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Post by rkb on Jul 8, 2008 11:01:50 GMT -5
www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=275856&pub=1&div=SportsWaide expects 'Cats to return 7/8/2008 4:43:13 AM Daily Journal TUPELO - Mississippi MudCats majority owner Jim Waide said Monday he expects the team to return for the 2009 season. Whether he's involved in that effort is a question he's still pondering. "I feel very confident the MudCats will be back in Tupelo," Waide said, when asked about next year's outlook. At the same time, he said, "I'm undecided how to proceed" after spending more than $500,000 of his own money in the indoor pro football franchise in the past 12 months with no real prospect of seeing any return on that investment this season. Waide said he planned to talk to the team's minority ownership, each of whom invested $1,000 this year, and would also like to approach "some charitable groups" about taking a stake or majority ownership in the two-year-old squad. The Tupelo attorney said he was "severely disappointed" in attendance for the team's eight 2008 home games, with perhaps one game this season topping 3,000 fans at BancorpSouth Arena. "It's a fantastic team," he said. "I haven't been able to understand why we can't draw a crowd." Saturday night's playoff game attracted about 1,500. - John L. Pitts Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/8/2008, section z , page 1
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Post by mississippimudcat1 on Jul 8, 2008 12:04:31 GMT -5
But can we trust him? I dont know. I love this team and hope they will be back, but with a different owner.
:smileymudcats: :smileymudcats: :smileymudcats:
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Post by mudcatmaniac on Jul 13, 2008 23:56:57 GMT -5
How on earth can a man loose over 500,000 in one year on an AIFA team? I'm sure this money was spent on "things he wanted" rather than "things he needed to make a team." I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'd lost 500,000 I'd be looking for a different investment next year.
IMHO ---There's absolutely no way a team can come back to Tupelo under this ownership. I don't see how he could ever recruit a new team with the reputation he has. I'm a MudCats fan and love the team and coaches (prior and current) and I'm proud of they way they have stayed focused in spite of all that has happened. This has been an uphill battle for them and they are constantly disrespected by the current staff.
MudCats coming back in 09? I hope so --- but there will have to be new ownership.
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Post by rkb on Jul 14, 2008 10:16:12 GMT -5
He was paying off last seaso as well as this season. He paid me $2500 out of his own pocket that previous ownership owed me.
He has made a few mistakes. But next year will be more financiallystable if he allows the team to return.
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Post by gonzo13 on Jul 14, 2008 10:21:17 GMT -5
How on earth can a man loose over 500,000 in one year on an AIFA team? I'm sure this money was spent on "things he wanted" rather than "things he needed to make a team." I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'd lost 500,000 I'd be looking for a different investment next year. IMHO ---There's absolutely no way a team can come back to Tupelo under this ownership. I don't see how he could ever recruit a new team with the reputation he has. I'm a MudCats fan and love the team and coaches (prior and current) and I'm proud of they way they have stayed focused in spite of all that has happened. This has been an uphill battle for them and they are constantly disrespected by the current staff. MudCats coming back in 09? I hope so --- but there will have to be new ownership. It's not a stretch at all for one of these teams to lose that kind of money. What with players and staff salaries, housing, arena lease, travel, insurance, and advertising. If an owner does things first class, like a better bus/hotel when traveling, top notch housing for players, paying gameday staff, it could maximize those costs. Our team in Rome lost over $1Mil in its two seasons. Most of that was due to an 1800 seat arena, but still much of it was because the team had the best of everything. It depends on how the team is run, especially with attendence the way it's been in Tupelo. |
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Post by timraiders on Jul 15, 2008 11:08:01 GMT -5
I know we (fort wayne freedom) kicked Todd Ellis out of town at mid season with $10,000 in his pocket. Maybe you can get him to come back and help you out.
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Post by rkb on Jul 15, 2008 22:38:33 GMT -5
WOW!!!! Where will he go now??? He is not welcome in Tupelo!
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Post by timraiders on Jul 17, 2008 7:18:21 GMT -5
Rumor has it that Todd Ellis still lives in Fort Wayne. We have strip clubs and buffets so there is always stuff for him to do.
The guys who took the team over and kicked him to the curb say they find new debt every day from when he "owned" the Freedom. Not sure if we'll be back next year or not.
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Post by rkb on Jul 17, 2008 10:28:45 GMT -5
sounds familiar
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Post by exit322 on Jul 17, 2008 14:42:04 GMT -5
I don't have much pity for poor businessmen.
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Post by madcatt on Jul 19, 2008 0:21:10 GMT -5
jim waide did not have to pay off old debt.....that was his choice yea that was kind but look at what it did to him.....so thats his fault for doing that.....so therefor he can't consider it part of the 500,000 of his pay off....maybe if he would have better sales people he wouldn't be inthis hole....I know at the end i didn't hear or see any advertising.....and all the dashers were not sold either so there was money missed.....
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Post by Tatonka on Jul 19, 2008 11:27:49 GMT -5
Umm, did anyone else catch the part where he said he was going to talk to his minority ownership partners, who each invested $1,000 dollars this year?
A dasherboard advertisement should run three times that, but he's handing out ownership stake in the team for a grand a pop? I'm sorry Mudcats fans - great on-field product but you obviously have a complete tool running the show.
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Post by exit322 on Jul 19, 2008 13:56:25 GMT -5
Exactly my thought, Sean.
None of these leagues do any sort of work (okay, maybe the IFL and UIF do, but next year that'll just be one entity) to show owners what they really should be doing to be successful here.
Then we all sit back and wonder - again and again - why they all fail.
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Post by rkb on Jul 19, 2008 16:13:13 GMT -5
The idea behind the $1000 stakes in the team were to sell 49% of the team to locals and drive up the interest.
Not saying it's a great idea, just saying...
As for advertising, I tried it last year and was horrible at it. It's a tough sales market for advertising.
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thor!CRAZIES
2nd String
2007 AIFA AND SOUTH DIVISION CHAMPS THOR! CRAZIES go THUNDERBOLTS 2008 AIFA CHAMPS FLORENCE PHANTOMS
Posts: 242
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Post by thor!CRAZIES on Jul 19, 2008 16:52:25 GMT -5
alot like our bolts except no championship..... i hope mudcats come back tho
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