Post by Free Agent Fan on Dec 9, 2008 16:10:14 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_11173146
Arena Football League on shaky ground
By John Ryan
Mercury News
Posted: 12/08/2008 10:02:38 PM PST
Amid reports that the Arena Football League is on the verge of collapse, a SaberCats spokeman said Monday that the team continues with plans to open its season in March.
"There are definitely some concerns, but at this point we're proceeding business as usual right now," director of media relations Phil Simon said.
The Denver Post reported Monday that two sources say the league will fold if it can't find financial help by Dec. 19. "The business model for the league is broken," Colorado Crush executive vice president Michael Young told the Post. Similar reports surfaced over the weekend in Columbus and Cleveland, two other cities with teams in the 16-team league.
It's the latest sign of trouble for a league that began in 1987 as a quirky curiosity and became both a summer football fix for fans and a long-shot path to the NFL for players. The AFL famously kept Kurt Warner's career alive before he became a two-time MVP with the St. Louis Rams, and NFL owners — as well as former quarterbacks John Elway and Bernie Kosar and rocker Jon Bon Jovi — are AFL owners.
The league hoped a deal with ESPN in 2006, in which the network acquired a stake and the league found a strong TV presence, would solidify its future.
But the past few months have been chaotic. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson announced in October that he was folding his AFL team. The league also has been without a commissioner since David Baker resigned in July; his interim replacement has been Ed Policy, the son of former 49ers executive Carmen Policy. Talks reportedly broke down last week between the AFL and Platinum Equity over a $100 million deal for 40 percent of the league.
The league released a statement saying, "The AFL is working on long-term structural improvements which have unfortunately delayed some events, such as the release of the 2009 schedule, the dispersal draft, and the beginning (of) free agency. We ask our fans to be patient a little longer while we finalize our long-term improvements."
The dispersal draft of New Orleans VooDoo players has been postponed indefinitely, as has the beginning of the free-agent signing period.
If some teams around the league are having financial trouble, the SaberCats would not be one of them. They are owned by the Fry family that started the electronics stores, and they're known around the league for the first-class travel on private jets and the gaudy championship rings. The SaberCats are also the league's current dynasty, with three titles since 2002 and a narrow loss in the championship game in July.
Contact John Ryan at jryan@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5266.
Arena Football League on shaky ground
By John Ryan
Mercury News
Posted: 12/08/2008 10:02:38 PM PST
Amid reports that the Arena Football League is on the verge of collapse, a SaberCats spokeman said Monday that the team continues with plans to open its season in March.
"There are definitely some concerns, but at this point we're proceeding business as usual right now," director of media relations Phil Simon said.
The Denver Post reported Monday that two sources say the league will fold if it can't find financial help by Dec. 19. "The business model for the league is broken," Colorado Crush executive vice president Michael Young told the Post. Similar reports surfaced over the weekend in Columbus and Cleveland, two other cities with teams in the 16-team league.
It's the latest sign of trouble for a league that began in 1987 as a quirky curiosity and became both a summer football fix for fans and a long-shot path to the NFL for players. The AFL famously kept Kurt Warner's career alive before he became a two-time MVP with the St. Louis Rams, and NFL owners — as well as former quarterbacks John Elway and Bernie Kosar and rocker Jon Bon Jovi — are AFL owners.
The league hoped a deal with ESPN in 2006, in which the network acquired a stake and the league found a strong TV presence, would solidify its future.
But the past few months have been chaotic. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson announced in October that he was folding his AFL team. The league also has been without a commissioner since David Baker resigned in July; his interim replacement has been Ed Policy, the son of former 49ers executive Carmen Policy. Talks reportedly broke down last week between the AFL and Platinum Equity over a $100 million deal for 40 percent of the league.
The league released a statement saying, "The AFL is working on long-term structural improvements which have unfortunately delayed some events, such as the release of the 2009 schedule, the dispersal draft, and the beginning (of) free agency. We ask our fans to be patient a little longer while we finalize our long-term improvements."
The dispersal draft of New Orleans VooDoo players has been postponed indefinitely, as has the beginning of the free-agent signing period.
If some teams around the league are having financial trouble, the SaberCats would not be one of them. They are owned by the Fry family that started the electronics stores, and they're known around the league for the first-class travel on private jets and the gaudy championship rings. The SaberCats are also the league's current dynasty, with three titles since 2002 and a narrow loss in the championship game in July.
Contact John Ryan at jryan@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5266.
