Aeros Swept By Heat

I didn't see either game.  All I know is the Aeros lost on Friday and Saturday to the Heat.  I know they played with 16 skaters on Friday night, and that they played with 17 skaters on Saturday.  Frankly, I wonder why they don't go all in and just play with 14 or 15 skaters.

Frankly, I'm not sure what the situation was this weekend.  Justin Fontaine was still suspended on Friday night, but Cody Almond was supposedly on his way back to the join the team, but didn't make it in in time.  But during the Wild loss on Saturday afternoon, Warren Peters got into a scrape and appears to be facing a multi-game suspension which, according to Michael Russo, has Jed Ortmeyer Chad Rau and Almond on their way back to the Wild.

C.J. Stretch has rejoined the team, but the team's still appears to be short of healthy skaters, which is kind of bugging me. This is something that John Torchetti has talked about the team being hurt by the lack of internal competition between skaters for spots on the ice -- they're literally playing every single healthy guy they have on the squad every game.

I could go off on a long rant and get bunches of people upset with me. But frankly, it's just not worth it. I'm tired -- I was covering UH sports all day. And frankly, my going off on a rant isn't going to solve anything. (And looking at the stat sheet for Saturday's loss, it appears that the Aeros are frustrated, having gotten into several fights and getting hit with several misconducts, including one after the game had ended.)

But tell you what, the comments are open. Just try not to go off on personal attacks because we won't approve those.

The Complaint Box Is Closed

That's it. No more. I read Heather's post below on the game yesterday, and went to check the comments. And for some reason that I can't even begin to fathom, the comments were about the attendance in San Antonio. And all I can wonder is: what the fuck is wrong with you people?

So that's it. No more. There are to be no more comments from anybody bitching about anything at Toyota Center or about how the poor season ticket holder feel dissed. No more unsolicited comments about the PA. No more unsolicited comments about how the crowd acts, or how you don't like the daytime kid games. No more comments about how loud the music volume is, or anything that doesn't deal with the game on the ice. I don't want to see any more comments on how great is was under Chuck Watson.

No more. The comments will not be approved. If one slips through, I will delete it.

Now one caveat: if I or Andrew of Heather should mention about the games op we didn't like, or mention something that should open the door to a comment, then it gets through. But there is to be no more of this crap like the post below where, instead of commenting on the game, you comment on how San Antonio counted attendance.

Think of it like this. Imagine you're one of the players who read the blog. After you've just won an important game, one that's put you into first place, you come over here and see that there's a post on the game. Now how would you feel if you went to the comments and there wasn't one damn comment on the actual game, but just a bunch of crap on how San Antonio didn't let you get seats in the section you wanted?

The Complaint Box Is Open

Well supposedly I'm a management shill -- though I think the person accusing me of such should actually bother reading the archives. I'm not a management shill, but frankly, I'm tired of reading complaints about the business/marketing/ticket office in post after post after post.

I can't speak for Andrew or Heather, but this blog was established to discuss the Aeros, the AHL, the Wild, and how what the Wild does affects the Aeros. It wasn't meant to be a forum for dealing with the ticketing folks or your complaints with them. It was to discuss hockey.

That said, I, and I alone, have opened up the door for that discussion time and time again as I have made my displeasure with certain things known time and time again, like the game in St. Paul, or moving the game day in St. Paul after people had made flight arrangements. I've made my displeasure with the morning kiddie games known, and I noted that I didn't like some of the season ticket plans they came up with after lots of other season ticket holders had already renewed.

But apparently I'm just a puppet for management. So, tell you what...

The complaint box is open. I want to hear your actual complaints about the ticket office/business office/marketing office. I want specifics. I don't want any of this stuff like they don't respect us, or they don't treat us like they used to. I want specifics. What is it that they used to do that they don't do now? Or what is something they're doing now they didn't do in the past? Did they screw you on a deposit? Did they make you change seats? Did they pull a bait-and-switch? Throw in the stuff about the game in St. Paul, or the kiddie games. Put all of your complaints here. Just give me some damn specifics. And yes, you can throw in the lack of Ice Girls if you want.

Let me hear them. I can't promise anything, but let me have the complaints, and I'll see if I can get some answers. But I need something specific to work with.