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Post by MidlandSpiritFan on Aug 28, 2007 2:05:09 GMT -5
Would appreciate it if anyone who attends the training camp workouts and/or scrimmages posts comments so that I can stay on top of what's going on from half a world away. Thanks in advance.
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Post by MidlandSpiritFan on Aug 29, 2007 8:55:24 GMT -5
Just heard that only the blue-white scrimmage on Saturday, September 1st is open to the public.
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Post by IGive1 on Aug 29, 2007 9:32:28 GMT -5
What time do they scrimmage in the evening?
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Post by bpfox on Aug 29, 2007 14:20:42 GMT -5
Group A will practice on the ice from 9am until 10:30am with group B on the ice from 10:30 until noon. I believe this is both Thursday and Friday. They will scrimmage each other at 7PM both nights. These sessions are open to the public free of charge.
The Blue and White final scrimmage is Saturday at 1 PM with a donation being accepted for entrance to that game.
Sorry, I can't tell you anything about rosters. Guess you will just have to go down to Dow and do that research yourself. Peace.
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Post by IGive1 on Aug 29, 2007 14:27:13 GMT -5
Thanks.
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Post by bpfox on Aug 30, 2007 15:53:07 GMT -5
From what I understand, the Spirit practice sessions are indeed closed to the public. The information I received from the Spirit office yesterday was that the practices were open to the public. When I contacted them today to ask why people were not allowed in I was told that there was a miscommunication about that and the people in the office were not told the practices were closed. They appologized for the mistake and I appologize to anyone who went down there because of my posting that they could get in and were turned away.
I guess we will all just have to wait until Saturday.
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Post by MidlandSpiritFan on Aug 30, 2007 22:04:04 GMT -5
From m-live.com: www.mlive.com/spirit/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1188481803303940.xml&coll=9Where all the players are today is on the ice at The Dow Event Center's Wendler Arena. Watson has broken the team into two squads, with one taking the ice at 9 a.m. today, Friday and Saturday, and the second group going 90 minutes later all three days. "I'm sure Todd is going to put them through their paces," Edwards said. Scrimmages are scheduled for tonight and Friday before the annual Blue-White Game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The workouts as well as the intra-squad clashes today and Friday are not open to the public, but fans are welcome to watch the Blue-White contest, Edwards noted. There is no admission charge. |
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Post by MidlandSpiritFan on Aug 30, 2007 22:06:23 GMT -5
So now the question is "why aren't the workouts and scrimmages open to the public??" Not very "fan friendly" if you ask me.
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Post by donjohnson on Aug 31, 2007 8:51:58 GMT -5
I think it's pretty clear with the toughness of the prospect scrimmage that there is going to be a lot of "tough love" coming from Coach Watson. I'm guessing the practices are going to be a little "R-Rated" and I don't think the little kiddies would appreciate that too much. The only people who really care about the practices being open to the public are some of the people who post here so that would make what, like 7 people in attendance and 1 getting blow-by-blow accounts via text message in the Far East. With the exception of SSF, we're all going to have plenty of chances to see hockey in the not-to-distant future...be patient young grasshoppers  |
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acin
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Post by acin on Aug 31, 2007 10:45:56 GMT -5
Young grasshoppers  lol. Anyways, I agree that these things shouldn't be open to the public. They are tryouts for the coaches to watch to see who they want. They don't need the publics opinion. Everyone can wait a few weeks. |
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Post by bpfox on Sept 1, 2007 7:32:44 GMT -5
I don't think anyone is going to turn in their season tickets because the practices were closed to the public. DJ is pretty much correct with the fact that only a handful of hockey junkies were going to go to practice anyway. However, the Spirit will get even more bad press in the fan forums because of it at a time when their bad press is at an all time high. At a time when season ticket sales are down. At a time when they are having a hard time getting billet families. This is a time when they should be opening doors to the fan base, not slamming them shut.
That said, I am more disappointed in the fact that the Spirit once again only have one home pre-season game. While fans in Saginaw are being locked out of practice, fans in London have already gone to a pre-season match up with the Sarnia Sting. That game drew 7500 fans. It just seems to me that each year Saginaw is one of the last teams to start pre-season camp and is at the bottom of the list in terms of pre-season games played. By the time Saginaw plays it's first pre-season game, London will be playing in it's third. All total, London will play 6 pre-season games against 3 different teams while Saginaw will play only 4 games against two different teams.
Perhaps there are those who won't like this comparison because they have come to dislike London. My point is, like them, or hate them, the London Knights are one of the elite teams in the league and if you want to become one of the elite teams, you have to do what the elite teams do. Saginaw seems to fall short of this simple philosophy. That to me is more disappointing than have the practices closed to the public.
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acin
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Post by acin on Sept 1, 2007 8:32:39 GMT -5
Bp fox,
You are so right. The organization should not complain how far behind they are. The players can only do so much and feel as if the Saginaw organization is just scatter-brained. I'm not saying I could do a better job. However I am saying that your philosophy is right on the target. They want to be an elite team, but look how long it took them to get a coach...a gm...assistant coach, etc. It's ridiculous. They don't even know what over agers they want to sign. Most teams have somewhat an idea. They invited Mannino back when they already have an abundance of players his age. It rattles me that they can't just figure things out, it always has to be a long, unorganized process. Hopefully, this year will turn out much better than this summer and pre-season. I was in favor of the practices being closed, without the knowledge that London and Sarnia have had a game already. I am not amused with Saginaw, whatsoever.
'
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Post by IGive1 on Sept 1, 2007 9:02:08 GMT -5
I don't have a problem with only 1 preseason home game. I think it comes down to $'s. London makes a lot of money on a preseason game with 7,500 in attendance. The Spirit might break even on their game at the SBIA. I think the coaching staff would rather see how players play on the road and I think the front office would still like there to be something special about seeing the team play, and playing exhibition games is really not all that special.
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acin
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Post by acin on Sept 1, 2007 9:52:54 GMT -5
Stick a fork in me im Done!!! This message board always finds a way to amaze me. When something negative happens with the team/personal people on here have a field day with it. Now when something positive happens you can hear a pin drop and it takes 3-4 days for somebody to realize WOW this is a good thing maybe we should talk about it on the message board. As far as the closed practices go has anyone on here talked to Edwards or Watson personally to get there reasoning behind it? If not dont go judging them and making them or the orginization sound like the bad guy when there may be a logical reson behind it. No matter what comes out of this I'll always be a Saginaw Spirit Hockey Fan. Now if your not happy about the whole situation Plymouth,Windsor,Sarnia,The Soo could always take ya in with open arms and you could help fill their arenas. If you choose Sarnia look at this 2 All-Star games in a row. Now how many of us can say they know other orginizations dont have some of the same problems if you choose to call them that in which we do? Is that the sound of crickets I hear? With that being said let's all look forward to a Great hockey season even if we dont win as many games as you wish they did look at it this way we have Hockey in Saginaw and the talent that comes in from another team i enjoy seeing way more then say perhaps the Flint Generals nothing against them but look how fortunate we are. Ok enough said see ya Sept 19th at The Dow. This was extremely dramatic.  None of us would have any problems with the organizations if everyone kept the fans, families, AND players more involved. You said we haven't talked to them about their reasoning, but they also don't tell. I'm not by any means saying I'm not thankful to have some good hockey here, trust me. I have more than a reason to be thankful. However, I was just saying that I wish things were a bit more organized and communicated. |
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Post by Guesswho on Sept 1, 2007 10:23:01 GMT -5
Acin, no that is all sad but true no drama here. i have a phone number you can call if you'd like (989) 497-6507 maybe they can answer your questions.
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lol.
None of us would have any problems with the organizations if everyone kept the fans, families, AND players more involved. You said we haven't talked to them about their reasoning, but they also don't tell. I'm not by any means saying I'm not thankful to have some good hockey here, trust me. I have more than a reason to be thankful. However, I was just saying that I wish things were a bit more organized and communicated.