Bernie selling the Farm?

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:31 am

Word on the street (or Internet auctions ) is that the MM proshop inventory is up for sale along with Boards from one of the rinks (Possibly rink 3?) Anybody got the whole scoop?

harrison · Post by **harrison** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:01 pm

Calm down. Selling the farm? As I understand it, they elected to close the proshop, but they still sharpen skates. Tape, mouth guards, etc are now being sold at the concession stand.

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:31 pm

harrison wrote:Calm down. Selling the farm? As I understand it, they elected to close the proshop, but they still sharpen skates. Tape, mouth guards, etc are now being sold at the concession stand.

Didn't think that I was being anything but calm

.. inquiring minds might want to know.. how bout rink 3 and the boards? looks to me like the skate sharpener is for sale too does he have two?... since you seem to be in the know?

yeahyeahyeah · Post by **yeahyeahyeah** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:44 pm

Don't really care why the stuff is for sale but he had some montreal nitros I would not mind getting a deal on, where is the auction?

harrison · Post by **harrison** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:23 pm

Dogeater, you know exactly what you were doing when you came up with the name of your topic. You can roll your eyes all you want.

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:42 pm

harrison wrote:Dogeater, you know exactly what you were doing when you came up with the name of your topic. You can roll your eyes all you want.

At least I'm not hiding behind a new Moniker...by the tone of your posts you must be a bitter ol timer on this forum... you the insider didn't address the selling of the boards? or are you too inside to tell... again inquiring minds might want to know. I could care less about the venture but come clean so people that are spending their hard earned $ don't show up one day to locked doors? I'm not sayin just sayin.... K-bid .com for all your BM buyout deals.

harrison · Post by **harrison** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:12 pm

Again Dogeater, try not to let your emotions get in the way here. I have never posted on this message board before today, congrats to you for pulling me out of the woodwork.

You create a topic called "Bernie Selling the Farm", and then are surprised that somebody might call you on it?

From what I know, the closet sized "proshop" at MM is now closed. I was told they still sharpen skates, as of a couple of nights ago, that was true.

As far as the boards? no idea, what do you think it means? Is Minnesota Made/Bernie McBain closing down and "selling the farm"? I guess I would need more information than an online auction before I could make an informed decision on that.

Do you know something you are not telling us dogeater?

Thanks for your concern for the kids and their parents hard earned money.....touching.

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:28 pm

Nice try.. noone comes on with a post like that. If you have been sitting in the background all this time with the pent up acusations you have to be a bit concerned too. I don't think that my topic was set out to hurt the Made. If you haven't noticed this board comes up with topics to fetch out info all the time. I heard a rumor. checked it out and if I knew more I wouldn't have asked the ? So Why does someone come to such a heated post with his first of the millenium if he doesn't have an interest? Who is the one that is holding info back? Hey now that I posted an auction the prices will probably go up... good thing for the market.. I now will sit in the background too and see if any more info comes our way. Thanks for sparking up the conversation and adding Nothing. Good day

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:46 am

These posts are generally best left to those who get tunnel vision due to a passionate position on either side of the topic. However, as they say in the journalism business, “it’s been a slow news day”.

Many of us that are not closely tied to MM, but make it over there a few times a year, have heard the rumor that the management/ownership are having zoning issues with the post office regarding the third sheet. That would seem to be a better explanation than ‘selling the farm’. When I’ve had occasion to be there, I’ve never seen empty ice; there are camps, AAA teams, local associations, high school programs, 4-on4, etc. As far as I can tell there are more AAA teams at MM, including girls, and there are more Choice teams this year; hardly the signs of a company circling the drain.

I haven’t come to understand why BM is so polarizing for so many. He offers a product/service that many have chosen to purchase; so have Acceleration, Exceed, Velocity, Edge, FHIT, Total Hockey, OS. What a great environment; choices for development – fit your ability level, fit your schedule, fit your price point.

I also don’t understand the argument against making money. If your grandmother passed away and left you a chunk of change to invest, would you hit the internet looking for non-profit investment organizations, or would you pick a guy that makes a ton of cash doing what he does because he does it well – people keep giving the guy more and more of their money because they’re so pleased with the job he’s done? If the neighbors witness you innocently gardening one afternoon, and the next morning a guy down the street is found with his head smashed with a shovel and your unreturned snowblower in his garage, do you give the public defender a call, or do you dial the guy with the shiny hood ornament?

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:58 am

INdy, well said, I don't have a chance to get to MM that often and may have set the topic a bit on the extreme side but I truely was miffed when the confirmation of the rumors on the pro shop and the boards were confirmed. Zoning makes sense but the closing of the proshop and selling of the sharpener didn't to me. I wouldn't want to see the closure as the Made does provide competition for kids and it would be a shame to see the orange team go away as it is good for development of top end talent for the state of hockey.

hot_rod87 · Post by **hot_rod87** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:05 pm

Does anybody have any real info regarding this matter? As a parent not that familiar with the whole operation, I have an 2001 son considering the machine. All this speculation makes things a bit more tricky.

Ozzie82 · Post by **Ozzie82** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:03 pm

hot_rod87, take everything you read here about Bernie and MM with a HUGE grain of salt. Some people here have a very pointed agenda when it comes to MM. You are best off talking in person to folks who have been on the Machine or of their other teams.

iwearmysunglassesatnight · Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:42 pm

[quote="Ozzie82"]hot_rod87, take everything you read here about Bernie and MM with a HUGE grain of salt. Some people here have a very pointed agenda when it comes to MM. You are best off talking in person to folks who have been on the Machine or of their other teams.[/quote]

give me a "B" an "E"

shoot the!@#$% · Post by **shoot the!@#$%** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:47 am

The story I heard which I believe after seeing.
The proshop was there to help players if they forgot something mouthgaurd, tape, laces, skate sharpening etc. This space was very small for a proshop but not for an office so when they hired two new empoyees and needed space to expand this seemed like the place to go. they are selling a radius machine not a sharpener look at k-bid.com they are keeping the two sharpener they had. They are moving them to a different room. They have also moved all the mouthgaurds, tape, laces, etc. to the snack bar. Seems like a much better use of space to me.

manchild · Post by **manchild** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:53 am

The guy close the proshop because he hired two new staff members and needed the office space. That now gives Minnesota Made Hockey a total of 10 full time emplyees just on the hockey school and hockey program side of the operation. This does not include the rink staff. With that little space they had they make just as much money sharping skates with out having to staff the shop and they get the office space they need.

As far as the boards they are holding off on building rink 3 at this time given the economy and they have no place to store them. He said it might be 2 - 4 years before they build the 3rd rink and it makes no sence having a set of boards sitting out side for 3 years. Bernie told me to build a rink would cost about 3 million and that would be alot to take on at this time. He said that he would rather grow into a 3rd rink rather than be forced have to try and fill it.

Why don't you MM basher just change the name of this forum to "The Bash Minnesota Made Forum"

What a joke! You should give the guy a break. The only reason for your contiued bashing is because you are jealous.

Yes. my son skates at Minn Made.

mnhcp · Post by **mnhcp** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:56 am

Deleted

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:09 am

manchild wrote:The guy close the proshop because he hired two new staff members and needed the office space. That now gives Minnesota Made Hockey a total of 10 full time emplyees just on the hockey school and hockey program side of the operation. This does not include the rink staff. With that little space they had they make just as much money sharping skates with out having to staff the shop and they get the office space they need.

As far as the boards they are holding off on building rink 3 at this time given the economy and they have no place to store them. He said it might be 2 - 4 years before they build the 3rd rink and it makes no sence having a set of boards sitting out side for 3 years. Bernie told me to build a rink would cost about 3 million and that would be alot to take on at this time. He said that he would rather grow into a 3rd rink rather than be forced have to try and fill it.

Why don't you MM basher just change the name of this forum to "The Bash Minnesota Made Forum"

What a joke! You should give the guy a break. The only reason for your contiued bashing is because you are jealous.

Yes. my son skates at Minn Made.

Bashing? That is the problem with MM parents they are like most of the politicians today. Read into everything as if someone is trying to take you down. I simply posted the topic, albiet with a bit of sarcasm in the title, to gain some information on what is going on if anything. It surely struck a nerve with some MM faithful and turned the whole conversation into a why are you bashing MM and BM. If the info that you provided above would have come out in the first response from the sidelines the topic would have been done. My kid doesn't skate for the Made but I don't blame anyone for trying to make a buck. In fact the sheer existense of MM makes for better competition which should make all our kids better. If The iceman or Miricle or Showcase or Blades have one kid leave their team people start talking like the world is coming to an end. I post a topic like this and people think that I am the conspiricy that is trying to take BM down. Get a life. Y'all need to settle down and take youth hockey for what it is worth. A good way for little johnny to spend his college savings to try to get a scholorship.

Manchild thanks for filling in all the spots that people above were not interested in providing. Makes more sense now.

manchild · Post by **manchild** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:27 am

Dogeatdog. You are so full of it. All you have to do is look at you past post and all you do is bash Bernie and Minnesota Made. At least be truthful. You don't like the guy and you do everything you can to hack on him.

The only reason you would start a thread with this title is to hurt their business! With this economy why would you say things like that when you don't know what you are talking about. You are either just stupid or you are out to get him. Eveyone can see throught your lies.

You are the one that sould get a life. Like I said jealous.

harrison · Post by **harrison** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:18 pm

Dogeatdog, I don't know you, don't know your posting history, and quite frankly don't care. But lets be honest here, there are tons of people on this board that would be dancing in the streets if MM folded. When I saw your post, I figured it must have been from another obsessed hater, trying to get another rumor started. You say you are not one of these guys, I am inclined to take your word for it and move on.

Your comment about MM parents being "like most of the politicians today" struck me as quite funny. Look back on the posts and see how many times the words "kool-aid" are used right after somebody dares to say something positive about their MM experience. Sounds like a political discussion to me too. Civil discourse has never been a characterization that I would use to describe a MM discussion on this board, and it is not just the MM parents that get out of hand.

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:50 pm

harrison wrote:Dogeatdog, I don't know you, don't know your posting history, and quite frankly don't care. But lets be honest here, there are tons of people on this board that would be dancing in the streets if MM folded. When I saw your post, I figured it must have been from another obsessed hater, trying to get another rumor started. You say you are not one of these guys, I am inclined to take your word for it and move on.

Your comment about MM parents being "like most of the politicians today" struck me as quite funny. Look back on the posts and see how many times the words "kool-aid" are used right after somebody dares to say something positive about their MM experience. Sounds like a political discussion to me too. Civil discourse has never been a characterization that I would use to describe a MM discussion on this board, and it is not just the MM parents that get out of hand.

Harry son, Thanks for taking me at my word. I took a look back at some of my postings just to see if I am the MM Basher as posed by the previous author and found some intesting comments. 1. I don't think that I am the big bad bernie basher that he makes me out to be. 2. I have bashed people with idiological differences than me but who hasn't 3. I have alway supported the fact that it is a free market and that competition will make all of our kids better.

I hope that when my kids decides to hang up the skates that they will look back and say that they played thehighest level he could, met good people and learned life lessons about failure success and the value of competition in the real world. Finally I hope that hockey will teach him that life isn't fair and you need to work hard to make it at anything. Enough of the teary eyed sentimental stuff. I will wait in the wings again to find something or someone to Bash.

Puck Whisperer · Post by **Puck Whisperer** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 4:56 pm

harrison wrote: Your comment about MM parents being "like most of the politicians today" struck me as quite funny. Look back on the posts and see how many times the words "kool-aid" are used right after somebody dares to say something positive about their MM experience. Sounds like a political discussion to me too. Civil discourse has never been a characterization that I would use to describe a MM discussion on this board, and it is not just the MM parents that get out of hand.

Don't forget "and his faithful followers"

SECoach · Post by **SECoach** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:17 am

dogeatdog1 wrote:INdy, well said, I don't have a chance to get to MM that often and may have set the topic a bit on the extreme side but I truely was miffed when the confirmation of the rumors on the pro shop and the boards were confirmed. Zoning makes sense but the closing of the proshop and selling of the sharpener didn't to me. I wouldn't want to see the closure as the Made does provide competition for kids and it would be a shame to see the orange team go away as it is good for development of top end talent for the state of hockey.

How old are they? Developing top end talent? I'll go with uneducated rather than clueless. Let me know who the top end talent is when their voice changes.

MM basher? No. Elitist, overbearing, clueless, willing to pay to make my dream come true basher? Yes. Let the kids be kids, and the talented ones that have an interest of their own will become incredibly successful.

dogeatdog1 · Post by **dogeatdog1** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:31 am

SECoach wrote:
dogeatdog1 wrote:INdy, well said, I don't have a chance to get to MM that often and may have set the topic a bit on the extreme side but I truely was miffed when the confirmation of the rumors on the pro shop and the boards were confirmed. Zoning makes sense but the closing of the proshop and selling of the sharpener didn't to me. I wouldn't want to see the closure as the Made does provide competition for kids and it would be a shame to see the orange team go away as it is good for development of top end talent for the state of hockey.
How old are they? Developing top end talent? I'll go with uneducated rather than clueless. Let me know who the top end talent is when their voice changes.

MM basher? No. Elitist, overbearing, clueless, willing to pay to make my dream come true basher? Yes. Let the kids be kids, and the talented ones that have an interest of their own will become incredibly successful.

Elitist yes. overbearing only when I am right... clueless maybe but you take care and let your kid decide what he wants on his own. If you don't challenge them in what ever they do be it school, hockey, baseball, or videogames they will take the easy way out. It's human nature... I'm sure that your kid is a self motivated superstar that will have skill when he is 21 and his voice changes.. Hockey is a unique sport and there are no MJ's that start skating in highschool and become pros(and no I don't think my kids will be in the pros).So it does make sense to develop top end kids at 10 or 11. Look at the new Hockey Development model They are dropping down to the 12 year old level to start their elite teams. the mode of transportation is developed differently in hockey but since you are the SE Coach master you already know this. Weather my kids make it in hockey or not they will be successful in life as they are learning hard work, competition and how to be good kids. Something you should take a good hard look at

SECoach · Post by **SECoach** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:11 am

You clearly have not examined closely or been trained on the details of the ADM. It does not and recommends against identifying players as elite at the age of 12.

I don't know if my kid will be a superstar when his voice changes but if you believe in the ADM it would say that is not possible and is unhealthy to know that now anyway. Your future superstar may be on the C team now and one of it's primary missions is to allow that kid to get to his highest place. Self motivated? I'm not sure but I do know that he is a kid and I don't have to talk him into playing. things he likes. I do know that most kids when told to play Monopoly every day by their parents will for some reason quickly decide that they like Twister better and that Monopoly is a crappy game. Their motivation to get better at Monopoly will quickly fade. I'm guessing you don't have any teens yet.

muckandgrind · Post by **muckandgrind** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 12:14 pm

SECoach wrote:You clearly have not examined closely or been trained on the details of the ADM. It does not and recommends against identifying players as elite at the age of 12.

I don't know if my kid will be a superstar when his voice changes but if you believe in the ADM it would say that is not possible and is unhealthy to know that now anyway. Your future superstar may be on the C team now and one of it's primary missions is to allow that kid to get to his highest place. Self motivated? I'm not sure but I do know that he is a kid and I don't have to talk him into playing. things he likes. I do know that most kids when told to play Monopoly every day by their parents will for some reason quickly decide that they like Twister better and that Monopoly is a crappy game. Their motivation to get better at Monopoly will quickly fade. I'm guessing you don't have any teens yet.

ADM is not, nor will it ever be the definitive voice for the best way to train or identify the elite players. For people like you, maybe it is...but for many, many others...no.

The one thing I can tell you is that I have been around this game for quite some time and I can tell you that I remember watching many of the "elite" players now playing in college and the NHL when they were youngsters and most of these players were on the radar of most people around the age of 12 years old. Like him or hate him, you can't call it luck or coincidence that most of the players on Bernie McBain's Minnesota 88's ended up playing D-I hockey later on...those players were indeed identified as "elite" by the age of 12, albeit most of them got their start with the Blades. And one quick trip to the Blades website and their "Alumni" page will also tell you that they have been training elite youth players that advanced to college and the NHL for quite some time now and many of those players starting with them well before the age of 12.

My bet is that more than a few of the youth you see playing for the Blades/Icemen/Breakway right now will also be playing at a highly competitive level after their HS years are complete. Don't take that to mean that ALL or MOST of the players on those rosters will make it, only that a decent number will, if history is any indicator.

The answer? There is no "right way"....never will be. It's all a matter of opinion as to what the "best" method is.

But, yes, you can detect many of the elite-calibre players by age 12-14. Talk to any scout and they will tell you the same. Does that mean it's impossible for a player to attain that elite level AFTER the age of 12? Of course not. There will always be the "late bloomers". And does it mean that EVERY kid who is deemed to be at that elite level by 12 AUTOMATICALLY gets a Division 1 scholarship? Of course not...some players have the physical tools, but not the mental makeup required to take it to the next level.

I'm very wary of the ADM because it treats the development of the elite athlete as more science (one size fits all), while I think it should actually more of an art form that requires one to consider all the variabilities involved with each unique player.