Post by 50yardfan on Apr 6, 2011 9:14:58 GMT -5
Port Huron Predators have little time to right ship
www.thetimesherald.com/article/20110406/SPORTS/104060316/Joseph-Hayes-Port-Huron-Predators-little-time-right-ship
The month of March was rocky, to say the least, for the Port Huron Predators.
The team was mired in controversy once again as the organization parted ways last week with coach and general manager Jason Lovelock and director of operations Julie Crankshaw.
Both cited a lack of communication with owner Rachel Brusate and her refusal to compensate them.
Now, after the Predators' (2-2) worst performance of the season, a 45-29 loss to the Chicago Knights, they will embark on their biggest test.
On Saturday they will travel to face the Cincinnati Commandos (4-0), last season's Continental Indoor Football League champions.
The game was supposed to be a showcase between the league's top two teams. Instead, the Predators still are trying to gain traction.
The instability in the front office continues to plague the team and Brusate, the person behind the drama, has refused to comment on the state of her organization.
Reached Monday through text message, she declined an interview, saying: "Can't do an interview. Would like to keep the focus on the players and the game."
In part, Brusate is right.
The focus should be on the players and the game. But what she fails to understand is the focus will remain on her as long as she continues to run the team in an unprofessional manner.
The Predators have experienced things I've never heard of before.
They have had three head coaches in a little more than a month.
They have bounced more checks than a person should in a lifetime, including to the referees from one game.
They had to borrow the Southeast Michigan Mercenaries semi-professional football team's pants for their first three games and, to make matters worse, many players have voiced concerns about not being paid on time.
Even though the team is entering the midpoint of the season, its website hasn't been updated in months.
Ignoring these issues is not going to make them disappear.
Recently, the changes Brusate engineered have begun to diminish the success of the team on the field.
Doug Warren, the original coach of the team, has continued to follow the Predators, even after being ousted a week before the season.
He attended the season-opening victory against the Indianapolis Enforcers and last week's debacle against the Knights.
"You could see a difference in the players' body language," Warren said. "The guys are going through the motions.
"They should have beat Chicago by a landslide, but when there is turmoil, there will be effects. They have had some key injuries, some guys shuffling in and out, and it's hard to adjust."
Through all the drama, the Blue Water Area has continued to support the team.
But attendance numbers are declining. The first game drew an announced crowd of 1,926, the second game 1,700 and last week 1,519.
Lovelock, who replaced Warren before being fired last week, stayed away from Saturday's action. But he said he couldn't help but feel for the players.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "In the beginning of the season, I didn't see this coming at all. I put everything into this and I know a whole bunch of other people did too. Doug (Warren) did a lot. But when you start losing (former general manager) Greg Thomas and everyone else, it's hard to overcome.
"It goes all of the way back to the beginning. They needed to get a sales team in place, interns from the community college and use their resources. They weren't used properly. There were a lot of great ideas that went on deaf ears. (Brusate) listened, but there were a lot of different voices."
There aren't nearly as many people in the picture now, and that's not a good thing.
www.thetimesherald.com/article/20110406/SPORTS/104060316/Joseph-Hayes-Port-Huron-Predators-little-time-right-ship
The month of March was rocky, to say the least, for the Port Huron Predators.
The team was mired in controversy once again as the organization parted ways last week with coach and general manager Jason Lovelock and director of operations Julie Crankshaw.
Both cited a lack of communication with owner Rachel Brusate and her refusal to compensate them.
Now, after the Predators' (2-2) worst performance of the season, a 45-29 loss to the Chicago Knights, they will embark on their biggest test.
On Saturday they will travel to face the Cincinnati Commandos (4-0), last season's Continental Indoor Football League champions.
The game was supposed to be a showcase between the league's top two teams. Instead, the Predators still are trying to gain traction.
The instability in the front office continues to plague the team and Brusate, the person behind the drama, has refused to comment on the state of her organization.
Reached Monday through text message, she declined an interview, saying: "Can't do an interview. Would like to keep the focus on the players and the game."
In part, Brusate is right.
The focus should be on the players and the game. But what she fails to understand is the focus will remain on her as long as she continues to run the team in an unprofessional manner.
The Predators have experienced things I've never heard of before.
They have had three head coaches in a little more than a month.
They have bounced more checks than a person should in a lifetime, including to the referees from one game.
They had to borrow the Southeast Michigan Mercenaries semi-professional football team's pants for their first three games and, to make matters worse, many players have voiced concerns about not being paid on time.
Even though the team is entering the midpoint of the season, its website hasn't been updated in months.
Ignoring these issues is not going to make them disappear.
Recently, the changes Brusate engineered have begun to diminish the success of the team on the field.
Doug Warren, the original coach of the team, has continued to follow the Predators, even after being ousted a week before the season.
He attended the season-opening victory against the Indianapolis Enforcers and last week's debacle against the Knights.
"You could see a difference in the players' body language," Warren said. "The guys are going through the motions.
"They should have beat Chicago by a landslide, but when there is turmoil, there will be effects. They have had some key injuries, some guys shuffling in and out, and it's hard to adjust."
Through all the drama, the Blue Water Area has continued to support the team.
But attendance numbers are declining. The first game drew an announced crowd of 1,926, the second game 1,700 and last week 1,519.
Lovelock, who replaced Warren before being fired last week, stayed away from Saturday's action. But he said he couldn't help but feel for the players.
"It's unfortunate," he said. "In the beginning of the season, I didn't see this coming at all. I put everything into this and I know a whole bunch of other people did too. Doug (Warren) did a lot. But when you start losing (former general manager) Greg Thomas and everyone else, it's hard to overcome.
"It goes all of the way back to the beginning. They needed to get a sales team in place, interns from the community college and use their resources. They weren't used properly. There were a lot of great ideas that went on deaf ears. (Brusate) listened, but there were a lot of different voices."
There aren't nearly as many people in the picture now, and that's not a good thing.