Death of the Alliance of American Football

[The_Admiral]

2 hours ago, Mac the Knife said:

And to go off on another, similar, old man tangent... no more than one sports team, across all leagues, should be permitted to use a particular state or regional name.  If you have a Minnesota Vikings (which did it first in that region), you have to have a Minneapolis Twins, a St. Paul Wild, and a Minneapolis Timberwolves.  My rationale for this?  "Carolina."  "Carolina" is a region that encompasses two entire states, yet invariably is reduced in the minds of casual sports fans to either Charlotte (most frequently) or Raleigh (less so, but frequently as well).  I cannot count how many times I've told someone I live in Raleigh and been told "Oh, where the Panthers play!"  Similarly, I can't cite how many times (including in the media), the NHL's Hurricanes have been referenced as playing their games in Charlotte.

This doesn't make sense. All the Minnesota teams are Twin Cities teams, while the Carolina teams can be Charlotte or Raleigh. 

[Mac the Knife]

2 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

 

I've been involved in the broadcast industry in one way or another for going on 31 years and I've never seen Boston-Providence-Hartford lumped together as a single television Designated Market Area or radio market. On the television side of the industry, you're looking at the distinct Boston (Manchester), Hartford & New Haven, and Providence-New Bedford DMAs. In radio, you'd see the same real estate divided between the Boston, Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, Hartford-New Britain-Middletown, New Haven, New Bedford-Fall River, and Manchester markets. Over 3-plus decades, there have been some slight shifts in market area - particularly on the radio side of the industry - but I've never known "Boston-Providence-Hartford" to be considered a single market for demographic purposes. 

 

Having not looked at a Nielsen or Arbitron book in a few years I can't speak to the specific market compositions, but hopefully you understood my general point.

[BBTV]

5 hours ago, Mac the Knife said:

And yet?  That's how media markets work...

 

And to go off on another, similar, old man tangent... no more than one sports team, across all leagues, should be permitted to use a particular state or regional name.  If you have a Minnesota Vikings (which did it first in that region), you have to have a Minneapolis Twins, a St. Paul Wild, and a Minneapolis Timberwolves.  My rationale for this?  "Carolina."  "Carolina" is a region that encompasses two entire states, yet invariably is reduced in the minds of casual sports fans to either Charlotte (most frequently) or Raleigh (less so, but frequently as well).  I cannot count how many times I've told someone I live in Raleigh and been told "Oh, where the Panthers play!"  Similarly, I can't cite how many times (including in the media), the NHL's Hurricanes have been referenced as playing their games in Charlotte.

 

So, New Rule:  one team, and only one, gets to use a regional/state moniker, and only then if there's a real reason for doing so (e.g., the Texas Rangers would in my view have a valid reason given that they're named for the lawmen of the same name; the California Angels, much as I prefer that name to any other they've used in their history, wouldn't).

 

I'm shocked that anybody would mistake the Panthers for playing in Raleigh, since the average American that hasn't been to the airport or isn't directly in business with a Raleigh firm knows what or where Raleigh is.  Most people know where Charlotte is.  I couldn't disagree more with your suggestion or rationale. 

[Sec19Row53]

17 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

I'm shocked that anybody would mistake the Panthers for playing in Raleigh, since the average American that hasn't been to the airport or isn't directly in business with a Raleigh firm knows what or where Raleigh is.  Most people know where Charlotte is.  I couldn't disagree more with your suggestion or rationale. 

You think more highly of the intelligence of the average Joe than I do.

 

I also disagree with Mac's location/name rant.

[Sykotyk]

1 hour ago, Sec19Row53 said:

You think more highly of the intelligence of the average Joe than I do.

 

I also disagree with Mac's location/name rant.

I'd be curious just how many adults in the U.S. even KNOW that Raleigh is a city, regardless that it's in the Carolinas.

 

 

[Mac the Knife]

Now, you all are just goading me.  I'm not falling for it.  In fact I'm amused and appreciate the attempts to the point of almost feeling honored by them.  Label my location/name rant under "unpopular opinions" if you like.  

[Wings]

There's a lot people in the U.S. that don't know what country we're living in. Seriously. 

[Sykotyk]

12 hours ago, Wings said:

There's a lot people in the U.S. that don't know what country we're living in. Seriously. 

Exactly. And the number of people that could even name half of the 50 states is alarmingly high.

 

I briefly worked with a guy from Greencastle, PA. It's about 45 minutes from Harrisburg. The capital. He did NOT know that Harrisburg was the state capital. In fact, he didn't even know states had capitals.

 

And these people vote.

[Needschat]

5 hours ago, Sykotyk said:

Exactly. And the number of people that could even name half of the 50 states is alarmingly high.

 

I briefly worked with a guy from Greencastle, PA. It's about 45 minutes from Harrisburg. The capital. He did NOT know that Harrisburg was the state capital. In fact, he didn't even know states had capitals.

 

And these people vote.

 

Oh that reminds me.  Hershey has a nice stadium near the park. 

[smzimbabwe]

We had a family visiting us a few years back, and when he told us they were from Milwaukie, my grandfather said "Oh. You're from Oregon". The guy was surprised, he didn't even know there was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Don't even get me started on the whole Austria/Australia thing.

[Gothamite]

1 hour ago, smzimbabwe said:

We had a family visiting us a few years back, and when he told us they were from Milwaukie, my grandfather said "Oh. You're from Oregon". The guy was surprised, he didn't even know there was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

 

Ironic, since Milwaukie was named after Milwaukee. 

[Wings]

Home of Dark Horse Comics. 

[Mac the Knife]

11 hours ago, Sykotyk said:

Exactly. And the number of people that could even name half of the 50 states is alarmingly high.

 

I briefly worked with a guy from Greencastle, PA. It's about 45 minutes from Harrisburg. The capital. He did NOT know that Harrisburg was the state capital. In fact, he didn't even know states had capitals.

 

And these people vote.

 

It's also indicative of why at my first opportunity I got the hell out of Pennsylvania.

 

Sadly, what it's really indicative of is just how far we've allowed our education system to fail in the United States.  In four generations we've gone from kids who could graduate high school speaking fluent Greek and Latin to kids who can't coherently speak English.  Put this under the 'unpopular opinions' section if you'd like, but I honestly think the old Soviets had a better educational system than we did when I was in school.  They might've been fed a lot of Marxist bull**** as part of it, true, but they were also taught actual, meaningful things.  My teenage daughter meanwhile gets a class credit for a 'course' that's essentially built around "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"  

[Sykotyk]

6 hours ago, Needschat said:

 

Oh that reminds me.  Hershey has a nice stadium near the park. 

Nice is an interesting term for Hersheypark Stadium. I've seen it called many things. I don't think nice was ever one of them.

[dfwabel]

Well, Orlando started taking $50 season ticket deposits this afternoon, so today's is officially the day the math doesn't work.

 

From their Orlando Tickets FAQs:

Quote

How much is an actual ticket going to cost?
The Alliance has made a commitment to have a $35 per game sideline seat, which will be among the best seats in the house. But by no means will this be the least expensive, nor the most expensive ticket we have. Will have a ticket plan for every budget and will be releasing ticket pricing and seat locations later this summer.

 

 

[Mac the Knife]

Something occurred to me a day or two ago:  the AAF is taking a page from David Dixon's blueprint for the USFL, circa 1981; though they haven't made it public.

 

Back in 1981, David Dixon's original plans for the USFL suggested prospective owners sign "name" coaches, offering each 10% ownership as incentive to sign on.  George Allen took it in Chicago, Chuck Fairbanks in New Jersey, and probably Hugh Campbell in Los Angeles as well.

 

Steve Spurrier's a part owner of the subsidiary entity they've set up to operate the Orlando team.  That's the only rationale I can see for him doing this - he's got enough money, he's got nothing to prove as a coach - so why not be a part-owner?

[Mac the Knife]

Next stop for the AAF... Atlanta.

 

Discuss.

[WideRight]

I have to say I am surprised.  I had a feeling the AAF would have an NFL market or two, but I did not peg Atlanta as the one.  First off you are competing against the NBA and the Braves.  Secondly my image of Atlanta fans is that they are pretty fickle and don't show up even for their major league team unless they are winning all the time.  Maybe that is unfair, I just remember hearing about pathetic attendance for the Hawks and for the Thrashers.  Not sure if it will work or not, but certainly between Georgia/Alabama/South Carolina there is a lot of talent coming out of the colleges in the region.

 

My guess for an NFL city was New Orleans.  You have the new Tulane stadium there (good size) and only the Pelicans for major league sports in the Spring.  

[dfwabel]

1 hour ago, Mac the Knife said:

Next stop for the AAF... Atlanta.

 

Discuss.

Well now 2 for 2 in choosing markets with existing MLS teams. Atlanta United can undercut them in both ticket price and concessions.

Georgia State Stadium, formerly Turner Field, is only 25,000 now. Good luck with that.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

18 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

Well now 2 for 2 in choosing markets with existing MLS teams. Atlanta United can undercut them in both ticket price and concessions.

Georgia State Stadium, formerly Turner Field, is only 25,000 now. Good luck with that.

 

Not to mention ATL UTD is drawing 40,000-70,000 a game in the nice stadium. AAF ATL will look small-time in comparison.

Also, @WideRight you need to modify your signature. It's currently a giant photobucket image right now.