Crunch Time

Bohonos19:

 I've got a baaaadd feeling about this folks.

Brooklyn + New Arena + County being pigheaded (might) = sad hockey fans all over CNY.

eric:

Besides taking up a private fan collection lol, what can we do? I totally agree with the bad feeling.

Call Chuck and Hillary and ask if they remember where Syracuse is.  See if they can secure some funds for new scoreboards for the Crunch and the Chiefs?

I apologize for my attack on SU, but it just irks me that for one, the Crunch received little to no media coverage during the regular season outside of Lindsay's report, finally got some coverage during the playoffs, but all the media focused on was SU athletics. Then the news reporters that covered today's events treated it like some side show act.

Mentality wasn't the right word to end my other post with.  It was meant as a compliment.  Hey, I love wearing my Dolphins stuff into Buffalo.  I know I am biased being a Syracuse Alum, but I agree with the lack of coverage for the Crunch.  What is worse is now that we are in high school football that we have to see a picture of everyone's kid before we can read about the Crunch.

Don't remind me!! lol

I went through this same situation in Utica when they moved to a bigger/better arena in Albany.  In my opinion the Crunch will announce they are leaving town at the end of the 2009-10 season for Brooklyn, NY since that is when the Barclay Center will be complete. 

The Barclays Center is a proposed sports arena to be built partly on a platform over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-owned Atlantic Yards at Atlantic Avenue in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is part of a proposed $3.5 billion sports arena, business and residential complex. The site is intended to serve as a new home for the New Jersey Nets, currently based at Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The MTA site is 8.3 acres (34,000 m²); the Atlantic Yards project site would be 22 acres (89,000 m²).

The arena, scheduled to open in 2010, along with the rest of the complex, is a project of Brooklyn developer Bruce Ratner, who acquired the Nets in 2004, with the purpose of moving them from New Jersey to this site near the Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street New York City Subway station and the Long Island Rail Road terminus in Brooklyn, one of the most transit-accessible locations in the city. The move would mark the return of major league sports to Brooklyn, which has been absent since the departure of the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957 (their proposal for the world's first domed stadium at the Atlantic Yards to replace the unprofitable Ebbets Field had been turned down by the city in the past). It has been discussed that the Barclays Center may be the NBA All-Star Game site in the 2013–2014 season.^{[citation needed]}

And I am sure Slapshot will agree.  One of the reasons that the Devils left Utica was the reluctance to keep the facility updated.  Utica put some money in the Aud and then called the bluff of the Devils.  And what do we have here now?  Directions to get to Syracuse to see hockey.  No kidding, the mayor of Utica actually said that if people wanted sports Syracuse was just down the road. 

 And yet, Onondoga county seems to be doing the exact same thing.

They are doing the exact same thing.  But thats why our economy is so bad because the government is run by a bunch of small minded people who don't want to be told what to do by an outsider.  My understanding is the chancellor at SU is hated by the local politicians because she does what she wants instead of kissing their a$$es.  It cracks me up when they want Howard to tell them what he is doing with the revenue generated by the team.  The Crunch are a privately held corporation who rents space from the county.  What business is it of the county legislature what Howard does with his revenue.  Do they ask Disney or a performer to disclose what they will be doing with the revenue when they book an event in the old barn.

As for people comparing SU to the Crunch its apples and oranges.  I have season tix to the Crunch, SU hoops, and SU football.  The university has nationally televised games and draws over 25,000 for basketball games.  The reason they get front page coverage is because they are basically our major league franchise and the Crunch are the minor league team.  I don't think the Chicago Wolves are getting more coverage than the Bulls or Bears so why would you expect the Syracuse newspapers.

As much as I love hockey, I can't disagree with Howard if/when he decides to move.  Onondaga County boned the Crunch on the scoreboard, plain and simple.  If someone else steps in(someone else from the state) and gets money for a scoreboard, the county legislators still look like complete idiots.  You can't fault a guy(Dolgon) for wanting to get the fans a better experience.  If he can't provide it here because the county doesn't keep up there part of the lease, you can't fault him for wanting to leave!  It's all about business, and why would you want to be partners with someone who doesn't keep up their end of the bargain?

Tim

What annoys me is the comments that the scoreboard issue needs to be reviewed, thought over, etc.  Why?   Wasn't it thought over, then promised long ago?   Geez, if I wanted to have someone think over things that I was already promised, I would go to work.

Well, this is just great.  I'm going to end up losing BOTH of my AHL teams by 2010.  The Phantoms are gone after this year, and it looks like the Crunch the season after that. 

Nothing can be done here in Philly.  The Spectrum, which is being knocked down, is privately owned.  But here's a question, since it's been a while since I lived up there:  when do the terms of the county legislators end, and are all of them up for election at the same time?  Because Bernie Kraft's been on that legislature far too long, if you ask me (I used to live in his district; right now I wish I still did, so I could help get him ousted).

Anyone in attendance know who voted which way on the scoreboard issue?  I don't know when they will throw the meeting's minutes up so I was just curious if anyone knew off hand.

I think it is time the fans took action.  Obviously even though the new scoreboard was agreed upon originally, the county legislature operates outside the lines of honoring a contract. So I propose at the first home regular season game, Oct. 11th, please come to the "5 Minutes For Fighting" tailgate club in the parking lot across from the Oncenter and we sit down and discuss viable options.  We will start grilling for those who come at 430pm.  Food is free provided by my wife and I.  We should form a committee with officers and handle this on our own.  Anyone with contact to any Crunch officials should ask them to attend, and we will show we are serious about keeping the Crunch here, no matter how difficult the task may seem.  Thank You.

Exactly what I'm talkin about.We need to take action! I was thinking the same thoughts today about getting it organized. The thought about the booster club helping was in my mind too.I have an idea that will definantely get major attention.We all have computers with printers ( I hope) Is it possible to have a Pre season Tailgate party? We need to orgnanize quickly to make it work. What ya all think?

Sure.  We will be out there on the 2nd of Oct.  Was a little hesitant about the 2nd because it is a thursday and didn't know how many would attend.  So if anyone is interested, just look for the banner in the parking lot across from the oncenter on the silver saturn vue, say around 430pm?  Then we can get the ball rolling.