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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 7:49:12 GMT -5
RE: Triple shenanigans on the AIFA.
1st - adding a team with a limited schedule into the league.
Agreed. Seeing as the Blackbirds are my new home team, I was concerned about the longevity the club would have in a league as basically a travel team. My guess is "not good" Addition of three more home games is good for the team and ultimately the league.
2nd - changing the schedule by adding games (anyone say 2005 AIFL)
Growing pains of a young league. Trying to build a market recognition is the name of the game right now. This will keep happening during league expansion. The league need to be a little bit better about the time frame in which they grant expansion teams. Three months before the season start is not enough time for any new owner to staff front office, hold tryouts, get city approval, find a venue and every thing else.
3rd - creating an unbalanced schedule (Reading has what 16 games now?)
This could be remedied by following the template in the above in number 2. All off-season team expansion/acquisitions, if done with the maximum/fair time frame allowable, will provide schedule alterations that will create parity in the standings. All teams will be able to play a balanced schedule without creating an off-kilter win-loss record, resulting in a biased run for championships based on unfair advantage due to amount of games played.
I hope my .02 cents makes some semblance of sense. It seems to make sense in my mind.
Once again, this is just the growing pains of a young league. It is beneficial in some areas and causes groans in others. We will all see how it pans out in the end.
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Post by tidegm on Feb 27, 2007 8:53:02 GMT -5
xmradiodave...you are new to the world of indoor football and the AIFA/AIFL of the past. The AIFA was formed this year and their platform was of reform and higher standards when it came to new teams entering the league.
Problem is...nothing has changed. The blackbirds have been put in a horrible spot..Late start, HUGE travel budget, and an incomplete schedule...how is that fair to you guys that are pumping them so hard and the players who have been practicing 6 days a week....
What "professional" league do you know adds teams after the schedule is done and then adds additional games during the season?
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 9:17:07 GMT -5
xmradiodave...you are new to the world of indoor football and the AIFA/AIFL of the past. The AIFA was formed this year and their platform was of reform and higher standards when it came to new teams entering the league. Problem is...nothing has changed. The blackbirds have been put in a horrible spot..Late start, HUGE travel budget, and an incomplete schedule...how is that fair to you guys that are pumping them so hard and the players who have been practicing 6 days a week.... What "professional" league do you know adds teams after the schedule is done and then adds additional games during the season? Uh, sir? I think that was the point I was making... one: I stated "growing pains of a young league" referring to the AIFA. Two: How is it fair to the fans? First off, it is a lot better to the "fans" of the Blackbirds now that the home schedule has been expanded. Sure, it is off-putting knowing that the addition of home games now gives an unfair advantage to the teams that benefit from filling those empty slots@the blackbirds venue, as they will now have a higher game per season ration over other teams, and that is an issue the league will have to figure out. I will be honest with you. I am not sure I understand the point of your post. It substantiates everything I had already stated. Do not think that I am ignorant to the goings on of the league. I have read quite a bit about the league and the problems it is having and-or-causing amongst the teams and fans. That is the nature of the beast. I understand that you are the General Manager of the Chesapeake Tide, and I am in no position to argue ethics of business, seeing as the only time I have been general manager of anything was my lemonade stand when I was seven years old, but I do have a keen business sense. It takes some time for upstart companies (read: leagues) to get all the wrinkles ironed out. Whether it is a professional sports league or a fortune 500 company, everyone has to start at the bottom. It is how a company overcomes adversity and progresses from early error that will determine its longevity in a competitive market place. |
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Post by tidegm on Feb 27, 2007 9:40:50 GMT -5
My point was you were giving the league a pass saying it's part of the growing pains..I say they made all these mistakes in the past and are doing them again...So, if your doing the same things wrong every year why should we just chalk it up as a learning curve and expect the league to get it's ducks in a row 2 to 3 seasons down the line....
We are asking people to spend their hard earn money on a product that isn't finished?...Does that make any sense to you?
Hope we get a chance to meet at one of the open practices at the Owings Mills Sports Plex when both of our teams will be present.
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 10:18:56 GMT -5
The fans will spend their money on a team they believe in. I understand the mistakes the league has made, but in business... and you know this being a GM and most likely having a business degree, that sometimes chances have to be taken. What does this mean for the long-term? Hopefully the choices will turn out to be beneficial and we the fans will be able to enjoy a solid product. You said so yourself, the league is new. One year, two years, even three years is still uneven gound in the growth of a company. Mistakes will be made. Is that giving them a pass? No, but there has to be a level of tolerence. I look at it from an investor standpoint. Even though the teams and league are not publicly traded, I invest into the future of the team and league by purchasing tickets and merchandise. I want to see them thrive and prosper, but that does not change the fact that it is still an infant and we fans are the first time parents. There is an acceptable learning curve, and so far, the league is within the painted lines of the curve. They have not totally screwed the pooch.
PS: I will be at the Reading game in PA. Section 106 Row B. If you are there, stop on by and have a beer or soda or nachos with me.
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Post by baltfan1 on Feb 27, 2007 11:43:40 GMT -5
TideGM.....the real question that needs to be asked is, why are you even in here? Why do you care? Your team isn't even IN THIS LEAGUE!!! From the outside looking in, and I think everyone pretty much sees it, what you're attempting to do is utterly classless. Trying to come into a board, and try every way you can to put down, or down grade another team, simply because you feel you are in competition with them for market share of fans in the Balt./Washington area. Let me clue you in to something. There is no competition. Baltimore is a MUCH bigger market than Upper Marlboro, with a much richer football history. Your sole reason for posting both on here, and on the Blackbirds site message board is because you want to try to deter fans away from the Blackbirds, and on to your team. Let the fans decide that. Im sure you don't see any Blackbirds fans on the Tide's message board, trying to plant seeds of doubt in their heads....Oh yeah thats right.....you guys don't have ANYONE ON YOUR MESSAGE BOARD!!! Probably got you a little worried eh? More than likely the reason you came to the Baltimore board, which you could tell was getting much more play, to try to lure some fans? TideGM, with all due respect, stick to your league, and keep your negative comments about ours to yourself. I mean if your team or league is that good, then you should have no problem attracting fans. I'd have a hard time believing that NFL GM's would go on CFL, or AFL message boards, saying "oh no, that team? they're gonna fold, or, they stink, now I'm not saying come watch my team, but um...I guess I did put my title and my team I work for in my username for a reason." You don't see ANYONE affilliated with the Blackbirds posting anything in Tide Message boards, so please, stay out of ours. Slanderous campagning is not a way to win.  |
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 11:58:42 GMT -5
^^^
What he said
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Post by exit322 on Feb 27, 2007 12:48:44 GMT -5
No, but problems anywhere in the game of indoor football affect every team in the sport; not just the ones in whatever league these problems have occurred.
"What, that crap isn't with this league" doesn't cut it when people are asking questions. And yes, I had to answer plenty of non-CIFL problem questions, especially up in Rochester (Syracuse) and Lehigh (Reading with those semipro games). Don't think that Jeff doesn't want the Balto team to succeed; he does...but he also knows that if it fails or something happens to make it look totally unprofessional, it's Jeff's problem, too.
Good to Baltimore, I'm glad they appear to be doing things right. Ticket prices aren't anywhere near reasonable, but they'll get lower with time, I'm sure.
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Post by Sykotyk on Feb 27, 2007 12:50:13 GMT -5
Okay, well I'm a neutral fan, so let me be the first to say tidegm made a point. It's not like he's asking for you to correct it as you're not in that position. He's just wishing you wouldn't give the AIFA a free pass on this happening.
This is the same issue the AIFL had last year when it was basically 'forced' to have eight teams in each division since it was seen as easier to a nice home/away schedule with your division for 14 games. What we got were two teams (Syracuse and Carolina/Asheville) that were ill-prepared to actually play the season, lost money, and both folded before the season finished.
This league is just continuing that same logic. There is no reason the AIFA was 'forced' to have 14 teams to try and make a tidy schedule. Same reason they were trying to force Springfield to the South when anyone with a map, a compass, and a brain can see that an 8/6 split is better than a 7/7 with one team eating a ton of travel.
The Blackbirds then fill in with that same situation intact. This is the third year, third name, third change, and it's still the same.
I wish the Blackbirds the best, but a short notice to get schedules posted, tickets sold, game day setup, staff, etc. It's a tough uphill battle even with plenty of lead time and a full schedule.
Sykotyk
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 13:04:12 GMT -5
For the love of all things Holy. I am not giving the league a free pass. I have said several times that the way the league is rushing to expand is not necessarily th best approach, but aside from name changes, this is still a different league that is gowing through its gowing pains. I have not attacked tidegm. I just thik that his reasoning for going after Baltimore is because of location in relevence to his team. I understand it from a business standpoint, I question the tact though.
It is no secret that this league has made some iffy and hasty decisions. But give it a chance, if it all falls to crap, then I will gladly accept all of the "I TOLD YOU SO" comments thrown at me. I do ask to hold off on the dang "Blackbirds will falter" rhetoric though until it is proven that they failed. I see the club making some great steps to secure their future. Additional games, growing awareness, and a bunch of other trimmings and trappings.
Would the failure of an expansion team reflect poorly on other leagues and teams? Maybe, but is that going to stop other teams and leagues from forming? Obviously not.
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Post by Sykotyk on Feb 27, 2007 13:53:01 GMT -5
I accept that answer. Very good. I do wish the team the best, I never like to see a team fail because that means fans lose out, potential players lose out, and it's just another black mark on the sport.
Sykotyk
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Post by tidegm on Feb 27, 2007 13:54:11 GMT -5
Baltfan....I haven't said anything bad about the blackbirds...I have said in previous post I hope that they succeed because in the long run it will make all of us indoor teams look better...If the Tide fail or any teams fail we all look bad....
Your right we don't have a ton of people in our message board, but until the size of your message board determines how good of team you are...who cares....We will see in the upcoming weeks who has put a better product together....
It is going to be so great practicing in the same place at the same time...what a better way to compare teams...
XMdave...I will look you up on the 10th and I'll buy the beer...
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 27, 2007 16:14:28 GMT -5
Sounds good sir. I am still planning on attending a couple Tide games, so maybe I will see you there as well.
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Post by Canton Cougar Fan on Feb 27, 2007 18:10:35 GMT -5
TideGM, as far as I'm concerned, your posts have made sense and you are welcome here anytime.
The point I was making calling shenanigans was not to be critical of the Blackbirds in any way. I hope they make it, but history tells us it will be a disaster ... again.
Some of us have lived this two years in a row. Some of us are just experiencing this for the first time. I respect your opinions. I hope you're right.
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Post by xmradiodave on Feb 28, 2007 4:46:55 GMT -5
The point I was making calling shenanigans was not to be critical of the Blackbirds in any way. I hope they make it, but history tells us it will be a disaster ... again. Some of us have lived this two years in a row. Some of us are just experiencing this for the first time. I respect your opinions. I hope you're right. I did not think you were being critical of the Blackbirds. However, like I said, lets see how this season pans out first before everyone writes the season off as a disaster. I understand that many of you on here have seen your team disband due to league misguidance, and I can truly understand what that feels like to have a team one moment and then nothing in the next. I personally feel that the Blackbirds have done a lot of things right so far. They are out there pushing the word. They have added more home games (although this appears to have caused some grumblings within the fan community), They built their roster and are practicing their collective asses off. If the team fails, it fails. Does that mean the leage itself fails? I suppose that is up to debate. Many professional sports teams contract, disband, relocate, whatever, yet the league continues to exist. If you look at the beginning o the NFL, MLB and virtually any major sports league, every one of them went through this. AIFA, EIFL, CIFL, and the rest sure did not copyright heartbreak. It is part of life. It takes a long time for things to settle down and start to click. Look at the Arena Football League. That is certainly not an over-night success story. The league started off with I believe only four teams in 1987. All of which have either shut down or moved to another city. It was not until the mid to late 90's where the league began to gain some steam. Sure, they have been around for twenty years, but it wasn't always a pretty 20. So, all that being said, lets just see what happens. |
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