St. Louis Ambush return for 2013-14 season!

Hey, a sock puppet! Awesome!

 

That photo couldn't have been 2003-04, as they sat out a year looking for new owners. Michael Hetelson and Wally Smerconish took over the franchise in the summer of 2004 and moved the Steamers to the Savvis (now Scottrade) Center for the 2004-05 season, then folded after the 2005-06 season.

Every team from every sport that has ever played at the Family Arena has failed. I admire anyone willing to try again and will be there supporting indoor soccer for however long it lasts.

I think the key will be for the new ownership group to plan on losing money for 3-5 seasons while they rebuild the fan base and, as Redhawk1 said, to do advertising. It's going to be really important to do enough effective marketing beyond the old standby giving thousands of tickets away to kid's soccer clubs.

 

I am guessing that photo of the huge crowd at the Family Arena was from Daryl Doran bobblehead night, which I believe was the biggest crowd for indoor soccer at that building.

It was also a PR nightmare as the bobbleheads didn't arrive in time and they had to hand out coupons for redemption at a later time. That didn't do much to encourage that large crowd to return.

 

The Steamers actually played at the Family Arena in the 2003-04 season, because they hosted the MISL All Star Game that year on FEB, 29, 2004. I believe they sat out the 2002-03 season.

 

@Redhhawk1 ....... you are correct, sir. I should have looked at my own history compilation rather than go by memory. And I certainly should have remembered the ASG. We were both there.

2000: WISL Steamers play a summer-fall schedule at the Family Arena.
2001: WISL Steamers play their second season at the FA.
2002: WISL folds, Steamers go on hiatus.
2003: Steamers join the MISL for the 2003-04 season under a new ownership group.
2004: In March, the ownership group announces that the Steamers would cease operations. On September 9 at a press conference at Savvis Center, Hetelson and Smerconish are introduced as the new owners. The Steamers play 2004-05 and 2005-06 before folding. Smerconish pulled out after the 04-05 season.

 

To be fair, there were several fly-by-night, low-level sports that put teams in that arena, right? I mean, you can't blame the arena for the ABA team failing, because 99% of ABA teams are crap. Knockoff arena football is crap, the UHL at least had the longest run there, but it was still the UFL, and those Steamers weren't exactly well-heeled, were they?

You guys know more than I do, but it looks from the outside like the teams that have gone in there haven't been the best and brightest.

And the "Savvis Steamers" outdrew the "St. Charles Steamers" by about 17% (announced), but Hetelson and company also poured a lot more into marketing and advertising. I don't know how much to attribute to the building/location and how much to attribute to the effort.

 

The Steamers spent $0 in advertsing/marketing at the Family Arena from 2000-2004. I know Michael Hetelson & Co. put much more into the team while at Scottrade/Savvis Center, but the billboards with the naked players really hurt their image. Also, signing a female player, while it sold a lot of tickets for 1 game and garnered a lot of media attention, was a major slap in the face to the former players in the area and most people laughed at it. The 2005-06 team on the field was all business and very good, but the front office staff was young and inexperienced, and didn't know how to sell. However, the last 3 games drew 8700, 10k, and 16k for the Championship, but an "inside sales staff" of 6 individuals and 2 part-time sales reps were added very late in the season that actually paid off.

For what it's worth, the Family Arena has made some major renovations with new ribbon board and 2 new video boards....and it looks very good. Also, new dasher boars are to be installed soon, if they haven't been already. Not saying that helps sell tickets, but it can't hurt and helps make the fan experience a good one.

 

The CHL might not be around in September to have the Chill play. They have announced a team in St Charles and a team in Greater Toronto. They have lost a large number of Texas teams and they have had some serious off ice issues.

I am told one players wife was asked to leave the hospital very quickly after childbirth because the team wasn't paying insurance. I have no corfirmation of this but it was also repeated in a Toronto newspaper about the future expansion team. That (using Kenn's analogy) isn't a warning flag, its a signal flare.

A team owner will be fined up the wazoo and faces possible jail time if they aren't paying insurance and representing that they are in fact paying insurance.

There is another team who was taken over by the league for a few days until the owner and the league worked out a couple of differences.

At least 4 teams have plans to move to the ECHL or SPHL and another one is rumored to fold. The league has been a mainstay over the last 20 years but these are ominous clouds.


Stay tuned on this one.

 

How many hockey teams does Toronto need?????

 

One on every street corner!

 

Jim , I can also tell you they did not arrive in time for the game and thats why the coupons were handed out also a lot of them got broke its was a PR disaster .IMO That Daryl Doran Bobble was one of the hardest ones to find for my collection

 

Lewis, in addition to that, I can also tell you that the bobbleheads did not arrive in time for the game, so they had to hand out coupons. It was a PR disaster.

 

I could also add that the bobbleheads didn't get there on time so they handed out coupons, causing a PR disaster...but I won't.

 

I am just glad I found the one I did ,

 

BBWF. not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but it was a PR disaster once they didnt arrive, I think they handed out coupons instead of the bobbleheads, because they were so late

 

Shelts I think they were repeating it because Card repeated what JimFossill said like he had not said it first or had asked what happened. I believe they were making fun of cardshop

 

I only repeated it be cause I know a lot about that bobble head I also know 1/2 of them arrived broken and what ever was left over was in Daryl Dorans Basement . Like a dumb ass I did not think before i repeated it

 

Thank you Captain Obvious

 

You know this constant repeating of the same old story that BS'ers bring up about indoor soccer is so lame. Really really lame.
Yes we know that the bobbleheads didn't get there on time. A PR DISASTER. Instead they handed out coupons.
You didn't apprear to realize that - if you did sorry

 

Lewis, I can also tell you that the bobbleheads did not arrive in time for the game, so they had to hand out coupons. It was a PR disaster.

Baxter

 

WHAT!?!?! Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this???? What a disaster!

 

DAMN IT!!
You know when you click on Big Soccer and see a new post under the indoor forum... and you get all excited thinking someone has some breaking news... Just to find it its some crap like I just typed!

Come on Louie - I want the figure today from Wink!

 

I gave you the figure 1/2 million

 

Ambush....oh dear god. At St Charles arena...oh dear god!!
Anyone crazy enough to get into MISL after hearing about Wichita selling, Wave woe's,
Chicago (one and out again) is nuts. NUTS!!
Fans in STL just dont care about indoor soccer...they are hoping for MLS at this point.
Indoor soccer in STL is washed up and gone, just like Chicago.
Say what you want.....its done

 

you may be right, but if you can't resurrect into STL on a pro indoor level like the Comets have shown they can do, then why even try to expand anywhere? You are an indoor fan, where do you want to see another team added?