Flint Firebirds 2016-17 Season Thread

[TcNorth]

Ive never hid my background, like I said, I've been posting on here for years. Its all there. Im not going to start every post with 'this is my resume', and I don't think anyone should have to do that. I wish agents, scouts and parents would keep it to that.

Its an open forum, the rules are the rules. You are more than entitled to your beliefs, but they are just yours and not the belief of the site. If its not part of the site rules, you can't really complain. The only thing that is against the rules that happens often is telling people what they are or are not allowed to post, and your one of the biggest guilty parties in this.

Not everyone's going to love Flint, not everyone's going to hate it, but they are entitled to an open dialog about it without being told that are not allowed to talk about something or that they shouldn't be posting about something, thats not how it works, everyone is allowed to post their feelings/thoughts, not only the ones you like.

To me, with your background, you will get more benifit of the doubt, but I suspect that does matter to you. As a former Flint citizen and longtime Flint hockey follower, the cririque by many is very agressive and sound like a personal attack on our community of nearly 500,000. The overwhelming problem is Rolf Nilsen and even us defenders of Flint know that.

 

[Tigers1992]

As a former Flint citizen and longtime Flint hockey follower, the cririque by many is very agressive and sound like a personal attack on our community of nearly 500,000. The overwhelming problem is Rolf Nilsen and even us defenders of Flint know that.

But you just said it right there. Your emotionally invested in Flint and the community, so right away you won't be unbiased. Any type of comment that isn't positive will be taken with that negative look, even when its not, It's basic physiology. You think you're being attacked so you feel the need to defend, when its far from that.

Strip away your emotional attachment and I think you'll find that its just honest dialog. People are talking about the team and the issues that are still there, and they should be allowed to do that. You may not like that, you may FEEL that it's an attack, but its not, its an open dialog, the type that sites like these thrive off of. You can't tell people what they are or are not allowed to talk about, thats not how it works on here.

 

[TcNorth]

But you just said it right there. Your emotionally invested in Flint and the community, so right away you won't be unbiased. Any type of comment that isn't positive will be taken with that negative look, even when its not, It's basic physiology. You think you're being attacked so you feel the need to defend, when its far from that.

Strip away your emotional attachment and I think you'll find that its just honest dialog. People are talking about the team and the issues that are still there, and they should be allowed to do that. You may not like that, you may FEEL that it's an attack, but its not, its an eggopen dialog, the type that sites like these thrive off of. You can't tell people what they are or are not allowed to talk about, thats not how it works on here.

Never ever once said I was not biased. Unlike many who post here. If you are going to critique me, you should have your information straight! I am a Flint hockey supporter through and through, but cannot stand Rolf or having his son on our team.

 

[Toldyaso]

Ive never hid my background, like I said, I've been posting on here for years. Its all there. Im not going to start every post with 'this is my resume', and I don't think anyone should have to do that.

Its an open forum, the rules are the rules. You are more than entitled to your beliefs, but they are just yours and not the belief of the site. If its not part of the site rules, you can't really complain. The only thing that is against the rules that happens often is telling people what they are or are not allowed to post, and your one of the biggest guilty parties in this.

Not everyone's going to love Flint, not everyone's going to hate it, but they are entitled to an open dialog about it without being told that are not allowed to talk about something or that they shouldn't be posting about something, thats not how it works, everyone is allowed to post their feelings/thoughts, not only the ones you like.

All I did was ask how he knows these things. He could have respectfully said he isn't at liberty to disclose that information or that he was unwilling to. He essentially did that but he went a step further and made statements intended to belittle and silence other posters. That is disrespectful. He is rude and abrasive and there is no rule against taking offense to that. I never once said he could not post anything so citing forum rules, none of which I violated, is just a strawman. I simply am done with him and have put him on ignore. While he may or may not be accurate in his depictions he for certain is a rude and abrasive personality that I don't care to converse with. One thing I am certain of is that no matter how on point you are the way that you present your information and opinions is just as important as the accuracy of the information. You can be dead on in your assessments and information but if your a jackwad in the way you articulate it People lose respect for you and stop listening.

 

[TcNorth]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

All the best Tc

 

[Buttsy]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

You love your team, and your city. You support the players like few others and you defend all that is important to you. Even your adversaries I think would agree you have nothing to apologize for.

Good Luck with the surgery sounds like you have lots of support around you and that is key.

 

[CJinGrandBlanc]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers Tc. In late April of this year I was diagnosed with kidney disease. So I certainly know what you may have been going thru and your concern for the future.

As soon as you are able, please do get back on the board. I do enjoy reading your comments and the passion that you have for Flint and Flint hockey.

Szczęśc Boze......God Bless

 

[superdee]

Good Luck with the surgery TC and keep us updated. Was in Flint area on weekend with RV. Coming to Flint -Knight's game this year

 

[Fastpace]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

All the very best TcFlint, Get well soon !!

 

[Ward Cornell]

TC....hope the surgery goes G R E A T....and you're back and at'em in no time!

 

[Whalers Fan]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

Best of luck with the surgery, TC. I will be sending positive thoughts your way.

 

[Finster8]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

Gob Bless You
You are in my prayers
Look forward to reading your posts and get well

 

[TcNorth]

Thank you all for the prayers and best wishes. Just because I am 54, doesn’t mean I am too proud to ask. My wife Wendy and I thank you again! We may have a long season in Flint, but I support our players and their development.

 

[OMG67]

To me, with your background, you will get more benifit of the doubt, but I suspect that does matter to you. As a former Flint citizen and longtime Flint hockey follower, the cririque by many is very agressive and sound like a personal attack on our community of nearly 500,000. The overwhelming problem is Rolf Nilsen and even us defenders of Flint know that.

I have been one of the most vocal attackers of the organization and have shown sympathy towards the players walking out.

That being said, if I won the lottery and wanted to purchase an OHL franchise, I would be one of the first in line to purchase Flint and the rink. I've said it before and Iw I'll say it again, there is a great fan base with a rich tradition of supporting local hockey. A large populations base. A good arena to accommodate OHL hockey. A great looking brand that could have the sharpest uniforms in the OHL.

Flint has loads of positives going for it. The revenues are generated in American dollars as well which is great considering the exchange right now!

So, this is not a case of people attacking the city of Flint nor their fans. This is a case of the leadership of that organization making a mockery of the league. This is a case of sympathizing with the players that had to work in that environment. This is a case of the Flint organization bungling this up so badly that now they are in a situation where they need to take their medicine in the short term even if it tastes like crap.

DON'T GET BITTER. GET BETTER!

 

[Savard18]

Best of luck TC and a speedy recovery.

 

[Toldyaso]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

Good luck to you TC.

 

[Toldyaso]

I have been one of the most vocal attackers of the organization and have shown sympathy towards the players walking out.

That being said, if I won the lottery and wanted to purchase an OHL franchise, I would be one of the first in line to purchase Flint and the rink. I've said it before and Iw I'll say it again, there is a great fan base with a rich tradition of supporting local hockey. A large populations base. A good arena to accommodate OHL hockey. A great looking brand that could have the sharpest uniforms in the OHL.

Flint has loads of positives going for it. The revenues are generated in American dollars as well which is great considering the exchange right now!

So, this is not a case of people attacking the city of Flint nor their fans. This is a case of the leadership of that organization making a mockery of the league. This is a case of sympathizing with the players that had to work in that environment. This is a case of the Flint organization bungling this up so badly that now they are in a situation where they need to take their medicine in the short term even if it tastes like crap.

DON'T GET BITTER. GET BETTER!

This ^^^

 

[Petes]

Flint/Hockey fans, please keep me in your thoughts while having a kidney removed tomorrow (Thursday). I will be out of circulation for several days. Hopefully, by the time I am back, we will have announced a trade. I have family coming to Grand Rapids from Flint and Traverse City to give my wife and I some moral support. I have some other health complications as well. I apologize for rubbing some here the wrong way.

Best of luck, TC.

 

[Buttsy]

Perhaps there should be a rule that a person identify who they are to see if there is any bias in their so called facts. It certainly appears scouts are protecting other scouts (same for agents). As for parents? They should have their own separate forum.

I certainly appreciate in this instance what the goal was when you wanted people identified.

From a different perspective though it would be great to know the posters that are actually employed in some capacity or are closely connected to a certain aspect of the league. If for example as a reader I understood a post was coming from say the Guelph Storms West Region scout and he mentioned seeing a kid play last season or something it would be nice to know these details. The value a reader places on the feedback being posted may be a little higher than "Joe Schmo" who catches the odd game on Sports Net. Anyway I get why one can't always identify themselves but it could be handy in some circumstances? If I've ever told a scout with 35 years of experience working in the role for a team that he was full of dog dodoo my apologies. Well unless you were of course!

 

[Fastpace]

I have been one of the most vocal attackers of the organization and have shown sympathy towards the players walking out.

That being said, if I won the lottery and wanted to purchase an OHL franchise, I would be one of the first in line to purchase Flint and the rink. I've said it before and Iw I'll say it again, there is a great fan base with a rich tradition of supporting local hockey. A large populations base. A good arena to accommodate OHL hockey. A great looking brand that could have the sharpest uniforms in the OHL.

Flint has loads of positives going for it. The revenues are generated in American dollars as well which is great considering the exchange right now!

So, this is not a case of people attacking the city of Flint nor their fans. This is a case of the leadership of that organization making a mockery of the league. This is a case of sympathizing with the players that had to work in that environment. This is a case of the Flint organization bungling this up so badly that now they are in a situation where they need to take their medicine in the short term even if it tastes like crap.

DON'T GET BITTER. GET BETTER!

You have left out " This is about other organizations taking full advantage of an other team's situation " Right !!!

 

[OMG67]

You have left out " This is about other organizations taking full advantage of an other team's situation " Right !!!

I don't believe that carries any weight as an arguement.

Teams always take advantage of other teams. At the deadline, teams that sell players to contenders are taking advantage of another teams' need to improve. That is why player values at the deadline are typically higher than any other time during the season.

I could argue Ottawa took advantage of Sarnia's need to improve last year when we traded Konecny when we fleeced them for the ridiculous return we received.

It is the nature of sport for players to take advantage of other players and teams to take advantage of other teams.

The goal is to not leave yourself open to be taken advantage of. Flint's organization left a big gaping hole open for other teams to take advantage of. They have no one to blame but themselves. Like I said before......

DON'T GET BITTER, GET BETTER!

 

[BadgerBruce]

I don't believe that carries any weight as an arguement.

Teams always take advantage of other teams. At the deadline, teams that sell players to contenders are taking advantage of another teams' need to improve. That is why player values at the deadline are typically higher than any other time during the season.

I could argue Ottawa took advantage of Sarnia's need to improve last year when we traded Konecny when we fleeced them for the ridiculous return we received.

It is the nature of sport for players to take advantage of other players and teams to take advantage of other teams.

The goal is to not leave yourself open to be taken advantage of. Flint's organization left a big gaping hole open for other teams to take advantage of. They have no one to blame but themselves. Like I said before......

DON'T GET BITTER, GET BETTER!

I've always been an admirer of Jack Blatherwick, who wrote the following a few years back:

"If football fell into the hockey trap, they would be restricted by rules designed to keep some programs from ‘gaining an advantage.’ This is what Herb Brooks meant by legislating mediocrity; because ‘striving to gain an advantage’ is what DEFINES competition and DRIVES motivation, learning, and creative coaching."

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/onlin...18-why-do-we-send-millions-to-usa-hockey.html

The nature of competitive sport is to identify and exploit the opponent's weaknesses. Anything less is just a version of "everybody gets a participation medal." Flint is vulnerable, yes. Their solution is to fix their vulnerabilities, not for opponents to pretend they don't exist.

 

[Toldyaso]

I don't believe that carries any weight as an arguement.

Teams always take advantage of other teams. At the deadline, teams that sell players to contenders are taking advantage of another teams' need to improve. That is why player values at the deadline are typically higher than any other time during the season.

I could argue Ottawa took advantage of Sarnia's need to improve last year when we traded Konecny when we fleeced them for the ridiculous return we received.

It is the nature of sport for players to take advantage of other players and teams to take advantage of other teams.

The goal is to not leave yourself open to be taken advantage of. Flint's organization left a big gaping hole open for other teams to take advantage of. They have no one to blame but themselves. Like I said before......

DON'T GET BITTER, GET BETTER!

I can agree with that. If the management of other teams did not try to take advantage of an opportunity they would not be fulfilling their obligations to their organization. It is up to vulnerable organizations like Flint to not allow themselves to be fleeced. How they do that is up for debate. They could simply refuse to deal players who refuse to report but then not only are they out the services of that player they have failed to take advantage of an opportunity to help themselves even a little and that is a failure to fulfill their obligation to the organization. I know it is even more complicated than that but when your in a no win situation you have no choice but to try and mitigate the damage as much as possible. I know my first reaction to players who refuse to report is let them sit then or trade when hell freezes over. However as much as this grinds my oats I know it is the wrong thing to do. I am confident that Burnett will try and get the most value for the no reports that he can. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have much leverage with the most valuable on. Nothing that can be done about that. Get what is gettable and move on. After that just hope that the right changes get made to prevent these situations in the future.

 

[Firebrd828]

...DON'T GET BITTER, GET BITTEN!

Hey!!!!