San Antonio in AHL!!
Just read that the vote went in favor of the Spurs, but they will be getting the dormant IHL Detroit franchise, but will still be affliated with Florida.
mtshow
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 206
(5/6/02 7:07 pm) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
so what exactly does this mean for the iggies???? forgive me for my ignorance
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 209
(5/7/02 12:07 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
okay i'm still pretty lost, but this is what i have been able to gather. The Panthers franchise is coming to San Antonio and they are taking over Freeman Coliseum? The iggys aren't going to be forced to leave San Antonio, but they just can't play at Freeman anymore? Okay so the iggys have a choice to make... either stay in san antonio and fight witht the AHL team for fans/patrons and play in the alamo dome or pull out and we say bye bye iggys?
tell me if that is it... forgive me i am a little slow
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Official LR Doorman
Posts: 126
(5/7/02 12:12 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
You aren't slow, this is real complicated. The Spurs forced the citizens of San Antonio to vote in a new arena (the SBC Center) for them to play in. When they setup the agreement with the location of the SBC Center(the Freeman parking lot) the Spurs were given the booking rights for both buildings. Because of this, the Iguanas are out since the Spurs will own the AHL team. The Iguanas have a choice of the Alamo Dome and wait for another building to be built (unlikely) or the Alamodome until the Spurs basically muscle the Iguanas out of town(the unfortunate likely outcome), or the Spurs could end up buying the Iguanas afterall and shutting them down taking the name, possibly for the AHL team(not so likely with the new owners that bought into the Iggies).
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 210
(5/7/02 12:24 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
well !@#$ so does this mean that i can pretty much expect the iguanas to not return next year? or is there still hope? is there anything we can do?
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Official LR Doorman
Posts: 127
(5/7/02 12:30 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
I think, and this is my opinion only, that the Iguanas will be back for the upcoming season. Now I am concerned with how long they will last beyond that, because the Spurs just come in with too much financial backing for the AHL team. I hope they can last out and we see the Iguanas do well, but I fear that some of what is said may be right that the Iguanas 4500 attendance are the die hards, but the Spurs will be able to advertise more to get people into the new building. Thats another thing, people will go to see the SBC center in a situation that doesn't involve 75 dollar Spurs tickets (price quoted is just a guess).
Again, this is all speculation and opinion on my part. I can see all peoples thoughts on this and I haven't seen anyones thoughts that don't have merit so far. Lets just say this is going to be an interesting summer.
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 211
(5/7/02 12:37 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
well i can tell you this... i will be attending as many iggys games as possible... i'll be there for every road game of ours and i'll try to sneak away as much as possible... maybe increased attendance would help??? hopefully they don't go away, but if we have learned anything from the past... the iggys have a way of coming back! remember the whole ihl thing?
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Official LR Doorman
Posts: 128
(5/7/02 12:50 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
I very much remember the IHL thing. I hope the Iggies do stay around. The one thing I was happy about when the leagues merged was that my two teams could play each other (Lubbock and San Antonio). I will be there as much as I can, but 6 hours is a bit too far to make too many games...
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 212
(5/7/02 10:14 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
yeah six hours is a bit of a stretch... but two hours isn't that bad... plus with all the away games that we play the booster club takes it's own bus (i think, i may be dreaming this)so... at least i won't have to drive to those games!!!
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
The booster club doesn't take a bus to every San Antonio game but we are going to try to take a bus to as many of the weekend games as we can as long as they stay booked. We want to help the Iggies as much as we can and see some great hockey!
Official LR Rebel Rouser
Posts: 53
(5/8/02 10:32 pm) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
How about we go on strike!! If they rid of the iggies we shall go on strike! Nobody should show up for the first game of the AHL team, everyone should stand outside with their signs held high and their jerseys worn proud!! Try talking the people attending the game to refuse! That way there will be a small crowd and they will realize the iggies are what San Antonio wants!! All CHL fans that can should show!!
If they do let the iggies stay, we may not have them long! So then we should all show up for as many of their games as possible, bring friends, tell all you can to come and save the iggies!! Bring signs reading "SAVE OUR SAN ANTONIO IGUANAS"
I dunno, it is just a thought!
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 221
(5/8/02 10:50 pm) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
It's a good thought!!! i would totally go for it if i knew that everyone else would too. but the reality is that there are people who are going to go to the games and we wouldn't really make a difference to such a high dollar team... :<
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
Food For Thought!!!! It appears not all the facts have been stated...Like all business deals, an offer was made to the owner of the Iggies to buy the team by the Spurs organization. It was refused..then accepted after the Spurs went looking for a team to play in their new arena. This is called holding out for a better price ....and then loosing to your own bluff....Would you then support a relationship with the Icerays or maybe the Icebats as a feeder program to the AHL in San Antonio....
Official LR Doorman
Posts: 130
(5/9/02 2:01 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
I have never heard of a negotiation where the starting asking price and initial offer are the only offers. Yes an offer was made by the Spurs. Yes, Elmore(Iguanas owner) turned down that initial offer.
As for feeder programs, Austin is currently feeding Houston be it officially or unofficially. I could see a likely affiliation for San Antonio AHL with either the Iguanas or the IceRays. either would make sense geographically.
No matter what, there will still have to be an agreement, of some sort, made between these teams at some point for either to be successful. If the fighting and bickering appears to be continuing, then fans will be disgusted as in the Dragons situation.
There's the new website. Pushing season tickets already.
Quote: The AHL season operates from October through April and will include 40 home games in the SBC Center with season tickets ranging from $360 to $740 per seat ($9 to $18 per game). The AHL, while offering very affordable prices, is the top development league for the NHL.
Official LR Rebel Rouser
Posts: 54
(5/9/02 11:48 am) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
ok, so SA definently has an AHL team now, right? Does this mean the iggies are gone? Or is there a possibility that they can still stay?!
Official LR Doorman
Posts: 132
(5/9/02 1:28 pm) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
They can still stay. Just have to come to an agreement with the Alamodome for a place to play. This is gonna be an interesting season.
By all published accounts, the Spurs offered to buy the Iguanas for $600,000.00 (six hundred thousand).
Only a fool would accept that price for the Iguanas. Elmore's reply was $2.5 million. And no, they ain't worth that either. But the fact is, the Spurs offered a ridiculously low amount for the team. The team is probably worth somewhere around $1.2 to $1.5 million
Remember, the Spurs promised publicly that they would work with the Iguanas, and would not attempt to bring in another hockey team. They lied. Working with the Iguanas consisted of trying to steal them for $600K. When that didn't work, they went to plan B, and the AHL team is the result of that. Actually, I think they have been working on plan B for a long time.
Elmore didn't have a chance to work things out with the Spurs. One lousey offer was all that was put on the table. Then to top it off, the Spurs cancelled the meeting with the Iguanas that was schedualed in regards to renewing Freeman's lease.
As a hocky fan, I would much rather see a good CHL team, over a bad AHL team. The tickets for the CHL are lower, the game just as, if not more exciting. The Florida Panthers have stunk for a number of years, and so have their farm teams. I see nothing on the table that will correct that situation any time soon.
So, let the Spurs play their games. I am betting that they will lose. The Iguanas are San Antonio's hockey team. And they have a place to play, all be it, not the best, but it is a place to play.
Official LR Pep Squad Captain
Posts: 225
(5/9/02 2:10 pm) Reply
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
hmmph it seems to me that "Plan A" was just a pretty plan to make them look like they were trying to work with the iggys... while, in actuality, the Spurs were really pushing "Plan B" ... But that may just be my anger speaking... I think the whole situation is pretty shi++y!
"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave? No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."
-Jacques Plante
Re: San Antonio in AHL!!
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