The wisecracks and chuckles that broke out Tuesday over the scheduling conflict at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Saturday night were instant.

“What a circus.”

“Game on.”

“I had tickets for a hockey game and a circus broke out.”

You get the picture.

But, as easy a verbal target the scheduling conflict was, the situation was not the least bit funny.

Three years ago, according to the Shriners, they signed a contract booking five shows at the Colisee; two on April 18 and three on April 19. That contract was one in a long string of contracts that have brought the Kora Shrine Circus to town every year since 1953. Although the show has changed over the years, it remains a popular family event and one that raises money for the Shriners’ charitable works.

Last September — with the Shriners’ signed contract sitting in some file cabinet — the Colisee entered into an agreement with the Portland Pirates to host the American Hockey League team’s home games for 2013-14, including games on April 18, 19 and 20. The Pirates, who had already been scheduled to play some games in Lewiston, had reached a lease impasse with the Cumberland County Civic Center and turned to Lewiston for home ice.

It was a welcome announcement in Lewiston, with fans happy to have a hockey team in town once again. But it wasn’t an easy fit, and it wasn’t a winning season.

The Pirates were used to playing in an arena with about 7,000 seats, and spent the past season playing to fewer than 4,000 seats, many of which sat empty.

The team practiced at the Maine Hockey Group’s Ice Centre in Saco, so it would be fair to say that even though Portland played its home games in Lewiston, the team never really felt at home here. That was made clear when the team signed a five-year deal with the Cumberland County Civic Center last month.

It’s not exactly clear when the conflict over this weekend’s home games and circus booking became known to the Shriners and the Pirates, but it was clear that each believed they had dibs on the Colisee. To their credit, the Pirates agreed to reschedule and move the Friday and Sunday games, but team ownership stood firm on the Saturday night game.

So did the Shriners.

According to each side, the scheduling conflict was the fault of the Colisee and it was up to the Colisee to figure out a solution. It wasn’t an easy one.

The Pirates made is very clear over the weekend that they intended to play the scheduled Saturday night game, and the Shriners didn’t blink. In fact, they made the point that they were moving in their equipment on Thursday, setting up the circus and staying for the duration of their contract.

Jim Cain, president of Firland Management and owner of the Colisee, spent a tense 24 hours negotiating a way out of this stand-off, and the solution reached Tuesday is that the circus will go on as scheduled and the Pirates will play their final home game of the season at their practice facility in Saco, with space for only 400 fans.

Every ticket already sold for the Lewiston game will be refunded and new tickets will be issued for the Saco game; season tickets will not be honored, but ticket-holders will receive a credit to be applied to the 2014-15 season, in Portland.

Cain deflected any blame for the mix-up. “It’s not about naming and finding and attaching blame,” he told the Sun Journal. “Anyone can find a fall guy in any situation if they want to. What we wanted to do is act professionally and get things done.”

The Pirates will play one last game in Lewiston against the Albany Devils on Wednesday night, and Cain promised to move whatever equipment the Pirates need to Saco to help make the change in venue easier to accept.

We understand that the negotiations were tense, a lot of money was at stake and there was certainly the specter of a lawsuit filed by the losing side. But had Cain taken a poll in Lewiston about which party should get the Colisee booking Saturday night, there is no question the circus would have been the clear winner.

OK. Not everyone loves a circus, but the fact is that Lewiston really is home for the Kora Shriners and this community embraces their members and their mission. Sentiment for the Pirates isn’t even close.

In this case, the best home team won.

Send in the clowns.

jmeyer@sunjournal.com

The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and the editorial board.