Arena Football League in danger of folding

[Dr. Sak]

The Philadelphia Soul win the AFL championship in 2008 and the league might fold before the following year...MLB better watch the same thing doesn't happen to them since the Phillies won. That's taking the Philadelphia curse to a whole new level.

An item in today's rumblings column that suggested trouble for the Arena Football League received a quick early morning e-mail from a California reader who says that he has a friend with close ties to one of the west coast teams. His friend says that the league will vote today on whether to suspend operations for the 2009 season and might even fold.

I'm reluctant to pass this on since I don't know the person who sent the e-mail, but I'm doing so because recent events suggest a league up to its shoulder pads in trouble. The dispersal draft of players from the defunct New Orleans VooDoo (which folded unexpectedly) has been postponed three times, the commissioner resigned and hasn't been replaced and a $100 million league ownership deal with Platinum Equity that was struck back in October hasn't been completed and may be dead.

The reader's friend posted an item on an arena football fan message board indicating that there were only six teams in the league that were trying hard to keep the league alive, the others presumably willing to suspend operations because of financial losses. He said at least four teams were likely to fold regardless of how the owners voted.

Is this just another one of those throw-some-junk-up-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks Internet "news"? Maybe. But if General Motors is in danger of closing up if it doesn't get an infusion of money, it doesn't seem extreme to suggest that a fringe league that was recently shopping for a $100 million suitor may be in trouble if that suitor decided to cancel the deal and safely bury the money in some coffee cans in its own backyard.

When Dispatch colleague Bill Rabinowitz, who occasionally covers the Columbus Destroyers, tried to find some info on the repeatedly postponed dispersal draft, he expressed surprise that there were so few stories about it around the country. In effect, the league was behaving suspiciously, and no cared enough to ask why.

Even if the AFL fully intends to come back for another year in 2009, that alone isn't a good sign.

Some think AFL may 'suspend operations' - or worse (The Daily Hunter)

[cartman]

Has anyone heard from Pumpy? I'm seriously worried about him.

[MJ4H]

I think I saw him go by my window a few minutes ago.

Oh crap.

[Pumpy Tudors]

This news is disheartening to me, but it's not surprising. The past several months have been very strange for the league, particularly because of the issues mentioned in that article. The commissioner suddenly resigning was a big blow. David Baker is a big reason that the league has been relatively successful for the past few years. He would've been hard to replace. Still, it's unsettling that they never even tried to replace him.

The situation with the VooDoo just added on to the oddities. The team folded right before a huge league meeting was scheduled, and the VooDoo front office said that they had to fold due to "circumstances." It's as if they expected very bad news out of the meeting, so they closed up shop. The meeting ended up not happening, and then the dispersal draft was postponed several times. My only guess is that the league is trying to stay afloat, but if they have that meeting, reality will set in and the AFL will fold.

I don't expect the AFL to last any longer. It's not particularly because of bad management, and it's not because there's no fan base. With few exceptions, the AFL teams were able to draw pretty good crowds. Looking back on the past few months, I think I see where the VooDoo ownership was coming from. It's just "circumstances."

The worst part is that quite a few good football players would be out of a job.

[lynchjm24]

We were kicking around at work yesterday how many NHL teams would have folded had they not gotten the cap with the last lockout. They still might find a few in serious trouble, but with the amount of guaranteed contracts they'd have hanging out there they may have been back to 6. Not even the Original 6. Detroit might have been the first to go.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

We were kicking around at work yesterday how many NHL teams would have folded had they not gotten the cap with the last lockout. They still might find a few in serious trouble, but with the amount of guaranteed contracts they'd have hanging out there they may have been back to 6. Not even the Original 6. Detroit might have been the first to go.

For some reason, seeing "Hartford" as your location cracked me up.

[PackerFanatic]

While this goes on, the UFL is still trying to start up. Huh...

[RedKingGold]

I guess I should scratch my AF2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers externship off my resume.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by RedKingGold

I guess I should scratch my AF2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers externship off my resume.

This actually brings up a thought in my head. I wonder what the AFL's outlook would be if they just cut AF2? Probably not much different, I admit, but it seems bizarre that the AFL loses at least one team every year, yet AF2 seemed to constantly expand. Very odd.

[Vegas Vic]

This doesn't bode well for Chase Daniel.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

This doesn't bode well for Chase Daniel.

[Galaxy]

The problem I think, is the AFL is trying to be a "major league" when it is not.

[sooner333]

BTW, what are the odds of the UFL actually starting next fall?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

The problem I think, is the AFL is trying to be a "major league" when it is not.

To a degree, maybe they are. I think their mistake would be trying to get fans in non-AFL markets. It's just not possible. How do you sell arena football to somebody in Seattle, for instance? There's no AFL team there, so you can't get fans of a "home team" there. You also can't market it as "football" because it's really a different sport.

Maybe if they had scaled back a few years ago and focused only on their teams' markets, things would be better. It's probably too late to get that genie back into the bottle, though.

[Flasch186]

BTW, what are the odds of the UFL actually starting next fall?

about as good a Mark Cuban's ability to hide his trading activity.

[MJ4H]

I have been laughing at the oh no you di'int gif for the last 20 minutes.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

To a degree, maybe they are. I think their mistake would be trying to get fans in non-AFL markets. It's just not possible. How do you sell arena football to somebody in Seattle, for instance? There's no AFL team there, so you can't get fans of a "home team" there. You also can't market it as "football" because it's really a different sport.

Maybe if they had scaled back a few years ago and focused only on their teams' markets, things would be better. It's probably too late to get that genie back into the bottle, though.

I actually used to watch the AFL before the NFL got involved and tried to make it more "corporate". I just stopped watching it after that. I don't know why.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

I actually used to watch the AFL before the NFL got involved and tried to make it more "corporate". I just stopped watching it after that. I don't know why.

???

AFAIK, the NFL never got involved with the Arena league.

[Tigercat]

Holy shit! Tom Benson had some foresight?! He actually knew what he was talking about when he said the league was in trouble after abandoning his Voodoo team? That is it, I am done. End of days.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by cartman

???

AFAIK, the NFL never got involved with the Arena league.

I thought the NFL bought a stake in the AFL? I know they have a close relationship in terms of NFL owners buying AFL franchises, marketing, officiating, ect.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

I thought the NFL bought a stake in the AFL? I know they have a close relationship in terms of NFL owners buying AFL franchises, marketing, officiating, ect.

I guess they did buy a stake in '99, but I don't think it ever amounted to much. Basically what appeared to happen was that the NFL relaxed their rules to allow Benson to own the New Orleans team. Not sure how many other NFL owner took a stake in an AFL team.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by cartman

I guess they did buy a stake in '99, but I don't think it ever amounted to much. Basically what appeared to happen was that the NFL relaxed their rules to allow Benson to own the New Orleans team. Not sure how many other NFL owner took a stake in an AFL team.

I believe that Jerry Jones (or his son, maybe) owns the Dallas franchise. I might be over-estimating the amount of NFL & AFL owners.

[Izulde]

What's the difference between Arena Football and AF2?

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know how they differ.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Izulde

What's the difference between Arena Football and AF2?

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know how they differ.

AFL2 is like the AAA to the AFL major league.

[GrantDawg]

Authur Blank owns the Atlanta team.

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

For some reason, seeing "Hartford" as your location cracked me up.

That's why we are rooting for them to fold .

[Cringer]

We have an AF2 team here. I have never been yet. I think they do ok though from what I know.

[Young Drachma]

Wow, surprising and yet..not. So much for Major League Toccer.



I think this league has been mismanaged for so long, that it was a matter of time before their overambitiousness came to haunt them. But I do hope they scale it back and find a way to make it work. I do enjoy their story and moreover, they put out a pretty good product.

[RainMaker]

I don't get it. I didn't figure these teams were making big money, but I didn't think it was that bad. I know they draw pretty well in most cities. They have a television contract with ESPN/ABC. They even sold their video game rights to a company. There has to be mismanagement of money or something going on here.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't get it. I didn't figure these teams were making big money, but I didn't think it was that bad. I know they draw pretty well in most cities. They have a television contract with ESPN/ABC. They even sold their video game rights to a company. There has to be mismanagement of money or something going on here.

Their TV deals usually weren't for any money. They usually sold away the rights in exchange for the networks broadcasting their games, while the networks collected the money for the advertising during those spots. I know it was that way with NBC. It might have changed with ESPN/ABC, but I doubt it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The deal with ESPN/ABC was in return for minority ownership in the league, specific terms not disclosed.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The deal with ESPN/ABC was in return for minority ownership in the league, specific terms not disclosed.

PTBNL.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Frankly - and this makes me a bit of an arena football nerd or purist or something - I was unhappy when the league decided to expand the rosters and get rid of ironman football. Those ideas turned out to be just as bad as I'd expected. It changed the on-field product considerably, and I didn't enjoy watching it as much. Those changes probably isn't the cause of the league's troubles, but they ain't helping.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Just to wrap this up a little bit, the league has decided to suspend the 2009 season. Frankly, I don't think the league will come back at all, but that's just my opinion.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Just to wrap this up a little bit, the league has decided to suspend the 2009 season. Frankly, I don't think the league will come back at all, but that's just my opinion.

I agree - I don't think a league has ever "suspended operations" and actually came back.

It appears the AF2 is going to continue, at least for 2009. I'll definitely check out the Boise Burn if they do.