RIP, Arena Football?

[Steak Snabler]

I know there was a previous thread about the league being in trouble, but the Rocky Mountain News is now reporting the league will suspend operations for 2009 ...

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/09/afl-expected-cancel-2009-season/

Arena Football League officials are expected to announce before the end of the week the league will suspend play for the 2009 season, the Rocky Mountain News has learned.

That's a shame if true. The league has been around since 1987, making it one of the rare start-up league success stories ...

 

[Gutter]

Here's a question... What does this do to the afl2? Our market is supposed to be fielding a new team this year.

 

[BYH]

But where will harried parents take their Ritalin-addicted spawn of Satan kids?

 

[playthrough]

It is a shame. AFL was a beat that prep guys could take on the side as a way to get more big-league experience, and there were certainly plenty of stories on every roster.

 

[BettorFan]

What is the type of person who goes to Arena football?

 

[playthrough]

Someone who doesn't have $600 to take the family of four to an NFL game? I can't confess to ever going to a game but I can see why it was popular in some markets.

And quite a few wiseguys in Vegas liked it too.

 

[BYH]

What is the type of person who goes to Arena football?

But where will harried parents take their Ritalin-addicted spawn of Satan kids?

 

[forever_town]

I used to cover a minor league indoor football team for two seasons. I figure it was good training for when I covered a NCAA Division I-A college football team.

I hope if the league does suspend operations that it can come back after that. It's a shame if it has to suspend operations at all, though.

 

[Huggy]

But where will harried parents take their Ritalin-addicted spawn of Satan kids?

Chuck E. Cheese? [/crossthread]

 

[MMatt60]

I wonder if the Arena League is being haunted by the fact that it gave away scads of tickets to every game and pretended that it constituted real attendance. A lot of its claims of success were built on fabricated numbers.

 

[JoelHammond]

Veyr weird situation. ... Everywhere you go there are stories of home teams possibly being among the casualties, the league folding, etc. ... Yet PR folks -- I know, I know, their job -- swearing they've been told nothing, are operating as usual, etc.

 

[BYH]

Right. And you'd believe them...why?

 

[JackReacher]

What is the type of person who goes to Arena football?

A buddy and I followed Mason during their 06 run to the Final Four (Hi, BYH!!) and the first stop was Dayton. We spent one night in Columbus and caught a Destroyers game. Cheap tickets, great seats, good-enough football. I enjoyed it.

 

[zebracoy]

We had, jeez, probably four teams in this area in the past 15 years. It was always thrilling, if not completely unique, to watch.

I would be very sorry to see it go, especially because a lot of players from the local state U ended up playing in the league.

 

[markvid]

ESPNews' ticker saying Arena League 2 will operate in 2009, as it is run as a separate entity.

 

[Claws for Concern]

It is a shame. AFL was a beat that prep guys could take on the side as a way to get more big-league experience, and there were certainly plenty of stories on every roster.

Good point.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Wow. Never been to a game, but I always used to love watching the AFL when it was part of the old Friday night lineup on TNN (now Spike).

 

[friend of a friend]

So ESPN forcing the Arena League down people's throats didn't work?

Well I'll be damned.

 

[apeman33]

Arena Football's mistake was thinking it could get a national following. But it's a regional sport, like hockey.

If I live in Portland or Orlando, I'm interested in MLB or the NFL, even if Portland or Orlando don't have teams.

If I live in Orlando, where there is an Arena Football team, I'm interested. If I live in Portland, where the isn't a team, I couldn't care less.

 

[expendable]

But where will harried parents take their Ritalin-addicted spawn of Satan kids?

Chuck E. Cheese? [/crossthread]

Sorry, Hon. Arena football is closed in 2009. :D