I was badly mistaken, dead wrong if you will. Yes, I goofed up. I hope you can accept my apology. Like everyone, I am not always right. During my youth, I would defend my position even if my point of view was proven to be invalid. Now, as a mature (?) adult, I come clean when I offer an opinion that turns out to be way off base.

 

So, what am I trying to communicate? At the start of the BCHL season, I stated that the Prince George Spruce Kings had hit “rock bottom” last season and the team was destined to improve its record. However, with 25 per cent of this season complete, indications are the Spruce Kings are indeed “worse off” than last year. This club appears to be in a crisis. Perhaps, shambles describes the Kings’ current state of affairs. 

 

Two aspects of the team’s performance lead me to this conclusion. On the ice, the team stinks and more importantly, at the gate, attendance figures have sunk to new lows. The Spruce Kings public relations department (do they have a consistent one?) would certainly not approve of my message; however, no one in their organization can dispute the facts.

 

The Spruce Kings have just two wins after 15 games. At this rate, they are on pace for 8 victories. To demonstrate the projected futility of this achievement, one needs to look at last season when the Kings’ earned 18 victories finishing with the worst record in the league among the 16 returning teams.  

 

The team has allowed the most goals in the league (74) and offensively average less than three goals per game (42 total). Last weekend, during a forgettable 0-4 Vancouver Island trip, the Spruce Kings allowed eight (not a misprint) goals in the opening period en route to a 10-2 loss to the below .500 Nanaimo Clippers.

 

The Spruce Kings on ice performance is the good news. The bad news is the crucial attendance figures
which have hit an all time low. Fans are staying away from the Prince George Coliseum as if there was odor from the cracks in the walls of the decaying building. They are averaging a paltry 667 fans per game, which is the lowest in the entire BCHL. Just six years ago, in 04/05, the Kings averaged 1394 fans per game, more than double the amount of this season. The following illustrates the Spruce Kings massive drop in fan support over the past several years:

 

 

10/11             667                16th (last)

09/10             913                11th

08/09           1082                  9th

07/08             886                10th

06/07             875                12th

05/06           1195                  8th

04/05           1394                  6th

03/04           1119                  7th

 

 

Furthermore, in their nine home games, to date, the following (announced) attendance figures are: 1131, 775, 604, 702, 689, 527, 485, 479, and 611. The team has over 400 season ticket holders, which means for some of these games few people, other than season ticket holders were in the building.

 

Certainly, I cannot be the only one that looks at the aforementioned figures, and realizes something is amiss for this community run team. Surely, somebody within the hockey club, whether it is coach/GM Ed Dempsey, Team President Darcy Buryn, the executive as a group or whomever, needs to address what appears to be a sad state of affairs.

 

Therefore, this begs the question-Is a coaching change required? Perhaps, Dempsey might better serve the team as the General Manager. Cariboo Cougars Head Coach Trevor Sprague could provide a fresh approach behind the bench. Another suitable choice is former Spruce Kings, and Prince George Cougars assistant coach, Stewart Malgunas.

 

In the past, the Spruce Kings have been reluctant to pay full time wages for their two high profile positions. At this point, what are the alternatives?

 

I realize the easy answer is to unload on Dempsey since he has been the team’s front man for several years. Maybe, two challenging jobs for a team with a limited budget is too great a responsibility for one person. Perhaps he is not at the root of the problem. Maybe, it's Buryn and his executive. I am not on the inside so I do not know but it is clear something is wrong.

 

The bottom line is these attendance figures do not lie. The fans have shown their displeasure by boycotting the games. By avoiding these games, they are asking for a shakeup.

 

This issue rests with Dempsey to a certain extent, and his bosses, the Spruce Kings executive. It is time to put the best interests of the “community” ahead of individuals. The team can continue to flounder and keep the status quo or make a statement with a major move(s), even if that means replacing themselves.

Not sure what was more embarrassing quarterback Henry Burris in a bra or the Stampeders defense caught with their pants down.

 

The NFL is abuzz with speculation Minnesota QB Brett Favre sent pictures of his privates to a former NY Jets staffer. Officials are not sure what to call the incident... a quick snap, the offside pass or another day in the NFL. 


Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)

 

  

All kinds of potential problems for Brett Favre if the most recent allegations turn out to be true. On the other hand, to his long list of records, Favre might add one - being the oldest living man to have sent a sext message.

Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series, was interviewed after Roy Halladay’s no-hitter. A little known fact about that game, had Larsen faltered, Jamie Moyer was warming up in the bullpen.

Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)

Police in Kazakhstan say they are banning nasvai, a common form of chewing tobacco blended with chicken droppings. I'm not sure if this particular chaw is popular in MLB dugouts, but it would explain the fowl language.

 

 

Watching Cliff Lee pitch to Carl Crawford in the ALDS is like watching a 2011 Yankees preseason intrasquad game.

 Comedy writer Marc Ragovin of New York 

Atlanta second baseman Brooks Conrad’s three errors Sunday against the Giants cost the Braves the game.
The last person to screw an entire team was Madonna.

Officials at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi say flushed condoms are clogging the plumbing in the athletes’ village.
The rest are still clogging the athletes’ plumbing.

 

 

 

The Wall Street Journal reports that an average nine-inning baseball game includes just 14 minutes of actual action. Well, that is still 13 minutes more than a game of soccer.