Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thunder vs. Blizzard
Who: Thunder (2-13) vs. Green Bay Blizzard (9-6).
When: Today, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Cortland Banks Field in the Covelli Centre.
Tickets: (330) 758-4232.
Radio: WBBW-AM (1240).
Poor on-field performance and low attendance have rumors floating that the team won’t return in 2010.
STAFF REPORT
The Mahoning Valley Thunder play their final game of the 2009 season tonight at the Chevrolet Centre.
What 2010 holds for the af2 team is unclear.
Poor attendance, coupled with losing records in each of the franchise’s three seasons, have put the Thunder’s future into question.
The Thunder (2-13) play host to the Green Bay Blizzard (9-6) tonight at Cortland Banks Field in the Covelli Centre at 7:05 p.m.
Earlier this week, in a report on WFMJ-TV two of the Thunder’s owners said they would go through an evaluation next week.
“We look at it from wins and [losses], we look at it from fan support, we look at it from a financial perspective,” Tim Chesney said. “Once all that information is in, then we’ll make a decision moving forward as to whether or not we’re coming back or what we’re going to be doing.”
Chesney is one of the team’s owners, along with Dr. Jon Saadey and Dr. Michael P. Slyk.
In March the trio held “private invitation only” meeting to attract additional owners. At that time Slyk told a Vindicator reporter that “equity ownership” is being offered. Slyk said at that time the franchise was “financially solvent.”
The Thunder won its first three games in franchise history in 2007, but finished the season with a 7-9 record.
Last season Mahoning Valley finished 3-13, experiencing a great turnover of players, including using six different starting quarterbacks.
This season has been just as unsettling. The Thunder won its opener, 44-34, over Albany at the Covelli Centre on March 27, but lost 13 straight games before defeating Manchester, 41-39, last Friday.
In the interim, the team went through four starting quarterbacks, including former Boardman and Youngstown State standout Tom Zetts, who will start tonight’s game.
The losing streak also cost Coach Mike Hold his job after the fifth game. Brennen Booth replaced Hold on an interim basis and Chris MacKeown was named coach on May 26; the Thunder is 1-6 since then.
His future, along with all of the players and staff, will be in limbo as the franchise’s ownership contemplates the future.
“As of right now we will keep our doors open then at the end of this year we sit down and evaluate it and we go from there,” said Jon Saadey, another owner.