Editorial in Cleveland paper says Six Flags has "a lot of work to do"

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Last Sunday's Plain Dealer out of Cleveland published an editorial regarding the purchase of Sea World of Ohio by Six Flags. It's less than enthusiastic, and seems to mirror the local reaction to the purchase.

Read more from The Plain Dealer.

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I second that opinion.

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Talon is going to rock, roll, and take its toll!
LOL, sounds like Jeff wrote that article. Except he probably would have gotten the correct name of the previous moniker of Six Flags Inc...

Seems as though the Plain Dealer is living up to its reputation.

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In the future, packages will be sent to distant worlds by BEAMS OF LIGHT! - Space Mountain WDW exit
i agree 100% with this article.
Not bad, but Rather short. I would write one five times longer. I will get cracking.
Ouch!
I guess they AREN'T ready to play hard ball yet.

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Scorching the Competition in 2001
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You never know what will happen maybe in a year or so. This could be a very good and big advantage for SFO.

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It's his tun to feast, when u ride the Son of Beast! *** This post was edited by Charlie on 1/17/2001. ***
It's your almost daily SFO slagging. Aren't there any other amusement stories in the nation/world besides this? I mean come on, it's been almost daily that we have a SFO story in some form. I think it's important to note that Busch pulled out. They gave the people of Ohio the shaft.
Wow. That has to be the single worst editorial that I have ever read. A whopping 14 sentences that said nothing more than "Six Flags Ohio has work to do." Gee, thanks for the deep insight there. Good grief, it's like it is a homework assignment that was written 15 minutes before it was due.

I have been consistently amazed at all of the negativity directed at Six Flags. As I recall, Anheuser-Busch is the one who sold the park, and yet everyone bashes Six Flags.

Since the announcement, I've read reason after reason why Six Flags will fail. How they won't be able to compete with the big boys. How they'll ruin yet another park. Here's a novel idea: why not give them an actual chance and see what happens? I'm not talking one year, either, because it won't happen overnight. See what the situation is in five years and then make a judgement.
You make perfect sense Raging Bull, that's exactly why people will disagree with you. I too am sick of all the knee-jerk SF bashing, SF has done a great job with Marine World, so let's give them a few years and there may be another great park in Ohio. Or just don't go if you know you won't like the park, instead of crying now, then showing up in a few months to ride their new coaster. People act as though Six Flags is yanking them out of their beds and forcing them to enter their parks at gun point. What paper was that in anyway, they write like trash. I could have written that, no insight whatsoever.
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Life's too short! Let's go ride some coasters!


*** This post was edited by Simcoaster on 1/17/2001. *** *** This post was edited by Simcoaster on 1/17/2001. ***
This sounds more like it is a letter to editor. I agree that there is work to be done. Geauga Lake was hardly a really good park anyway. I notice that they say that people will have to go to Virginia to see Shamu. The last I checked VA has a Busch Gardens, but not a Sea World. I know that there are a lot of coaster enthusiasts who think that SW will be bulldozed and replaced by coasters. I however don't think so. I think that the park will always remain a marine park, and rides will be added, but they won't have super hero themes but aquatic themes instead. I think that we need to wait and see what they will be doing to the park in the next few years before we start to jump to conclusions about what will happen to the park.
Can we say high school essay wrote 5 minutes before class! It is mind boggling some of the stuff they will publish however I do agree with the others, sit back and watch. Give them a chance before you go at Six Flags like vultures.

-------------CoasterTal

Flying over metal is a beautiful thing!
Jeff's avatar
Hey, what do you expect from the Vain Pleader?

I'm not terribly excited about the purchase either. I don't really have anything against the company as a whole (I disagree with their spending habits, but that doesn't mean I dislike the company), but SFO was not a good place to be this summer much beyond media day. It's just very poorly run, and I stopped going by the end of June. Safety is no accident, thus all of the accidents.

Sea World was a Cleveland institution. I think it's a safe bet that the animal visitations and other off-season school programs that were a part of Busch's "good corporate citizenship" will be gone.

By the way... the spot inspections that led to the fines were prompted by complaints from a member of this site. No, it wasn't me!

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
It really depends on how much Six Flags wants to keep up with the park. SFO as we have seen has been a ride center for Six Flags but they can not back any of it up with employees. people are saying that Six Flags will cut the wages of the employees at Sea World and to me, that is wrong. We will have to see what happens but I sure will miss seeing a 2 ton whale jumping out of the water.
I feel that half of the people that bash SFO have never been there. Sure some of the rides are closed, it was like that when it was Geauga Lake, and working in the industry, Preventative measures needed to be taken. SFO is not all that bad. I had a season pass and the park was well kept. The area near Mind Eraser and Hydes was very clean. Gotham City was clean, the area near Villain and Double Loop was also clean, in fact the only problem I had was crowd control near the Serial thriller and Water Logs, and not enough eating space. So before you bash, just be able to back your stuff up, Long lines occur everywhere. Cedar Point, other SF parks, if you don't like lines, get over it. Everyone that I know was pleasantly pleased with SF transition of GL. SF, I'm sure has many great plans with SeaWorld so just be patient and be the judge when opening day occurs.


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Now, Bigger and Better than ever... Six Flags Ohio.
Jeff's avatar
Lines are not an issue, and queues aside, the park was generally clean. I could go on and on all day about operations, food service/quality and employees. I can "back it up" all day after more than a dozen visits and about 50 laps on Villain.

And might I remind you, my opinion of the park has nothing to do with Cedar Point (see praise for BGW, SFGAm, KW and others).

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
Funny how an editorial or anything about roller coasters in the media will never fail to mention accidents......... *** This post was edited by Craig the Coaster Freak on 1/18/2001. ***
Not only will the 'regular media' ALWAYS mention incidents at parks whenever they get the chance, they'll always screw at least one or two of the facts up while doing so.

That article was so weak it was bird cage floor before I even completed reading it.

I understand if folks react to this news negatively- for whatever reason. Whether it's concern over corporate issues with Six Flags or the simple fact that they'll miss Shamu- that's fine. But good heavens man- if you're writing for a major city newspaper with the circulation that the PD retrieves, try to do some freaking HOMEWORK would ya please?

Incidently, name me one park that underwent as many changes as SFO did for the 2000 season, then tell me if that park had a few challanges and issues with its staffing and operations. We're talking about a park that dropped in FOUR new coasters, a brand new childrens' area, and massive changes/additions to its waterpark let ALONE a name change and 40% increased park attendance, and some folks are expecting this place to operate like it never underwent these changes in the first place.

Granted, I too feel that SFO has a good share of its own issues to deal with. Some of them more major than others. I do understand however that to expect all of these new elements to be immediately absorbed and work like clockwork in such a short time is simply ridiculous.

Give them a chance folks. Now with the new property there's a very strong chance that SFO will acquire and incorporate separate employee lodging- which will very much contribute to ailing some of the park's current and most pressing issues. It will expand their reservoir of potential SFO employees exponentially and bring them to the level of being able to handle a park that can compete on the first tier with other top notch parks.

All you nay-sayers can bash the place all you want but ya know what? Bet I see you there in spring :).

Incidently, the article in question- how does ANYONE know without taking any sort of survey what-so-ever if it 'mirrors the local reaction'...?

Hmmm?

I've received quite a few emails myself from the 'locals' and the majority of those were quite pleased with the potential of this deal.

I dunno, just curious. I found that statement somewhat presumptuous.

Chip
I hear ya Chip.

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Life's too short! Let's go ride some coasters!

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