The trouble with Homestead

Some of you have come to this site by way of the web site www.sunbearpress.com for ordering the book “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”. You’ve likely noticed how out of kilter the site presently appears, and I’d like to explain.

The site www.sunbearpress.com is hosted and its template supported by technology from Homestead.com. Homestead offers small businesses the ability to: “Build a website in minutes with our award-winning website hosting solution and website design software”.

To be fair, I have been a Homestead customer going on three years and have until recently felt positive about their ability to give a novice like me the opportunity create a business web site and have the ability to change content at the drop of a hat. Overall, their customer service was available and quite knowledgeable.

Awhile back I had minor problems integrating a merchant service account into the existing Sun Bear site so I could accept credit cards. I felt comfort in finding someone stateside (live not an online instant message chat) that could lead me to a solution.

With this as background I felt confident last fall paying Homestead a decent amount of money for a redesign of the site. That’s when things started to go sideways.

After Homestead recreated the theme and style of the template, I was no longer able to make simple changes that I had made prior to the redesign. The Sun Bear site serves as a portal to offer a variety of ways to make books available to inquiring customers. Purchases can in theory be made online, by phone, through seven different independent Buffalo bookstores, Amazon, and eBay.

For eBay, the link to the eBay listing needs to be updated periodically as the auction for an item expires. It was explained to me several weeks ago by a Homestead rep that guided me through the process, that even with the new design and limitations the hyperlink could be changed.

Last week we had to relist the book on eBay after earlier copies sold out. I took the previous advice and made the recommended change, which included a backup procedure. The change disrupted some code that resulted in the train wreck of a web site, that is far from appealing. I’ve had to now wait through the weekend, during the peak of holiday sales until Monday when a Homestead web designer can put things back to where they were. I’m afraid to calculate the number of lost sales and am quite peeved at Homestead for two reasons.

1. The customer service reps from Homestead have been stellar, but the managers I spoke with (or didn’t speak with because they didn’t call back) were complacent and downright apathetic.

2. It’s frustrating to spend $599 for a redesign of a site that I cannot place a simple hyperlink into. If I had known of the editing limitations of the redesigned site I would have saved my money and stuck with a plainer looking (but editable) site.

I’ll follow up with an update tomorrow (Monday), but for now I’m no longer recommending Homestead.com to anyone. In the meantime please realize that aesthetics aside, one can with some patience navigate the site and place an order. Oh and here’s that hyperlink to the eBay listing. Thank you Word Press for making that part easy.

Book release; Behind the scenes

It’s been several months since the book ‘Buffalo, Home of the Braves” hit the shelves. In the whirlwind of activity since the May 30th release, I’ve only recently been able to put it all in some perspective. In recapping the events, truth does sound much stranger than fiction:

Thursday  May 28th: After four years, endless editing, and a small fortune of investment, I finally hold the book in my hands. My initial thoughts focus on how much girth the finished book has. It feels heavy and looks great.

I pick up about 30 boxes of books from Village Press in that is located in Traverse City, Michgan (where I’ve resided for the past 21 years), and load them into a rental car for the 10-hour ride to Lockport where my parents still live. I realize that the book project has taken me back at least a dozen times to the Buffalo area, usually on a seven hour route through southern Ontario. This time I have hundreds of coffeetable-style books in the trunk that would be difficult to explain to Customs agents.

Instead I take the long way, along the southern shore of Lake Erie through Cleveland. As the sun sets in the west, I drive through Cleveland, just the Cavs are about to tip off against Orlando in the NBA Semi-finals. Part of me wants to stop and take in the game, but I think better of it and carry on.

Friday May 29th: Up early to prep for the next day’s book signing, also trying on the fly to figure out a way to set up a production line arrangement for pre-ordered books that need to be mailed out. The first ones go out from the post office in tiny Gasport, New York,  a few hundreds yards from the grade school that I attended many years ago. That’s the way it is on this trip, a sense of urgency with getting the book thing right, sprinkled with odd flashbacks to the past.

In the afternoon I deliver the first book personally to a one, Mark Savone. Mark and I first met at the “Farewell Old Friends” event back in November that celebrated the tear down of the old Aud. Since then he has called almost weekly to get an update on the book, saying each time that he can’t wait to get his hands on it. I set the GPS to his home in Tonawanda, arriving promptly at the annoited time. Standing there by the street is Mark, guiding me in, waiting wearing a Yankees jacket. Our first customer sees the book and he’s excited, therefore I’m excited.

Next stop is the University of Buffalo. I had met the UB basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon a few months earlier, and knew he was a Braves fan growing up in Western New York. I took a chance and stopped by the basketball office, figuring that was in. I first asked to drop off a copy, but the front desk manager goes back to see if Witherspoon is available.

To my surprise Reggie has me come back to his office and I give him the book. We talk for a few minutes and he begins to provide a backstory to many of the events and photos surrounding the Braves. He obviously likes the book, and I’m even happier. I have to leave for a scheduled appointment at the UB Bookstore (early on they wanted to carry the book followed by several local independent bookstores). Witherspoon informs me that he won’t be getting much work done today because he plans on reading the entire book.

I meet up with Dennis May who I also met at the November Aud event. He had agreed to help us out with the book signing. After bringing the UB bookstore their books, we stopped back to see Reggie Witherspoon (he was still liking the book). Dennis rides along as I fulfill a bookstore order in Orchard Park, and although he’s a good ten years younger then me, I’m impressed by his vast knowledge of Buffalo sports history.

Saturday May 30th: My brother Tim arrived late Friday night. After a quick breakfast at Tim Horton’s, we arrive at the New Era Cap Company who graciously let us use the meeting room at their Delaware Avenue flagship store for our book signing.

The event goes well, not too overwhelming ,but a steady combination of fans, season ticket holders, team personnel, friends, and family.  One person has driven an hour from Rochester, others hang out to talk about the Braves legacy and how they could be permanently honored at the new HSBC Arena

Bob Smith, the photographer makes an appearence, John Boutet fills the room with his amazing collection of Braves memoribilia, and John Murphy of WIVB (and the voice of the Buffalo Bills) arrives to interview Tim for a story for a future sports cast. The two hours goes by quickly and sales for the day reach my expectations. We pack up and retreat to a local bar for a late lunch.

We receive a call from Paul Ranallo, son of the late Phil Ranallo. Paul had reached the signing late and wanted a copy of the book. I invite him to the bar, and hear first hand, stories of the great Buffalo Couier Express sports columnist. A beer or two is in order while the tales (and jokes) of Buffalo’s glorious sports past flow.

With the conversation winding down. Another call comes from our parents who have stopped by the Aud demolition after the book singing event. They think it was worth visiting, I’m so sure. After some deliberation, we make the seven block trek to where the Terrace Street entrance is/was.

We were able to get much closer to the site than I imagined. Looking west through a chain link fence, we were able to a crane with a claw like device working away on a facade, somewhere in the orange balcony section. In the open air on a warm Saturday the place where we spent so much family time on cold winter nights is slowly dismantled.

Next: Dealing with the news of Randy Smith

Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan on new Braves book

Buffalo News sportswriter had a great column on the Braves’ anthology: “Buffalo, Home of the Braves” this morning. He spoke with Tim yesterday, and was it was nice to have the column published before next week’s book signing and Jerry’s well deserved Florida vacation.

We heard from a lot of Braves’ fans today, many transplanted to other parts of the country but still with a strong affinity to Western New York and the Buffalo Braves, just like us. At day’s end we’re ending up as the number two sports story, what’s #1? The west wall of the Aud that came crumbling down as its demolition winds down.

The book “Buffalo, Home of the Braves” is close to completion. On Saturday, May 30, 2009, a book release celebration event will be held in Buffalo.

From 11 AM – 1 PM that day, author Tim Wendel will be available for the signing of purchased copies of the book in the Community Room of the New Era Cap Company, located at 160 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.

“Buffalo, Home of the Braves” can also be purchased online prior to the celebration event from SunBear Press.

Press Release for “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Chris Wendel

SunBear Press

Traverse City, MI 49684

231.392.2942

http://braves-world.blogspot.com

www.sunbearpress.com

Book Celebrating Buffalo’s Pro Basketball Franchise set for Release

Buffalo, New, May 16, 2009 – Buffalo, Home of the Braves, a book detailing the history of Western New York’s National Basketball Association franchise, is scheduled for release on Saturday, May 30, 2009.

A book release event will be held in Buffalo that day. From 11 AM – 1 PM on May 30, author Tim Wendel will be available for the signing of books at the Community Room of New Era Cap Company. New Era is located at 160 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo.

Buffalo, Home of the Braves follows the Buffalo Brave’s meteoric rise and fall as a National Basketball Association franchise that played in Buffalo from 1970-78. The 216-page, coffee-table style book will be available in a limited edition of 1,500 copies, and retail for $89

Available online from SunBear Press, and in limited quantities from the University of Buffalo Bookstore, the book includes 250 vintage color and black-and-white photos by former Braves’ and Buffalo Bill’s photographer Robert Smith, along with interviews with several key players, coach Dr. Jack Ramsay, team owner Paul Snyder and team play-by-play announcer Van Miller.

The Buffalo Braves made history with their up-tempo style of play, three NBA Rookies of the Year, and consecutive scoring titles by a young and emerging star, Bob McAdoo. The team’s identity is closely tied to Randy Smith, a seventh-round draft pick from Buffalo State, who turned a courtesy training camp invitation into an iron man career.

Each chapter chronicles one of the Braves’ seasons playing in the wild and crazy NBA of the 1970s. Author Tim Wendel narrates the on and off court drama, while offering plenty of “what if” scenarios for the Braves’ prospects in a league that was on the brink of greatness.

The opinion of that time is offered by legendary sports writer Phil Ranallo, with selected excerpts of his “What’s New, Harry” column that was a morning staple of The Buffalo Courier Express newspaper.

Nationally known writer and Buffalo native Erik Brady calls Buffalo Home of the Braves, “a seamless narrative, chock-a-block with time-capsule photos and bull’s-eye insights, all framed by selected ’70s columns from Phil Ranallo, smooth as a two-for-McAdoo jumper.”

 The Author: Tim Wendel is an award-winning novelist and journalist, who was raised in Lockport, N.Y. His books include the novels Castro’s Curveball and Red Rain, as well as such nonfiction sports titles as The New Face of Baseball and Far From Home.

 For additional information on “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”, contact Chris Wendel at 231.392.2942, cwendel@sunbearpress.com or visit www.sunbearpress.com.

Book News

by Chris Wendel

It’s interesting but predictable to see the hits on this blog dwindle as we vamp and discuss Buffalo sports happenings independent of the Braves. I was tempted to give my take on the Bills sojourn to Toronto last week but when the game failed to generate any strong reaction (other than low level of disgust similar to the Braves 77-78 season) but I thought better of it and decided it best to cut to the chase.

We’re moving into the home stretch on the completion and printing of “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”. The large coffee table style book documents the eight year run of the Buffalo Braves is scheduled for release in February of 2009. We’ve been delayed numerous times by edits, new photo acquisitions, securing memorabilia, and the unforeseen events in one’s life. This time I’m very confident we’ll have a product in hand to satisfy the demand of a strong contingent of Buffalo Braves fans (they exist in larger numbers than you can imagine).

So here’s the deal; the book is priced at a publication price of $89 in a limited addition of 1500. We’ve pre-sold many copies at a lower introductory price that is available until January 1, 2009. To secure your copy at the lower rate, email us at info@sunbearpress.com and we can get you the details. We are also offering gift certificates with the introductory price to reserve copies of the book.

For additional book details go to: www.sunbearpress.com

Were the Buffalo Braves the canary in the Western New York mine shaft?

by Tim Wendel, author of Buffalo, Home of the Braves

Few thought so 30 years when the team switched franchises with the Boston Celtics before heading westward ho to become the Los Angeles Clippers. (The architect of that bizarre deal was a young lawyer named David Stern. But we’ll leave that twisted tale for another day.)

When the Braves left town, some civic leaders predicted that the NBA would be back in a decade or so. Seriously. They said that at the time. But one of the few guys who realized what this bait-and-switch really meant for the fans and the city was Phil Ranallo, the longtime columnist at The Buffalo Courier-Express.

I had the good fortune to sit next to Phil in the old C-E Sports Department in that paper’s last years of existence. He taught me about writing on deadline, how to get to real story and, most of all, how to have a sense of humor.

Phil nailed it when the Braves left town for good. He predicted that it would be a generation or more before the Niagara Frontier had another shot at a team of such stature. Back then we often debated the state of the sports world in late-night bull sessions at the paper. Several times Ranallo wondered aloud if the heyday of Buffalo had already come and gone. How with the economy suffering (this was the early 1980s) that it would difficult to hang on to remaining major-league franchises (The Bills, The Sabres).

Now some like to deride WNY as being behind the times. Unfortunately, when it comes to the impact of globalization, one could argue that Buffalo was cutting edge. It was one of first Rust Belt cities to be sold out by the politicians and see its jobs base flee overseas.

In Buffalo, Home of the Braves, we’re including several of Phil’s insightful takes on the team and the city. The man was ahead of his time and in some small measure our book is a tribute to him and an effort to bring his columns to a new generation of sports fans.

Situation in Seattle reopens old wounds

Find out more about: Buffalo, Home of the Braves

Seattle is about to lose its basketball team the Super-Sonics to Oklahoma City of all places. Seattle fans fear the worst and even though the team still has two years remaining on their lease, the odds of the Sonics remaining in Seattle are low. Another owner makes a business decision, another franchise leaves town, fans feel betrayed, and there is likely nothing they can do about it.

The more things change the more they remain the same. The NBA owners voted this week 28-2 to allow the Sonics to move for the start of the 2008-09 season with NBA Commissioner David Stern very much in the fray. 30 years ago Stern negotiated the bizarre deal that swapped the Buffalo Braves franchise with the Boston Celtics and sent what remained to San Diego to become the Clippers.

As much as our nostalgic minds believe that sports weren’t dictated by money back in the 70’s; they were. The Braves swap/sale/exit from Western New York was all about an out of town owner who sought greener pastures and higher long term revenue.

The Sonics present a situation strangely similar to the Braves prior to their move. An owner from the south purchases the team (Clay Bennett) with the hidden desire to move the team elsewhere (in Bennett’s case to his home state of Oklahoma). The out of town owner makes veiled threats and demands of the city to keep the team, when the plan was to move the team from the very beginning.

The unfortunate part for Buffalo is that the fans did fill seats when the product on the court was good and finally threw up their hands with frustration witnessing the revolving door of players that paraded in and out of town that final season.

Who could blame the Buffalo faithful for not investing in season tickets when the John Y. Brown circus was wheeling and dealing away the talents of Moses Malone, Adrian Dantley, Marvin Barnes, and John Shumate? Meanwhile the Buffalo Sabres were building a competitive team with players who would spend most of their careers in Buffalo with a stable local ownership.

The irony of all this is if the Sonics end up in Oklahoma City, a metropolitan region with a population base slightly ahead of Buffalo’s. We feel Seattle’s pain in an all too familiar way.