Rochester Lancers fold

D&C article about this ... I don't doubt that the insurance issues are legit, especially since the Rhinos said they have the same issues ... But Doug Miller saying he was "hopeful that something still might save the team" is oddly reminiscent of last years "folding" ...

http://www.democratandchronicle.com...remiums-lead-rochester-lancers-fold/29793869/

 

You'll forgive me if I remain a little skeptical.

Rising insurance costs would be a very strange (yet understandable) reason to fold.

 

Also, why wouldn't the Lancers FB page repost Sam's letter?

 

Count me in on that skepticism. I think the talks of extending the "awful lease at the BCA" (as Sam so eloquently put it) may have had a teeny bit to do with it, as well as his known displeasure with the MASL, and other factors. He was ready to bail last season also, and given Sam's flair for theatrics, it's hard to tell if this is real or just another stunt. Putting out the announcement the day after the women's world cup win also makes me wonder.

If this is in fact a done deal, the insurance increase was probably the last straw, but hardly the sole reason.

 

All of a sudden we need nefarious reasons for an indoor soccer team to fold?

Money In vs. Money Out. That has been the death of nearly every team over time.

 

With any other indoor soccer team? Nope.

With this particular one, things get a little salty. You can't always take Sammy at face value, and have to wait to make sure.

 

Pretty much. That doesn't mean Sam's not done. But considering that the FB page is still not posting the letter he sent out, let alone the website, is weird. Last year, both sites put up his message immediately.

 

His briefly leaked staff letter that was posted here last year certainly provided some insight. It didn't sound like he's making money. (Lots of tickets distributed, not as many paid.) He hates the lease. He doesn't like the politics or business of soccer (which he reiterated again on Soccer is a Kick in the Grass). Perhaps insurance was the final straw.

But, based on last year's leaked letter, it did sound like he wanted out. And now he was given a good excuse to finally pull the plug. In a way it's too bad. But he wasn't having fun and that spilled over. I just don't think our arena here really has the availability with three other pro teams to make the Lancers successful. But I'd love to see them back. Just with (actual!) different ownership. I don't see anyone else accepting the risk. Even when they announced this team years back I wondered why the heck they'd try when we don't have an arena with decent available dates.

As an aside, when he complained about the carpet last year in the media, arena manager Jeff Calkins said they'd need a new carpet IF they came back. It felt like a bit of a shot at the moment, but Jeff was dead on.

 

It is now posted on the Lancers FB page and website with extended comments/thank you's by Soccer Sam:
http://rlancers.com/news.php?id=365

BTW, I'm still not convinced they are done until I see the next MASL schedule without them listed.

 

Too bad for Rochester. Reading all of these letters & reports, the reasons given by Sam for shuttering the Lancers sound valid, at face value. Of course he is hoping for a proverbial Knight in armor to swoop in and restart the team. However, the lack of a good arena deal & crippling insurance rates will likely keep that from happening. Soccer Sam may be a bit wacky but you have to admire his passion for soccer. If the MASL were a real league, they probably could have helped roll back that insurance cost, which is absurd for such a small employer. Or the league would have their own worker comp policy at lower cost, which each team pays into.

 

Does any of this insurance stuff have to do with Single-Entity or Franchise? Would insurance rates differ under a different setup? Would a franchise league have their own workman's comp policy so teams like Sam's wouldn't have to go through this type of ordeal? Or the devils advocate in me says if it does matter, is this a ploy to get a franchised league?

 

Since Syracuse is in the same state as Rochester and running a similar-type of organization (i.e. having the same type of risk), wouldn't both of their insurance policy amounts be similar? If not, what would be the difference?

 

The Rochester Rhinos similarly saw their premiums spike from something in the neighborhood of $90,000 a year into the $200,000 range within the past six months, said Rob Clark, team owner and CEO. The team fought it and got it reduced somewhat. Clark called it "the cost of doing business."

 

Sams rate increased 2 years ago when the Lancers has so many injured players . The more claims you file the more your insurance rates increase . Same as your homeowners insurance policy . For a prime example My insurance was $587.00 a year I had a flood in my basement and the insurance company paid out 10K on the claim My insurance rate went up to 693.00 this year

 

Lewis, if his rate went from 21K to 200K in 1 season, it was more than just injury claims. Thank you for the run down on how insurance works though, I've been curious my whole life how insurance policies work, maybe one day I'll live in a town with one of those huh

I just have this weird feeling this is some type of ploy, maybe a scare tactic? As mentioned above, single entity should have a policy for the entire league as you don't "own a team", you own a share in the league. So, if MASL is a single-entity, could this be a scare tactic or some type of leverage play to say to the public "we are gone, probably" and then behind closed doors say "see, we're serious, we will leave the league unless you guys buy a policy or switch to franchise".

The same scare tactics I now feel Ed Hale used with the Missouri incident. Threaten lawsuits against other teams, players, exc exc... in single entity they are all on the hook, but if they go Ed and Sams route, they wouldn't be.

Conspiracy theories are fun at least.

 

Scott,

Do you even realize how many of those lancer players had to have a major surgery I think it was 7 or 8 of them that season those surgeries are not cheap at all . The insurance company had to recoup that money in some way . No Matter who the Lancers go though the rate is going to be high because of the risk factor.

Conspiracy hahahahah This is the MASL there is no money being made & as far as we know right now the Blast have not been reinstated by the League .

 

And yet the MASL has yet to remove the Blast, Monterrey or the Lancers from the website. They did quickly add Cedar Rapids and Sonara. Why wouldn't serious removals be done with just as much expediency.

 

Yep, Sam is the "owner who cried 'fold'" until proven otherwise.

 

Because Syd use to manage the website and social media pages and he is no longer involved with the MASL . No one has any idea who is even running things right now .