talented clubs (that the US and Canada could only dream of, BTW) and they'll definitely play.

As for the "if" -- the "purse" is what it is and is based on a full 64 team draw. We're not seeking "a million teams" to play, only 64, no more. However a tournament organizer secures their deals is totally the organizers' business. With corporate sponsorship supporting the "purse" and "event travel packages" as a whole, obviously there is 'performance' parameters tied to that support -- our's is a full 64-team draw.

[ACCCT2]

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009...hysiology.html

I really didn't mean my response as a cheapshot but obviously you took it that way, hence the crack that I don't know what constitutes a real woman.

The South African runner Caster Semenya recently aced "her" female competition with a man's body type and testosterone levels.

There are tons of North American gay and transgender-friendly hockey leagues: http://tcgayhockey.org/about/links/ , some of which probably have roller hockey players born as men that might want to participate as women if their teams get three points for every goal they score.

It seems you'll be opening these games to controversy and appeals unless a very clear gender definition is distribued to the participants.

Hey, I take everything said (and say everything in reply) in GOOD humor!

[ACCCT2]

And just for the record, now that "you" are ready to come out with all this information, who exactly is "we" and "OUR"?

Hmmm...I guess you'll just have to wait for the websites, eh?

[ACCCT2]

I love your analogies. First off I am not being chauvinistic by saying that a woman could get REALLY hurt if pro players are out for blood trying to win 200k. I know guys that would break their sisters arm in a game just to win a house league tshirt so I could only imagine what would happen here.

You compare this to the NBA and talk about the sport as dying. Well for years the talk was that the NHL was dying, so if all of a sudden Gary Bettman announced that female players were allowed to play and their scores would be worth more, you don't think everyone would call it a joke...including you.

I will make my statement today Nov 11th 2009 that in the year 2010 you will not run 3 MAJOR events with 64 teams in each giving away over 400k in each. I hope you do...but talk is cheap and I only criticize because you'd be the first to do the same to anyone else.

Point taken -- I knew what I'd be in for with announcing this one, trust me. And I'm pretty sure myself that the events will do just fine without anyone who chooses to pass on them and play in the other non-renumerated 'medal-fests' that are out there (we're awarding ONLY ONE "champion", not DOZENS).

From here on in, we're going to let the boards do their magical thing and see what comes back from everyone. We value everyone's opinion (positive or negative) and hope that while there's obviously going to be wisecracks and even disbelief, the truth is "we" ARE doing this whether anyone believes it or not.

[ACCCT2]

Love the idea of sticking a female player out there, doubt it'd be a problem if some 6'2" 230lb pro player came barreling into a 5'0 100lb woman. Hope you have good insurance.

Any thought to a player in a wheelchair scoring and awarding 5 points? Or an assist from a monkey or player under 10 years old counting as 10? hey at least "no game will ever be over"...

Just a follow-up thought -- it's interesting that you compare otherwise totally worthy, able and enthusiastic female players as akin to "a monkey" or "under 10 years old" or somehow handicaped ("wheelchair") in nature -- this is just the kind of narrow-minded, stunted and chauvinistic thinking that has the sport wallowing in obscurity and near-death-throes...

Hmmm, just a very revealing thought indeed, eh?

[imasieve30]

Hmmm...I guess you'll just have to wait for the websites, eh?

No, I don't have to. But if we were interested in waiting, when would we expect this website to be launched?