Post by cavfan on Jul 16, 2008 22:21:08 GMT -5
By DAVID BUCK
Star-Tribune staff writer
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 2:06 AM MDT
Jim Waide has a winning team and a losing business model.
The majority owner of the Mississippi Mudcats has put more than $600,000 into his team this year and knows most of it is lost.
That's why Mississippi will take on Wyoming on Friday in Casper for the American Indoor Football Association Western Conference championship instead of Tupelo, Miss.
The Mudcats (14-1) have a better record than the Cavalry (12-3) and had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, but deferred the right to host the game.
"I've lost so much money on this team that I'm losing more at home than on the road," Waide said. "... I think I'm doing worse than anyone else in the league. The community has never gotten behind our team here."
The Mudcats had between 2,300 and 3,700 people in attendance for their regular season games, but managed just 1,500 for their Divisional playoff game.
So Mississippi's deferral wasn't a surprise. The Cavs and Mudcats owners discussed playoff scenarios late in the regular season when both teams had clinched playoff births. When talks started Waide said both teams had one loss and it looked like Wyoming would win homefield based on a tiebreaker.
At that point Waide said if the teams ended up playing each other, Mississippi would come to Casper, a deal that looked like a good one for both parties.
In the playoffs, the Mudcats have a better chance of breaking even on the road than they did during the regular season. The AIFA requires the host playoff team to pay the visiting team $5,000 for expenses and house them for one night. As part of the agreement between teams, Wyoming agreed to house and feed Mississippi for three days.
"We were very happy to be able to do it," said Argeri Layton, the Cavs director of business operations. "When you hear someone wants to defer, it's something you want to jump on."
In addition to those road incentives, the AIFA said it would pay the cost of airfare for the road team in the Western Conference championship.
"Obviously we are very concerned about these travel costs," AIFA co-founder John Morris said in press release. "It's a huge expense for the league. But if we can take the pressure off those teams from the South and the West, that's what we decided to do."
Some of the pressure is gone for Mississippi, but not all. The Mudcats still have to pay for part of their airfare because the price of their flight from Nashville, Tenn., to Denver changed between the time the AIFA agreed to pay a certain price and when the Mudcats booked the tickets.
"We went ahead and lined up the tickets and airfare, and the wires got crossed on their end and they had to add to it," Morris told the Star-Tribune.
The AIFA agreed to pay for tickets that were about $400 for each of the Mudcats' 20 players. But the Mudcats ended up paying about $600 per ticket.
And while the flight is somewhat paid for, Mississippi still has to pay to get its players from Tupelo to Nashville and from Denver to Casper.
"It's been a comedy of errors," Waide said. "I would not have made (the deal with Wyoming) had I known how expensive it would be. (But) we made it, so we have to stick to it."
It's just another decision this year that's cost Waide money.
Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266-0596 or david.buck@trib.com
Playoff Tracker
n FRIDAY: AIFA Western Conference championship, Mississippi at Wyoming, 7:30 p.m., Casper Events Center.
n RECORDS: Mudcats (14-1); Cavalry (12-3).
n AIFA BOWL II: The winner of Friday's game plays the Florence Phantoms on July 26 in Florence, S.C., for the American Indoor Football Association title.
n GOOD TEAM, BAD BUSINESS: The Mudcats have the most wins in the AIFA, but that hasn't paid off for owner Jim Waide. The Mudcats deferred hosting Friday's game for financial reasons, but Waide now regrets that choice.
n HE SAID IT: "I've lost so much money on this team that I'm losing more at home than on the road. ... I think I'm doing worse than anyone else in the league." -- Waide.
Star-Tribune staff writer
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 2:06 AM MDT
Jim Waide has a winning team and a losing business model.
The majority owner of the Mississippi Mudcats has put more than $600,000 into his team this year and knows most of it is lost.
That's why Mississippi will take on Wyoming on Friday in Casper for the American Indoor Football Association Western Conference championship instead of Tupelo, Miss.
The Mudcats (14-1) have a better record than the Cavalry (12-3) and had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, but deferred the right to host the game.
"I've lost so much money on this team that I'm losing more at home than on the road," Waide said. "... I think I'm doing worse than anyone else in the league. The community has never gotten behind our team here."
The Mudcats had between 2,300 and 3,700 people in attendance for their regular season games, but managed just 1,500 for their Divisional playoff game.
So Mississippi's deferral wasn't a surprise. The Cavs and Mudcats owners discussed playoff scenarios late in the regular season when both teams had clinched playoff births. When talks started Waide said both teams had one loss and it looked like Wyoming would win homefield based on a tiebreaker.
At that point Waide said if the teams ended up playing each other, Mississippi would come to Casper, a deal that looked like a good one for both parties.
In the playoffs, the Mudcats have a better chance of breaking even on the road than they did during the regular season. The AIFA requires the host playoff team to pay the visiting team $5,000 for expenses and house them for one night. As part of the agreement between teams, Wyoming agreed to house and feed Mississippi for three days.
"We were very happy to be able to do it," said Argeri Layton, the Cavs director of business operations. "When you hear someone wants to defer, it's something you want to jump on."
In addition to those road incentives, the AIFA said it would pay the cost of airfare for the road team in the Western Conference championship.
"Obviously we are very concerned about these travel costs," AIFA co-founder John Morris said in press release. "It's a huge expense for the league. But if we can take the pressure off those teams from the South and the West, that's what we decided to do."
Some of the pressure is gone for Mississippi, but not all. The Mudcats still have to pay for part of their airfare because the price of their flight from Nashville, Tenn., to Denver changed between the time the AIFA agreed to pay a certain price and when the Mudcats booked the tickets.
"We went ahead and lined up the tickets and airfare, and the wires got crossed on their end and they had to add to it," Morris told the Star-Tribune.
The AIFA agreed to pay for tickets that were about $400 for each of the Mudcats' 20 players. But the Mudcats ended up paying about $600 per ticket.
And while the flight is somewhat paid for, Mississippi still has to pay to get its players from Tupelo to Nashville and from Denver to Casper.
"It's been a comedy of errors," Waide said. "I would not have made (the deal with Wyoming) had I known how expensive it would be. (But) we made it, so we have to stick to it."
It's just another decision this year that's cost Waide money.
Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266-0596 or david.buck@trib.com
Playoff Tracker
n FRIDAY: AIFA Western Conference championship, Mississippi at Wyoming, 7:30 p.m., Casper Events Center.
n RECORDS: Mudcats (14-1); Cavalry (12-3).
n AIFA BOWL II: The winner of Friday's game plays the Florence Phantoms on July 26 in Florence, S.C., for the American Indoor Football Association title.
n GOOD TEAM, BAD BUSINESS: The Mudcats have the most wins in the AIFA, but that hasn't paid off for owner Jim Waide. The Mudcats deferred hosting Friday's game for financial reasons, but Waide now regrets that choice.
n HE SAID IT: "I've lost so much money on this team that I'm losing more at home than on the road. ... I think I'm doing worse than anyone else in the league." -- Waide.
