Everything's cool here, but why the Rhinos delay?
Howdy again folks,
Well, it looks like things have stabilized work-wise on my end, so I'll have the Powertrip up and rarin' to go over the weekend. Thanks for hanging in there. Basically, what's happening is I'm working with my editors to restructure my relationship with two of the publications I work for. It might mean lots of Ramen noodles for a while, but I think I'll be happier in the long run. And for the record, no, the RSG hasn't offered me a job. Besides, I need work that's guaranteed to actually pay on time. ;)
Anyway, this weekend I'll have lots of stuff on the ESL Centre — I had a very interesting conversation with David Christa's brother today — as well as the Greater Rochester Outdoor Sports Facility Corp. I'm also hoping to go to the Rochester Community Baseball shareholders meeting Saturday morning (if I can get my lazy butt up).
But here's a question to ponder, and by "ponder" I mean let loose with wild speculation: what's taking so long with the announcement of the Rhinos' new investor? On his blog, Devo strongly hinted that nothing has happened yet because the city hasn't given its approval of the deal. Or, as many are wont to think, is it just Donner and DuRoss blowing smoke?
Well, it looks like things have stabilized work-wise on my end, so I'll have the Powertrip up and rarin' to go over the weekend. Thanks for hanging in there. Basically, what's happening is I'm working with my editors to restructure my relationship with two of the publications I work for. It might mean lots of Ramen noodles for a while, but I think I'll be happier in the long run. And for the record, no, the RSG hasn't offered me a job. Besides, I need work that's guaranteed to actually pay on time. ;)
Anyway, this weekend I'll have lots of stuff on the ESL Centre — I had a very interesting conversation with David Christa's brother today — as well as the Greater Rochester Outdoor Sports Facility Corp. I'm also hoping to go to the Rochester Community Baseball shareholders meeting Saturday morning (if I can get my lazy butt up).
But here's a question to ponder, and by "ponder" I mean let loose with wild speculation: what's taking so long with the announcement of the Rhinos' new investor? On his blog, Devo strongly hinted that nothing has happened yet because the city hasn't given its approval of the deal. Or, as many are wont to think, is it just Donner and DuRoss blowing smoke?
posted by Ryan Whirty at
6:21 PM
6 Comments:
Check out Channel 's new blog. There's a post about this but they don;t know much either.
By
Anonymous, at 6:50 AM
Should have said Channel 13. Sorry.
By
Anonymous, at 6:50 AM
Ryan, please ask your friends in the media to take a different track on the "new partners". In a previous post about the "new investor for the Amerks I said and I will repeat...
On the Amerks front:
Just say, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" and "Identify the investor" Give me a specific date."
Excuse the pun but it is appropriate given this supposed investor ... "I think he is blowing smoke ..." Not sure if that would be Donner, Craig or the investor by the way.
I am so fed up with the stories someone is making sure are floating around. Can we really believe that this guy is making that much off of selling smokes on a reservation?
That is as far fetched as trying to get people to believe the story of the Rhinos potential investor.
How can we take it serious when the guy put on hold his plan to purchase a REAL soccer team , in his own native land, where soccer is actually viewed as a REAL SPORT! He put it on hold so he could focus on building homes in Africa (A noble cause I might add.) Given that scenario, should we really give any serious consideration to a story line that he would really be making his investment in the Rhinos a priority.
The fans in this community deserve better than the leadership of these organizations are providing. For me, that is the bottom line.
It is time for the various booster clubs of the teams in the RSG to organize all the season seat holders and organize them in a block to stop renewing their seats UNTIL the owners/ management presents a clear picture of where these teams are all headed. MONEY TALKS.
No "new investor" will spend any money on teams and facilities that the fans will not support.
It is time for the leaders of the booster clubs to step up and be more than rah, rah folks exploited by RSG. Get together with a united voice, tell the owners, and the local politicians what you expect of them and what the fans see as the solutions.
THE FANS ARE THE BIGGEST INVESTORS IN ALL OF THIS. WE INVEST WITH OUR TIME, OUR ENERGY, AND OUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS. WE SUPPORT THE OPERATION OF THE FACILITIES WITH TAX DOLLARS.
I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO ORGANIZE THIS OR I WOULD. BUT SOMEONE OUT THERE NEEDS TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS AND TELL ALL PARTIES TO CUT THE BS and MOVE AHEAD OR SELL AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT.
As I see it, there are five primary issues. And these are not in any special order.
- The RSG (in its various forms) needs new money.
-RSG needs to taek some immediate steps to reestablish its integrity and crediblity in the Rochester commuity and elsewhere.
- The city / county /state are in a stalemates over a loans and new leases for obvious reasons of financial integrity and public interest.
- The Rochester Americans need to identify their next NHL affiliate as soon as possible (by the end of February, not March) and begin promoting the future.
- Promote a new VISION and restore the public image of RSG or sell and dissolve it.
By that I mean stop the stalling, stop the finger pointing, give the fans who support the RSG teams a clear VISION of what the future can be. Make the vision real and give some evidence that the serious errors of mismanagement from within RSG have been faced. Give specific steps that have been taken to assure the public this mess will not be repeated.
With those five steps behind me I want to look at the the Amerk side of this. I think Mr. Donner and all the partners, even the small investors ... need to have their feet held to the fire and publicly say some of the following:
- We are nearing a working agreement with (what ever NHL team) and they have agreed to provide us with ... (you fill in the blank. There will be a press conference on (date) to announce this. This can be verified by contacting (a specific person of the NHL affiliate) to share their views on how this will benefit both organizations.
- We have identified the following investors and by (date), that deal will be finalized ... we will hold a press conference on (date) ...
- We have been in negotiations will (city / county) and it is our shared goal to have an agreement in place by (date). We recognize that how these business details are resolved needs to represent the best interests of the tax payers and the fans who support our local teams (or something to that effect).
For season seat holders, and booster club members to continue on following these guys is insane. YOUR BUCKS WILL BE THE DECIDING FACTOR IN THIS. It is time to set aside the ego of being a season seat holder (which actually allows them to keep providing inflated attendance figures), forget the tax write off of investing in the luxury boxes, organize a few visible protests like waiting in the lobby until the game actually begins ... do something to start making statements and create a presence that needs to be respected. Send letters (not email!) to local elected officials, asking them to stop the posturing on the funding issues and lease agreements. Turn up the heat, let them know you have a vote and when the elections come what they did on this will come up, because the fans of Rochester's sports teams feel the unity, identity and pride associated with sports caries over and makes a difference in the quality of our life as a community. Then the organized booster clubs and fans need to not be afraid to follow through.
I may sound like a child of the 60's ... and I am, but we have taken way too much #%#*^#@* in all of this and it is time for the public to move from being quiet, patient and apathetic, to organized, energized,engaged, active and influential.
I challenge the reports in the radio, TV, and print media to help identify the leaders among the fans and help make this thing happen.
By
Anonymous, at 9:55 AM
To the last poster:
You are a rambling idiot!
By
Anonymous, at 11:26 AM
With such complimentary fans as you this entire city deserves what it gets. I am just one of many frustrated fans who is growing tired of people doing nothing but sit and complain and point fingers.
Last I knew it was a free country and blogs were part of that. You are entitled to your opinion of my post but see if you can fit your insults in the place you will be getting a splinter as you sit on the fence.
By
Anonymous, at 12:43 PM
Now your just an idiot!
Moron
By
Anonymous, at 3:59 PM
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