RIP, Arena Football?

Same type of person that goes to two or three minor league baseball games a year. I've been to a few Arena games when there was nothing much else going on and I wanted to do something relatively cheap.

I can't say I ever knew who the home team was playing against or that I remember (if I stayed for the end) any of the outcomes. I did see several exciting plays, a couple of close games and some really interesting marketing promotions.

 

Minor league sports are in trouble. Baseball won't be hurt much because AAA-AA-A-RL teams are all subsidized by MLB. But independent (non-AHL) minor-league hockey is seeing lots of teams drop, and you'll see a lot of other ancillary teams/leagues go away.

The same thing happened during the Depression, in the late 1950s-early 1960s, and again in the early 1980s.

 

Apparently this one may need to hold its horses.

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C737/

 

Game on.
<blockquote>

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Arena Football League has voted not to suspend play in 2009, a sharp reversal in a tumultuous week in which the indoor league was poised to cancel next season.

The league's board of directors met via a conference call Wednesday evening.

The AFL has not released the 2009 schedule, and it's still possible there could be big changes to the 22-year-old league.

The 16-team indoor league repeatedly has delayed the start of free agency and the release of its 2009 schedule after an offseason of uncertainty.

"The Board will continue to meet regularly to examine any and all long-term structural improvement options for the AFL," the league said in a statement.</blockquote>
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/football/sns-ap-fbo-afl-in-limbo,0,1898623.story

 

Once the Iowa Barnstormers left, I lost interest.

 

For Bon Jovi's sake I'm glad they're going to play next season.

 

Bet ESPN had something to do with it.

 

No. ESPN's been airing Monday night arena games in the spring.

 

Anyone want to put odds on the number of "Livin on a Prayer" headlines this story would generate in a hypothetical universe where America cared?

 

I would honestly hope there's only one AFL market that would even consider that, and that they'd then think better of it.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=AhPqan.Q29RxIwgTFmrgym85nYcB?slug=ap-aflinlimbo&prov=ap&type=lgnsp

OK, so I'm legitimately happy. Anyone else?

 

Yup.... best unis in pro sports