Individual News
4th of October 2008
We lost Shanker! Replacement on the way!
What a way to start an e-News letter (you haven't seen these in a long time) But yes, we have officially lost Shanker!
What a start to a season. I don't even know where to begin about this one! Some things seem so easy in planning and turn out to be nightmares to solve. Even the easiest thing can turn in to hours of work for all the wrong reasons, but we are here and we are playing!Now is the time to get it together at home and play the way we have done in Cardiff on two occasions so far. They have been really good games with everything an ice hockey match should contain.
So what are the good bits I can share? Well, one memory that sticks out is Patrick's arrival. We were short of players and needed him in badly, Waiting for the paperwork was not easy but finally everything fell in to place and we flew him in on a Friday evening. Patrick was due to land only hours before face off on the Saturday. He checked in 5 bags in Canada and only four made it to Heathrow. Want to guess what bag did not make it? Yes, that's right, his equipment bag!
I have a meeting with Ryan at the rink on the game day. We are standing there talking about our incredibly bad luck. We have managed to get the guy in in time for the game but have no equipment. It may sound easy to get, but a pair of skates take days or weeks before they fit well enough to play in. Every player has the equipment they are used to and it is not easy to change. Well, I was standing right by the box office talking to Ryan about all this when a guy in a suit walks in and stands still, politely awaiting our discussion to end so he could talk. We both look at him and the following takes place:
Guy: Hi, would you know where I could find anyone from the Bison?
Aldi: Yeah, I guess that would be us, what can we do?
Guy: My name is Curtiss Patrick, I'm here to play!
Tomas: (drops jaw on floor)
Aldi: Oh,hi ! But I thought you were missing all your equipment?
Guy: Yes I am, but I see there is a shop there, would they not sell skates. Anything will do really.
Tomas: (Damm, I had just picked up my jaw only to drop it again..)
Aldi: Eh, yes they do, but I don't think they have any pro stuff in stock.
Guy: Really, anything will do, perhaps there is some old equipment I could borrow for the evening?
Tomas (I have to get my jaw under control)
Aldi: Sure, let's go and see what we can find.
In the shop we got all the help and expertise they could offer to get something that would do and we came down to one last thing. He had no blades for his stick.They were in the same lost bag...
Guy: What about that thing on the wall over there, I will use that, it looks good!
Aldi: Eh, alright!
Tomas: (now whispering to Aldi) Hey, you sure this is Curtiss Partick? Is this not someone having a laugh with us???
Well it was Curtiss Patrick and he showed the true spirit of the Bison from the first second he walked in."Never say die!"
I can tell you a similar story of Reiter.The guy flies from the States to Canada, and then on to Heathrow where Bannerman picks him up in early hours, but not to be taken to a nice apartment to get some rest. No, this is Bisonland, let's drive him to Stansted and put him on a plane to Belfast so he can get off the plane there and go directly to the rink and play! What a guy!
Ok. Now the Shanker thing:
I'm in the office with Aldi and Brad.
Tomas: OK, let's face it, we've lost Shanker!
Aldi: Unreal! I can't believe it!
Tomas: Well it's true, Shanker is now officially gone!
Brad: I can't believe anyone would take me.
I look at Aldi with a smile, and Aldi says: Hrm, I think you are taking this too personally, Brad.
Brad: I am? But who do you think did this?
Confusing, isn't it? "Shanker" is our 12 by 8 foot advertising trailer featuring a giant image of Shanker. We only got to use it once this summer. It was stolen a few weeks ago and that is why you haven't seen it out rolling round town!
But like the heading says, the same kind and anonymous sponsor who paid for the last one gave us a new one, to arrive next week, hopefully! It will then be fitted with new super images of the team and be rolling round town promoting the Bison!
We are doing some promotion in Festival Place for tomorrow's game against Coventry. We had fantastic exposure in the Gazette and on the radio this week, ticket sales look great and I'm sure we are going to see a great weekend of hockey!
Saturday, 18.30, face off v Coventry Blaze, be there!
All the best
Tomas
PS. Want to have a free dinner with Eric Braff this week? Buy a 50/50 ticket and as an extra you can now win a dinner for 2 with Braffer sponsored by Nandos! Don't miss this!
What a way to start an e-News letter (you haven't seen these in a long time) But yes, we have officially lost Shanker!
What a start to a season. I don't even know where to begin about this one! Some things seem so easy in planning and turn out to be nightmares to solve. Even the easiest thing can turn in to hours of work for all the wrong reasons, but we are here and we are playing!Now is the time to get it together at home and play the way we have done in Cardiff on two occasions so far. They have been really good games with everything an ice hockey match should contain.
So what are the good bits I can share? Well, one memory that sticks out is Patrick's arrival. We were short of players and needed him in badly, Waiting for the paperwork was not easy but finally everything fell in to place and we flew him in on a Friday evening. Patrick was due to land only hours before face off on the Saturday. He checked in 5 bags in Canada and only four made it to Heathrow. Want to guess what bag did not make it? Yes, that's right, his equipment bag!
I have a meeting with Ryan at the rink on the game day. We are standing there talking about our incredibly bad luck. We have managed to get the guy in in time for the game but have no equipment. It may sound easy to get, but a pair of skates take days or weeks before they fit well enough to play in. Every player has the equipment they are used to and it is not easy to change. Well, I was standing right by the box office talking to Ryan about all this when a guy in a suit walks in and stands still, politely awaiting our discussion to end so he could talk. We both look at him and the following takes place:
Guy: Hi, would you know where I could find anyone from the Bison?
Aldi: Yeah, I guess that would be us, what can we do?
Guy: My name is Curtiss Patrick, I'm here to play!
Tomas: (drops jaw on floor)
Aldi: Oh,hi ! But I thought you were missing all your equipment?
Guy: Yes I am, but I see there is a shop there, would they not sell skates. Anything will do really.
Tomas: (Damm, I had just picked up my jaw only to drop it again..)
Aldi: Eh, yes they do, but I don't think they have any pro stuff in stock.
Guy: Really, anything will do, perhaps there is some old equipment I could borrow for the evening?
Tomas (I have to get my jaw under control)
Aldi: Sure, let's go and see what we can find.
In the shop we got all the help and expertise they could offer to get something that would do and we came down to one last thing. He had no blades for his stick.They were in the same lost bag...
Guy: What about that thing on the wall over there, I will use that, it looks good!
Aldi: Eh, alright!
Tomas: (now whispering to Aldi) Hey, you sure this is Curtiss Partick? Is this not someone having a laugh with us???
Well it was Curtiss Patrick and he showed the true spirit of the Bison from the first second he walked in."Never say die!"
I can tell you a similar story of Reiter.The guy flies from the States to Canada, and then on to Heathrow where Bannerman picks him up in early hours, but not to be taken to a nice apartment to get some rest. No, this is Bisonland, let's drive him to Stansted and put him on a plane to Belfast so he can get off the plane there and go directly to the rink and play! What a guy!
Ok. Now the Shanker thing:
I'm in the office with Aldi and Brad.
Tomas: OK, let's face it, we've lost Shanker!
Aldi: Unreal! I can't believe it!
Tomas: Well it's true, Shanker is now officially gone!
Brad: I can't believe anyone would take me.
I look at Aldi with a smile, and Aldi says: Hrm, I think you are taking this too personally, Brad.
Brad: I am? But who do you think did this?
Confusing, isn't it? "Shanker" is our 12 by 8 foot advertising trailer featuring a giant image of Shanker. We only got to use it once this summer. It was stolen a few weeks ago and that is why you haven't seen it out rolling round town!
But like the heading says, the same kind and anonymous sponsor who paid for the last one gave us a new one, to arrive next week, hopefully! It will then be fitted with new super images of the team and be rolling round town promoting the Bison!
We are doing some promotion in Festival Place for tomorrow's game against Coventry. We had fantastic exposure in the Gazette and on the radio this week, ticket sales look great and I'm sure we are going to see a great weekend of hockey!
Saturday, 18.30, face off v Coventry Blaze, be there!
All the best
Tomas
PS. Want to have a free dinner with Eric Braff this week? Buy a 50/50 ticket and as an extra you can now win a dinner for 2 with Braffer sponsored by Nandos! Don't miss this!