Wait a second.......

[RJUSHL]

12 minutes ago, Flavio said:

Some of you have latched on to this narrative that I’m pro PIA. I’m not, I’m just anti-Southpointe. It’s too far south west of the city and region as a whole. The only people that rink makes a real difference for is Peters Twn, Upper st Clair and canonsburg area. 
 

If you want to have another Pittsburgh predators or Shaha there, by all means. If we are talking a program on par with the ppe, it’s not possible. How many times do I have to say it…… there is a reason why all of these programs chose to operate north of the city….. driving north is easier due to multiple major arteries that spread traffic out. You don’t have to take Flavios word for it that nobody wants to set up shop down there. Look at what the current set up is? They’re all north? Why is that? I don’t see Alpha or PIA with a soccer field???? You all talk about PIA like it’s limping into business every morning…. Last I checked, there are two 200x85 sheets of ice available there. Not a girls middle school soccer team in sight.  Just the truth, the people occupying northern rinks aren’t at risk of having their rinks turn into a flag football field or a gym. 

Says the dude who refers to himself in the third person. 

[Flavio]

1 minute ago, RJUSHL said:

Says the dude who refers to himself in the third person. 

I thought you south hills people were all hip. Don’t start assuming genders because it’s convenient. RJUSHL, maybe the kids can play soccer or ultimate frisby along with hockey? I know just the place…

[aaaahockey]

6 minutes ago, RJUSHL said:

Says the dude who refers to himself in the third person. 

My favorite part is if I punch PIA and Printscape in from the center of his home town it still says Printscape is 5 minutes closer ?

[Flavio]

It’s actually nice that Southpointe offers the field. I’m sure it’s welcome for the sports that use it. Southpointe also clearly fills a need, albeit small one, for hockey. They are in no way shape or form primed to be the next Tier 1 location. NEXT! 
 

- Flavio 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[Flavio]

4 minutes ago, aaaahockey said:

My favorite part is if I punch PIA and Printscape in from the center of his home town it still says Printscape is 5 minutes closer ?

Right because I’m looking at the reality of the situation from Blackbears point of view. Not on here soiling my panties over what’s best for me. Like someone from BB is taking notes and message board conjecture into consideration for a multi-million dollar decision. 
 

It’s technically Printscape rink & fieldhouse. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[forbin]

35 minutes ago, Flavio said:

My job actually entails a lot of study around traffic flow and wait times etc.  

How convenient!

[Flavio]

4 minutes ago, forbin said:

How convenient!

 Well, I don’t work for Penn Dot. Let’s just say logistics. As in, how long will it take to get truck from A to b. So I can tell you all about how bad of a location Printscape is for people north east, east, or south east of the city (= 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[Flavio]

UPMC - fed by 79 and Turnpike

PIA - fed by 28 and Turnpike- one mile drive from turnpike exit to 28. Also golden mile highway, by way of 22 and 376. Exit 376, one mile drive on route 22 to golden mile highway exit. 

Harmar - fed by 28 and turnpike

 

Printscape  - fed by 79S which is well to the west of the region and only easily accessed by those who live near it. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[Icebucket]

I thought you were done with the conversation like 7 responses ago...

[Flavio]

2 minutes ago, Icebucket said:

I thought you were done with the conversation like 7 responses ago...

Thanks for keeping tabs on me. 
 

 

 

 

 

Yikes. 

[aaaahockey]

Today I learned a guy traffic engineer from Greensburg is upset esmark might practice half their games at Printscape Arena to make it more convenient for the rest of Pittsburgh but lost his mind about it.  Have fun driving the horrors of 79 next year. 

[Flavio]

My kid drives himself to practice, from our home near Wexford lol But alright… I live in Greensburg with a kid who plays for Esmark. I’m highly offended lol

Hey aaaaaaaaahockey or whatever that goofball name is… the mic drop was when I said that printscape has to let one of their rinks serve as a soccer field to stay in business. Forget directions and your personal woes around them… There’s no retort for that. Do you know how stupid it sounds to advocate for a tier 1 program to be placed in a rink that’s only keeping the doors open by converting 1 of their two rinks in to a turf field? Printscape rink and pitch. And again, good for them for providing space for lacrosse and soccer but there’s no hiding from the fact that that extra rink wasn’t good for business… I wonder why it wasn’t good for business? 

You want to put a tier 1 alternative to the programs that make you all hot and bothered- in a rink that had to downsize due to lack of local participation? 
 

Printscape rink & field isn’t convenient for anyone from the north east, east, or south east (including the eastern parts of the south hills). As I said, dont take Flavi’s word for it. I just point to the programs already in existence that all choose to operate north of the city. No retort for that either pal!!! 

- Flavio aka Flavi (pronounced Flah vee)

 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[Rebel Panther]

There are four rinks with four sizeable hockey programs in the South Hills.  And that is excluding South Park and Rostraver.  Between those four rinks, there are five sheets of ice (soon to be six), all of which are booked solid pretty much year round.  My count is that there are twenty-five mite teams between the four hockey programs.  SHAHA is bursting at its seams.  The Rebellion have seven of those mite teams and will soon be one of the biggest programs in PAHL.  You are underestimating the volume of hockey that is played in the South Hills.

The area around Printscape has grown considerably in population in the last 20 years, and the need for a second sheet is evident.  The Rebellion rent out ice in Wheeling.  On top of that, plans have been developed to build a massive complex in Ringgold.  And that is not a rumor.  The gentleman behind the complex already owns hockey assets in the region.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Rebel Panther

[aaaahockey]

4 hours ago, Flavio said:

My kid drives himself to practice, from our home near Wexford lol But alright… I live in Greensburg with a kid who plays for Esmark. I’m highly offended lol

He will enjoy the shorter drive next year then! 

[RJUSHL]

7 hours ago, Flavio said:

My kid drives himself to practice, from our home near Wexford

- Flavio aka Flavi (pronounced Flah vee)

 

 

I understand you’re just trolling us, but you do realize that driving from Wexford (north hills) to Printscape is faster than driving from Wexford to PIA. It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the night or during rush hour. You may want a refund on your traffic management degree. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by RJUSHL

[Flavio]

I laid the facts out there and then it got personal and I’m all of the sudden trolling. Outside of the logistics that no one can dispute- which alienate everyone east of the city… the dream destination here is a rink that’s currently converted one of their two rinks to a soccer field. 
 

Call it trolling. Get mad. Cry together. Whatever you want to do. What you won’t be doing is participating in a tier 1 program at printscape. Whether that’s a new venture or Esmark splitting ice there. It’s not happening. 
 

And that’s the BOTTOM LINE. 
 

- Flavi 

[hockeyisgreat]

27 minutes ago, Flavio said:

I laid the facts out there and then it got personal and I’m all of the sudden trolling. Outside of the logistics that no one can dispute- which alienate everyone east of the city… the dream destination here is a rink that’s currently converted one of their two rinks to a soccer field. 
 

Call it trolling. Get mad. Cry together. Whatever you want to do. What you won’t be doing is participating in a tier 1 program at printscape. Whether that’s a new venture or Esmark splitting ice there. It’s not happening. 
 

And that’s the BOTTOM LINE. 
 

- Flavi 

You do know that Southpointe never had a second sheet of Ice?  It was always a multisurface. It never had icemaking potential. Was built in the late 90's as a Practice facility for the Pens.  Thats why it would take a lot to put in that second sheet.  It does seem like the multiuse rink is always in use when I have been there.

[Lifelongbender]

14 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

You do know that Southpointe never had a second sheet of Ice?  It was always a multisurface. It never had icemaking potential. Was built in the late 90's as a Practice facility for the Pens.  Thats why it would take a lot to put in that second sheet.  It does seem like the multiuse rink is always in use when I have been there.

This is actually entirely correct. And I think @Flavio must've missed the repeated discussions about the field being converted to a second sheet of ice as soon as next season, too.

As far as I can tell, nobody has called Printscape their "dream destination". This is - or should have been - just a discussion about the possibilities. If an elite program can exist at the ridiculously located PIA, one can certainly exist at Printscape. If the core of this argument is about whether PIA or Printscape is more ideally located to attract talent, the answer is that neither is ideally located,  but at least you don't have to take 28 to get to Printscape. 

Just for the record, too, at least one elite team already exists in the South Hills, at an even less-accessible rink. Paul Taibi's 16UAAA team is among the best in the country, as has been pointed out by others many times elsewhere on this board. I don't know anyone on that team, but a simple review of MHR makes it clear. Geography certainly didn't stop that from happening. In the end we all know that players will drive to wherever their needs are met, at least in our market.

[bb2j3z]

7 hours ago, Rebel Panther said:

The Rebellion rent out ice in Wheeling. 

We also rent ice at Hunt Armory as well... our team has been going out there once a month.   We definitely want more ice.  

[Flavio]

I did not know it was never in service. Want to be clear my argument isn’t against the Rebellion. From what I understand it’s a fine group of people do a real good job with the kids. If they need more ice, I certainly hope blackbear sees that and help them out. My argument is only against blackbear putting all the time and effort into creating something that rivals the other tier 1 programs in a location that makes it very easy for half the region to still opt for those other programs due to the lack of major highways getting there. Every program like this operates north of the city because it is easier to drive north than it is to drive south. That common knowledge, of anyone who’s live in Pittsburgh longer than 6 months, has touched a nerve. I understand how rough South Hills residents have it, I’ve lived there for a considerable amount of time. I feel for them. 

There so many variables to driving times that are being quoted here. Like time of day, and the fact that a majority will hit stop and go traffic heading to printscape during peak hours. Where again, the north has so many major arteries spreading traffic out. I’ve been accused of residing in the east, like it’s some kind of insult (lol), I don’t but let’s say I do, and I have a kid who’s a stud…. I’m not driving to Southepointe I’m getting on the turnpike to Cranberry, Harmarville or going to New Ken. It’s impossible for anyone North East, East, or South East to get to printscape without buying an RV. 

No beef with the rebellion. And I apologize if it came off that way, and for my lack of knowledge on the rinks history. 
 

- Coach Flavi 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Flavio

[twoboys]

10 hours ago, Rebel Panther said:

There are four rinks with four sizeable hockey programs in the South Hills.  And that is excluding South Park and Rostraver.  Between those four rinks, there are five sheets of ice (soon to be six), all of which are booked solid pretty much year round.  My count is that there are twenty-five mite teams between the four hockey programs.  SHAHA is bursting at its seams.  The Rebellion have seven of those mite teams and will soon be one of the biggest programs in PAHL.  You are underestimating the volume of hockey that is played in the South Hills.

The area around Printscape has grown considerably in population in the last 20 years, and the need for a second sheet is evident.  The Rebellion rent out ice in Wheeling.  On top of that, plans have been developed to build a massive complex in Ringgold.  And that is not a rumor.  The gentleman behind the complex already owns hockey assets in the region.

North has Alpha, the Frozen Pond Lemieux, Baeirl and Shadyside.  That is 9 sheets.  Also, there is also PIA and the Belmont if you consider them North.

[No Politics]

6 minutes ago, twoboys said:

North has Alpha, the Frozen Pond Lemieux, Baeirl and Shadyside.  That is 9 sheets.  Also, there is also PIA and the Belmont if you consider them North.

In my opinion, what people are REALLY talking about here is the number of rinks near major roadways, and those that are tucked in deeper (and are therefore harder to get to).

Before people laugh about Belmont, 28 is a straight burn.  For the same reasons folks here say Printscape is so convenient, one would have to say Belmont and Alpha are convenient.  And Baierl is right off of 79, 76, AND 19... convenient.

Yeah, if you're coming from the south, PIA is really a PITA (ha ha), but it isn't really THAT bad.  28 to Tarentum exit, five lights, then 366/56 to the rink three minutes later.  Wow... tough.  Thank God for GPS, right?

It's simply distance and time.  

Sorry, folks, but I read this a couple days ago, came back today, and laughed by balls off.  I'll say what I said before:  TO EACH THEIR OWN.  There are rinks south of the city, and there are rinks north of the city.  There is nothing wrong with Printscape, and there is nothing wrong with PIA.  It totally depends on what works for a particular family situation.  I live in the North Hills and totally detest going to Ice Castle or the YMCA because of the 51/88 perpetual traffic, but for people who live in the south that's probably nothing for them.  So great for them!

Honestly, I don't see the point of this entire argument.  It seems more like a North v. South or Jets v. Sharks kind of thing rather than an actual hockey thing.

[forbin]

Is this the start of a Pittsburgh area hockey rink civil war? What are we doing here exactly? 

[Flavio]

 

Out on bail fresh outta jail, North Hills dreamin

Soon as I stepped on the scene, I'm hearin parents screamin

Fiendin for money and ice time

The life of a north side playa where cowards die

Only in Alpha where we riot not rally to live and die

In PIA we wearin Chucks not Ballies (that's right)

Dressed in Locs and khaki suits and ride is what we do

Flossin but have caution we collide with other crews

Famous cause we AAA program worldwide

Let'em recognize from TJ to Canon Mac

Bumpin and grindin like a slow jam, it's North side

So you know the row won't bow down to no man

Say what you say

But give me that north ice from Dave (K)

Let me serenade the streets of PIA

From Cranberry to K-town 

The harmar area and back down

North hills is where they put they mack down

Give me love!

Now make it shake...

Uh, yeah, uh, Tarentum in tha house, uh yeah

Mars area, Mars area definately in tha house hahaha

Frozen pond, Frozen Pond

Hey, you know Belmont is up in this

Butler, where you at

Yeah, Hampton township, Hampton township always up to no good

even Delmont tryin to get a piece baby

Ross township, Ross township where ya at? yeah

Throw it up y'all, throw it up, Throw it up

Let's show these fools how we do this on that North side

Cause you and I know it's tha best side

Yeah, That's riight

[Jkersman01]

@forbin makin’ rhymes and droppin’ beats… obviously….