Entire OHL team quits after coaching staff gets fired

Crazy story out of Flint, Mich. The entire OHL Flint Firebirds team, after rallying to win a game, quits when the owner, after the game, fired the coaching staff. There are other reports, that the coaches were fired because they weren't giving enough playing time to one of the players, who happens to be the owner's son. Oh, and one of the players who quit ... Was the owner's kid.

Reports: Players from OHL's Flint Firebirds quit after staff gets fired

And here we thought the NFL had a monopoly on crazy owners and dysfunctional franchises.

 

Quick, somebody call Michael Moore.

 

The Flint Firebirds are the former Plymouth Whalers, owned by Peter Karmanos until this season. This is the franchise's first year in Flint, and, well....wow.
It was a proud franchise, with alumni such as Tyler Seguin, James Neal, Stephen Weiss, Justin Williams, and if you go back to the team's inception in Detroit, Bryan Berard and a few others.

Let's see what the commish has in store to fix this...

 

Believe me when I say it's a twisted, complete cluster in Flint right now. Some good people and good kids caught in the middle of it.

 

Branch must be losing his mind. The OHL can be a daddy league when your kid is Dylan Hunter, Kerby Rychel or Nick and Marcus Foligno. Mark Burgess saw the blowback in Sudbury with his kid on the team.

Fly, can the Flint owner's kid play?

 

Based on my past viewings, I would consider Hakon a fringe junior prospect. People I trust tell me he has been getting decent bottom-pair ice time the past several games (par for the course for an OHL rookie 17-year old D) and Gruden was using him in situations that would be conducive for success (low-stress, against lower line opposition). They also say he has been a pleasant surprise and has been playing OK. But apparently the word on the street is the old man was fuming he wasn't on every PP and PK. Terrible situation across the board.

Some reports have him being traded this morning (separating the kid from the dad team-wise). I heard the OHL Commish was on-hand first thing this morning trying to mediate a solution. The players have been resolute, stating they would not be back until the coaches are reinstated. There was supposed to be a meeting between Branchy and the players at noon but I haven't heard any updates of what, if anything, came out of it.

 

Will say this: it is amazing all the kids walked out together. I will applaud their solidarity. It was my experience that some kids often don't care, aren't good team guys or have their own agenda.

 

The original plan for this owner was to get a USHL team but that league wanted nothing to do with him. Now we apparently know why. So he bought the OHL team instead (as well as the building in Flint). Guy is loaded. He put millions into the building. Reportedly a billionaire who doesn't give a shit what people think about him or his decisions.

 

They're back: #MondayMustRead: Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after player protest

 

Even more amazing, the organ player didn't have to go on a hunger strike to unify them.

 

Can't play Lady of Spain again, though.

 

Is this Gruden related to the NFL Grudens?

Also, someone invested millions in a Flint building?