Today the Phoenix announced the decision to mothball the team for another season in order to focus on getting the new rink built and fully functional. It's a decision that wasn't reached lightly, and it's a decision that will disappoint scores of fans, even if it looked for a while now that it was coming.
Neil is gutted, I can tell you that for free. He's a businessman first and foremost, which is why he's made the decision to mothball the club to safeguard the rink, but he's also a hockey fan who wants to see his team take to the ice. The press release today talks of heads ruling hearts in the Phoenix office and that's exactly what's happened - business sense has overrulled the massive desire to see the team play, and as a result Neil is truly gutted. Imagine being the one who has to put your ideals on the back shelf in order to protect the bigger picture - that's what he's had to do. I wouldn't want to be in his position.
I think we're all feeling it too, to a degree. Sure, it's not my money that's being invested, it's not my reputation that's at stake if it all goes tits-up, but that doesn't stop me feeling the loss of my team for another season. Having the put the press release on line was a difficult job in so many ways. One, it meant that we officially were mothballing the team, and two, because the news had already been leaked by other outlets to whom an 11.00am embargo seems merely advisory...
The thing is, we're looking at this from the wrong perspective. The mothballing of the team is a sensible decision, one which means that all energies can be focussed on achieving something that so many people have failed at - the building of a new ice rink in the Manchester area. The opening of the new rink later this year will be a massive achievement, arguably a greater achievement than bringing the Phoenix to life in 2003. Opening the rink will see the return of public skating, it will see a venue for local hockey teams to play from, it will see a return of a junior development system, of the figure skaters, of a community-based centre for sporting activity not seen since the Devonshire Road rink closed down. From an ice sports perspective, the new rink will be the biggest thing in the region for years.
No doubt the detractors will now re-emerge from under their collective rocks, and start spraying venom at the Phoenix and all those associated with it. We'll be hung, drawn and quartered for mothballing the team, we'll be labelled as failures and our efforts mocked. Our support to the cause will be questioned, and the nay-sayers will call for the spotlight to shine upon them as they voice their opinions. And I say let them. It'll only make it taste that much sweeter when the new rink spotlight shines on the first Phoenix player stepping out onto the ice for the 2006-2007 season.
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1 comment:
That reads just like a sermon, Rev
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