Pantagraph.com | News | City officials concerned about reports of Thunder owing money

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

AM wrote on Mar 7, 2008 10:46 PM:

" I wonder which team will be playing in two years, the PT or Peora Rivermen? PT will fail shortly after Mitsubishi. "

The Cats wrote on Mar 1, 2008 10:22 AM:

" To John...hockey is hockey played at the HS and NCAA level only. These leagues are hockey games organized so there can be fights. Hockey is a beautiful game when not marred by fighting. Professional hockey is so lame that 2 years ago the Stanley Cup final was outdrawn on TV by The Food Network. I watch college hockey all the time and love it. The teams you call "ours" is nothing more than a bunch of brawlers who don't even do that particularly well. "

Jim wrote on Feb 29, 2008 2:17 AM:

" Sure, some went to Europe and doubled their salaries. But, even doubled they're still not making that much. I'd be curious to know if other IHL teams have been facing the same problem. If the only IHL team being raided by Europe is the last place Prairie Thunder then I think it safe to say that money isn't the only thing motivating the exodus. "

John wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:04 PM:

" Hey - GO ECHL - Who says we want you losers supporting our team if you won't support your own team? The IHL is just as good as the ECHL, if you don't like the IHL what makes you think the ECHL is going to make you come to a PrairieTHunder game after you see them in the ECHL? Bloomington has the same sponsers as Peoria does, the same sponsers that will quit on the PT if fans don't start showing up. How they going to make money if less than 3,000 people come to games? Peoria fans are not buying tickets because they are cheap. Hockey is hockey if it is high school or the NHL. If you are not willing to pay to watch the game, you are not a fan.

"

sarcasm wrote on Feb 28, 2008 6:17 PM:

" hmmmmm, nelson, butler, & booth kind of remind of jeff dunham puppets. walter, peanut and jose on a stick.!!! "

to love hockey wrote on Feb 28, 2008 5:04 PM:

" Go to peoria and stay as I said before we dont want you here anyway.....THEY need the attendence, not us so take your behind there "

love hockey... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 4:36 PM:

" hate the IHL. Sounds like a good time to get a local franchise in the ECHL. IHL is barely one step above pond hockey. I refuse to support a team (local or otherwise) when the level of play is not worth the price of a ticket. Until another team from a more skilled league is in town, I'll continue to go to Peoria to watch better hockey and to the UC to see my beloved Blackhawks. Support your local team???? .....give me a team in a better league to support!!! "

to Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 4:36 PM:

" You couldnt blame the ones that went to Europe. From what I read they were like doubling some of their salaries. That is more than just a few bucks. "

Nathan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 2:51 PM:

" 'We want to make sure the Coliseum is doing well, and a key piece to that is making sure we have hockey a team that is viable and providing entertainment to our community,' Stockton added.

Big Al's provides my type of entertainment. How 'bout it, Steve? Want to pitch in a few tax dollars for MY entertainment? No? Then how fair is it that the city spends MY tax dollars for the type of entertainment that OTHERS choose? Is this what a city is supposed to do with the hard-earned wages of its residents?

"

here is my opinion wrote on Feb 28, 2008 2:44 PM:

" This is what should be done,
- they need a new coach first off, teams can be drastically turned around with a coach who has passion and expierence

-next they need to switch leagues, they wont be able to attract any legit hockey players playing in a clearly failing hockey league. They wont be able to play AHL, that would be a mess, but ECHL would be the most logical, since it is well established, and it can become connected to a NHL team.

-If they change leagues, they need a new nickname, the PT has a bad taste in everyones name. People will associate the new team with the old team, we dont want that mind set

-New owners, now thats a little harder to accomplish, but we dont need some guy who has done awesome in the IHL, because doing awesome in the IHL is nothing to brag about, there are only like 5 teams in the league.

-There are over 125,000 people in the area, there is no reason why this area cant support a minor league team, "

Jon wrote on Feb 28, 2008 2:17 PM:

" The PT oughta just have Ewasko punch their debt in the face a few times. He can't skate, he can't shoot...but man, can that guy hit people in the face real good. Ewok SMASH!!! "

well wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:54 PM:

" duuuuh! or is it dough? lmbo "

Bring in wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:53 PM:

" Reggie Dunlap as coach or even the late Billy Martin ( he shows more signs of life than Booth) "

Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:50 PM:

" I couldn't agree more. The financial health of the Coliseum and Thunder are seperate issues. My main point was that I thought it unfair to declare both failures just because neither was able to operate in the black from day one. That's completly unrealistic in my opinion.

I also agree that a winning Thunder team would bring in a lot more money for both entities. I'd like to see ECHL come here but at a bare minimum we should get a new coach and new management. With so many Thunder players jumping ship in the last few months I can't believe it only because they'll make a few dollars more elsewhere.

Regarding the Extreme, I'm glad they're winning and making money. And I hope that trend continues. But I don't think Extreme attendance vs Thunder attendance is a fair comparison. How many home games does Extreme play? Eight or nine? Compare that to 38 Thunder home games. If the Thunder only played 8 or 9 home games I'd be willing to bet their attendance would be in the 5000 range as well. But, the bottom line is...we need a better hockey team to draw better crowds. "

BrettinBloomington wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:33 PM:

" To Re:Brett, Your post is exactly what I'm talking about.People are so ready to give up on things so easily anymore its sickening. We need people to get away from the dumb box and do something else like attend games. Win or lose that reality is far superior to the "reality" on tv. "

c.a.t.s. wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:31 PM:

" wheres the money pit numbers??? "

Get your facts before you report... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:30 PM:

" This article is irresponsible journalism at its finest. These two printed this article on just guessing. The article showed very little factual information. Obviously Hamm and Guetersloh are not coliseum fans and will do whatever it takes to run them down. Its terrible that the pantagraph let this go to print with having nothing to back it up. Everyone is getting paid and they have equipment. SHAME ON YOU PANTAGRAPH. That's why everyone thinks this paper is a joke. I'm cancelling my subscription today. "

BrettinBloomington wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:28 PM:

" The point is, no matter the standings of a home team they still need fan support. Look at the cubs/bears thing, the fans are there no matter what. After some support and time, maybe we could afford better players/coaches. And for Re
:Brett, that means more than one or two games. "

Tripper wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:17 PM:

" I am not here to argue one way or the other regarding the value and usefulness of this hockey team or the Coluseum.

BUT....WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING TRACK OF THESE FINANCIAL MATTERS? When you have a major investment, you watch the value and sustainability of this investment. Who at the City of Bloomington is responsible for this monitoring? "

PTfan win or lose wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:05 PM:

" I enjoy PT hockey win or lose. Sure we all would like to see them win which in turn fill more seats and everyone would be breathing easier. Last nights loss was tough but there is more games to play.

I agree with whomever said they need more to fire up the crowd. The "loud meter" gets old. And the only thing thats been firing up the crowd as of late is a fight and that usually costs us in the long run.

Maybe someone could contact some local schools and see if their cheerleaders would be interested in coming out to lead some cheers from sections around the arena for instance. The more they reach out to the community the more fans they will recieve. LETS GO THUNDER..... "

To: Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:51 PM:

" Jim, the hockey team losing money has nothing to do with the building they play in, or the attitude of the community towards the Coliseum. Notice there are no complaints about the Extreme, which finished last season with a winning record and draw well over 5,000 per game. The bottom line is that constantly losing teams do not draw in any sport, except maybe the Cubs, who have been around for over 100 years and are an American institution. If the PT's record was at least .500, there would likely be an additional attendance of at leat 1,000 fans per game, which would have had a major impact on the Coliseum's bottom line via concession and ticket sales. I attribute the situation largely to the coach who cannot seem to consistently motivate the team, comprised largely of journeymen players, and has probably torpedoed his coaching future at any higher level in hockey. "

Hockey Fan 2 wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:50 PM:

" I have been to several PT games, its been hard to watch for the most part, just a bad team, but I still enjoy watching the game. Now this Booth (who should be canned) has started "Thug" hockey, because they can't win playing the game the way its supposed to be played. Sure, fights are part of the game but starting fights within the first 30 seconds is ridiculous. Lets get a coach that can teach the kids some basics, play the game the way its supposed to be played. Then maybe we'll get some wins and with it more fans will come, with more fans come more money. You need to spend money to make money. Lets get some quality management, see what happens. "

BOOTH/NELSON/BUTLER wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:45 PM:

" ALL EX PEORIA GUYS-NEED TO GO!!!!!!!!! "

VP wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:44 PM:

" I am a hockey fan and have been for several years (Rivermen before Thunder). My family enjoys going to the Thunder games. We are season ticket holders and have been all along. I think the politicos should make sure their sources are reliable before they jump on the "get rid of hockey" bandwagon. "

Just Curious? wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:42 PM:

" Are the extreme making money or operating at a loss? good way to find out if its the area or the management for the organiozations. If the extreme are in the black, I would look at the management/ownership of the hockey team.

Getting rid of butler and nelson would be a start to begin with!!! "

Simple Simon wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:41 PM:

" What about the USHL moving into the colisium? I believe they were orginally beat by the UHL last year and they are still very interested in moving in. I would prefer a pro team compared to Juniors but with the local rivalries in the USHL it may help with attendance and travel cost, plus salaries. It is an option. "

GO ECHL wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:39 PM:

" The way the attendance has dropped in peoria with the AHL and that goes hand-in-hand with BORING hockey that the AHL brings. Go ECHL for exciting hockey and if things stay the way they are, you may have a close peoria rival in a few years when the fans stop showing up to boring AHL games. 20+ year season ticket holders have not renwed, current sponsors have said they will not renew with rivs as well. "

That would wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:36 PM:

" be a shame if we lose hockey and Nelson and Butler cannot come up with a team. Would that not give the city grounds for firing these clowns! "

The Happy Cynic wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:34 PM:

" Hedging their bets on hockey was ONE of the dumbest things proponents of the Coliseum did. As much as I love it personally, America is just not a hockey nation. Even in Chicago, the Blackhawks have to share a stadium with the Bulls. In Peoria, the Rivermen hang on by a thread every year. Here locally, we had hockey in the 80s at the Skatoriam where the ISU recreation building is now. It failed miserably, and Bloomington's population has changed THAT much in 30 years to assert that there is a market now. BN isn't going to attract large Canadian or Finnish immigrant populations any time soon, so why the assertion that hockey would be a hot ticket here? Could it be Judy's family connections to hockey franchises? I welcome a better theory. "

Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:23 PM:

" To duh,

I'm not surprised they're loosing money. I expected them to loose money for awhile. The Coliseum and the hockey team are both new ventures. Very few new ventures start making money right away. Anyone who actually thought that the Coliseum and hockey team would turn a profit right off the bat is completely out of touch with reality.

Maybe you like sitting home every weekend watching your mindless reality shows. But many of us believe there's more to life spacing out in front of a TV watching 3 playboy bimbo's perpetuate the blonde sterotype.

I'm glad the Coliseum is here and I'm glad we have hockey. Both have some problems but time and experience will solve most of them. They'll never be problem free but can you name anything that is? Again, be patient. And give both a fair amount of time to grow.

"

To: We Need Hockey wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:17 PM:

" You are right they need fans coming into the building and from what I saw at the few games I attended that wil never happen. I saw more empty seat then fans, and that included the season ticket holder area. This town will never support a loosing team like this.

Also I never see anything more then a build board promoting this team. they need to get out in the community and promte themselves. "

We Need Hockey! wrote on Feb 28, 2008 12:02 PM:

" I'm not a hockey fan, never have been, never will. I tried going to some Riverman games 3-4 years ago, and just couldn't get into it. BUT! The only thing keeping the Coliseum from losing even MORE money is hockey. Getting a couple thousand fans through the turnstyles for every game minimizes the operating loss (forget about the debt service, that will be a black hole forever). So I hope that PT get their act together and start winning and drawing some fans. And all you puck heads out their that love hockey should be buying tickets and trying to get some enthusiasm going. Otherwise, BN loses hockey, and we all lose money. "

duh... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 11:50 AM:

" the community overwhelmingly voted against the Coliseum, and people are surprised that it and the the Thunder are losing money. Amazing. "

BOOTHS STRUGGLES wrote on Feb 28, 2008 11:23 AM:

" BOOTH COACHES EXACTLY LIKE....HIS PEORIA COACH, JASON CHRISTIE, TALK ABOUT A NON-MOTIVATOR. BOOTH IS JUST COACHING LIKE HE WAS COACHED IN PEORIA. "

fan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 11:08 AM:

" Way to go Jim - what a right on atittude - they need you at the closed door meetings!!!
Hockey fans - support what you love. "

Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:56 AM:

" One other thing. Whether we get a new team or not we need to drop the "Prairie" in Prairie Thunder. When you think Thunder you think loud, mighty powerful, fearful, awe.

When you think Prairie Thunder it makes you want to lay back and take a nice nap.

One other suggestion. If we ever get the minor league baseball team please try to use a little creativity when selecting a name. Anything regarding corn or prairies needs to be off the table.

I know we have a lot of corn and prairies around here but those words are soooooooo overused and soooooooo old and worn out. There's a corn this or prairie that on every street corner. This town has a serious lack creativity in ingenuity. So, if you we get baseball please try to break the mold and come up with something fresh.
"

to HockeyFan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:36 AM:

" LOL ... loved your reference to baseball AND I'm a big baseball fan ... still made me chuckle "

Jim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:32 AM:

" People! You need to be patient. The Coliseum and the Prairie Thunder are only in their second season. I wish both had stronger start as well but both have added to the quaility of life here in Bloomington and should be allowed a fair chance to grow. Prior to the Colesium what was there to do around here? Our options were bascially movies, restaurants, or bars. Now you can add hockey, football, and concerts to the growing list of options the Colesium has to offer.

As far as hockey I do agree we need change. Lets face it...the IHL isn't working. For the casual fan it can be hard to watch the Thunder play the same teams over and over and we need change.

We need a new league and the ECHL would be my first pick. The ECHL is the cream of the AA crop and an ECHL team with an NHL affiliation would be a great combination.

Whatever happens I'll still support the Coliseum and our hockey team regardless of who they are. IHL hockey isn't top of the line but it's far better then no hockey at all. "

BILLY BOB wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:30 AM:

" Remember when Judy first talked about building a colliseum? The first question was can we in Bloomington afford and support a Colliseum? That was 35 million dollars ago and the city had a balanced budget with a substancial surplus account. Now we have a Colliseum with a failing minor league hockey team. We owe more money than ever in the history of Bloomington. Our budget is overdrawn and our surplus is drained. Larry hundman predicted all of this at the beginning when Tom Hamilton insisted we needed to bring in outside companies to run and operate our Colliseum. Yes those companies that drain all the money off the top and leave the tax payers holding the bag. Nelson and Butler sold their share of the team and now are preparing for the demise of the league. They got their money!!!!! "

To Those who... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:26 AM:

" think it is up to the Pantagraph to promote the team are you nuts? This team is a private venture playing in a public arena. The Pantagraph is a newspaper and nothing more. Let the team buy ad space if they want promotion. As a basketball official I can tell you whiners that officiating has nothing to do with this problem. Maybe you are just posting this as a joke...that must be it. "

To PT wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:25 AM:

" I agree fully, forget this paper, forget the losers that post garbage in here as well, you want some?? come get it, those of you that know TS know where to find me, those of you that dont post on this thread cause you will get eaten alive on our mayhem website, Im a hockey fan and Im also seeing alot of strongarm attempted by old ppl as well as ppl that know nothing to try and run hockey out of Bloomington, check yourselves if you can. We are here, say what you will.

TS "

Re:BrettinBloomington wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:21 AM:

" Why should we attend and support such a horrible team? Before you say anything I did go to two games to give the team a try. They were horrible and I was one of may be 100 fans at the game. The cost of the tickets and the food is not worth the product they put on the ice. I am not going to waste my money on something like this. "

I love it wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:19 AM:

" When I read the headlines I couldn't wait to jump on the website to see how many judy/judy-dome/nelson & butler/stockton bashers had given their 2 cents worth. I was shocked there weren't more. Maybe the bashers should consider more then giving their 2 cents and, as BrettinBloomington stated, attend an event. I've attended many concerts, hockey games and football games and had an absolutely wonderful time EVERY TIME. As a single person there's only so many things to do in B-N ... go out to eat, go to a movie or go to a bar. With the Coliseum, I'm guaranteed some form of entertainment almost weekly. Tomorrow is an exhibition football game and I can't wait!! The new coach is a cutie by the way!! :-) "

HockeyFan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:14 AM:

" To BrettinBloomington: I’m right there with you… People need to stop complaining and find a constructive way to help the problem. Try supporting your hometown, and it’s teams, instead of constantly dragging them through the mud…

To Maric: Crawl back under your rock. Hockey is the most action packed sport there is and is far more exciting than any other… Or do you prefer to watch grown men stand around and scratch themselves while spitting tobacco waiting for the 30 seconds they’ll be needed to fetch a ball in a 3 hour game?
"

Rivs Fan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 10:09 AM:

" As a rivermen fan, I feel for the BN people who inherited Nelson and Butler, those guys were jokes with the Rivs organization. Was great to see them leave the Rivs and now even better to see them struggle!!!! "

snowBIRD wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:44 AM:

" No problem. Maybe the local investor could be Nelson, Butler & MARKOWITZ !!! "

cant buy tickets wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:38 AM:

" If you could get someone to return a phone call more tickets might get sold. I have given up ono getting Extreme tickets because no one will return my call about group tickets. "

Transparency wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:36 AM:

" When we have cosed door meetings, something is being hidden'. Lets be open and honest with the citizens of Bloomington. Things will be getting much worse. The city must get out of the entertainment sector. The whole mess is stinking to high heaven. Managing city government and providing services to residents should be the only job.
When losses are reported, the comments only list part of the losses. Be open , honest and fair. Find a investor to take over all, and get back to city government. Shame on the city manager, mayor, and the city council. "

hidden debts wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:21 AM:

" this is only the beginning. where else are the liabilities being squirreled away? it will all come out eventually. "

To: Bloomington PT wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:11 AM:

" Maybe the reason the road game articles are "bland at best" is because the games are bland. I agree with HD, we need something more energetic for the games. "

Officiating? wrote on Feb 28, 2008 9:07 AM:

" So if I understand several of the posts, if we only had better officiating, PT wouldn't lose so much money? Is the theory that the PT are regularly screwed out of victories by the officials, therefore they're perceived as a worse team than they really are, hence attendance is down and money is lost? You guys are delusional. "

HD wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:56 AM:

" I agree about the officiating! The ref from last nights game (Mike McCreary, from the IHL website), was increadibly horrible! ALSO... Why doesnt the PT try to do some new things to get fans and players pumped up! As adorable as it is, a 10 year old girl figure skating before the game does not get me pumped up for a hockey game!! Try some pyro or something! "

BloomingtonPT wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:44 AM:

" McBurney Rules!!! So basicly, this whole article is about a closed door meeting, and hear-say. I think the Coliseum should dump the Pantagraph as a sponsor, cause all they do is dump on them. So quick to report about the negative, yet your articles on the road games for the Thunder are bland on the best days. "

Maric wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:42 AM:

" Hockey is such an awful sport, put a worthwhile sport in its place! "

BrettinBloomington wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:41 AM:

" I'm a big hockey fan and like having a local team, even though alot are hacks, and if they got rid of the starting goalie we might have had a better season. Details aside, all I see anytime a coliseum issue comes up, people jump all over it and complain about the problem, yet do nothing to help. Try attending some games or events, then the majority would have less to complain about. Try being part of the solution, not the problem. If more people would pry themselves away from the dumb box or keyboard and get out more often, this wouldn't be an issue, and maybe we could afford to replace our lacking players. Win or lose, I will still support our home teams. "

Baseball? wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:39 AM:

" I know, let's spend $20,000,000 on a baseball stadium! BN is obviously a huge minor league sports town! "

Need to Try wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:21 AM:

" To get an minor league NHL affiliate in town. Try to lure a team from the ECHL. I don't think they can get an AHL team. That way you have the NHL team behind you although I don't think they help too much financially. The fans can see players who have a chance to move up to the NHL. The travel is more and there are more expenses but I would pay an few extra dollars per ticket to see future NHL players playing for both teams. "

REALLY wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:14 AM:

" And, why is this a BIG surprise!!! What a mess the city of Bloomington has gotten into now!! "

Sits back quietly... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 8:10 AM:

" Chews popcorn and thinks to self - "This is gonna be a great show!" "

Rivermen23 wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:48 AM:

" Bloomington should at least consider moving up to the ECHL and becoming Peoria's farm team (instead of Alaska). I do not know if a jump all the way up to the AHL is possible. "

Options wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:44 AM:

" Maybe if the same guys could play off season on the new Baseball team in Normal then the salary costs for hockey could be reduced. Normal has plenty of cash. "

IHL is folding wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:40 AM:

" Writing on the wall - the IHL is folding and the Thunder will be join another league (the 3rd in 3 seasons) hopefully a league with some standing such as the ECHL or the AHL - but don't get your hopes up. "

BN Hockey wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:39 AM:

" If a local corporation purchased the team and managed to get into the AHL - the place would be packed. I always was concerned about the Fury owner also owning the Thunder, I imagine we come second fiddle in his eyes and if the bills are not being paid he isn't too concerned. Heck the owner wasn't even at the meeting! "

T wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:24 AM:

" Yea but the city can just increase taxes again and get their money. Wait till the economy really takes a turn and there is nobody there to watch games and nobody buying "

Change wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:18 AM:

" If it means getting rid of Nelson and Bulter, I wouldn't be sad to be without a hockey team for a little while. The first second we don't have a team,, I hope we can break the deal. "

thunderfan24 wrote on Feb 28, 2008 7:12 AM:

" i would be happy to see them join the ECHL, i don't think theycould house an AHL team, there aren't enough resources in the colliseum to house an AHL team. take a look at peoria, they had to go through millions of dollars to renevate the PCC just to put the AHL tag on the rivermen. gotta have the space to play in the AHL. the ECHL however would bring about good rivalries, with cincinatti, toledo, wheeling, and that whole conference if that is the conference bloomington would be in. one day the clouds will pass and sun will shine on the P/T and the colliseum. "

Not a $$$$ problem, coaching... wrote on Feb 28, 2008 6:33 AM:

" Either get rid of Booth now, or when his contract is out at the end of this season, send him packing. Sign a coach that knows how to motivate, and that the players want to play for, and the quality of the games will pick up. Resulting attendance will be larger, revenue from ticket sales and consessions will be better. Players are jumping ship because of Booth. The ones that stay don't give a shot enough to play well for him. "

Thunder Fan wrote on Feb 28, 2008 6:24 AM:

" If this story was worked freom the inside out Steven Purcell's comments would have been the first and possibly the only comment from Politcos. The reason being he is acutually there at the arena supporting Bl;oomington and it's cause.
Attaboy Steven, can we get those heaters now? "

Why not?? wrote on Feb 28, 2008 5:30 AM:

" Haven't made a common sense deal since the whole judydome fiasco started!! "

Reggie Dunlop wrote on Feb 28, 2008 5:29 AM:

" Lets give the fans a show and turn this into the WWE. That way they wont be able to dissolve the team. Wait a second I got a better one, lets get State Farm to buy the team and use players injuries to promote workmans' comp insurance. "

Why Closed Doors? wrote on Feb 28, 2008 5:25 AM:

" This is the exact kind of skullduggery that got taxpayers in this mess to begin with. Closed door meetings involving a city manager, and a small group of people who end up sticking it to the citizens and taxpayers of this community. Whatever happens behind closed doors ends up raising rates of services and taxes for all involved. Why is Hamilton still trying to decieve the people? This hockey team was doomed from the start and what kind of a leauge allows an owner to have two teams in the same league? Has anyone ever heard of conflict of interest? Can any sports fan fathom George Steinbrenner owning the Yankees and the Red Sox? Now Stockton is looking for a new owner for the Prairie Chickens, is that in his job description? "

william wrote on Feb 28, 2008 5:09 AM:

" time to go back and look at the BIG picture again I guess. "

Taxpayer wrote on Feb 28, 2008 4:15 AM:

" Hope they continue and say 'not only the city can't own the team but also financialy support the team' there is a difference. "

schmoo wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:55 AM:

" Oh this is a gimme, raise more taxes you people seem to dream up the ideas very well "

Adult Swim wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:54 AM:

" shhhhh... the Backyardigans are coming ! ...LOL "

Only a matter of time. wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:46 AM:

" Only a matter of time before the IHL folds as well. I agree with redbirds1202 about the natural rivalries. "

FYI wrote on Feb 28, 2008 1:20 AM:

" Imagine the utility(big part of operating expenses...2nd to management's pay of course) would be much less if we didn't have to freeze it constantly...very UN-GREEN! "

Killer Carlson wrote on Feb 27, 2008 11:08 PM:

" Hey, old time hockey, eh Coach.... "

after tonight's game it is obvious wrote on Feb 27, 2008 11:05 PM:

" WE NEED NEW REF'S - not a new owner. PT would have won (or at least gotten to sudden death) if the refs had better eyesight. Gailey? Where are you? "

Seamus wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:59 PM:

" Loser team and a loser town! "

Man o Man wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:55 PM:

" Lots of fail in this coliseum these days... "

redbirds1202 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:21 PM:

" Bloomington needs to try and get into the AHL. Natural rivalries with the Wolves, Rivermen, and Rockford would help with attendance as well as a much better product. "

Sumeet wrote on Feb 27, 2008 10:00 PM:

" Yes, yes, I know, I know. Now my idea of a professional cricket team doesn’t sound so silly crazy now? "

Oglethorp wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:57 PM:

" hire the Hansons to play for the team. "

Oh no, You dont !! wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:46 PM:

" Your not going to use my tax money to buy some loser team, You have bills to pay first and if they owe you better get it from them quickly because if I owed the city money they be after me like Wilber law firm or AFNI to get it so dont let them slide 1 more min. "

Starting to Make Sense wrote on Feb 27, 2008 9:13 PM:

" This monetary problem sheds some light on why so many Thunder players have left the team this year for Europe or other places. Or maybe why they have recently traded one of their best (and probably highest paid) players. As a low-league hockey player, uprooting your entire family for another city in the U.S. is one thing - going to Europe is a real commitment and these guys likely saw the writing on the wall. The question is: will Bloomington city fathers be able to see through the smoke screen FOR A CHANGE? "

what do you want to bet wrote on Feb 27, 2008 8:40 PM:

" that this is just the tip of the ice berg and we'll hear much more about this in the upcoming weeks. if stockton feels they can be owned by a private franchise, why doesn't he apply this same logic to the red herring coliseum????????????????? such leadership or lack thereof is disappointing for a community of our size. "

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