Vermilion County Bobcats' Struggles

How long do the Vermilion County Bobcats last?


  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .

Af77

Registered User
Sep 23, 2020
46
20
How bad does this have to get before the league steps in and tries to figure something out?
 

Arena Chaser

Registered User
Nov 5, 2022
2
0
That's a good question. A competently run league would have already publicly stepped in and tried to solve some of the myriad problems the Bobcats seem to have.
The team is currently averaging 430 fans a game. That’s down significantly from last year’s average of over 1700. Unless the owner has really deep pockets this team won’t survive even if the ice and arena situation gets remedied. My guess is they’ll use this as an excuse to shut down operations.
 
Last edited:

CrazyEddie20

Registered User
Jun 26, 2007
1,918
1,221
Back of a cop car
The team is currently averaging 430 fans a game. That’s down significantly from last year’s average of over 1700. Unless the owner has really deep pockets this team won’t survive even if the ice and arena situation gets remedied. My guess is they’ll use this as an excuse to shut down operations.

I don't expect the Bobcats to exist beyond this season. Between inadequate facilities and incompetent management, there's nothing to indicate that this operation is salvageable.

That said, for as much as Ellen deserves blame for all of this, the SPHL and Doug Price deserve just as much. It's pretty clear that there was little to no due diligence performed by the league on the Bobcats business plan or the facilities and operation of Palmer Arena. This all could have been prevented.
 

mk80

Registered User
Jul 30, 2012
8,219
8,830
I don't expect the Bobcats to exist beyond this season. Between inadequate facilities and incompetent management, there's nothing to indicate that this operation is salvageable.

That said, for as much as Ellen deserves blame for all of this, the SPHL and Doug Price deserve just as much. It's pretty clear that there was little to no due diligence performed by the league on the Bobcats business plan or the facilities and operation of Palmer Arena. This all could have been prevented.
They checked the box of being another close opponent for Evansville, Peoria, and Quad City and that was enough for the league.
 

JMCx4

#HopeForHUTCH
Sep 3, 2017
15,138
10,042
St. Louis, MO
For the record ... posted last night but since expunged from their F/B page by the Boob-cats ...

Screenshot_20221110-130825_Chrome.jpg
 
Last edited:

CrazyEddie20

Registered User
Jun 26, 2007
1,918
1,221
Back of a cop car
For the record ... posted last night but since expunged from their F/B page by the Boob-cats ...

View attachment 606106

No, it's still up there. Some of the comments underneath it are fantastic.

"Where is Facebook with the FACT check . A lot of people being lied to in the sphl hockey community! Bobcats are lier's!! And that is why us local hockey lovers are not supporting the bobcat's lies !! Get ur facts correct ! Bobcats have not had a medical guy all year . Front office is down to only chuck seargant! O ya! No equipment guy for the bobcats either! LoL or announcer ( play by play) . O wait did I mention no one to run cameras or light show !! So we will blame it on the ice shame on you remaining county bobcats"

"If it's unsafe for you guys to skate, then why is youth hockey able to practice every week with zero issues?"

"How about the fact you needed help from fans and even a 14 year old to help you out, when your equipment manager quit? Are you sure you are completely prepared to play?"
 
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jabberoski

Registered User
Aug 1, 2011
334
316
Speaking as a complete outsider here, I am just having a hard time taking the team's side on anything here. Their website is a complete joke, they haven't tweeted anything since the end of July, and they've shown no willingness to put a competitive team on the ice at any point in the last two seasons.
 
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battra

Registered User
Oct 24, 2017
153
82
Ok, it's settled.

I'm not going to bother heading over that way.

Kiddo and I will just have a single day trip
 

Checkers Hockey

Veni, vidi, vici
Speaking as a complete outsider here, I am just having a hard time taking the team's side on anything here. Their website is a complete joke, they haven't tweeted anything since the end of July, and they've shown no willingness to put a competitive team on the ice at any point in the last two seasons.
Don't let blondie hear you say that or she'll have her "Director of Team Security" come after you.:laugh:
 
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mk80

Registered User
Jul 30, 2012
8,219
8,830
No, it's still up there. Some of the comments underneath it are fantastic.

"Where is Facebook with the FACT check . A lot of people being lied to in the sphl hockey community! Bobcats are lier's!! And that is why us local hockey lovers are not supporting the bobcat's lies !! Get ur facts correct ! Bobcats have not had a medical guy all year . Front office is down to only chuck seargant! O ya! No equipment guy for the bobcats either! LoL or announcer ( play by play) . O wait did I mention no one to run cameras or light show !! So we will blame it on the ice shame on you remaining county bobcats"

"If it's unsafe for you guys to skate, then why is youth hockey able to practice every week with zero issues?"

"How about the fact you needed help from fans and even a 14 year old to help you out, when your equipment manager quit? Are you sure you are completely prepared to play?"

Here's another gem in the comments:
A hand picked GM was lobbied for with the sole purpose of getting a team removed. Soon after … Task 1 complete
Now same GM is terminated (yes rightful deserved in my opinion).
Here we are again with a hand picked ice manager being lobbied for … hmmm seems like a pattern.
Maybe you would have a little more support if you averaged more than four hundred fans in attendance. The entire home season attendance combined is less than just 1 home game attendance for all the other teams in the league.
Just my two cents on the situation.
 
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battra

Registered User
Oct 24, 2017
153
82
Why should i change?
Some things never change with you. Welcome back!
It's the other people who suck!

I'm having a lovely solo moment at home. The whole house is empty. Wife, Kid, and MIL are at a birthday party.

I'm doing laundry, drinking beer, playing on the internet, and listening to music at obnoxious volumes. (NOTE: MIL lives in the same house as us, but it's a duplex.)
 

battra

Registered User
Oct 24, 2017
153
82
What’s your most prized album?
Well, of the 1200+ records in this room I'm in... (Presently listening to the 2018 re-release of Bruce Dickinson's Tyranny of Souls..._)

I'm not sure if I have a prized album per se...but here's a few interesting/rare birds I've found and purchased.

Coverdale/Page ST Brazilian Pressing (At the time it was the most I'd spent on a single record. I was given the gift of buying any single record I wanted and that's what I chose)

GWAR's little mentioned debut album, Hell-O. It was re-released on CD by Metal Blade before their second, and that's basically it. There were two vinyl pressings by Shimmy Disc.

Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother on Japanese Red Supervinyl (by Toshiba). This pressing plant is believed to have the best sounding records in the entire world and I wanted one single super vinyl LP.

Pink Floyd The Wall 180 gram repress...it was a gift from the wife. The ONLY album she's ever bought me. She knew I didn't have it and I got it for Christmas.

Pink Floyd The Wall OG 1979 US pressing. I couldn't pass it up.

You see The Wall is my absolute favorite album... I also have both versions of the Roger Waters Live the Wall Concerts and a Magnetic Eye Records doom metal covers version of it.
 
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jabberoski

Registered User
Aug 1, 2011
334
316
New coach, among several other hires - Bobcats Add Several To Staff

The Vermilion County Bobcats of the SPHL are pleased to announce several staff additions. Chris Blaisuis has been named Head Coach, Matt Phipps has been named equipment manager, Haley Cruz has been named Athletic Trainer, and Sean Zears has been named Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations.
Blaisuis comes to the Bobcats with many years of hockey knowledge.. For the past two seasons, he has been the Head Coach in the Indy Jr. Fuel 16U AA team, leading the team to USA Hockey Tier II Nationals.

Blaisuis has experience of working both in the NA3HL and NAHL. During the 2016-17 season, he was named the Head Coach and GM for the Willmar WarHawks, where he coached for a season and a half.

Midway through the 2017-18 season, he was named the Head Coach and General Manager for the Rochester Ice Hawks.
Prior to that, Blaisuis had served as the USA Scout and Hockey Operations Assistant for the NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs from 2010-16, where he worked under Head Coaches Josh Hauge and Trevor Stewart. During that time span, the Ice Dogs went to five Robertson Cups, winning the Robertson Cup National Championship three times in 2011, 2014 and 2016.

He has also scouted for the NAHL’s Lone Star Brahmas, Johnstown Tomahawks, and Kenai River Brown Bears, and scouted for the Tri City Storm in the USHL.
 
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