SurMartin
Registered User
Aren't people protesting? If it happened in Sweden I would expect riots. (Hell, I'd participate)
Sport Vaasa to replace Jokerit
- Thread starter Urbanskog
- Start date
It's not 1980's-1990's anymore. Some people should wake up. The world and league has changed. SM-liiga had to make a fast decision when Jokerit departed and went with a club that have had success in Mestis before, has strong fan culture and full arena (can you say same with TuTo or others?) and has financial ability to stay in Liiga.
SurMartin
Registered User
If it's not about how well you play anymore, what's the point of playing at all?
When Kärpät were promoted Pelicans was supposed to go down (Kärpät beat them), SM-Liiga closed its doors and the demoted Pelicans were kept up.
Team that finished 2nd in Mestis that year was Sport (granted by 20 points). Sport then goes to suckage for a few years as there's no point. Painful years to get the team back on sound footing
Then it just so happens that the one year they open SM-Liiga up to add a team "to get a full round played" is the year of the NHL lockout and Kalpa owners NHL Stars Kimmo Timonen and Sami Kapanen line up for them.
In Mestis.
Timonen even dragged along his Nashville teammate Adam Hall as well. That Kalpa team would have medalled in SM-Liiga.
Team that finished 2nd in Mestis that year was Sport
In the years following, only Sport pushed an SM-Liiga team (Ässät to game 7) and only Sport ever challenged for promotion realistically (which other promotion series has been televised?)
In this millenium - no other team has consistently pushed to be promoted to SM-Liiga as often as Vaasan Sport. Had there been no lockout I (personally) wager that Kalpa would be in Mestis and Sport in Lüga.
And at the same time - it has never been fair. As a Sport supporter nothing has gone our way in terms of Liiga decisions.
Now one finally does.
Mix satisfaction with disgust, the cabinet you hate is the cabinet offering redemption. The thing nobody else is close to having earned compared to you and.. empty.
Even this year, Sport was running away with Mestis, then they started to rumour that its been decided Sport is going up. Then the team goes belly up (got unsetteled), gets promoted, finishes second, gets eliminated
Somebody took the Hollywood ending we were promised and turned it into a post-modern French movie that wins all the obscure Palm D'Or's and Sundance Festivals and is critically acclaimed. That nobody buys tickets to.
Summa summarum - it has never been about how well you play.
And whoop-de-doo if anybody has been hard done by, bang your head on the wall for 14 years first then let's revisit your complaint.
The federation held their meeting to decide that after Sport were confirmed to be promoted. Just as you'd ****ing expect: they cancelled the qualifications and gave the winner of the Suomi-sarja the privilege to apply for a "licence" to play in the Mestis.
If it's not about how well you play anymore, what's the point of playing at all?
Money. Hockey is reduced to a circus act while the people in charge keep playing their own money and power game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv2qLOiioPc&t=0m31s
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Just out of curiosity, do you think that Sport will be successful in Liiga? Attendance, budget etc.? Will the fans be less or more interested now?
I read about the team and I see that they have close to no connection at all with the teams in Liiga, and have only played in Liiga one season, 1975, the very first season. Since then they have been in second and third-tier leagues of Finland.
I'm sure however that most of the hardcore fans of Sport will know of the Liiga teams. But what about the majority?
Do you think Sport will be more successful with attracting fans in Liiga than Jokerit in KHL?
I read about the team and I see that they have close to no connection at all with the teams in Liiga, and have only played in Liiga one season, 1975, the very first season. Since then they have been in second and third-tier leagues of Finland.
I'm sure however that most of the hardcore fans of Sport will know of the Liiga teams. But what about the majority?
Do you think Sport will be more successful with attracting fans in Liiga than Jokerit in KHL?
mattihp
Registered User
Huge rivalry with Kärpät since the Mestis days. It's all also a team that can attract swedish speaking fans from the entire country.
Won't be as successful attendance wise as they're not in Helsinki.
This sounds good at least, that they have a rival from day one, will help a lot with the atmosphere for the fans.
Because if it's one thing that I have learned from this forum is that derbies/rivalry are very important in Europe.
The Swedish part I didn't know of, so this could be positive also. Maybe even attract Swedish players?
Yes the town is very small compared to Helsinki, but also could be good that the Liiga expands to a smaller city also. And if there is no other big sport to compete with Sport Vaasa they could attract many fans I hope, in the long run.
Sounds like a bad hit for Liiga, but we can wait and hope for good results for both teams.
mattihp
Registered User
I don't think the swedish players have put much thought in the language of the cities where they play in Finland. But Vaasa is pretty cool in the way that most people talk both finnish and swedish at pretty much a first language level; so it won't be a hindrance at least.This sounds good at least, that they have a rival from day one, will help a lot with the atmosphere for the fans.
Because if it's one thing that I have learned from this forum is that derbies/rivalry are very important in Europe.
The Swedish part I didn't know of, so this could be positive also. Maybe even attract Swedish players?
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
One thing that is always said about Sport, is that they have the best fans.
If Jokerit were a crowd puller - then Sport is a team that can bus 1000 supporters to an away game. Theyve done that in Mestis and thats mindboggling.
In my opinion Jukurit should be in Liiga. Considering the records in Mestis, they are by far the best best team overall and even this season, after a average regular season, they've managed to knock out both TUTO and Sport.
Jussi
Registered User
They just don't have the financial means to do it. They can't fill their arena and Mikkeli isn't a big booming economic area.
