Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 125

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 4995 PAGE 124 fry Ray Didinger 2nd-year Bulldogs struggling at the gate amJ jjj kg ELWOOD P. SMITH DAILY NEWS Only 2,369 fans turned out at the CoreStates Spectrum for the Bulldogs-New Jersey game in all areas this season, but especially advertising and ticket sales. Last year, the team had a four-month jump on advertising and promotions. With Schultz and Kelly, familiar faces from the Flyers' glory days, pushing the product, the team did pretty well, selling more than 900 season tickets. This year, with the franchise in limbo until the last minute, the season-ticket base dropped to 500.

There was very little walk-up business on opening night, and unless the team does a better job getting the word out, things are not likely to improve. Still, Salcer tries to remain optimistic. "Last year, I was watching one of our games with Ron Ryan Flyers chief executive officer," Salcer said. "There were only a few thousand people in the building and I was kind of disappointed. "Ron said, "The Flyers had nights like this in the first year.

You can't get discouraged. It takes a while for things to get "I'm not saying we'll be as big as the Flyers someday, but I think we can find a niche," Salcer said. Ryan was stretching the truth, perhaps out of kindness. The Flyers averaged 9,625 for home games in their first season, 1967-68. Their smallest crowd was 3,167 on a night when the city was paralyzed by a blizzard.

Most nights, the Flyers drew in excess of 6,000, and by their second season they were averaging 11,196. There was a visible, upward progression. With the Bulldogs, it has been all downhill since the first game. This season, the Bulldogs are cutting overhead to stay afloat. They moved the players into less-expensive quarters.

They will bus the team to road games in Buffalo, Ottawa and Montreal, although they still will fly to Detroit and Minnesota. Salcer feels the team was extravagant in its spending last season, and he holds Schultz at least partly responsible. Said Salcer: "He thought we were the Flyers." In mulling his suit, Schultz questions the manner in which the team was reorganized. Last year's corporation was dissolved and a new corporation formed with the CoreStates Spectrum as a partner. Schultz, who was given 18 percent of the original venture, claims he lost not only his coaching position but his holdings.

"I don't know if you can do that legally," Schultz said. "You certainly can't do it morally." "The rest of us lost money Hast season), Dave didn't lose a dime," Salcer said with a note of bitterness. "He didn't put any money into the team. He had the opportunity to, we even asked him to, but he didn't. "Now he's talking about losing shares? There were no profits, there was nothing but debt.

Does he want to pick up 18 percent of the debt? Maybe he'd like to do that. "I'm sorry he feels that way, but I'm moving ahead," Salcer said. "I still believe this (teaml can make it, and I'm determined to see it through." i i Daily News Sports Writer mhe Philadelphia Bulldogs were going through their pregame warmups before Monday's home opener, but team owner Ron Salcer's attention was focused elsewhere. Salcer was watching the thin trickle of customers file into the CoreStates Spectrum. It was 20 l' minutes before the start of the Roller Hockey International game between the Bulldogs and New Jersey Rockin Rollers, and it seemed the players on the floor (30) outnumbered the people in the stands.

"Come on, keep coming," Salcer said as the fans, mostly teenagers and families with young children, filtered down the aisles. His voice was soft, almost plaintive. You got the feeling Salcer was counting the arrivals one-by-one, and when you are the owner of a second-year team playing in a building that seats 17,380, that's not a good sign. "In-line skating is the fastest-growing sport in the country, that's a fact the 41-year-old Salcer said. "We just have to figure out how to get those people in the building." The good news for Salcer was the Bulldogs won the game, 9-5, to even their record at 2-2-1.

It was a lively affair with lots of offense (the Bulldogs had SO shots on goal. New Jersey had 27) and enough hitting to keep the fans entertained. The bad news was only 2,369 people showed up, and that an-, nounced number must have included both teams, the (who danced in the aisles during the game) and ushers. The building looked and felt almost empty. "Hopefully, the people who were here had a good time and will come back," Salcer said, looking ahead to tonight's home game against the Orlando RollerGators.

"This is a great sport. We just have to develop it." It looks like an uphill fight for Salcer, an NHL player agent who lives in California, and co-owner Tony Danza, the actor best known for his TV roles in "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?" The team lost an estimated $700,000 last year, prompting a shakeup that included the firing of Dave Schultz and Bob Kelly, the ex-Flyers who were part of the front office. Schultz, who was the head coach last season, is so enraged that he is threatening to sue. The new coach is Al Maclsaac, a 25-year-old former player with Hampton in the East Coast Ice Hockey league. "I got shafted, big time," Schultz said.

"I was the best asset they had and they got rid of me." With all the other problems facing Salcer. the last thing he needs is a public feud with a popular figure such as Schultz. Salcer insists Shultz has no basis for a suit. "I'm surprised to hear this," Salcer said. "Dave knows what happened.

He should know better." It is a messy and not-terribly-4 promising picture for the Bulldogs. And that is too bad, because the game itself is fun and the players, most of whom are minor The Bulldogs are trying hard to attract business. They cut ticket prices an average of $2 from last season: $18 and $13 for adults, $9 and $6.50 for children. Fans who bring their own in-line skates can wheel around the playing surface, free of charge, after the game. The Bulldogs players are doing clinics at local roller rinks and the club is inviting peewee teams from the area to come to a game and play on the court during half-time intermission.

The team is trying to make up for lost time. Due to the uncertainty about the team's future, the current staff was not put into place until two months ago. That meant the Bulldogs got a late start league ice hockey players picking up a few bucks in the offseason, put on a good show. But while the team finished with a 12-10 record in its first season, it lost a ton of money, far more than Salcer and Danza expected. Said Salcer.

"We discussed a worst-case scenario but what we got was our worse nightmare." Two partners. Bill Salcer (Ron's father) and Mike Foy, pulled out. There was talk of moving the team to Oklahoma or possibly shutting it down altogether. Finally, the CoreStates Spectrum management group agreed to buy a piece of the franchise and also help with the day-to-day operation. That meant the CoreStates Spectrum staff took over the advertising, promotions and tickets sales, which allowed the Bulldogs to slash their own staff to the bone.

Kelly, who was head of marketing for the Bulldogs last season, was among the casualties. John Page, the event coordinator for the CoreStates Spectrum, was given the additional role of Bulldogs general manager. The 30-year-old Page, who had no background in roller hockey, was put in charge with a mandate to sell the product, but also trim expenses. Page was not discouraged by Monday's sparse turnout. Last season, the Bulldogs' home opener drew 10,273.

Overall, the team averaged 4,367 for 11 home dates. That might not sound like much, but it ranked near the middle of the 19-team RHI for home attendance. Page points to the success of the Wings indoor lacrosse team as a reason to believe roller hockey can find an audience here. The Wings did not have much of a fan base when they started, Page said, but they now play to large and enthusiastic crowds at the Core-States Spectrum. His point: It takes time for a new sport to make a dent.

True, but the Wings had advantages the Bulldogs do not have. For one thing, the Wings are a big winner, capturing back-to-back MILL championships. Also, the Wings play an abbreviated schedule starting in January with most of the games on weekends. The Bulldogs are a tougher sell, playing in the summer when so many people are going to the shore, driving kids to Little League or standing in line to see 46 The rest of us lost money, Dave didn't lose a dime. He didn't put any money into the team.

6t I got shafted, big time. I was the best asset they had and they got rid of me. Bulldogs owner Ron Salcer 59 Ex-Bulldogs coach Dave Schultz Batman Fqreyeiv A- trtt SI.