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

[CommunistDayKare]

If you look at his portfolio at joebosack.com, I can picture a much better script and an edgier shaded bear. His work seems similar to another well known sports branding co, Studio Simon

 

[CommunistDayKare]

If they were going to redesign the logo etc, why trademark the old logo? Odd no?

Maybe protection of the brand name?

This.

IIRC TNSE trademarked the old Jets logo. Could also leave the possibility of throwback merchandise.

 

[Felonious Python]

That, but also the Solar Bears were very much a product of the 90's.

If you guys remember, Charlotte Hornets merch was very, very, popular. That's possibly where they got the color scheme from.

 

[HJimm]

Do sweaters in the ECHL have the league's logo on them?

If they do, it'll severely cut down on retro sweater names. (assuming this all goes to plan)

It's just like it was in the "I". It'll be on the back lower right hem.

Obviously the logo has to be a totally new design though for marketing purposes although I'm sure a lot of people will be happy wearing their old jerseys to the rink.
I still have a few hanging around...

#11 Purple 95-96 Orlando Solar Bears "Barr" Bauer 54 TC patch
#17 Purple 95-96 Orlando Solar Bears "Fisher" Bauer 56 TC patch
#6 Home 95-96 Orlando Solar Bears "Wetherill" Bauer 54 TC patch
#22 Home 95-96 Orlando Solar Bears "Malgunas" Bauer 56g
#6 Purple 96-97 Orlando Solar Bears "Wetherill" Bauer 54
#19 Home White 96-97 Orlando Solar Bears "Beaufait" Bauer 52
#9 Purple 96-97 Orlando Solar Bears "Beaufait" Bauer 50 "C"
#16 Alt Black 97-98 Orlando Solar Bears "Richards" Bauer 56 "A"
#13 Alt Black 97-98 Orlando Solar Bears "Panteleyev" Bauer 52
#26 Alt Black 97-98 Orlando Solar Bears "Angelstad" Bauer 56
#7 Pregame 97-98 Orlando Solar Bears NNOB Bauer 56
#17 Home 98-99 Orlando Solar Bears "Kaminski" Bauer 56 2000 patch
#31 Purple 98-99 Orlando Solar Bears "Littman" Bauer 56g TC patch
#29 Purple TC 00-01 Orlando Solar Bears “Hordichuk†Bauer 54
#17 Alt Black 00-01 Orlando Solar Bears "Gove" SP 54 TC patch

 

[HJimm]

My girls tell me Shades still skates at RDV on the weekends.... That's a 16 year old mascot shell. Can you imagine what it smells like inside? :

This was taken back in 2001 when Shades helped announce to our friends we were having a baby....

 

[CommunistDayKare]

Interesting tidbit:

The Solar Bears will be using a scoreboard bigger than any NHL team uses.

 

[Felonious Python]

I don't know if this new group knows why some are hesitant to put down a deposit just yet, but enough people put down deposits for the Seals, and got screwed, for word of it to get around.

There's a leap they're asking of us without knowing who any of them are, any hockey personnel to indicate that the franchise is really legit, or having the infrastructure of people to simply come across as an organization who will respond to your e-mails.

They just announced the name, but they realistically can't be anything but pleased with the cautious optimism they're finding (at least on the internets) The Seals sort of broke the trust, and this one's got to earn it back.

If someone wasn't as active looking through pages and pages of conversations about Lando Calrissian to find a nugget of information on who is running the show, it'd possibly look just as crooked as the Seals were.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Soooooo my internship is in the Summer. I may or may not have just contacted the team. I need to be this tired more often because I always have awesome ideas.

 

[Felonious Python]

Road Warriors guy, I'm not done with you just yet.

Soooooo my internship is in the Summer. I may or may not have just contacted the team. I need to be this tired more often because I always have awesome ideas.

You need to be this tired more often to come up with a great idea like contacting the bear?

I'm trying to think of a wording for the Solar Bears store. Bear Maul? Or is that too abstract?

 

[Felonious Python]

Feels appropriate, as often when the Bears came off of a road trip, they'd play this song right before they got on the ice.

 

[JedYzerman]

any idea of who their NHL affiliate will be?

 

[Felonious Python]

any idea of who their NHL affiliate will be?

There won't be any announcements made until their respective seasons are over. The logical choice would be Tampa Bay though.

They gave a timeframe of 6-8 months for the filling out of hockey ops, which would put us in June/July, which has got to be a bit disconcerting to a potential STM.

The Bear would be well served by getting someone in there sooner: a GM, a director of hockey ops, somebody that shows the wheels of the team are just waiting for the appropriate time to begin moving, and they aren't just going to hire somebody on July 1st, and go from there. Hockey Ops needs to have some functionality well before then if they're going to be prepared to build a team beginning on July 1st.

It's that hockey guy that's the key name who has been missing in this whole affair, which also leads me to believe that we're going to be somebody's little buddy (and it'll logically be Tampa). As putting Tampa Bay's peoples in before an affiliation is announced is even more classless then just announcing an affiliation during the season.

If I weren't so certain that the Solar Bears are going to be an affiliate, I'd be more concerned. What I am concerned about is that this approach is new to Orlando hockey fans, and not having anyone in there will cause them to freak out if it goes on too long. The Solar Bears started out independent, with a GM in place well before the team began playing, and the Seals couldn't find anyone that would associate, much less affiliate with them.

 

[SemireliableSource]

You need to be this tired more often to come up with a great idea like contacting the bear?

Well, I come up with great ideas while not tired, I just second guess myself as well. Tired as hell = ah **** it.

 

[CommunistDayKare]

#BeTheBear

#rawr

 

[Keroberos]

More OG Solar Bears musical memories. This is the song used in their pre-game intro video during their final season. Wish I could get my hands on that video; I just know it's stuck in a storage box somewhere in the bowels of RDV.

 

[CommunistDayKare]

 

[Felonious Python]

what kind of song is this? It's got to be nixed because first, I don't think a crowd would respond to it. It also mentions 'Titans', and there's a long-time Trenton team returning to that name, and they're probably already all over 'remember the titans'.

#bringbackvellinga
#andscratchhim

First game, pre-game introduce as many OG Bears as we can get. Invite Rumun Ndur, except don't acknowledge his presence.

I haven't forgotten.


The Bears have some built in rivalries from the IHL. Cincinnati being the most prominent, but also the Michigan K-Wings/Kalamazoo Wings, and though we'll basically never play them, just as we didn't then, the Utah Grizzlies.

We are now entering 'Hibernation: Stage Omega'

'solarbearshockey.com' still doesn't redirect you to 'orlandosolarbearshockey.com' yet.

 

[Keroberos]

what kind of song is this? It's got to be nixed because first, I don't think a crowd would respond to it. It also mentions 'Titans', and there's a long-time Trenton team returning to that name, and they're probably already all over 'remember the titans'.

The music in the promo video is RAH! (It's Gametime) by Atlanta-based Kidd Star. I agree with your assessment though: the Bears deserve better.

 

[Felonious Python]

The music in the promo video is RAH! (It's Gametime) by Atlanta-based Kidd Star. I agree with your assessment though: the Bears deserve better.

I think that the OG Solar Bears had a very distinctive selection of music. Republica, Foo Fighters, etc. 90's 'alt' rock.

I'm thinking it's more about transitioning from those days to these. Coming straight out with rap is very, very not-Solar Bear. They kind of need to stick to something like 'Ready to Go' or the 98-99 season's 'Enter Sandman' again for the intro video, before they start in with the rap. If they used that for Game 1, I think they'd alienate people when they need to be milking their nostalgia for monies and goodwill, and music is one of the biggest triggers for that.

The way it was applied to the video above, showed a lack of them getting it.

Videos like those are for the fans, and I don't think they'd respond. The songs played during warmups can conceivably have some rap in it, as that's what the Lightning do.

They'd be better off staying away from that for the first few games however, as the fans who are the most likely to be there to watch them warm-up are OG fans themselves. Nostalgia is especially important to stick to until the new guys start to grow on them, and they're cheering for the team 'now' and not the team 'then'.

Tricky business.

 

[Keroberos]

They'd be better off staying away from that for the first few games however, as the fans who are the most likely to be there to watch them warm-up are OG fans themselves. Nostalgia is especially important to stick to until the new guys start to grow on them, and they're cheering for the team 'now' and not the team 'then'.

Tricky business.

 

[Felonious Python]

You know what's kind of sad?

Here's all the OB's still playing.

http://eliteprospects.com/where_are_they_now.php?team=553

I'd give Curtis Murphy a shot. He'll be 36, and turn 37 the season the Bears pick up play again, and the Austrian league, where's he's doing quite well, is similar in quality to the ECHL. It'd be cool for him to bookend his professional career like that. If he signs, he would likely be our initial captain.

Brian Pothier as well, but I don't think he'd take the paycut from the NLA.

 

[Keroberos]

I'd give Curtis Murphy a shot. It'd be cool for him to bookend his professional career like that. If he signs, he would likely be our initial captain.

Curtis Murphy was a great point man, and had a killer work ethic. I'd love to see him back as captain.

 

[Houston Penguin]

Congrats Solar Bear fans!

I just hope that this does not go the way it did in New Orleans surrounding an NBA team ... the Brass were there in the New Orleans Arena and were chased out by SMG and the Hornets in conversion costs. Since then, the ECHL has gotten even smaller.

However, two major differences (a) The Magic are there already and seem to be welcoming the Bears and (b) you guys are closer to the Charlotte Checkers with your history than the Brass so hopefully the city will stick behind you like they did the Checkers.

 

[Felonious Python]

Since the Blue Jackets are sort of falling apart, Todd Richards might become available.

I don't really want him as coach though, I'd prefer him in management. (Dir. Hockey Ops, Player Personnel, GM, etc.)

The step down to the ECHL might not be one he'd jump at, and that's sort of why I see him in a management capacity, but I don't know if that's something Richards would really be interested in at this point.

Outside of him, Barry Dreger has some professional coaching experience with the Columbus Cottonmouths, and despite his enforcer nature, always came across as a very intelligent and articulate guy.

Mark Beaufait also seemed to have a good head for the game. A bit of a SFY comparison wouldn't be out of order either, but I don't know what he's doing now that he's retired from playing.

I've got a few more former players in mind for various positions, but I don't want to go dragging everybody into this.

 

[Felonious Python]

I think the next logical step, now that we have a name, is sign Mike Vellinga, scratch him forever, and let a real polar bear live in the Amway Centre. It's certainly cavernous enough.

I imagine he'll just naturally take to wearing sunglasses after not too long. Survival of the fittest or something. Whatever makes me sound smart.