Randy, is there something you'd like to tell us?

Hit Man · Two for slashing Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 147

So in missed the not returning to the Austin area thing. Did that come out officially? If it did I missed it. Too much information flying around. As far as owing us anything no they don't but as loyal fans the organization does, no matter who owns the team at this point.
I guess I'm grateful for randy giving us another year, but then he handled the rest of it badly. I didn't say it before but the thing that pisses me off the most is that the players are in limbo with all this crap. None of them are able to look in the CHL for opportunities, with their contracts in place. This is their livelihood that he is screwing around with and they deserve better than that. They played hard all year and gave us a great year of hockey and never gave up even when it looked dismal for them, now I wish he would return the favor to them and let them out of their contracts so they can get on with their careers.

**Shanny** · The Goddess Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1509

Very well said, Hit Man.
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verylowpriority · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

I doubt any of them have been truly harmed by being bound by their contracts to this point. And since Randy's only got about two weeks more to shit or get off the pot before the league's gotta make up a schedule, I think they'll be okay one way or another.
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zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

Right now the league doesn't even know what the salary cap and veteran rule is. Hell, for all we know there's gonna be a lockout. Not one team has announced a player signing yet officially. It does suck for the players but so does almost everything else about CHL contracts. It's hard to blame someone who supposedly lost $600,000 (and that's just last year) giving those players a livelihood in Austin for not wanting to squander those assets, whether he moves the team or sells it. If the team folds they'll be free, there hasn't been a "dispersal draft" in a long time.

And it shouldn't be hard for players to figure this stuff out. If they have families and live in Austin and don't want to move, welcome to retirement. If not, there's a chance that they will be in another city. If it's not worth waiting to find out they should be thinking about other leagues (which they are already free to do). Some may also think about forcing a trade. I'm sure plenty of them are having informal conversations with friends on other teams, if not the actual coaches, since that would be tampering. Similarly, I'm sure there would be jobs in Amarillo for a few of them, but for now that would also be tampering if Randy talked to to them about that.

Like VLP said, league meetings are in a couple of weeks.

bk · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1055

ZR the Scoprs announced Hartinger I believe.
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bk · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1055

zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

Missed that.

If I'm a player with a family and Belton's in the mix I want to know, because I might not have to move/wife might not need another job. But how many players is that really? I think Belton's only in the mix if there's a clear plan for what happens next. And didn't the Statesman say that even if they tried for Belton or San Marcos or both they'd take this season off?

It will be interesting to see if the PHPA pushes for player free agency. In the ECHL I think half the players are left unprotected. But it took them 15 years to get that.

verylowpriority · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject:

I'd be really shocked if Northcross were any kind of option.
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backupgoalie · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

The Northcross hood would really love that. They are still pissed about Walmart. Wonder who would have the larger crowd ? Batfans or Walmart shoppers?

bk · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1055

Would they all put up "NO ICE BATS" signs?
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**dfwbat** · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1184

I wonder if the "No Walmart" crowd would have been as up in arms if it were another box store, but of a different variety. Say, Wholefoods? I'd be interested in seeing the scope of the Walmart protestors' hipocracy if that situation were to arise.
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97 · Game Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 743

SinD · Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject:

Getting paid peanuts probably would be better than not getting paid at all like our players (some of them).
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MRice62377 · Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject:

I agree with Pmike. And I guarantee you the ones who want to work will find it. The Canucks who don't care to stay in their team's city go home and work. The ones who stay find work easily (provided they really do want to). Often they do so ilegally.
If they aren't picked up by another team then it is caled a "FULL TIME JOB".
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zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

So if the players worked as checkers for, say, Whole Foods, it would be ok for Whole Foods to say, 'we're closing the store, we can maybe transfer you to the new store that we plan to open in its place, but we can't tell you when or where, and by the way your contract says you can't work at any other supermarkets in these 15 other cities for a year, but won't actually going to pay you anything while holding you to that contract," it would be ok?

Whether the players make $300 a week or $1000 a week or have to work another job is immaterial, this is solely about their path as players. As I've already said, they can stand to wait a few more weeks, but that doesn't mean it doesn't matter.

Ironically, as Corpus shows, the best thing for most of them would be a fold rather a move, 'cause free agency beats being held to a contract playing who-knows-where or getting traded.

97 · Game Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 743

**dfwbat** · Gross Misconduct Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 1184

I thought CHL contracts were year to year in the first place??? Or did I just pick that out of thin air?? I hope that the Beaumont deal goes through....that way at least some of our guys will be playing hockey....or if it does not go through, that the players are notified as soon as possible so they can start shopping their options in the chl. I know they are free to look at other leagues (Cookie going to the UK to play hockey....hope their pay over there takes into consideration the exchange rate...), but I'm sure the guys would like to know if they've got a team for the 08-09 season.

I just don't know how Randy can make Beaumont economically feasible....considering the fact that JeffCo was about to significantly hike the Catters' rent....with Austin (duh) and Corpus (doh) no longer around "as we know it," the Beaumont area has lost its two closest possible CHL opponents. Bossier is about 4 hours away, NRH (brahmas) is ~ 5.5 hours away, and Hidalgo is ~7.5 hours away.....

So in addition to rent, travel costs ain't gonna be too cheap either, especially with gas and diesel continuing to increase.

Just don't see how its going to work for the Bats/Randy in Beaumont.
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zambonirodeo · Five for fighting Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 438

Well yeah, 97, you know I'm not losing sleep over it. The players consented to be part of the system by playing in the league. Thus Jason Tapp woke up this morning with the choice of playing in Odessa, forcing them to trade him or moving on to Europe or the IHL or ECHL (btw, I don't recall that Bats doing much in the way of trades this year, are they owed or do they owe any futures?) But I still don't think it's a fair system given the non-guaranteed, single year contracts (that is the problem dfw, contracts are year-to-year but the players still aren't free agents within the league. Hmmh, maybe if the PHPA can't get total free agency they can get restricted free agency. Then Colorado and Laredo can just buy the players they want from other teams!)

Major league sports are the way they are because of anti-trust exemptions, the reserve clause and de facto monopolies. The CHL is only that way because no one has bothered to challenge it. And the only reason you can't just blow off your contract in February and leave for another league is because the three leagues agree not to raid each other (remember when Jonathan Forest signed with a UHL team after the Bats had been eliminated? That 'caused a big stir. Whereas Terry Virtue could go to Binghamton because it was a call-up).

Anyway, the ECHL season isn't over yet, and then they have to deal with their own free agent process. So the in-limbo Bats aren't really missing out on any jobs (in this league or that one) yet.