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Bucky69
(Rookie)
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2006 : 09:35:50 AM
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The following is a letter to the community from Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame member, former IHL/ECHL Cincinnati Cyclone player, and General Manager of the Cincinnati Jr Cyclones of the CSHL, Don Biggs. Don has been a part of the Cincinnat hockey community for more than 13 years and has watched the growth of the sport from many sides - player, parent, coach, and general manager. He is also a RailRaiders season ticket holder.
I hope the people who are on the fence take this letter to heart - Cincinnati has much more to lose than just an American Hockey League franchise.
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Why It Is Important To Have A Professional Hockey Team In Cincinnati
As a former player in Cincinnati I’m finding it difficult to comprehend why there has not been more support for the Cincinnati RailRaiders during their pursuit of an NHL affiliate and entrance back into the American Hockey League. I’m not sure people really understand the ramifications of not having a professional hockey team as an "anchor" in this community.
There are many people in this city who are what I would call "true hockey fans". They are the ones that make road trips, support minor hockey and some even play in the adult leagues here in town. These people should be able to understand that without the AHL, many of the other hockey programs will suffer and eventually go away. I’m not sure that the casual fan or even the new hockey fan fully understands what could happen to hockey in Cincinnati, yet they represent the vast majority of the RailRaiders current support.
Since I arrived here in 1993 I have seen the growth of hockey skyrocket. Our youth program - CAHA - has gone from 250 skaters to over 900. We now have "AAA" tier 1 hockey and we have developed a successful girls program with multiple teams. There is a Jr. B hockey team that sends kids to college and gives some of our local talent an opportunity to play at the next level, something they haven’t had in the past. The area high school programs have shown tremendous growth. There are a handful of Varsity programs, a dozen or so "Club" programs and JV programs that were all formed because of the interest for the game of hockey thanks in part to the professional teams that have called Cincinnati home.
If the RailRaiders don’t garner enough support, much of the growth of Cincinnati youth hockey will slow and some of these programs will cease to exist. The management of Cincinnati Gardens may decide it isn’t economically feasible to keep the ice in at the "Big Rink". If that happens there will be a trickle down effect for everyone. The minor hockey teams will have less ice and may be forced to pay higher ice rates at other facilities, and with less ice available there could be some folding of youth teams as well as high school and JV teams. Adult leagues could start games at 1:00 in the morning or shrink considerably due to lack of ice and higher ice prices.
Hockey in Cincinnati has been a big part of my life. As a former player I was fortunate enough to play here and be supported by great fans. As a hockey parent and youth coach I have witnessed the growth of hockey in the community, and I don’t want to see it vanish.
I hope that the hockey fans of Cincinnati can truly see we need this team here and join me in supporting the RailRaiders. I hope those of you who have been hockey fans for the Swords, Stingers, Cyclones and Ducks can come together and support the efforts of the management of the RailRaiders and put your energy into helping them secure the franchise so that we can all be able maintain the growth of our youth programs, while watching professional hockey here in Cincinnati.
Sincerely,
Don Biggs
Director of Hockey - Cincinnati Amateur Hockey Association
Member - Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame |
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fritolay
(Rookie)
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2006 : 10:43:01 AM
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| I have to echo that sentiment. If you are a true hockey fan and are on the fence, please put down a deposit now. If there is no AHL team there is no reason to freeze the Gardens ice. Not having ice at the Gardens represetns a 40% reduction of ice in Cincinnati (33% if you count NKY). That means ice will be more expensive for youth leagues, Adult leagues will all but dry up and hockey in general will suffer greatly in Cincinnati. So I implore you as a hockey fan, please get on board! |
To a child, love is spelled "TIME" - anonymous |
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bags
(Person With Nothing Better To Do!)
USA
2224 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 4:46:46 PM
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I hate to talk "sour grapes" on the topic of another minor league
sport in Cincinnati,but why have others failed in the past? One
reason is the early Cyclones had success because the media (TV and
newspapers) covered them.Are they behind this new effort? Second,
is the franchise stable enough to handle two LEAN years to build
attendance? What I see is they are not even ready for one!Third,
is management going to treat this as MINOR LEAGUE and cut us breaks
on prices and promotions and do everything possible to keep the fun
level high at the games? The original ECHL Cyclones was like a big
party, but we lost that with the move to the IHL and the loss of other
fun items like the original Snowbird, the wide open hockey of Dennis
Desrosiers and even some of the offbeat promotions that made a loss
or bad game still fun!It doesn't seem like the city is fully behind
the Railraiders at the Gardens at this time. |
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n/a
deleted
233 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 6:51:55 PM
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Actually, the price is pretty reasonable, especially for the level of hockey. Dayton is more expensive and the ECHL.
But you're right, the media isn't behind this effort, other than the recent articles in the Post and Enquirer touting their impending doom. WCPO had Pete and Don on Sports of All Sorts, but it was after the Oscars, so no one watched it!
Bad marketing, poor publicity and continuous in-fighting will be the epitaph on Cincinnati hockey's tombstone  |
Spend Some Time In The CinBin!
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