SPHL Cyclones, may have a new home

[welovethisgame]

I cannot confirm this story, but I have it on "very good word" that Mr. Kerzner (owner of TC Cyclones) ... was present in Huntsville last week for one of the playoff games. Apparently, he had been to Birmingham, Al to talk about taking his team there.
According to my source, he will be taking the team there for next season. I am told an announcement may come later this month.

So if this is true, then it is good news for the SPHL ... I only hope that the market there works out better for Bob and his team.

Don't know if they will keep the Cyclone name ...

[hockey]

I cannot confirm this story, but I have it on "very good word" that Mr. Kerzner (owner of TC Cyclones) ... was present in Huntsville last week for one of the playoff games. Apparently, he had been to Birmingham, Al to talk about taking his team there.
According to my source, he will be taking the team there for next season. I am told an announcement may come later this month.

So if this is true, then it is good news for the SPHL ... I only hope that the market there works out better for Bob and his team.

Are we talking Pelham or BJCC?

This is good news for the SPHL.

[Piehole 1]

This can be viewed in two different ways. Sure it is great the SPHL is getting a new city (or potentially). But on the flipside the franchise will still be owend by a guy who has taken his franchise to two different cities and successfully shown the world he has no idea how to run a hockey franchise......I say it is a bad move. The SPHL board of governors needs to step in and not let this guy take his failure of a franchise to another city. His franchise has already failed twice due to lack of effort. I just hope it isn't a third time because he doesn't have a good track record.

[hockey]

This can be viewed in two different ways. Sure it is great the SPHL is getting a new city (or potentially). But on the flipside the franchise will still be owend by a guy who has taken his franchise to two different cities and successfully shown the world he has no idea how to run a hockey franchise......I say it is a bad move. The SPHL board of governors needs to step in and not let this guy take his failure of a franchise to another city. His franchise has already failed twice due to lack of effort. I just hope it isn't a third time because he doesn't have a good track record.

So, you have decided the SPHL should just fold up shop. Why are people talking bad about a guy who pays the bills and gives fans hockey. He may be crappy at running a team, but he is not crappy when it comes to paying the bills.

[welovethisgame]

I have to agree with Hockey on this one ...
Although he has been in 2 different cities, he was the one that decided to leave, he has not been run out of a city ...
He wasn't made to leave ...
He has put his money in, and regardless of how it faired, he paid his bills and kept a team on the ice ...
I would only say that he probably should change the name, and the Coach ...

[Geoff]

Are we talking Pelham or BJCC?

This is good news for the SPHL.

An improved Pelham would be good news for the SPHL. The BJCC would be death to the Cyclones ... again.

[earman]

I have also heard that Augusta maybe a go, and that another investor may want to put a team in Richmond....and there is still Pensacola.

[Geoff]

I'll post some info I got in a new thread here in the Rumors section regarding Pensacola.

[Volstate]

I have also heard that Augusta maybe a go, and that another investor may want to put a team in Richmond....and there is still Pensacola.

According to today's Knox News Sentinel, the topic of Augusta is dead for next year.

[Geoff]

So right now it's the possibility of Pensacola and wherever the hell the Cyclones go. And maybe, MAYBE Richmond.

[dalhub]

I have it on very good authority that McBob did contact Birmingham but there were only eight or nine weekend dates next season so luckily for Birmingham they dodged the train wreck called the Cyclones...

I also have it on very good authority that McBob is now pursuing Pennsacola or at least contacted the venue down there. I hope someone puts an expansion team in Pennsacola instead of letting the Cyclones get a lease...

Yes McBob did pay his bills and honored his leases, for that I give him credit. Having said that, you can't run a professional hockey team with a GM, a coach, and an office manager...You can't promote a team by having "ONE" bill board on a run down building on a "non" hockey side of town and claim you spent $100,000 promoting the team...:wacko:

You can't continue to run a team who's coach is so unpopular that the players quit and refused to play even though with two weeks remaining in the season you're only 5 point from second place and end the season with a 2-10 record...

McBob pays his bills and likes to control everything involved revolving around the team, the only problem is he doesn't know what he's doing. He will not spend the money to be competitive. He won't fire a coach who's killed the on ice product now for four years...

He had a very capable coach already on staff in at one time filling the asst. GM/asst. Coach role. McBob comes to the conclusion that Richards can not handle the GM/Coach role and decides to break up the duel role, really, ya' think Bob...

All the players wanted Cowan to coach...believe me this guy is the real deal. Under Cowan's direction for the two weeks and a half he ran practice the Cyclones went 10-4 and got back into a playoff spot. Well McBob decides that Cowan should be the GM and retain Richards as coach and in the final weeks of the season under Richard's the team went 2-10 with the last two weeks a disgraceful nightmire...

If that's the kind of owner the SPHL wants then more power to them. The only problem with that is we know the Cyclones will wreck hockey where ever they go and this will eventually catch up to the league and hurt it's credibility. Keeping this franchise only shows the desperate condition of the league.

I feel like if the SPHL can get one expansion team then put another bastard team in WS for next year and roll with it until another expansion team can be found or new buyers for the Renegades...The league would be far better off without McBob and there are two cities he's "blown through" that will tell you the say thing...

[Summer77]

Rock on Dale!! :rock:

[hockey]

If that's the kind of owner the SPHL wants then more power to them. The only problem with that is we know the Cyclones will wreck hockey where ever they go and this will eventually catch up to the league and hurt it's credibility. Keeping this franchise only shows the desperate condition of the league.


Could another group come into WS and prop up another team? Possibly make it work with the right commitment?

[Summer77]

Could another group come into WS and prop up another team? Possibly make it work with the right commitment?

If it's a local owner/ownership group, they commit to at least a 5-year business plan, hire enough qualified staff and get some advertising out there, then I say yes. :happy:

[hockeynktown]

If it's a local owner/ownership group, they commit to at least a 5-year business plan, hire enough qualified staff and get some advertising out there, then I say yes.

Exactly what I have been saying all along, Its that simple. This is not open the doors and they will come. It is a year around bust your tail bussiness. You have to be every where, with a promotional team made up of fans that know what the heck is going on, who can tell other about the games and how much fun they are. If you have to pay them to go....Well most likely you dont have the right people.

I drove through W/S (Right thu the middle, took I-77) the other night, and its a good size city that appears to be growing, with several large communities very close. Its there, you just got to go get it.

***Coach, Correct me if wrong, the Ast. GM/Ast Coach coached agame or 2 and is now the ideal replacement ? There are several teams who have folded and several coachs lookiing for work. Dont jump the gun.

**And if the Cyclones move........Change the nickname (should have done that it W/S, unless they have Cyclones there ????) :mad:

[dalhub]

Exactly what I have been saying all along, Its that simple. This is not open the doors and they will come. It is a year around bust your tail bussiness. You have to be every where, with a promotional team made up of fans that know what the heck is going on, who can tell other about the games and how much fun they are. If you have to pay them to go....Well most likely you dont have the right people.

I drove through W/S (Right thu the middle, took I-77) the other night, and its a good size city that appears to be growing, with several large communities very close. Its there, you just got to go get it.

***Coach, Correct me if wrong, the Ast. GM/Ast Coach coached agame or 2 and is now the ideal replacement ? There are several teams who have folded and several coachs lookiing for work. Dont jump the gun.

**And if the Cyclones move........Change the nickname (should have done that it W/S, unless they have Cyclones there ????) :mad:

It's a little more involved than that, Chowder actually ran practice for two and half weeks while the coach was tending to some personal issue. The difference was stunning...

Under coach Cowan the team rallied from last place to fourth and was 5 points out of second before the "coach" returned and immediately the team fell like a comet to finish last and embarrassingly out of the playoffs.

What was the difference? Chowder made them work in practice...He skated the you know what out of those guys. He actually made corrections in practice on positioning and the team morale was noticably higher.

When the "coach" returned they went back to skating a couple of drills and playing "rebound". They went back to only using one of their alotted two hours of practice and it showed on game nights.

The one game Chowder coached behind the bench when the "coach" was suspended they won. He didn't let them quit in the third period and he was busy all night giving instructions and making adjustments instead of just standing there like a stuffed shirt... He actually coached the guys during the game and made adjustments, wow, what a novel idea...

Just look at the records and you'll see: Under Chowder's practice and game prep the Cyclones were 10-4 and in a playoff spot. Ten and four is nothing to sneeze at but as soon as the "coach" come back we went 2-10 despite picking up Daryl Moore and Ryan Webb...

Anybody in the SPHL need a coach? I know one somebody should give a chance...

[hockeynktown]

Coaching a team for 4 or 5 games is a long way from coach of the year, you have to have contacts and you have to bring players in. We had issues where players did not like the way or decisions the coach made. Well in any sport at any level you have to have someone in charge, if you do not like it....move on. I know that sounds hard, but please go. We just lost several really good salespeople, we need them, need them bad....however they were bringing everyone else down, its something people do with even thinking about it. I know this is hard to understand, but it happens, and fellow players repeat talk, and action must be taken.

With W/S that was a train wreck, players last call call before Burger King was to W/S for a job. How hard of a job would that be for you ? When other teams had the pick of the litter ?

[dalhub]

John you can't deny a 10-4 turnaround and the talent was here to contend for a play off spot. Chowder was responsible for recruiting several of our rookie players including rookie of the year Michael Richard and Russell Smith.

I've been around this game a long time and seen enough coaches to know when I see the real deal. I also know when I see a dud, a coach not only stands behind the bench and makes personel moves but a good coach teaches the game and helps young players better themselves. Coach Cowan did all these things, as a matter of fact he's also a great communicater which a good coach needs to be.

He helped my game tremendously and explained where I was going wrong in such a way I could even understand it. He helped me in coverage in the defensive zone and he also helped me tremendously with my wrist shot. I can truly say Chowder made me a better hockey player.

I saw him in practice pull guys aside and explain things to our players and you could tell the light came on and they understood what he was saying. Chowder understood you had to out work, out hit and out skate the other team and again a 10-4 record with players you describe as scrapping the bottom of the barrel certainly can't be ignored.

I'm not the only one who noticed the change in our team under Cowan, ask Summer or any other TC fan who posts here...I hope Chowder gets his chance somewhere else because I know he will be successful. Maybe he'll get another chance in WS...

[hockeynktown]

I do not him, at this point if hockey returns to W/S its your last chance, you better get it right. I would go after someone who has been at it and has the for sure contacts. Guess what I am saying is you can take a risk with a 1st year coach when he is taking over a program like what happened in Knoxville.

Speaking of W/S if and thats a big IF you do return, you better bring it to the table. From top to bottom, the GM better be someone with a proven track record, someone who will work 7am to mid-night getting the job done. Someone who has people willing to jump and run with him/her to W/S. Folks it is not as easy as build it and they will come.