A fan's perspective
Throughout the whole Rochester Sports Group mess, there has been one huge group of people who’ve gotten boned more than anyone else — the fans of the teams.
Regardless of what eventually happens with Steve Donner, Frank DuRoss, Randall Latona, the Amerks, the Knighthawks and the Rattlers, the people who have been most hurt by the chaos and controversy are the people who cheer the teams on, who pay good money to watch their favorite teams, who would do anything in their power to ensure the future viability and success of those teams.
And out of all those people, it’s the Rhinos fans who, to me, have suffered the most. They were promised a beautiful new stadium but were given an unfinished building in what is perceived to be a sketchy neighborhood. They were buoyed by assertions that the city could land an MLS team, assertions that ended up being meaningless. They have been expected to watch often-mediocre teams – especially this past season – after years of stellar on-field success.
One of the Rhinos’ biggest fans is Mark Pallo, the moderator of the Rhino Pit, an e-mail-based Rhinos discussion group. Because Pallo in many ways represents many of those Rhinos fans, I decided to get his thoughts on the disheartening developments, financial and otherwise, surrounding the Rhinos. Here are excerpts from our e-mail interview:
QUESTION: What is your sense of the thoughts of Rhinos fans about the financial problems facing the team, i.e. the debt, the $4 million being held up by the city, etc.?
ANSWER: There is without a doubt a sense of concern by many of the fans. Obviously there are issues beyond the control of the club, but the debt and ownership issues have definitely raised an eyebrow.
You will find a tone of anger and frustration on fan forums, but you won’t find a more dedicated, passionate group of soccer fans anywhere. (His family has) seen professional soccer come and go. We don’t want the same thing to happen to the Rhinos, however we can’t hide from the facts.
Q: Have the aforementioned problems damaged the image of the Rhinos in the community?
A: Somewhat. I think the failure to finish what was to be a top-notch venue has definitely turned away new fans as well as long-time season ticket holders. We have to work to get these people back. It was evident last year that there were financial issues going on, but now that it has become broadly publicized, I think it remains to be seen how the soccer community will react for the 2008 campaign.
Q: What are your thoughts on the team’s on-field performance this past season? Are fans disappointed, upset, pleased, etc.?
A: I am a purist of the game and simply enjoy watching quality soccer. For the past few years I seem to get my fix watching the opposing team rather than the Rhinos. The level of play here just does not seem to be where it was years ago. Aside from a few select players, the 2007 team and style of play were often compared to that of a college team by many fans.
It’s evident we have not had the money to bring in top talent. Constant juggling of lineups, combined with the Rhinos, notorious inability to gel as a consistent unit, made a rough 2007 for spectators.
Probably my biggest disappointment as a fan is that we never made it to MLS. Ownership took the stance that MLS needed Rochester more than Rochester needed MLS for so many years. The big-fish-in-small pond theory. That was very true for quite a long time.
I believe we had a small window of opportunity to get ourselves into MLS, but with the delays on the stadium and downsizing of the venue, we lost that chance. Now MLS has a proven product, and I am not sure we will ever get that chance again. It’s my personal opinion that many are getting bored with the current USL (First Division) product.
Q: Is it difficult for fans to separate the off-the-field problems from the on-field performance? Are the off-the-field issues keeping fans away from games and causing the actual team, i.e. the players, to lose supporters?
A: The Rhinos front office held various town hall meetings over the past few years and is currently guiding a Fan Advisory Board in an attempt to address issues and concerns as well as help promote the club. These are all great steps in the right direction. Hopefully, the team can overcome the financial hurdles and put some of these ideas into full gear.
Q: Do Rhinos fans worry about what’s going on with the other Rochester Sports Group teams, i.e. the Amerks and Knighthawks?
A: With the recent negativity surrounding the RSG, I think more and more fans have become aware of the health of the other clubs. There is definitely some overlap of supporters, but at the end of the day, you can only hope for success with all of our local sports teams.
Q: How do the fans feel about Steve Donner and Frank DuRoss?
A: The ownership group that once consisted of Frank D, Steve D. and Chris E. was often referred to as “the three wise men” by fans. At one point, the Rhinos were named one of the Top Five Minor League Sports Franchises by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.
The ownership group has always been upfront and very accessible with the media, often participating in fans’ forums and discussion groups (and) showing their true passion for the franchise. (That’s) something you very rarely see at a professional level.
I think most people would like to see the current group succeed, but there is no escaping the current state, and Rhino diehards can’t help but to reflect back on the glory years of the Rhinos and hope those days return very soon.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Many thanks to Mark Pallo for sharing his thoughts. Check out the Rhino Pit at www.rhinopit.com.)
Regardless of what eventually happens with Steve Donner, Frank DuRoss, Randall Latona, the Amerks, the Knighthawks and the Rattlers, the people who have been most hurt by the chaos and controversy are the people who cheer the teams on, who pay good money to watch their favorite teams, who would do anything in their power to ensure the future viability and success of those teams.
And out of all those people, it’s the Rhinos fans who, to me, have suffered the most. They were promised a beautiful new stadium but were given an unfinished building in what is perceived to be a sketchy neighborhood. They were buoyed by assertions that the city could land an MLS team, assertions that ended up being meaningless. They have been expected to watch often-mediocre teams – especially this past season – after years of stellar on-field success.
One of the Rhinos’ biggest fans is Mark Pallo, the moderator of the Rhino Pit, an e-mail-based Rhinos discussion group. Because Pallo in many ways represents many of those Rhinos fans, I decided to get his thoughts on the disheartening developments, financial and otherwise, surrounding the Rhinos. Here are excerpts from our e-mail interview:
QUESTION: What is your sense of the thoughts of Rhinos fans about the financial problems facing the team, i.e. the debt, the $4 million being held up by the city, etc.?
ANSWER: There is without a doubt a sense of concern by many of the fans. Obviously there are issues beyond the control of the club, but the debt and ownership issues have definitely raised an eyebrow.
You will find a tone of anger and frustration on fan forums, but you won’t find a more dedicated, passionate group of soccer fans anywhere. (His family has) seen professional soccer come and go. We don’t want the same thing to happen to the Rhinos, however we can’t hide from the facts.
Q: Have the aforementioned problems damaged the image of the Rhinos in the community?
A: Somewhat. I think the failure to finish what was to be a top-notch venue has definitely turned away new fans as well as long-time season ticket holders. We have to work to get these people back. It was evident last year that there were financial issues going on, but now that it has become broadly publicized, I think it remains to be seen how the soccer community will react for the 2008 campaign.
Q: What are your thoughts on the team’s on-field performance this past season? Are fans disappointed, upset, pleased, etc.?
A: I am a purist of the game and simply enjoy watching quality soccer. For the past few years I seem to get my fix watching the opposing team rather than the Rhinos. The level of play here just does not seem to be where it was years ago. Aside from a few select players, the 2007 team and style of play were often compared to that of a college team by many fans.
It’s evident we have not had the money to bring in top talent. Constant juggling of lineups, combined with the Rhinos, notorious inability to gel as a consistent unit, made a rough 2007 for spectators.
Probably my biggest disappointment as a fan is that we never made it to MLS. Ownership took the stance that MLS needed Rochester more than Rochester needed MLS for so many years. The big-fish-in-small pond theory. That was very true for quite a long time.
I believe we had a small window of opportunity to get ourselves into MLS, but with the delays on the stadium and downsizing of the venue, we lost that chance. Now MLS has a proven product, and I am not sure we will ever get that chance again. It’s my personal opinion that many are getting bored with the current USL (First Division) product.
Q: Is it difficult for fans to separate the off-the-field problems from the on-field performance? Are the off-the-field issues keeping fans away from games and causing the actual team, i.e. the players, to lose supporters?
A: The Rhinos front office held various town hall meetings over the past few years and is currently guiding a Fan Advisory Board in an attempt to address issues and concerns as well as help promote the club. These are all great steps in the right direction. Hopefully, the team can overcome the financial hurdles and put some of these ideas into full gear.
Q: Do Rhinos fans worry about what’s going on with the other Rochester Sports Group teams, i.e. the Amerks and Knighthawks?
A: With the recent negativity surrounding the RSG, I think more and more fans have become aware of the health of the other clubs. There is definitely some overlap of supporters, but at the end of the day, you can only hope for success with all of our local sports teams.
Q: How do the fans feel about Steve Donner and Frank DuRoss?
A: The ownership group that once consisted of Frank D, Steve D. and Chris E. was often referred to as “the three wise men” by fans. At one point, the Rhinos were named one of the Top Five Minor League Sports Franchises by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.
The ownership group has always been upfront and very accessible with the media, often participating in fans’ forums and discussion groups (and) showing their true passion for the franchise. (That’s) something you very rarely see at a professional level.
I think most people would like to see the current group succeed, but there is no escaping the current state, and Rhino diehards can’t help but to reflect back on the glory years of the Rhinos and hope those days return very soon.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Many thanks to Mark Pallo for sharing his thoughts. Check out the Rhino Pit at www.rhinopit.com.)
posted by Ryan Whirty at
4:59 PM
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