OT: Orlando Solar Bears Thread - Baby I'm ready to go!

[CommunistDayKare]

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...20111011_1_amway-center-hockey-team-franchise

On Monday, the City Council is expected to approve a lease with the as-yet-unnamed team, a prerequisite to applying for franchise approval from the ECHL. The Double-A league has been around since the mid-1980s, has 20 teams and affiliations with the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
If the arena lease and the league franchise are approved — both of which seem likely — the team would begin playing in the 2012-13 season.

Click to read more...

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

So there could be 2 Florida ECHL teams.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I just heard a loud scream here in Germany. It took me a while until I finally recognized FP's voice:

 

[DangleDoppler]

As long as they're a Lightning farm team, I'm definitely down for season tickets...

 

[Stammer Time*]

Awesome, I don't mind sharing with Carolina but who wouldn't want to have an affiliate with Orlando?

 

[Felonious Python]

I just heard a loud scream here in Germany. It took me a while until I finally recognized FP's voice:

QFT.

I'm really, really concerned who the owner is though. So much of a franchise's success hangs solely on that.

The venture includes Joseph Haleski, a former executive with a Pittsburgh hedge fund and investment company; (Bob) Ohrablo, who has experience in team management, tickets sales and marketing for several organizations, including the AHL; and Tim Kuhl, who has handled marketing and sales for AHL and NHL franchises.

Let's see what we can find on these people.

Tim Kuhl: http://panthers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=37618

Joseph Haleski appears to be, or have been VP, Managing Director & COO of Duquesne Capital Management.

He's donated to Republican candidates, most recently (2008 campaign) to Romney, Bush-Cheney in 2004, and has some donations from around 2000 for the Giuliani exploratory committee.

Some info on Duquesne employee profit sharing: http://www.brightscope.com/form-550...Management-Llc-Employees-Profit-Sharing-Plan/

Bob Ohrablo's twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/bobohrablo

Ohrablo also seems to have ties to the Florida Panthers, given that he's got the Panthers VP of Marketing as a follower.

 

[chasespace]

I wish someone would contact Vinik and see if he'd like to own more hockey teams.

 

[Felonious Python]

I wish someone would contact Vinik and see if he'd like to own more hockey teams.

Haleski is also a hedge fund guy, which is what Vinik did. How many of them could there be?

 

[chasespace]

The team would pay $22,000 A GAME in the first year and $25,000 in the second and third years? That would be $792,000 the team pays to Orlando in the first year and $900,000 in the second and third years. Would part of that money go to funding an arena project for the team and the other parts go to the city and the Amway Center?

Is that financially viable for an ECHL team? Or even and AHL team?

 

[Felonious Python]

The team would pay $22,000 A GAME in the first year and $25,000 in the second and third years? That would be $792,000 the team pays to Orlando in the first year and $900,000 in the second and third years. Would part of that money go to funding an arena project for the team and the other parts go to the city and the Amway Center?

Is that financially viable for an ECHL team? Or even and AHL team?

The only way to get a team in Orlando, especially with their new arena, is to pay a lot of money per game. Does it allow them to be financially viable? The city doesn't care, it creates jobs now.

I can't recall exactly what the Seals were paying, but it wasn't far off from that (16k?). It didn't help they also didn't understand what people want.

If I can ramble a bit on the arena 'expansion' plans. They haven't been mentioned on here, but I've seen stories on the news about it. Srsly? They just finished the thing, and they've already been talking about funding an 'expansion'? How did this building win so many awards again? Oh right, I've never known in the first place.

Well, if the hockey team runs out of money, they can squat like the companies where the expansion is planned to be are doing.

 

[Doctor Drej]

Bring back Jim Paek!

 

[CommunistDayKare]

The Orlando Mockingbirds?

Then they can play in the Birdcage.

 

[Felonious Python]

Just thought of a team name:

Please Welcome YOUR ORLANDO *hey guys, we're gonna need everybody out of here at like 10:30 at the latest*

*I don't know why. The Magic just said to get our ***** out of their building by 10:30...I don't know. If it's anything like last time, they'll just sit in the dark and throw rocks at the glass again.*-ERRSSS

 

[Felonious Python]

Today's the day the city council will approve or disapprove the lease?

LET'S GO OR-LAN-DO! LOCAL GOVERNMENT! WOO!

Anyone got a working stream?

this is the one from the city's website, and they're supposed to begin the day's broadcast at 10am, and that exact point of time has passed.
http://ctyorlando-orlando1.wm.llnwd.net/ctyorlando_orlando1 (WMP)

Working link: http://tvblip.com/online-tv/united-states/13816-orange-tv-florida.html

Update: both work now...if anyone but me is interested.


Okay, I found someone else in on the Orlando team. Charles Cohen. The Cohen in Cohen & Grigsby, P.C., a law firm in Pittsburgh. The same city Haleski hails from.

What's interesting is that Cohen & Grigsby also have a PAC.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/politi...y-p-c-political-action-committee.asp?cycle=12

The link goes to the 2012 cycle

Perhaps nothing earth shattering, as they are a corporate law firm, and would then likely have clients who want to influence politics, and from the 2012 cycle, they've got some Pens as clients.

 

[DangleDoppler]

Any idea when they're going to discuss/vote on this? I would love to watch, but i don't wanna watch some cable access local CSPAN wanna be lol

 

[Felonious Python]

Any idea when they're going to discuss/vote on this? I would love to watch, but i don't wanna watch some cable access local CSPAN wanna be lol

This is a fantastic phrase.

The city council meeting looks like it's scheduled to start at 2pm, and the Orlando team is on the agenda for today, but they're pretty far down the list.

http://edocs.ci.orlando.fl.us/asv/p...0ae50b787a5eb51a8525792800519a68?OpenDocument

They're under [G] venues.

 

[DangleDoppler]

http://edocs.ci.orlando.fl.us/asv/p...0ae50b787a5eb51a8525792800519a68?OpenDocument

They're under [G] venues.

Cool Thanks so much FP, if i'm not on the road to Tampa by then I'll definitely check it out...

 

[Felonious Python]

This is what Occupy Orlando is really about.

 

[CommunistDayKare]

TIME TO SOLAR THE BEAR

 

[Felonious Python]

TIME TO SOLAR THE BEAR

No sarcasm necessary.

Be The Roar.

...I'd be okay with calling them the Admirals, just to mess with everybody. Especially if they move to the AHL. 3 teams!

 

[CommunistDayKare]

we wouldn't have to change any press materials

go from ads to ads

 

[Felonious Python]

AND NOW INTRODUCING YOUR ORLANDO CITY COUNCILLORS!

FROM DISTRICT 1, PHIL DIIIIIIIAAAAAAAMMMOOOOOOOONNNNNNNDDDDDDDD

FROM DISTRICT 2, TOOOOOONNNNNNNYYYYYYY OOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIZZZ

FROM DISTRICT 3, ROBERT F. STUUUUUART

FROM DISTRICT 4, PATTY SHEEEEEHAN

FROM DISTRICT 5, DAISY W. LYYYYYYYYYNAM

FROM DISTRICT 6, SAMUEL L. IIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGSSSSSS

AND YOUR MAYOR, BUUUUUUUDDDDDYYYYYY DYYYYYYYYEEEEEERRRRRRR

let's do this ****.

 

[DangleDoppler]

AND NOW INTRODUCING YOUR ORLANDO CITY COUNCILLORS!

FROM DISTRICT 1, PHIL DIIIIIIIAAAAAAAMMMOOOOOOOONNNNNNNDDDDDDDD

FROM DISTRICT 2, TOOOOOONNNNNNNYYYYYYY OOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIZZZ

FROM DISTRICT 3, ROBERT F. STUUUUUART

FROM DISTRICT 4, PATTY SHEEEEEHAN

FROM DISTRICT 5, DAISY W. LYYYYYYYYYNAM

FROM DISTRICT 6, SAMUEL L. IIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGSSSSSS

AND YOUR MAYOR, BUUUUUUUDDDDDYYYYYY DYYYYYYYYEEEEEERRRRRRR

let's do this ****.

LET'S GO DEMOCRACY

 

[Felonious Python]

Oh yeah, they got 8-11 year old gifted students to make a diorama on how they would revitalize Paramore.

 

[DangleDoppler]

Woohoo Go Buddy Go!!!! Way to go Orlando...Finally doing something RIGHT!