Back in June, the Winston-Salem Coliseum added their SECOND Winter Sport – the Winston-Salem Storm – an expansion franchise of the ABA (American Basketball Association). The Storm joins the Twin City Cyclones, the SPHL Ice Hockey Team.
In the mean time, the Greensboro Coliseum sits VERY empty and they are asking for more TAX PAYER money. THINK ABOUT THAT.
Ahhhh, an anti-Coliseum rant. It’s been a while, hasn’t it Don?
I’ve thought about it, and I think the answer is pretty simple. The folks who run the Winston building are willing to get in bed with anyone, no matter how unsavory.
They have had several hockey teams in the last ten years. We all know the guy who ran the Ice Hawks was a crook. They took in the Parrots mid-season when their owner pulled a Bob Irsay and fled St. Pete in the middle of the night.
While the Cyclones don’t seem to have a crook for an owner, they were far from a lock to return this year and I personally have my doubts as to whether or not they can even finish the season. All this turnover and uncertainty is not conducive to building fan support and it hasn’t helped the Cyclones at the gate.
The Coliseum management, justifiably, doesn’t want a repeat of all the problems that surrounded the Generals. They are holding out for solid ownership in a league befitting a market like Greensboro.
I applaud Matt Brown for not just plopping a different team into the Coliseum and expecting people to show up. It would be easy for us to get an SPHL team, but its too bush-league for us. Let Winston have it.
You need to let go of the blind hatred for all things Coliseum, Don. Remember how much you opposed the new downtown stadium? Honestly, have you ever been more wrong about anything?
So Bruce as a Home-Owner and Tax Payer, you are comfortable having the Greensboro Coliseum receive $2 Million Dollars to cover Operating Losses and another $10 Million or So to cover Bonds. Don’t you think that for that $12 Million Dollars, we should at least get something back in the form of affordable entertainment.
We proved with the Help of former City Council Member Sandy Carmany that the Generals did not actually lose money. Their $200,000 Operating Loss would have been a $300,000 PROFIT if Matt Brown had not redirected revenue from Advertisers from the Generals to the Coliseum General Fund. When the Generals folded, ONE-HALF A MILLION DOLLARS in ADVERTISING was lost or NOT RENEWED. It’s a hard time trying to sell advertising in the coliseum, when few of the events draw local citizens.
I’m very comfortable that the Coliseum management will hold out for a deal that makes sense for the city. I don’t expect them to simply plop a team in there so that I will have something to do.
The Coliseum also is a viable host for the ACC basketball tournament, which was the point of expansion in the first place. We have a tremendous asset and I’m sure the management of the Coliseum would love to have a hockey team as much as we do.
In the meantime, the Caniac Carnival is tomorrow. The price is right in your wheel house (free). Head down to Raleigh if you’re looking to whittle away the time.
You have to remember, The two minor league sports teams play in the annex, not the main coliseum. The Annex is much cheaper to run then the Greensboro Coliseum. The small building/low rent is very appealing to minor league owners, which is why so many have tried over the years.
The Greensboro Coliseum is a major league facility, way to big for the new ABA or the Southern Pro Hockey League. In retrospect, expanding the coliseum to 20,000 seats might have been a big mistake. Yes, we can get the ACC Tournament every so often. But on day in day out, it is too freakin big for anyone to take a chance on being a regular tenant. The Special Events Center might work for a pro basketball team, not sure if anyone has looked into that.
Bruce,
How long do we have to wait for a “deal that makes sense for the city”? It’s going on what, 5 years now? And Matt Brown (the highest paid city employee) continues to twiddle his thumbs. Sorry, craft fairs and boat shows don’t do it for me. And you don’t need a coliseum for either.