Cyclones Rock
Registered User
- Jun 12, 2008
- 10,625
- 6,546
Cyclones bow out. A third rate pretender will win the Kelly Cup
Cyclones are a very poorly coached team. Fort Wayne is a well coached team. That was the difference in the series.
Fort Wayne and its fans are very passionate about their hockey. I'd say there were 600-1000 on hand Saturday night. Two of the Franke brothers (owners) were there Saturday and Sunday. The Cyclones GM couldn't find the time to make the 20 minute drive from her house to the arena for any of the playoff games.
The Cyclones have found a very good business model. They know how to promote their team. They report honest attendance numbers and I'd guess that the Cyclones were anywhere from 2nd to 4th in the league in actual attendance. Unfortunately, they have found that going deep into the playoffs is generally a money losing proposition. So staying marginally competitive with a playoff berth every two years or so and an early playoff exit is their optimal performance level from a financial perspective. It keeps sponsors interested and minimizes the attrition rate among season ticket holders.
At one point Ray Harris (the ultimate power in the management structure) actually was passionate about winning. Now it's all about money and getting public money to refurbish his US Bank Arena. If he wanted to ice the best team, he would have fired Matt MacDonald a year ago at the latest. I fully expect MacDonald to be back next season. It's just a sound business decision dontchaknow
Good Luck to the Komets in round 2!
Cyclones are a very poorly coached team. Fort Wayne is a well coached team. That was the difference in the series.
Fort Wayne and its fans are very passionate about their hockey. I'd say there were 600-1000 on hand Saturday night. Two of the Franke brothers (owners) were there Saturday and Sunday. The Cyclones GM couldn't find the time to make the 20 minute drive from her house to the arena for any of the playoff games.
The Cyclones have found a very good business model. They know how to promote their team. They report honest attendance numbers and I'd guess that the Cyclones were anywhere from 2nd to 4th in the league in actual attendance. Unfortunately, they have found that going deep into the playoffs is generally a money losing proposition. So staying marginally competitive with a playoff berth every two years or so and an early playoff exit is their optimal performance level from a financial perspective. It keeps sponsors interested and minimizes the attrition rate among season ticket holders.
At one point Ray Harris (the ultimate power in the management structure) actually was passionate about winning. Now it's all about money and getting public money to refurbish his US Bank Arena. If he wanted to ice the best team, he would have fired Matt MacDonald a year ago at the latest. I fully expect MacDonald to be back next season. It's just a sound business decision dontchaknow
Good Luck to the Komets in round 2!
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