09/02/2021
This might be our last post. I feel compelled to thank, once again, the dozens of club members, former members and non-members who stopped by over the past few days to extend their well wishes to us. Humbling. We are grateful. It has been quite a journey. 7 years ago we arrived at a club and a business that was not even relevant. In football terms, we were winless and had no prospects of winning, let alone contending. We were encircled by 5 well established and prominent competitors. We inherited over $300k worth of equipment loans and $80k worth of back rent and landlord fees. An uphill battle. At the time, I vividly remember quoting a Bob Dylan lyric, "For the loser now/Will be later to win/For the times they are a-changin'". Many, many folks passed on acquiring this club. We relished the challenge and embraced the opportunity. 3 years later, in July 2017, we received an unsolicited offer to purchase us. I asked for an extension through August 2017 to decide although my mind was made up. Sell. At that point it was obvious that we had morphed from irrelevant into a playoff contender. Then, my 14 year old daughter walked through the club doors to meet her father, the old short fat bald man. Everything changed including my decision to sell. I was, thus, committed to staying in Cumberland County for a while longer. We continued to thrive and we entered the Pandemic stronger than ever. Our exit from the Covid crisis saw us as a legit playoff player and a contender for the title. Now, 3 of our competitors have slid by the wayside and lack relevance while we have established ourselves with a firm foundation based upon our non-traditional approach to our industry. Value. Safety. Experience. Not always popular, frequently polarizing, yet, unquestionably, highly successful. Our loyal members deserve the credit for our viability. Thank you, folks. I will add one more post, later, to thank a few individuals specifically.
