Brooks Brothers Caught Again

WHEELING - The Wheeling Nailers organization, and co-Presidents Rob and Jim Brooks in particular, have gone to great lengths to make us believe ECHL hockey will be in town for a 19th consecutive season. But what's attempting to be brokered in some dark room in a corner of an empty arena in Johnstown paints a starkly contrasting picture.

According to two sources with knowledge of the inner workings of the situation who wish to remain anonymous, the Brooks brothers are currently negotiating to play at least a portion of their 2010-2011 ''home'' games at famed Cambria County War Memorial, which at the end of this season will cease being the home to the Chiefs, who are being relocated to Greenville, S.C.

If this story sounds familiar, it's because it's happened before. It was only two years ago that, according to whom you believe, the brothers had everything but a signed contract to move the Wheeling franchise to Youngstown. That fell through reportedly because the deal was leaked before it was able to be made official, according to the head of that Youngstown group, Bruce Zoldan.

For the first 4-5 years after the Brooks brothers purchased the Nailers they were clearly visible in both the community and at games.

But more recently that hasn't been the case, and whether they realize it or not, that, along with the supposed jump to Youngstown, has greatly affected their credibility in this town.

It certainly has with WesBanco Arena Executive Director Denny Magruder.

''Just stand up, be honest and let's sit down and talk about it,'' Magruder said Sunday. ''They just need to be forthright and stop sneaking behind our backs.

''If that's really the case, that has not been uttered to me, (though) I also heard that rumor a couple days ago.''

Magruder is right: it's your puck and you can take it and go home if you so choose. But stop stringing the city, the fanbase, the media, and everyone else along. Don't make idle threats and then refuse to talk to anyone about it for months, as Jim Brooks' ''no comment at this time,'' line Sunday so typically continued to do.

Magruder said that if this does in fact have legs, the two sides need to sit down immediately and talk. He doesn't want to share the team with anyone else, but says he wouldn't be totally opposed to the idea, with one catch. If the Nailers aren't going to be here full-time, they would immediately lose the benefits of being a prime tenant.

''My first reaction is, you're either our team or not,'' Magruder said. ''It would be a business deal, but we will sit down and entertain any business deal.

''But to me, a move like that, it's a death knell if we're not already on that path.''

Magruder too is miffed at why this battle continues to be waged through the media, rather than face-to-face interactions with the brothers. He says he hasn't spoken to Rob or Jim Brooks ''since Christmas,'' though it didn't used to be that way.

Magruder has done the majority of his recent dealings with Nailers Vice President Craig Bommer.

''Maybe it's as much my fault as theirs (that the two sides haven't talked),'' Magruder admitted. ''The dates this year, when I went over and gave them the dates this season, that was done through Mr. Bommer. In the past that's always been a Rob and Jim Brooks deal.''

Magruder said that in the last four years he has been contacted by two separate organizations who have interest in bringing Junior hockey to the area. Each time his response was the same: we have a hockey team.

Actions such as that show Magruder's loyalty, which in the long run is the only thing he's asking in return.

''They keep acting like if they take their hockey away we're not going to have hockey anymore,'' Magruder said. ''Just because they leave doesn't mean we'll never have hockey again.

''They don't own the ice, and they don't own the zamboni.

''Frankly, I resent the fact we always get the finger pointed at us.''

And he's right. How is this ever going to work if it's always a he-said, she-said proposition? Who are we to believe?

At some point you have to stop barking through the media, be men and sit down across from the guy you're accusing of doing you wrong.

Heck, why not take it one step further and do it in a public meeting, town-hall style? The city, the fans, and anyone who has even the slightest amount of a vested interest deserve the truth.

Going behind people's backs, calling others out in public and then skipping town for a couple weeks isn't the answer. It never has been, nor will it ever be.

I've said for some time that silence is the worst thing possible in this situation. I'm not a business man, nor do I play one on TV. But if you're trying to sell a product but are constantly creating a cloud of uncertainty around your entity, how is that helping?

Did it help when a number of corporate sponsors and season ticket holders backed out for this season? Has it helped solve the attendance issue? Has it done anything to help your street cred?

The answer to all of the above is a resounding NO!

It's rather simple, really. The Brooks brothers at one time deserved the benefit of the doubt. After the Youngstown fiasco, that's no longer the case.

Stop threatening us.

''You take a look over the years, we always try to help them. But it's looking more like a one-way street,'' Magruder said.

A one-way street leading to Johnstown, apparently. But we won't know that until the moving vans are pulling out of town.

Shawn Rine can be reached via e-mail at Rine@theintelligencer.net

Member Comments

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atoddh
03-16-10 10:53 PM »Report Abuse	Spinx:The big acts go to Pittsburg where they attract the entire region including the OV.One exception was JUSA which was a regional attraction.The current regime elected not to acquire the JUSA show rights(with the building) and are not pursing a C&W agenda:a proven draw.JITH still prospers. JUSA was an icon of C&W music for decades.
Muffings
03-16-10 9:10 PM »Report Abuse	SphinxRising58: Rine's article is a commentary and not a news report. It was web site management's fault, I think, for not distinguishing between the two online. I believe your history on the Civic Center and its operation through the years to be accurate, and you are so right about the arrival of the hockey team. Huge. But today is today. Ownership of the team has changed a few times, attendance says interest around here depends on success, and the economy keeps even some of the diehards away. The Brooks are guilty of following the same model of so many other sports franchises in the same position. Fear mongering. It works or it doesn't.
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:50 PM »Report Abuse	SarahCrook: This is more of a biased editorial than a news article, as nowhere does the writer cite any facts, only personal opinions based on unsubstantiated rumors, which for the unlearned, is not reporting something they used to call NEWS. No, nowdays, we get biased reporting, opinions instead of facts, sometimes even fear mongering from good old Mikey, so why should anyone expect anything different from the people under him? Who, what, when, wow, & why is the concept behind basic news articles, & not, I think,rumors, speculation, ect.
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:44 PM »Report Abuse	OPENFORBUSINESS: The City of Wheeling brought the Thunderbirds here in a rather vain attempt to try & save the finacially foundering Civic Center. The city of Wheeling gave the Thunderbirds all the sweetheart deals they presently enjoy. The city of Wheeling allowed the Civic Center to deteriorate. All things considered, I would say the city of Wheeling, along with the bloated management at the former Civic Center can be blamed for mismanagement, as I see lots of money going out, but very little coming back to the city of Wheeling, but hey, it's only tax dollars the city government is spending so what do they care as there is lots more tax dollars to replace the money lost to date. Maybe you should " open your eyes ", & stop with the BS, as you are not fololing anyone, save maybe yourself.
OPENFORBUSINESS
03-16-10 2:54 PM »Report Abuse	HMMMM Mr. Sphinix Rising.....I do believe alot of Mr. Rines comments were bases on facts. Have you heard the Brooks Brothers Rebuttal Yet? No you havent, because they need a miracle to come out of this to smell like roses. The WesBanco Naming Rights Deal was done for the Nailers not for the Arena its a 75/25 split with the Nailers getting around $190,000 a year for 10 years. If you want to talk about padding someones pay, if most of the players are paid by Wilkes Barre, the Penguins and the Philly Payroll, I believe there are 2 Full Time Workers and 1 Part-Timer And Equipment Trainer, and the Athletic trainer is actually Paid by the Hospital, What kind of pay are the Brooks Giving to themselves? They have had the same deal for a while now, Stop Blaming the Arena and City and Start Checking the Facts, they are robbing the City! OPEN YOUR EYES!
wheelingizded
03-16-10 7:14 AM »Report Abuse	sounds like mr rine needs a tissue.
Mountaineer13
03-16-10 5:37 AM »Report Abuse	Why did this news paper allow the language GIJOE1 used above? Also if the team wants to leave, then we can not stop them or influence them in anyway. If i owned the team i would pack up too, since this area is dying mroe and mroe everyday.
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:26 AM »Report Abuse	Mr. Shawn Rine, while milking the city may be unethical, it is not against the law, which is all that really counts. Take your story Mr. Shawn Rine, it is full of innuendo ( based on secondhand knowledge that may or may not be correct ), along with you seeking attention for your rather liberal use of unjustified speculation, & allegations, in that you refuse to name a credible scource for information you allegedly possess. Nothing unlawful at all about writing such a story Mr. Shawn Rine in the least, but it is unethical. Are you catching my drift Mr. Shawn Rine ?
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:19 AM »Report Abuse	From then until now, there has been a continuing rumor mill concerning the Brook's Brothers & what they may or may not have in mind for the Nailers, be it upfront, or on the sly. As for your article Mr. Shawn Rine, the last time I checked, a reporter is suppossed to write a story based on facts, not on rumors heard on the grapevine, & so what if the Brook Brothers are milking the city until something better comes along, as most businesses would do likewise also were they in this position.
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:14 AM »Report Abuse	Then the Nailer's ( formerly known as the Thunderbirds ) arrived, & for the first time, it actually looked like the Civic Center might even break even, or make a profit, but that too was proven false. Over staffing, along with top heavy management, perks given away to the team's owners to lure them here & to stay, along with a continuing declining worker base, & things again got financially shaky for the Civic Center so WesBanco enters the picture as official sponsor.
SphinxRising58
03-16-10 3:08 AM »Report Abuse	Gee, whatever will WesBanco do if the Nailer's do decide to leave? As anyone who has been around this are for some time already knows, the former Wheeling Civic Center had been a White Elephant since the time it opened. Larger, more popular bands refused to play there due to it's small size, so the Civic Center was used to Lawn & Garden shows, Flea Markets, an occasional truck or car show, a few Monster truck shows, the yearly blood drive, but mostly sat empty, & even showed signs of neglect & deterioration at one point.
atoddh
03-16-10 12:32 AM »Report Abuse	The Civic Center is really a rather nice facility for the area. Very well maintained.Very functional. The problem is the decline in the area value added employment with a decline of disposable income to attend events at the venue including hockey. The W-P payroll-and related businesses- is down by perhaps 100 million/yr: a huge hole in the local economy.
boxerboy
03-16-10 12:07 AM »Report Abuse	Rather than bulldoze the Civic Arena I'd rather see a first-rate implosion! A new arena would be GREAT! But the limited parcel of land would mean the Byrd parking lot would have to be torn down too. Gee, that would be a real shame. NOT.
Muffings
03-15-10 11:20 PM »Report Abuse	The Nailers get a great deal at Wesbanco already, and that is because the government has handed it over to keep the team in Wheeling. Naming rights, concessions, and a bunch of other percentage totals something like $175k a year. If the Nailers stay in Wheeling, it will be up to Craig Bommer to organize a purchasing group. Even if this Johnstown thing is a rumor, it still proves to this Nailers fan that Rob and Jim are done here in Wheeling.
Pamela
03-15-10 10:43 PM »Report Abuse	Gosh, why would they want to stay, with this kind of article and attitude?
prydwv
03-15-10 10:41 PM »Report Abuse	This is a news story? This is what the intell/N-R is passing off as journalism now days? No attempt whatsoever at objectivity...regardless of what the Brooks' are doing, wouldn't a balanced article without the obvious bias agin the owners better serve the ctizens of wheeling? Leave this sensationalism to the editorial board. What a sad joke.
atoddh
03-15-10 9:02 PM »Report Abuse	If they want dual homes(Wheeling-Johnstown Nailers) then 50% of something beats 100% of nothing.Macgruder is an excellent manager.He can not,however,alter the steep decline of the OV economy.He/Civic Center are victims. Everything is related to the demise of OV area manufacturing;including mining.Until this root problem is addressed, the decline will continue.
GoochStephens
03-15-10 9:00 PM »Report Abuse	Smart business people in this type of business usually succeed if they respect the fan base. Those that don't usually succumb to greed, and move on to repeat history. They will make $$, however much less than they could have for all involved.
mrmountaineer
03-15-10 8:02 PM »Report Abuse	Ellis,per your earlier posts-yes the city helps the nailers by tax concessions,free/reduced office rent at main offices,generous allotment of naming rights money,parking revenue on game bites,subsidized arena rental fees,etc.this was all done in order to keep them here despite other claims to the contrary
mrmountaineer
03-15-10 7:38 PM »Report Abuse	Ellis, I don't claim to know the amount that the city has given,but suffice to say they and the arena have made many concessions to help the nailers.the brook's brothers and their consultants have repeatedly threatenedto move over the years if they did not receive more financial assistance
USMCDeathPimp
03-15-10 6:41 PM »Report Abuse	I take medicine, hence, i carry a bottle of spring water to events on occasion. The last time I was at WESBANCO ARENA I was told 'remove the cap and throw the cap in this trash' i asked "why' and was told "because someone slipped on a cap and we were sued' That was the last time I will ever go to WESBANCO ARENA. They want to act like idiots over a plastic bottle cap, in the hands of a grownup, no less, Im done with Wheeling's "you owe us" mentality.
EllisWyatt
03-15-10 6:27 PM »Report Abuse	OPEN The city gives the Nailers $500,000 per year? If that is true, the city officials responsible should be in jail. What, exactly, does the city do for the Nailers? Have they cut their taxes, helped them with marketing, improved the arena and concessions, subsidized any team costs? Please post some facts to back up your statement. A joint city team might work. Neither town can really support a franchise but two towns could share the support. Just like "Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel", we could have "Wheeling-Johnstown Hockey". If Mr. Magruder had 2 teams begging to move to Wheeling, and it was such a great deal, why didn't he shove the Nailers out the door last year and bring in the better alternative? That's because he is telling tall tales.
atoddh
03-15-10 5:24 PM »Report Abuse	Is the concept that the team will become both a Wheeling and a Johnstown team? Perhaps that would work? The(local) public does not yet seem to undestand the huge impact the decline of W-P is having.Local unempoyment could easily reach 20% in 2011.
OPENFORBUSINESS
03-15-10 4:09 PM »Report Abuse	If the RIGHT person investigated this, alot of people and business owners in the City of Wheeling would be extremely UPSET when they heard ALL THE FACTS in regards to what BENEFITS the WHEELING NAILERS GET EVERY SEASON, not once, BUT EVERY SEASON, I know for a fact its an upwards of $500,000 a year! It's a public building what the City Arena Does for the Team Is All PUBLIC!
TruthSeeker
03-15-10 3:40 PM »Report Abuse	You know what?! The Nailers are a business and as a business, the Brooks' need to do what is best for their business and if that means moving them then that's what businesses do. Besides, this newspaper and Shawn Rine are not the best in reporting actual facts. I have read many an article where all the praise and 3/4 of the story were about Wheeling Park when John Marshall won the game. Real reporting? Hah!

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