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Bombers aiming for 2010 return

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer 10:06 PM Wednesday, April 22, 2009

FAIRBORN – Toby Tietge’s sweatshirt said it all: “Suffering Hockey Withdrawal.” But the New Lebanon resident added a masking-taped “Really” to the shirt to make her point.

Tietge’s sentiments were echoed by many of the more than 200 Dayton Bombers fans who attended an informational meeting at the Holiday Inn Fairborn on Wednesday, April 22. Bombers president and owner Costa Papista presented the team’s plan for a 2010-11 ECHL re-entry.

The clock is ticking as the Bombers have 63 days to devise a viable plan to present to the ECHL Board of Governors in Las Vegas on June 25 in order to return to the ice in Dayton in 2010. The league announced that the Bombers would not play during the 2009-10 season on March 30.

“We want to reorganize, regroup and recapitalize the team,” Papista said to the standing-room-only crowd. “If we use this time wisely, I think it will make for a long-term successful organization.”

The first step, according to Papista, is to increase the number of season-ticket holders from less than 1,000 to at least 1,500.

“A healthy number of season-ticket holders will go a long way toward getting a deal approved by the league and make potential investors feel more confident,” Papista said.

More than half of those in attendance Wednesday signed season-ticket pledge forms and made the $50 per seat deposit for the 2010-11 season, which would be refunded if the plan is not approved by the league.

Papista plans to simultaneously offer minority investors the opportunity to buy into the team at the $5,000 level through a private placement memorandum. The final piece of the puzzle would be securing a majority owner, as Papista would become a minority investor.

“I’ve already had several conversations and I believe I can find that person if I can demonstrate a growing season-ticket base and strong minority ownership,” Papista said.

Those in attendance were surveyed about their arena preferences, with Hobart and Hara as well as the Nutter Center mentioned as options. Opinions were mixed.

“The atmosphere is better at Hara,” Xenia resident Cyndamarie Gunn said. “The crowd roars out there, you know you’re at a hockey game.”

Others like the location of the Nutter Center.

“There are lots of restaurants and bars close by and ample parking,” Centerville resident Kim Myers said of the Bombers’ current home.

Most in attendance seemed hopeful that whatever arena the Bombers returned to would be temporary.

“Downtown would be the smartest move,” Centerville resident Katie Schock said.

Many didn’t care where the Bombers played as long as they played.

“I’ve supported the team from the first game they played and I’ll support them wherever they play,” Riverside resident Andy Kavalauskas said.

Kavalauskas plans to buy season tickets for the Ohio State hockey team next season to get his hockey fix.

Bombers’ 60-Day Plan

Season ticket pledge campaign – 1,500 ticket goal by Jan. 2010

Create an opportunity for local minority private investors – 230 units at $5,000

Leverage season-ticket commitments and local investors to attract majority owner

Investigate arena options – Nutter Center, Hara and Hobart arenas

Create business plans for 2009-10 (rebuilding season) and 2010-11 (re-entry season)

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Your Dayton Bombers are as dead as disco.

Drive down I-75 to Cincinnati if you want to see quality AA hockey.

GO CYCLONES!

Binnie Huelstiff
11:06 PM, 6/1/2009

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I have an idea, drop down a league and come to the IHL again. We olny have six teams and need more! Fort Wayne and Dayton had a wonderful rivalary and it sounds like Dayton could use that. Plus costs could go down, there could be more season ticket buyers, and who knows what else. Dayton has seen some of our players of late like Mitch Woods and Kelly Perault. So the talent has to be simaular. It could be a win win deal.

Pat
11:41 PM, 5/22/2009

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Sorry to hear about the Bombers. If they are to be successful in SW Ohio, they must do a kids' outreach, much like the NHL has in expansion cities. Get the kids playing street/roller/ice hockey. It's a great sport, and the Bombers had a great playoff run last year, but people just don't show up. Get the kids and the parents will follow.

GonefromDayton
3:43 PM, 5/8/2009

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The key to any solution is the downtown arena, but first the interest by the fans to buy tickets and invest must be there. Unless a majority owner is found that wants ro make Hara the permanent home, Hara will not make the renovations to get the arena up to speed for the short period. That leaves Hobart and Nutter.

Mr. Sports
10:26 AM, 4/23/2009

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In order for hockey to come back to Dayton, the team needs to have a major makeover. Much like the Dragons, the team needs to focus on the fans much more, after all they are the ones paying to see the game. I would love to see the team call Hobart Arena home until they get a new arena built. The small arena feel definitely has it's benefits. As for a new team name, obviously it should use Dayton's heritage, maybe a name like the Dayton Aviators? I would love to hear other ideas for team names

Drew
9:53 AM, 4/23/2009

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