Hi this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “, brought to you by Auto Logic…..the Logical Choice !
The sale & movement of the Belleville Bulls last week was concluded in rapid fashion.
The swiftness of that transaction and alteration caught me off guard, but the move itself, …..not so much.
A couple years ago when the Bulls were in contention, an OHL coach, who I fully trust, related the Bulls ownership had given their management team the green light to do whatever was needed at the trade deadline in order to win, because there was no view to the longer term in Belleville.
That nugget was followed by a tiny, minimal term lease extension between the city & Bulls, and to me, the writing was very clearly on the wall.
In the aftermath of the Belleville-Hamilton shuffle, the Owen Sound Attack, spearheaded by co-owner Bob Severs, penned an Open Letter to fans explaining the Attack are staying put and that there have been no such discussion, ever, of a sale or relocation.
And I certainly trust the author and the content of the Open Letter.
But, it’s important to understand that if these shifts can happen in larger markets, and in markets where there’s been more on-ice success than Owen Sound, which is certainly the case in Belleville, it could happen almost anywhere, including here.
What’s vital to the continuing, and successful, operation of the Attack Hockey Club in Owen Sound is the understanding from both inside and outside of the organization, that the team needs to be well supported by the community on every level, and in turn that support has to be recognized and rewarded in every possible way
I’m Fred Wallace