Friday, March 16, 2007

Quality Quotes on Amerks / Blue Cross Arena Debacle

The following quotes were published in the online edition of today's Rochester Business Journal. Reading them, I had the eerie sense of deja vu. I felt like these folks had somehow reached into my brain, pulled out my thoughts, and put them to paper. Alas, unless I was remarkably inebriated and do not remember coming up with new aliases, these are in fact real citizens of the Rochester area. I just want to say thank you to Chris Fridd and Paul Nunes. Well said gentlemen, well said.

"...More so, if we do in fact have to further subsidize the Amerks, or any other team for that matter, to keep them in Rochester, then it should be the responsibility of this county, perhaps the five-county region, to subsidize the Amerks, not just the city of Rochester residents. I am growing increasingly tired of the welchers that move to or have always lived in the suburbs, as they groan in disgust at the increasingly underperforming city schools as a result of them taking/keeping their children out of these schools, and they turn around and expect that a poor minority in the city should fund their play time. Quite frankly...Piss Off!"
—Chris Fridd, lifelong city resident

"Without commenting on city support for these excellent sport teams, I’d like to see our local brewery’s products featured at all publicly financed sport facilities in Rochester. It’s mind-boggling that we promote Canadian (and other out-of-town) products to the detriment of High Falls Brewery’s fine products (e.g. Michael Shea’s, Honey Brown, Genny Cream). High Falls is a hometown business which employs taxpaying Rochesterians, the same kind of folks who support these teams. Also, High Falls should be supported as a matter of public pride. How many cities in the US can claim a premier brewery as its own? If we are keen to support our local sport teams, why not our local brewery?"
—Paul Nunes

Of course, I do pray that the powers that be save the Amerks. A year without AHL hockey in Rochester would be a very sad year for me.