To me this is all a moot point. The front office does not appear to give a shit about how tough we are not. There are plenty of players out there but you have to call them to get them thinking about coming here.

I would bet that is not happening. We have been fed this line of bullshit for three years and I see no change on the horizon.

The staff insists that we need a player that will be an upgrade. Shit we could sign anyone in the league at Ice sports and it would be an upgrade over Bain, Hansen, Fairbarn, or even Murphy.

I think the front office needs to nut up and just sign a player that will come in here and clean house on some of these teams that walk into our house and ass pump our stars and then whip Bain's ass and leave.

The front office is talking a big talk but they are walkin in baby steps.

I can guarantee this, they will not have my season ticket money next year. (After 13 years of faithful season tickets)I have been lied too for the last three years and I have had it with this bullshit line that I have been handed.

[quote="ThunderStruck
I see you avoided my question so I will throw it out there again.

Quote:

brian-27 wrote: I really like the way the site admin calls someone, a customer as you call them, a t-bag becuase they voice their opinion. No wonder most of the intellegent hockey discussion is going on elsewhere. Hey brian-27 do you think this had anything to do with my T-Bag commit? Quote: Get off Devo's dick and put the crack pipe down. Is it your opinion, I should just let him fire a unanswered shot at me because I'm the "site admin"?

[/quote]
Didn't ignore it but didn't see it becuase i was responding to a diffenert post and missed it.

Maybe you should setup an alter ego identity to respond to these post instead of your current admin identity. Some people have thin skin and when they see the admin not only encouraging member bashing but participating in it only can push others away from your site. However, since it's your site you can do what you wish.

ThunderStruck wrote:

FlashBang wrote: BIB, here is Katzberg's stats so far this year. I know at 24 I'd rather give him a try than Devo at what 65? http://www.floridaseals.com/scoring_stats.asp 203 pims in 28 games, looks perfect. Next problem, looks like he already has a job and is playing in sunny FL. $$$ would probally be very close to the same, so why would he leave his job to come here?

one reason might be to play with tetrault again. & another might be that the CHL is a step up from the SPHL. hell our old back up goalie, Mark Cairns, is good enough to be a starter in that league. I can't remember which team it is in the CHL but they call players up from the SPHL a lot

does anyone know anything about a 5 game tryout. Like can it be used on a player like Devo.

BoysInBlue wrote:

one reason might be to play with tetrault again. & another might be that the CHL is a step up from the SPHL. hell our old back up goalie, Mark Cairns, is good enough to be a starter in that league. I can't remember which team it is in the CHL but they call players up from the SPHL a lot

Memphis is the team that called up a lot of players from Huntsville last year. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Devo were signed. He is more popular now then when he was a player. From what I remember of him he started the year he played here pretty bad but did improve as the season went on.

BoysInBlue wrote:

ThunderStruck wrote: FlashBang wrote: BIB, here is Katzberg's stats so far this year. I know at 24 I'd rather give him a try than Devo at what 65? http://www.floridaseals.com/scoring_stats.asp 203 pims in 28 games, looks perfect. Next problem, looks like he already has a job and is playing in sunny FL. $$$ would probally be very close to the same, so why would he leave his job to come here? one reason might be to play with tetrault again. & another might be that the CHL is a step up from the SPHL. hell our old back up goalie, Mark Cairns, is good enough to be a starter in that league. I can't remember which team it is in the CHL but they call players up from the SPHL a lot

Yes it's a step up, but the money close to the same. In my opinion if I already had a job in sunny Florida I probally wouldn't leave it for something unknown and close to the same money. There some pretty solid players in that league that could play for any CHL team they wanted to. Example John Gurskis

DropthePuck - I think the CHL only has "tryouts" for goalies, but there nothing saying you could sign the guy and 5 games later cut him if he didn't work out.

DAMIT does that mean the Devo thread is going to die now that we have signed Matt Coughlin?

I'm still waiting for someone to answer my questions about the CHL signing new "enforcers." Nobody's addressed my questions.....

BoysInBlue wrote:

ok i'll try this one more time. the difference between bain & Devo. Bain is a forward Devo is a" defenseman" he wasn't that great of a player back when he was a player. now he's older & yes he's a tough SOB. but he's OLD! if Bain misses a play his position, the guy skates by him to a defender. if Devo misses a play in his postion, the guy skates by him to be one on one with our goalie. Devo's skating is going to make Fairbarn look like Esdale.

I have seen this point a couple of times. Why do people think he would have to play defense? I am sure he can skate up and down on a wing just fine.

Rolling Thunder wrote:

It seemed last year that every time Parker stepped on the ice he was getting called for something.

That's because every time he stepped onto the ice, he made a boneheaded play.

ThunderRumbler wrote:

I'm still waiting for someone to answer my questions about the CHL signing new "enforcers." Nobody's addressed my questions.....

Quote:

The argument of "there's no toughness out there to sign" concerns me. I would ask someone to do some research on this, because I am truly interested in this fact. Since we are basically half way through the season, how many "tough guys" have been signed by other CHL teams? I'm just curious. If there hasn't been too many, then isn't that "excuse" true? How do these numbers compare to other leagues of the same calibur as the CHL? Also, what other Leagues could the Thunder look at to find some toughness? Are there other leagues in which we could go in, make an inticing offer, and pull someone in? We're bitchin' about this excuse, but I don't see anyone offering up any solutions. Is there any? I don't have any. Are there enforcers out there to sign? (Excluding Devo) I challenge those in the "know" to answer this.

I'll play along, ThunderRumbler I challenge you to do your own research if your truly that intrested.

Quote:

I'm uncomfortable with signing Devo. I'm just afraid he'll lose it, and rip someone a new ass and go psycho on the ice.

Sounds like a good reason to sign him. Remember when Rammer would go phycho?

BoysInBlue wrote:

ok i'll try this one more time. the difference between bain & Devo. Bain is a forward Devo is a" defenseman" he wasn't that great of a player back when he was a player. now he's older & yes he's a tough SOB. but he's OLD! if Bain misses a play his position, the guy skates by him to a defender. if Devo misses a play in his postion, the guy skates by him to be one on one with our goalie. Devo's skating is going to make Fairbarn look like Esdale.

I do remember a certain purse swinging defenseman, in this league, moved up to the NHL and became a forward. His name was Wade Brookbank. Just because he played defense, doesn't mean he has to stay a defenseman. Also, have you ever heard of the old proverb, "you're only as old as you feel"? This is not a guy that's going to skate 40 to 50 mins a night. He's going to ride the bench most of the game (like Bain is doing 99% of the games), and be available to take care of some of the problems on the ice. You act like we barely have enough guys to fill three lines. So far this season, Bain has had a couple games, with more than 3-4 shifts. Even when the team has been shorthanded. So I wouldn't think he would have to play any more than Bain does right now.

BT wrote:

BoysInBlue wrote: ok i'll try this one more time. the difference between bain & Devo. Bain is a forward Devo is a" defenseman" he wasn't that great of a player back when he was a player. now he's older & yes he's a tough SOB. but he's OLD! if Bain misses a play his position, the guy skates by him to a defender. if Devo misses a play in his postion, the guy skates by him to be one on one with our goalie. Devo's skating is going to make Fairbarn look like Esdale. I do remember a certain purse swinging defenseman, in this league, moved up to the NHL and became a forward. His name was Wade Brookbank. Just because he played defense, doesn't mean he has to stay a defenseman. Also, have you ever heard of the old proverb, "you're only as old as you feel"? This is not a guy that's going to skate 40 to 50 mins a night. He's going to ride the bench most of the game (like Bain is doing 99% of the games), and be available to take care of some of the problems on the ice. You act like we barely have enough guys to fill three lines. So far this season, Bain has had a couple games, with more than 3-4 shifts. Even when the team has been shorthanded. So I wouldn't think he would have to play any more than Bain does right now.

exactly. and who cares if he can't win the wind sprint competition on the ice. He knows how to play the game, no one will intimidate him, no one will take advantage of our star players, no one will probably beat him every night like they do Bain. (But sure some will be stupid enough to try.)

Hell most of us on here only want them to give him a shot if it doesn't work after 5 games cut him, that simple. Nothing to loose and everything to gain.

Man is right here in our own backyard but the governing powers that be are either to damn blind to realize it, or just don't care that a problem with this team could be upgraded for the better but would still rather remain mediocre at best with the toughness we have displayed so far.

We have a lot of majors but if wasn't for the likes of Liebel and TATO all those would be beatings received--NOT GIVEN.

What's the lesson in that?? We ain't TIMEX. (You know takes a lickin and keeps on tickin) Going to be a rough road ahead. Hope the team comes back in one piece----INSTEAD OF PIECES

If we can convince Andrew Katzberg to come ot Wichita lets do it. I would be all for it. If not what then? We just going to go through a whole season talking about how we wished we had more toughness or are we going to actually do something about it?

Once again, Bain isn't doing anything right now. Nothing. Why stick with a player who does nothing when you have a guy who may do something?

We should sign that Big Stan guy, he looks tough.

ah hell i just wanna see a good ole time hockey fight, goalies and all!

brian-27 wrote:

However, since it's your site you can do what you wish.

He usually does.

wicks wrote:

We should sign that Big Stan guy, he looks tough.

That's the smartest thing I have read on this thread...

Thunderfan wrote:

How many tickets would you sell if you put a toughman champ on this team? A guy who wants nothing more than to hurt anyone who looks funny at our players.

I'm pretty sure that with Devo you aren't going to sell anymore tickets then you are without him. If I remember Correctly, Devo didn't even fight in the 05' Tough Man. Why? Cause he's not really that Tough... And plus he was a fraid of Matt Williams, Who WON Tough man!!

So as long as Devo doesn't play the Thunder will do just as good as they are now.

True, but you will still be on all fours in front of Collies