SPOKANE, Wash. — KREM 2 Sports Director Brenna Greene sat down with Spokane Shock majority owner and CEO Sam Adams to discuss his vision for his team on and off of the field.
Q: Thank you so much for joining us in studio today, Sam. My first question is what is your vision for the Spokane Shock moving forward?
A: Well, my vision for Spokane is longevity. We want to be here for the next 20-30 years. They had the name for a long time, they were one of the best teams in the country, and I think it's the best sports market in the country. For me, we want to let people know that we're here to stay. We're not going to be a flash in the pan, even though 10 years isn't a flash in the pan, but we're not going to take their Shock away. We're going to be here to stay.
We're building relationships in the community, starting with the Spokane Tribe Casino. We're building long-term relationships with the TV station and TV partner. We're very excited to bring the team back, but we're going to do it the right way. We're going to take our time, and we want to let people know that we're here to stay.
Q: You mentioned not wanting to be a flash in the pan. Obviously the Empire was here for two years and then they ended up leaving. What is your plan to make sure this team has longevity here in Spokane?
A: First of all, the local ownership. I'm here. I live in Washington. Spokane is very special to me. I don't plan on moving the team or starting another team somewhere else. The Spokane Empire continued the team the best way they could. With the league changing, and the AFL (Arena Football League) and so forth, we aren't going to do that. We're part of the IFL (Indoor Football League). The IFL is going to be here for a very long time. They've been here for over 12 years. Our portion of this is going to be doing everything we can, in our community giving back to our community, spending time in our community, in earning the trust back from the community.
Q: In terms of the product on the field, obviously, you played NFL football so I can ask you what your vision is for this team on the field?
A: Well, you know, we want to win, but that's not the most important thing. We're here to win. I brought in a coach that's won championships. I've won championships. I have hired people in the front office that have won championships. We are going to win, but winning is just not with x's and o's on the field. Winning in the community is the most important thing, having the support of the community, being a part of Spokane, that to me is winning. On the field, that'll take care of itself. We'll do the little things right. We're bringing in great talent. Billy's going to bake a great cake for us, and we'll be winning championship after championship, but that's not the most important goal for us.
Q: In terms of style of play, what do you envision as well?
Well, you know, they all come after my finger print. We're going to be physical. We'll be fast-paced. I hired a coach that has the same type of tendencies that I want to be able to have as far as the players that we're going to bring in. The type of style of play that he's going to have, it'll be fast-paced. We'll score a lot. We're going to be as physical as we can legally on defense. We're going to be an action packed team to come and watch.
Q: What is your goal this year for year one revival of the Spokane Shock?
My goal is to earn the trust back of our community. To get people back into the [Spokane] Arena and have a great time. Secondary, we want to win a championship.
I want people to see us out in the community, see us at local events. It's not just about, you know, 'Hey we got the name the Shock.' No, the Shock mean something more. We represent Spokane and we want to represent Spokane in the right way.