Mayhem, fans soak in one more night of celebration
After two days of soaking in the feeling of being the champions of the SPHL, the Macon Mayhem joined their fans once again at the scene of Sunday night’s celebration.
The team held a championship celebration event Tuesday night at the Macon Coliseum, giving the team one final chance to thank the fans for a season which brought the city its first professional sports title since the Macon Peaches in 1962.
The title also brought Macon some national attention. The championship was mentioned on the air during Monday night’s Stanley Cup Playoffs telecast, and the team’s photo was shown on TV.
“We got to rewind the TV and got videos of it,” Mayhem defenseman Ryan Michel said. “We were all getting texts back home about it, it was pretty cool.”
Mayhem fans welcomed the team into the Coliseum on Tuesday by forming a two-sided receiving line as players and staff members were introduced one by one.
Chelsea Romero of Putnam County was one of many fans soaking up the chance to thank the players one final time Tuesday night.
“It’s really cool. I never really thought of hockey being big in the south with us being a big football family,” Romero said. “I’m really glad they’re doing this (Tuesday). It’s really sad that we have to wait until next October for the season.”
The team, from its seating position on stage, then took turns at a podium, reflecting on memories and stories from the season both on and off the ice. Mayhem head coach Kevin Kerr quickly asked if any of his players had taken a wager on how long it would take him to tear up when reflecting on the season.
“From day one, I knew that this was a special team and special group. We had a lot more talent on our team than we did last year,” said Kerr, whose voice cracked about 16 minutes into his speech. “On day one of training camp, Stephen Pierog asked me, ‘(Coach) are we going to have a really good team?’ I said, ‘yeah, we’re going to have a good team. ‘ He came in after day one of training camping and I said, ‘Steve, what do you think?’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ve got a really good team. We have a lot of skill, this is a great team.”
Kerr and the Mayhem players also reflected on the wheels in motion that resulted in players ending up in Macon, from chance meetings and encounters in addition to, in the case of left winger Daniel Gentzler, a very persistent Kerr when he was building the team’s inaugural roster two years ago.
“I have (Coach Kerr) calling me and Rod Aldoff from Pensacola. I have a buddy in my ear telling me that Pensacola is the best place to play and that there’s apartments on the beaches,” Gentzler recalled. “I told Rod Aldoff I was coming and I told (Kerr) I was going to Pensacola, and he wouldn’t get off the phone until I said I was coming to Macon.”
Right winger Dennis Sicard used part of his time at the microphone to not only thank the Mayhem fans, but the organization, as well.
“I just really want to thank you guys as fans. It was one of the best years I have ever had and I want to think you guys for being the best teammates I have ever had and best coaching staff,” Sicard said. “You know what? Maybe you’ll see us all again, you never know. But until then, we’re champions.”
And speaking of champions, Bob Kerzner, who co-owns the team with his wife, Diane, laid out the team’s goals for next season while also thanking the fans for backing the Mayhem all season long.
“Our goal, we’re already working on next year, we’re already working on it. We’re going to do something that no team in the SPHL has ever done,” Kerzner said. “We’re going to win first place again and again we’re going to win the President’s Cup. No team has ever done that back to back.”
This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 9:31 PM with the headline "Mayhem, fans soak in one more night of celebration."