Sykotyk

Liberty Bowl capacity is 58k. Given that it appears there was freebies given out and tickets were only $10 and people were trying to flip them for many times over face value on the resale market, there's a good chance not every ticket was used at the game. That's not unusual for ANY sport. If a ticket is issued, it is counted. They can't sell it or give it out again. So, that's how attendance is counted. We haven't gotten turnstile counts for decades from any league.

Only sold tickets for one half of the stadium. According to the ticket sales sites pregame, only a few dozen tickets were left available. And this crowd shot shows the home side pretty well full.

Was gonna say here that this first game between Stars and Showboats has a ton of yellow.

Unfortunately it was varsity 8-man. Two small very rural Indian schools. Just making do with what they had. Pine Hill finished 0-8 while Dulce finished 3-6. Dulce is a public school but mostly Navajo. Their only 3 wins were over Navajo Pine, Alamo Navajo and Pine Hill. 5 their 6 losses were all mercy rule shutout losses at the half. This game was 50-0 but ended in the 3rd. Was Senior Day/Homecoming Those were the seniors on the team AND the homecoming court.

Reminds me a lot of this HS game I saw in New Mexico: *-kudos if you can point out all the inconsistencies.

I think you'd see a 12-14 team league to start if there's a merger. Houston is only getting one team. Philly or NJ is going to be on ice if they're forced too early to find a home for both. Hypothetical: Pittsburgh (in Canton) Michigan DC Orlando Memphis St. Louis Birmingham Houston Arlington San Antonio Las Vegas Seattle You'd lose Philly and New Jersey without homes. You'd lose the Gamblers (most likely). You'd lose New Orleans who doesn't yet have a home but would be a good addition if they did.

13 points in 20 minutes. Unreal self destruction.

I'm here. Wisconsin should be winning this one comfortably.

The Baby Steelers. Thing is, being near them I would consider rooting for them, but not with the black and yellow. Purple and orange were a good look, but associated with a losing history. But, as long as they'll never play in Pittsburgh it doesn't really matter.

Honestly thought Houston would be the one if any to go out on upset in the first round. There really isn't that Clear Cut Favorite to make the final four with them all.

MLS the first week and I'm guessing the same culprit the next. Need time to scrub the field to get the lines ready for Sounders.

Really? Because I'm a Browns fan that gave up my season seats over Watson. So, yeah. I still want the Browns to win, but I won't be paying for it as long as he's on the team.

Very cool little stadium and got to check out the boardwalk, get a lobster roll, and go in the ocean between games

I was there for HS football games years ago when it was called Sahlen's Stadium. Great, unfinished stadium. Was strange seeing a HS game played with the secondary temp lines.

There's such an importance on having the best QB, that it makes sense to just gamble everything to get the guy you want. if you lose you lose. Might as well take the chance by giving up picks.

Texas & Kansas next. TX - Follett v. White Deer (6-man) TX - Follett v. White Deer (6-man) KS - Holcomb v. Pratt KS - Holcomb v. Pratt Back to North Dakota. With 8 games at the Fargodome. ND - Fertile-Beltrami (MN) v. Blackduck (MN) ND - Kittson County Central (MN) v. Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke (MN) ND - Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (MN) v. East Grand Forks (MN) ND - Osakis (MN) v. Sauk Centre (MN) ND - Barnesville (MN) v. Crookston (MN) After a week in Iowa just as a fan, the next week was in Minnesota. On the sidelines at US Bank Stadium. MN - Barnesville v. Jackson County Central MN - Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton v. Fairmont Week 14 was back at Heinz Field.... er, Acrisure Stadium PA - Union v. Bishop Canevin PA - Steel Valley v. Beaver Falls PA - Aliquippa v. Central Valley The following week was a few games in Ohio and West Virginia for state finals. WV - Williamstown v. James Monroe Week 16 was the six PIAA state championship games. First year at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg. PA - Union v. Steelton-Highspire PA - Union v. Steelton-Highspire PA - Aliquippa v. Bishop McDevitt PA - Aliquippa v. Bishop McDevitt PA - Aliquippa v. Bishop McDevitt PA - Westinghouse v. Southern Columbia PA - Westinghouse v. Southern Columbia PA - Westinghouse v. Southern Columbia PA - Pine-Richland v. Imhotep Charter PA - Pine-Richland v. Imhotep Charter PA - Belle Vernon v. Neumann-Goretti PA - Belle Vernon v. Neumann-Goretti PA - Belle Vernon v. Neumann-Goretti (9-8 final, BVA stopped NG at the goal line and then had to run out the clock to avoid the safety) For Week 17, I wasn't going to make it to Texas in time for games. So, went to Fort Lauderdale for Saturday. No sideline. Just in the stands. Not a big crowd, at all. FL - Lakeland v. Venice FL - Lakeland v. Venice FL - Lakeland v. Venice FL - Miami Columbus v. Apopka FL - Miami Columbus v. Apopka (blocked field goal, tied at 10-10 with 1 second left) FL - Miami Columbus v. Apopka (Columbus wins, 16-13 in OT; Last game of the year)

Week 4 was southeast New Mexico NM - Jal v. Clovis NM - Jal v. Clovis NM - Hobbs v. Rio Rancho NM - Hobbs v. Rio Rancho TX - Kingdom Prep v. Abilene Christian Week 5 was in South Dakota, Watertown and Aberdeen. SD - Watertown v. Pierre T.F. Riggs SD - Watertown v. Pierre T.F. Riggs (Lincoln Keinholz, QB most passing yards in SD history, committed to U of Washington) SD - Ipswich v. Leola/Frederick (@ Northern State U.) Week 6 was back in Ohio OH - Akron North v. Akron Ellet OH - Newton Falls v. Brookfield NY - Clymer/Sherman/Panama v. Portville (@ Panama) NY - Clymer/Sherman/Panama v. Portville (@ Panama) PA - Cowanesque Valley v. North Penn-Mansfield Week 7 was in Indiana IN - Delta v. Greenfield-Central IN - Delta v. Greenfield-Central IN - Delta v. Greenfield-Central IN - Union City v. Centerville IN - Northeastern v. Knightstown IN - Tri v. Hagerstown Week 7 was back in South Dakota. SD - Northwestern v. Warner SD - Northwestern v. Warner ND - Wyndmere/Lidgerwood v. Hatton/Northwood ND - Wyndmere/Lidgerwood v. Hatton/Northwood Week 8 is back in NM, with a thursday game in Arizona. AZ - Tolleson Union v. Shadow Ridge NM - Las Cruces Mayfield v. Roswell NM - Las Cruces Mayfield v. Roswell NM - Elida v. Animas (6-man) NM - Elida v. Animas (6-man) NM - Elida v. Animas (6-man) NM - Elida v. Animas (6-man)

Of all the photos I took of the 2022 season, these ones were my favorite, best, or most notable: Week 0 was in Georgia. Including Mercedes-Benz Stadium. GA - Parkview v. Johns Creek GA - North Forsyth v. North Atlanta GA - Forsyth Central v. Chattahoochee GA - Brookwood v. Norcross GA - Mill Creek v. Walton Week 1 was the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. NJ - Mainland v. Egg Harbor Twp NJ - Mainland v. Egg Harbor Twp NJ - Ocean City v. Neshaminy NJ - Delran v. Wayne Valley NJ - Holy Spirit v. Cherokee (game winning field goal) NJ - Cedar Creek v. Edison Week 2 was back near home. Pennsylvania and New York. PA - North East v. Girard NY - Clymer/Sherman/Panama v. Wilson NY - Salamanca v. Randolph NY - Salamanca v. Randolph Week 3 - Ohio and Pennsylvania PA - Warren v. Girard (@ Youngsville) PA - Warren v. Girard (@ Youngsville) OH - Mentor Lake Catholic v. Erie (PA) PA - Mercyhurst Prep v. Seneca PA - Mercyhurst Prep v. Seneca PA - Mercyhurst Prep v. Seneca

I would definitely think exposure would play a key rule in susceptibility to this (if they are linked). NFL would play 10 games a year roughly, and you're only out there for half the game and a lot of stoppages. Baseball players would be out there 81 games a year (plus games at other stadiums with similar/same turf), and though you're out there 'half the game' you're also on the basepaths frequently as a hitter, etc. It may be just one venue has contaminated turf, it may be a coincidence tied to some other outlier (team facility, plane, spring training, etc?). Or, it could be a problem from the type of turf itself. Big question, and the money question is, did the turf company(-ies) know about this link ever, and when did they know it? If no one knew, and the turf is largely no longer in use, it would just be a sad point of history of the game.

Going back to markets... Whether a team is in LA or a team is in Omaha, with one-game-per-timeslot, you're relying on a lot of neutral fans from around the country to bump up the numbers. What can happen is a major city might completely drown out that there's even a game on. While football fans will watch from wherever just because there's football on. Same way that Kent State-Bowling Green gets watched on a Tuesday night. It's football. It's on. Football fans will find it. So, in that case, smaller markets might actually work better in two ways: Much higher 'local' ratings draw more local support, ticket sales, merchandise, and recirculate eyeballs to return to more future games and the other games not featuring the local team. And, to fans in general, who know the XFL is 'below NFL' expect it to fill the void where the NFL isn't. Instead, by putting USFL and XFL teams in NFL cities, you're just saturating an already crowded landscape for money and attention. Orlando, San Antonio, Memphis, Birmingham, Omaha, Boise, San Diego, Portland, St. Louis, Raleigh, Norfolk, Hartford, etc are places that might do better being the 'only pro football in town' rather than 'that other team that's not the NFL'.

If you see someone wearing Ohio State gear you almost always have "O - H!" as the call out and expect them to reply "I - O!" I always have to remember I'm even wearing my OSU shirt sometimes. Very rarely ever does someone say "Go Bucks". Funny Go Bucks is probably much more common in Ohio. Outside Ohio is almost exclusively OH.

Disposable income is definitely a concern. Ticket prices for DC and Houston were quite high though Arlington was in line with the 2020 prices as well.

I wonder if Bishop Gorman was ever approached to play at their HS stadium. Because this just looks so bad on TV. Not just the horrifically bad field conditions, but the camera angles are terrible, as well.

No team operator would agree to be a second tier team without some compensation. If there were some type of annual allocation to the relegated team from the promoted teams they might. But even then, that's a non-starter for most.

I was pretty young, so I remember the WLAF, but not able to distinguish much between that incarnation and the NFL Europe incarnation that came later. And I can't find it, but I swear the NFL Europe incarnation was originally called the WLAF for a few more seasons even when it was all Europe. But can't seem to find anything to corroborate it.