This just in from The Journal Gazette's Amanda Iacone:
Allen County is now accepting bids for a new scoreboard for Memorial Coliseum. Building general manager Randy Brown said the bids were let Friday for the scoreboard and also goal cameras. The cameras will allow hockey officials to review questionable goals. County officials expect the new scoreboard will be of better quality than a scoreboard currently used inside Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The board will allow for instant replay and slow-motion video, Brown said. The bids will be opened May 27.
(Whether or not the International Hockey League would allow review of disputed goals is another matter entirely.)
your the man justin...your right on top of everything. cant thank you enough for the coverage this season.
Posted by: JW | May 10, 2008 at 12:22 AM
no doubt, Why wouldn't the IHL allow it, they aren't spending the money to do it.
I think it would be a great idea. It really can't cost that much. I'd rather have the right call made after review than the wrong one made because it happened way to quick.
Posted by: Mark | May 10, 2008 at 12:46 AM
I think they are purchasing goal cam's more for the NCAA bid than for the Komets games. The IHL will not use the cameras unless EVERY arena has them. I don't see that happening.
Posted by: Shawn | May 10, 2008 at 12:49 AM
make every arena purchase them. I mean can it be that expensive.
JC, did you ever get to ask Brad Jones about having 2 officials working the finals games.
Posted by: Mark | May 10, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Yeah McMoran will purchase a smaller version of it with Barbie camera because they have a smaller arena and population :) Until we get some Daytons, Toldeos and Chicagos in the picture that ain't going to happen because we are not really a hockey town anyway right Tiger dan.
Posted by: gman | May 10, 2008 at 07:09 AM
Even if the IHL does'nt use the cameras for review....that does'nt stop the team from using it to show a disputed play or goal on the video screen for the fan's benefit.
If done correctly, it could encourage the IHL and other teams to want to have the same technology.
If the MC gets a new scoreboard, when would it be installed? I'm guessing over late summer to avoid conflicts with the teams that use the arena.
Justin, could you get us a sneak peek of the new scoreboard?
Posted by: Bob | May 10, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Are they going to finally replace that 3 inch thick netting too?? I'd rather have that than a scoreboard. Though a new scoreboard will be sweet too!
Posted by: Tera | May 10, 2008 at 08:44 AM
Thats all we need to finally have one of the finest minor league buildings out there. All the new buildings have these fancy boards with instant replay. About time we do too.
Posted by: kometforlife71 | May 10, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Hey, as long as they're spending some money, how 'bout some new goal indicator lights? It might be cool to actually SEE the red light go on when a goal is scored, eh?
The things they have now are pathetic. Either the goal judges have slower reflexes than my 94-year old grandfather, or the lights take about 5 seconds to come on after the goal is scored. And then they are incredibly dim.
They might as well give each goal judge a Bic lighter and have him hold it up and flick his Bic when the puck goes in. That would be just as visible.
Posted by: Chris | May 10, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Good hope they follow Giant Arena in Hershey Pa.Their video scoreboard is 4 sided,7'x9'with replay.If I remember correctly all the sound for the arena comes from the scoreboard.I know the Coliseum spent time trying to fix the sound a few years back but it is still poor quality.
They replayed all the goals,penaltys,fights,fans and even the red coats.lol
Giant arena holds about the same # of fans that the Coliseum does.
Go Komets
Posted by: Bud | May 10, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Wow it's shocking that MC would invest money into our non hockey town of Fort Wayne. It's a wonder that they don't just keep the scoreboard in the box and ship it up to Port Huron where they can average over 2% population per game despite being near the incredible city of Detroit. I'm glad we have such rational Port Huron fans to correct my way of thinking. After all Kitty Tool and Flag Margarine plays hockey better than anyone in Fort Wayne therefore knows more than us.
Posted by: dnl | May 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM
This scoreboard will further put the Komets over the top as a big sore thumb sticking out in the IHL2. ALready the class of the league, this will just make it more so.
The scoreboard will not be much use to the Freedom who I believe are playing their last season for a long while.
THose of you who follow other Fort Wayne teams like the Freedom, Wizards, Mad Ants, etc. know that this IS a hockey town. The other sports just don't draw.
Posted by: Atomic | May 10, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Also I know this is a mute point at this point but for the Komets to win this series they are going to really have to win 5 games to three....think about it. Even Tigger Dan knows that we won game two in his barn....and if you don't you are not as objective as you claim to be because everyone in your arena that I talked to said it was in. That being said I think depending on officiating tonight that we will win. PH PA turn the music down a notch so we can actually here the crowd and not you...when the ref go hurt and you turned the volume down some that was perfect. GO KOMETS! We are leaving at 1....Its hockey night in FW...well kind of. Again how many PH fans were in the Fort on Thursday for your "clincher" I saw less than 10. Lets compare that to what we have brought up there this series...never mind conversation over...we win that too. Komets lead the best of seven series 3-2 if not for Langdon. Also Tiger did you notice Thursday the amount of times your net came off and I don't think ours moved once. Keep your darn players from runnning our goalie since you can't beat him without doing it. Komets give them something to think about when they do it again. Making Larry mad does not make him play better Tigger...have you not seen the games in the Fort?
Posted by: Tom | May 10, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Tom, thier were at least 50 beacon/Flaghawkscats fans there...
Komets win tonight
7-3
Shaf, Curds, Chaulk score in the 1st period, take the PH crowd out of it, and the Cup is on its way to Fort Wayne for Mondays showdown
GO KOMETS GO
One shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time
Posted by: mark | May 10, 2008 at 12:13 PM
I'll go along with your pick's Mark!!
Posted by: Geronimo | May 10, 2008 at 01:31 PM
go komets on way out the door to game now
Posted by: sue ann | May 10, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Any updates on Huk? Go Komets bring this home!
Posted by: Andy | May 10, 2008 at 01:46 PM
The story is all wrong.
I heard that the Komets are going to add seats on the otherside of the rink at McMillan because they are so impressed with playing in such a state-of-the-art facility like they have in Port Huron called the McMoron Arena. The Coliseum could not hold a candle to the new McMillan Hockey Arena. Tiger Dan would finally give the town of Fort Wayne some props for moving to an arena that meets his hockey standards. Fort Wayne would finally be a hockey town...even though we don't live an hour away from Detroit? Who would want to anyway? Dump City. Crime Rate worse than Baghdad.
Wonder how many Komet Fans will be at McMoron arean tonight? I bet they love the scoreboard there. Maybe we can donate our old scoreboard to McMoron arena so they can tell who is serving the penalties. I wonder though, would that huge MC scoreboard even fit into that awesome tiny arena?
By the way...Go Komets!!!
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 10, 2008 at 04:55 PM
Our assortment of mostly foreign athletes that play here because of money is better than your assortment of mostly foreign athletes that play there because of money so that obviously makes us superior to you.
Posted by: RaVeN | May 10, 2008 at 05:26 PM
An Iraqi hockey player was called up by the DETROIT redwings and his 1st game they were losing 4-0. The coach put him in for the 3rd period. He scored 5 goals himself and they won 5-4. He called his mom to tell her about his day and what he did in the game. His mom replied by saying well, I'm glad you had such a great day because while you were playing your sister was kidnapped, your father was beaten up and mugged and our house was robbed. The hockey player said "mom I'm so sorry to hear that!" She said "your sorry huh, it was you idea for us to move to DETROIT with you!" I guess they should have moved to Port Huron since it's sooooooo nice there.
Posted by: 55kometfan | May 10, 2008 at 05:39 PM
just got to port Huron. Enjoying some ore game ice cream
Posted by: homco | May 10, 2008 at 06:13 PM
That was profound.
Posted by: buttermilk | May 10, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Interesting to say the least. lol
Posted by: deuce | May 10, 2008 at 06:49 PM
Looks like Mr. Savage of the Flint Journal spoke just a few hours too soon. Check out this article of him saying that, since we complained of "getting the proverbial shaft", we should be the first in the league to install replay screens:
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/sports/index.ssf/2008/05/turner_kup_finals_have_been_entertaining_off_the_i.html
Posted by: Caleb | May 10, 2008 at 06:59 PM