Magic Bus

[Beaner]

So for those of you who don't know, Toigo petitioned the league to allow the Giants to fly in the Van/PG Series. The league rules are quite clear, that unless both teams fly then they have to take the bus.

So Toigo tried but the league has said no dice. This is all so that one team doesn't have a competitive advantage over the other.

[N.W. Bruin]

Toigo did say on the radio that the other quarterfinals all had travel time on the bus of at most three hours excluding the Kelowna/Kootenay series which is about half of the Giants/Cougars travel time. But the Cougars and Giants are both in the same boat with the long bus trip and Prince George has to start it up. They have the trip down here for games one and two and than both teams have the same travel after that. Only way Giants will have the same travel time is if the series ends in P.G. in games four or six and the team will either advance or be out of it. A series win in game five means the Giants have a round trip to P.G. of around 25 hours travel time only. And they will get a rest before the next series starts assuming the Giants come out on top.

[Sput]

Why would it be a surprise to anyone that the Cougars brass said no to flying? The Cats team is used to being on the bus for extended periods of time (closest road game is Kamloops at 6-7 hours on the bus), so it plays into the Cougars hands to keep the travel on the ground. Besides...the last series up here the Giants flew, and got swept in both games. Either way its going to be a long series, both in mileage and games.

[dondo]

Toigo even offered to pay for both team's flights, considering that the league was saying that only one of teams flying was unfair, but the league still said no go. It kind of sucks to end up top of the conference and the division only to face a 12 hour bus ride.. as your reward.

I know this is a minor point, but PG is used to this kind of bus travel as most of their road games involve a trek, and the Giants are used to maxing out at about 5 hours except when travelling north to PG. Seems like a decided adv to me.

However, the league did say that they were making flights available as an option for the conference final.

[Beaner]

Toigo even offered to pay for both team's flights, considering that the league was saying that only one of teams flying was unfair, but the league still said no go. It kind of sucks to end up top of the conference and the division only to face a 12 hour bus ride.. as your reward.


That seems to be the happy comprimise in this situation.

If one team wants to fly and the other does not, then allow the team that wants to fly to pay the other team the difference between flying and busing.

Using this series as an example.

All made up #'s but it gets the point across;

Say it is 2500$ to bus to PG one way.
Say it is 5000$ to fly to PG one way.

Allow Toigo to fly his team but he has to cut a check to the Cougars for 2500$. With that 2500$ then the Cougars can bus or fly their team its their choice. If they choose not to fly then the owner does with the cash whatever they see fit, or, the extra cash goes into the education fund.

In the end doesnt really matter.

[dondo]

good thoughts, but it doesn't seem that compromise is on the League's minds right now and apparently the Cougar brain-trust is the one being stubborn about the whole thing.

Ah well if this is extent of grief that this round poses I will be a happy man.