Rochester Lancers not returning for 2014-2015

Discussion in 'Pro Indoor Soccer' started by PepsiAddict, Aug 2, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Indoor is already distanced from outdoor. And was before the AISA/NPSL instituted multi-point scoring, and was when it continued but other leagues played by single-point.

    Given the exponential growth in outdoor's popularity the last 10 years, yes, I can see why you'd want to distance yourself from that. Smart.
     
    KidFlash repped this.
  2. PepsiAddict

    PepsiAddict Member

    Dec 30, 2011
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here is the most recent email sent out to season ticket holders. IMHO this does not help my feeling that this is an elaborate WWE-style storyline to make a statement while selling the team and getting some media time ...

     
    KidFlash repped this.
  3. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    #78 NSL2004, Aug 4, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2014

    Even I'm rethinking that strategy and I hate outdoor soccer.

    The only problem is outdoor soccer and FIFA and USSF don't give a $%$# about indoor soccer and won't do anything to support it or recognize it and most outdoor soccer fans don't care about it either.
     
  4. rochesterian80

    Mar 28, 2013
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Agreed. He is a huge WWE fan after all. Very few people would risk looking the way he does for publicity, but he is one of them. The big test was to see if season ticket refunds would go out today, and of course they did not. It was very odd to make the announcement he did on a Saturday, and sure enough, a friend of his that he supposedly didn't bother to communicate with before he decided to shutter the team suddenly wants to buy it within 48 hours.

    He/they are probably hoping that:
    • This will boost season tickets. I wonder if they will launch a drive to get to X new season tickets by X date to "save the team"
    • Put some pressure on the arena for an improved lease to "save the team"
    • Keep the team in the media for a month while they figure out whether they will or won't fold the team (ironically, coverage seems to be better in Syracuse and Dallas than here; perhaps we're used to these tactics)
    It is nice of a Lancers employee from the defunct version of the team (and the Salvatores office) to keep everyone informed. If Miller does indeed become the new owner and Sam does really step aside, I like the odds of him balancing the on-field/off-field aspect better. He clearly values the off-the-field stuff, but I think he may find a bit more balance being the competitor he is -- even if he is playing along a bit here....

    But, the big question is: will Allen Iverson finally sign with the "new" Lancers for the upcoming season???
     
    KidFlash repped this.
  5. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Really? That wasn't clear.
     
  6. the shelts

    the shelts Member+

    Jun 30, 2005
    Providence RI
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    Joining the USL brotherhood gave them some synergy, now that bridge is good and torched.
     
  7. The Stever

    The Stever Member

    Dec 4, 2003
    Bart Wolstein and Lee Stern also wholeheartedly agree.

    John Buss couldn't be reached for comment.
     
    msilverstein47 and lmfoust repped this.
  8. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States


    Doug Miller was on Soccer Is A Kick In The Grass last night and was talking about his efforts to try and keep the Lancers going.
     
  9. EdD.

    EdD. Member

    Jun 10, 2013
    Dallas, Texas
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wow. "We're going out of business soon so hurry up and send us your money!" If anybody needed any more confirmation that this folding mess had nothing to do with SPS v. MPS then this letter provides it. I'd sure love to see what Sam actually told his staff about this since at least a couple of his employees are still pushing the "it's all about SPS!" party line on Facebook. I'm sure some way can be found for that e-mail to be posted anonymously.
     
  10. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The email had a lot more in it than just the SPS/MPS issue. So, I don't know why anyone that read it would think that was even the #1 issue.

    And the SPS/MPS thing was more a symptom of the larger issues Sam was having with the new league.
     
  11. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just got a text that Sam will be solo in studio on Saturday to explain things after all the emails and text messages he's received since Saturday.
     
  12. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    Well that's a great example. Even when the USL owned the MISL they didn't do anything for indoor soccer.
     
    lmfoust repped this.
  13. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    Maybe because his co-conspirator Jeff Diveronica wrote an article subtitled:

    A dispute over a scoring system will keep the indoor soccer team from playing the 2014-15 season.
     
  14. FifaMan328

    FifaMan328 Member

    Dec 5, 2008
    I may be in the minority here... but at this point I wish SS would take his party bus and go back to Woodstock
     
    Joey Tee repped this.
  15. kfb5926

    kfb5926 Member

    Sep 9, 2009
    Prairie Village, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, I'm with you. I liked the energy he brought to the franchise. But enough already. Indoor soccer is always a fragile business model, and he's become disruptive.

    At first I hated the multi point scoring. Then I got used to it. Now I don't care, I just want a stable league with regional rivalries.
     
    Joey Tee and KidFlash repped this.
  16. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If they believed what he said on the record more than what he said privately, then well.....
     
  17. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How is someone supposed to believe something said privately?

    If it's said privately....they don't know it's been said, right?

    I just had a private conversation with Kate Upton. But it was private, so you can draw any inference you want from that.
     
    Joey Tee, KidFlash and PepsiAddict repped this.
  18. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was referring to the private email Sam sent to the staff.

    If someone read the article in the D&C and then read the letter from Sam to the staff, then I have no idea why they would say that SPS is THE reason Sam is stepping away.

    There is a LOT more to it.
     
  19. rochesterian80

    Mar 28, 2013
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    In Syracuse's paper he blamed the scoring system AND the $7k per game rent at the BCA. (He claimed they broke even the last two seasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's a bit of a stretch, although -- despite the inflated attendance -- they really did have lots of sponsors.) I suspect we'll hear all the reasons soon enough -- SS isn't one to have much control when it comes to speaking out. (Even the Syracuse article noted initially that he didn't want to give reasons, but then some came out.)

    But, it is what it is. As he has said, it probably is time for him to step away from pro soccer and enjoy it as a fan instead. So, Lancers fans have to hope Miller is able to take over the team on short notice and save the franchise. That's where the story really is now.
     
  20. rochesterian80

    Mar 28, 2013
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    And, sure enough, here are more details on Miller's efforts along with SS's complaints about the league:

    http://www.democratandchronicle.com...ller-takes-first-steps-save-lancers/13645135/

    (He doesn't help himself by ranting about some teams drawing few fans when even I knew that would be the case from 15 minutes of research! I figured he was fine with it for travel logistics and adding a few more wins to their record without boosting payroll... His point about only some teams have multi-point is a bit rinky dink of a solution by the league. Just don't do it then.)
     
    PepsiAddict and KidFlash repped this.
  21. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sam mentions more of the league issues in that article that he put in the letter to the staff.

    The whole some teams play SPS and others play MPS seems to be a compromise that made matters worse and not better.
     
  22. the shelts

    the shelts Member+

    Jun 30, 2005
    Providence RI
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    I love this quote.........

    Of course he has. So have I, so has you, so has anyone in Rochester, so has Vladimir Putin........the list is endless. Anyone is tasked with saving the team.

    7K a game is steep but not over the top for a real arena, depends on if that is an 'all in' price or the amount to secure it.
     
  23. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    No one was forcing Rochester to play MPS, believe me.
     
  24. Jim Bob Rhino

    Jim Bob Rhino Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, they were trying to force them to play SPS which was obviously a non-starter for Sam.
     
  25. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    Well I mean if you think it's a dumb idea for 3 teams to play MPS while everyone else plays SPS then the thing to do would be to also play SPS. Unless in some bizaro world he thought the league was making a special exception for the other 20 teams to let them play SPS.
     
    KidFlash repped this.

Share This Page