Spin

I know there are no franchises established for the league yet, but you have one group affiliated with the league already hiring staff and purchasing a stadium. Put two and two together, and you shouldn't be all that surprised that when the franchises are named, this group IS that team in Ohio. Still having trouble connecting the dots??? ANd does that fact mean I can't rip apart the league's business plan?

There's another aspect of minor league sports that I have yet to see a minor league football league implement. Regionalism. If you look at minor league baseball, the leagues are all regional in nature. Look at the Aeros' AA level, you have the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League. You can stay within your minor league budget, with bus trips, in football no overnight stays. You can have the regional champions play in a championship. But you don't have them playing each other during the season. The USFL has named two cities, Akron and Portland, which are 2,000 miles apart. It does seem to be working for the D-League, but they're directly funded by the NBA. And you're really putting yourself behind the 8 ball (as a start-up especially) when you're moving 3x as many players around.

Let's just hope we don't draw Buffalo at the Q...

That's how I took it. But with your considering the source, I agree with you. My apologies.

"True" fans shouldn't get disappointed over an absolute joke of a (former) coach/program? Get over yourself.

+1

I think it CAN be done, but I doubt this plan is how it will happen. They're folowing the MLS model, which has been a success. They want to build stadiums, which the MLS did, except the MLS was already established in those markets. It was five years before they built their first purpose-built venue, Columbus Crew Stadium. They're also following the MLS' player system where everyone plays for the league, and are distributed to teams via draft. That worked, but the USFL wants to pay players $3000-3500 per game??? That's a lot more than arena players are paid, and there are a lot fewer of them on a team. For 35 players that's $122,500 per game. Half the games are on the road, so you have no income, and you have travel expenses for 40-50 people. Don't forget, the Arena Football LEague collapsed under it's player salaries, and had to be completely restructured. Minor league football would work. But you have to live within your means. You have to be realistic what you're going to bring in. You can't count on sponsors and investors and TV money (many sports pay for their TV exposure). From everything I have read, these guys aren't.

What do you mean there is no team? They already own a stadium and a franchise with the league. The league is a year away from starting. I don't know how far along you think they should be.

I like that in that it has floor space for other uses, and you could probably seat around 10,000 for end-stage events. The upper tier can be closed off for smaller crowds. You can use this building a lot of dates. This school has roughly 19,000 enrollment, in a much smaller market, and has had standing room only at games.

Let's get out and support the Zips hockey team in the conference tournament. These guys have come a long way, and put on a great game. I know where I'll be Friday night. I might even go early and check out UPitt and IUP.

If you look at what downtown Akron looked like after the industry left and before CP was built, it would make sense. There was once at least two porno theaters downtown, two other glamorous hotels in that area were converted to low income housing (Hotel Howe and Hotel Anthony Wayne). The rest was empty storefronts and businesses that catered to the low income. You wouldn't recognize the place. I picture a suitable arena built on campus and butting the rest of the city, and rejuvenating East Exchange in the same way Canal Park did downtown.

Absolutely, this is the PERFECT time to get it started. I can't think of any better time to show that we need more capacity, and a modern facility than right now. Those against the new arena, are you proud of the nation having it's only impression of the U by what they see inside the JAR?

Three words. I still have flashbacks.

Like I said in my first post, maybe it was the co$t? Why is the as-of-yet unrenovated RB getting all this interest?

You know, if this renovation does happen, could Akron be in the running for OHSAA semi-finals and finals? They could hold the Division I, III, and V at the Dialer, and the II, IV, and VI at the renovated Rubber Bowl. Only five miles apart, they're closer than Paul Brown and Fawcett.

http://www.akron.com/editions/Akron-Ohio-N...l.asp?aID=18578 Sounds to me like the U has priced the Big Dialer out of range for a LOT of potential events that could be held there. “We’ve had a lot of groups reach out to us,” he said. “We’re looking to having some high school football in there, and there will be some semi-pro teams that will play there, too. There are going to be some concerts and other types of sporting events, so we’re confident that it will be a venue with a lot of activity.” “We’re hoping for four or five months of renovation, and we’re probably going to extend that to seven or eight months, with some of the recent changes we made to the design,” said Mason. Among the renovations to the stadium: a new scoreboard, new seats and — one can expect — a new sign proclaiming the stadium’s corporate sponsor. (The Rubbermaid Bowl? The GOJO Bowl? The Swensons Galley Bowl?) Best of luck to them. If they (re)build it, I will come.

I'm taking two of my sons to their first college basketball game tonight. My oldest is watching more and more hoops since Akron has got so much press this year. He's never liked basketball before (like myself who never liked basketball before the Hot Rod/Daugherty/Price). Can you get GA seats early or that that all walk-up? Don't want to get shut out. This is the first year in the last 5 I haven't had a student ID to use.

They could also work the schedule so that the better teams get to play all of the soft teams in the conference. That would inflate their records and raise the ranking of the MAC. Oh wait, they already did that.

None. You wanna lecture me on a personal preference?

I'm thinking it would take up most of the space from the soccer stadium to Exchange Street anyway. Being on such a busy road would help with visibility. Unlike the JAR which is buried.

More doubleheaders.

I'm not excited about the name, I'm old school and like plural names (Browns, Zips, Aeros). And "Fire" sounds too WLAF/WFL. Too Chicago soccerish (at least they honor firefighters ) But the hot rodder in me likes the flames. I still think Aces would be cool, with vintage flyovers from MAPS, and all the merchandise tie-ins.

Not being smart, but how much would renevation of the RB cost compared to a new Columbus Crew Stadium-type venue?

They tried that with the World League of American Football. Remember the Ohio Glory? (BTW, why didn't the helmet cam catch on with the NFL?) And the UFL. The "Ultimate Failure League".

There was still a May Day in the 80's and 90's. Lots of drinking, furniture set on fire in the street, an occasional flipped police car. That was the May Day I remember.