Comments on: AHL no hockey upgrade for OKC in term of cities

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:41:06 +0000

You know, OKC must have some stupid people if they don’t know where Syracuse, New York is, or Hershey, Pennsylvania. Those are two well known cities. Granted, Glens Falls, New York, Peoria, Illinois, etc. are not that well known, so I see what you are talking about, but you better know where Syracuse and Hershey are. And, Oklahoma City is the same size as Cleveland, Milwaukee, Houston, etc. They have a great fan base just like the Monsters do in my home town of Cleveland. The AHL would fit in Oklahoma City perfectly.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:56:34 +0000

Another Trammel column that misses the point. The difference between AHL and CHL markets is not just in their size, but in the fact that the smaller AHL markets tend to be in areas which have a rich hockey tradition. Amarillo and Bighamton may be of similar size, but to say that they are comperable markets for minor league hockey is like saying that Binghamton is just as much a rodeo town as Amarillo.

By: linda

linda — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:29:07 +0000

somebody doesn’t no much about the hockey world…so shut up. I used to respect barry,but if you don’t know what your talking about,keep the snide comments to yourself! i grew up going to the Peoria rivermen & still remember the inaugural game of the chicago wolves. then i moved to OKC & thought what the hell kind of hockey is this????….come on AHL!!

By: Keith Burgdoff

Keith Burgdoff — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:28:01 +0000

Boneman is the only voice qulaified to talk hockey on the whole Jokelahoman staff! You rock Bone!

By: Scott Ellis

Scott Ellis — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:07:59 +0000

AHL Hockey has been more stable then most other leagues. When was the last time an AHL team was shut down to money problems? The CHL and ECHL have lost more teams in the last year. There were several teams in the ECHL that folded in the middle of a hockey season. Mr. Tramel doesn’t have the qualification to speak about hockey. Since he hasn’t ever attended a hockey game in OKC. He needs to go back to covering the Sooners, Cowboys, and the Thunder. And leave the commentating on hockey left to Bob Przybylo. Who does a well enough job since he took on the hockey beat.

By: Jean Claude

Jean Claude — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:44:27 +0000

Jeez, some of you goofy Okies need to relax. What Mr. Tramel is saying isn’t far from the truth. Let’s enjoy AHL hockey (if we even get it) while it lasts as it’s likely to split town just as quickly as we’ve seen in Des Moines, Quad City, and Omaha. Minor league hockey is about as unstable as it gets.

By: furrer4heisman

furrer4heisman — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:06:01 +0000

As far as financial feasibility, the AHL would help Express Sports. It’s the same reason Triple-A baseball works in the city. The RedHawks don’t pay the players’ salaries, the Texas Rangers do. I believe it works the same in the NHL. Express wouldn’t be paying the players’ salaries in the AHL. The Edmonton Oilers would be. In the CHL, the teams are responsible for paying salaries.

The big addition in expenditures will be travel. In the CHL, the Blazers could bus to every game. Not so in the AHL.

As far as cities, the vast majority of AHL franchise are in proven hockey markets. Whether or not Binghamton and Hershey are comparable to Corpus and Odessa is beside the point. Binghamton and Hershey are hockey markets with a supportive fanbase and strong followings.

By: Scott Ellis

Scott Ellis — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:08:48 +0000

Barry,
Are you talking out of your head or your rear end again? I don’t think you know what you are talking about here again. It’s OKC’s time to be in a hockey league were you can see hockey players, that one day hoist the Stanley Cup above their head. Getting an AHL franchise isn’t easy, like going out an buying a troubled NBA franchise. Then too up and move it to where ever your heart desired. Most of the AHL teams are owned by their parent NHL teams. Such as the Maple Leafs own the Toronto Marlies. It where they want them, and it’s they think they can do the best. But then you have the Current AHL Champions the Hersey Bears, who are the AHL team of the Washington Capitals. The Bears are not owned by the Capitals, and pay an affiliation fee to the capitals every season. The AHL is the next best thing to having an NHL team here in OKC. So to you and the other sports media personalities here in OKC. Stop trying to ruin something that hockey fans in OKC want to have here. It may not be an upgrade to you, but it’s an upgrade for us fans.

By: Keith Burgdoff

Keith Burgdoff — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:11:36 +0000

Here’s how the AHL is more finacially viable than a CHL team:

1. Coaches/Players are paid by the mother team
2. The lease will be paid (or supplemented) by the parent team.

Express Sports will only have to pay for a league fee and other small fees associated with local operstions.

Basically it’s like living in a house where mom and dad are paying the rent and you have to pay for utilities.

Barry has his head so far up Clay and Sam’s butt that he can’t even take the time to research the AHL. you are a waste of air Tramel!

By: Hersom weighs in… | Blazers

Hersom weighs in… | Blazers — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:45:06 +0000

[...] chum Berry Tramel has also posted his own thoughts on his blog yesterday. You can go here for that one. As for my story in today’s edition, here ya go. And as for the NewsOK poll, it is now 76 [...]