Dave in Green Posted May 1, 2013 Report Share Posted May 1, 2013 Adding to the mystery, USFL director Fred Biletnikoff is not responding to e-mails from The Pigskin Report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsfan33 Posted May 1, 2013 Report Share Posted May 1, 2013 Meanwhile, I drove by the Rubber Bowl last week and there was a full dumpster and a porta-potty near the old entrance gate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted May 1, 2013 Report Share Posted May 1, 2013 Meanwhile, I drove by the Rubber Bowl last week and there was a full dumpster and a porta-potty near the old entrance gate! If there was a door on the porta-potty you can mark that down as another Bowl upgrade completed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips Posted May 1, 2013 Report Share Posted May 1, 2013 I attended the Spring Football Game on Saturday. My observations as follows. 1) The ten buck buffet was the best deal in a decade. Great food, more than you could eat. Far surpassed the meager fare at either the men's or the women's celebration dinner. The women's buffet topped the men's by a country mile. 2) The fifty-eight yard field goal was a sight to behold. The best play of the first half. 3) The fifty-four yard field goal was a sight to behold. The best play of the second half. 4) The buffet will cost $18 during home games. Any one who cares to venture to the fifth floor can not only pig out on excellent food they can also watch the game from a great vantage point. The bourbon bread pudding is to die for. I think $15 would be a better price and more than make up in volume in revenue than the $18 price. Not good marketing. 5) The Zips still sorely miss having depth on both lines. Fix that and they have a genuine shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsfan33 Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Found this Friday: http://www.ohio.com/news/local/ua-marketin...r-bowl-1.400206 "Sean Mason, president of Team 1 Marketing, said the company will invest as much as $35 million to remake the bowl for what he hopes will be a U.S. Football League franchise." Ummm I think someone needs to let Mr. Mason know that the league has apparently gone belly-up! Oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Found this Friday: http://www.ohio.com/news/local/ua-marketin...r-bowl-1.400206 "Sean Mason, president of Team 1 Marketing, said the company will invest as much as $35 million to remake the bowl for what he hopes will be a U.S. Football League franchise." Ummm I think someone needs to let Mr. Mason know that the league has apparently gone belly-up! Oops! Bold and italicized for those who appreciate irony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 Well, it won't be the USFL. 7 minutes ago on Facebook: Akron Fire USFL We see that the USFL will be going with 5 league owned Teams and no independent teams we wish them the very best and hope the can build a strong successful league. Guess they have to find another league now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 Continued conversation: Richard Cotton Will you join back up later? It would be great if you did. 31 minutes ago · Like Mike Spinelli What are your plans now? 30 minutes ago · Like Akron Fire USFL We still hope the USFL at some point will add independent teams 6 minutes ago · Like Richard Cotton So you are still interested then? I thought they said they were looking for 3 indies. So what the hey? 4 minutes ago · Like Akron Fire USFL We are looking at a few other league. We do feel that there are still some great opportunities out there for us and we are working on some plans of our own stay tune. about a minute ago · Like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsfan33 Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 Bummer... iknew it would never happen but still the tease factor had me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 These guys should be happy that the USFL is stopping them from flushing all their money down the toilet(Rubber Bowl). If they are that desperate to blow that kind of money, they could always pay for my kids college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 ... Akron Fire USFL We are looking at a few other league. We do feel that there are still some great opportunities out there for us and we are working on some plans of our own stay tune. ... Just how many commercially viable football leagues are there? If there was another one that played in the spring you'd think that GP1 would have mentioned it here by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipsfan33 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Rubber Bowl Update: Upon driving by to watch the Warbird airplanes roll into Akron Muni Monday, I witnessed the main gates open and a minivan backed into the old player tunnel. It would appear that at this rate the bleachers will be painted and the new press box installed and the retractable roof added by Spring 4714! P.S. There are now 2 port-a-potties sitting outside the gates! Woo-hoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Rubber Bowl Update: Upon driving by to watch the Warbird airplanes roll into Akron Muni Monday, I witnessed the main gates open and a minivan backed into the old player tunnel. It would appear that at this rate the bleachers will be painted and the new press box installed and the retractable roof added by Spring 4714! P.S. There are now 2 port-a-potties sitting outside the gates! Woo-hoo! With doors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Just how many commercially viable football leagues are there? If there was another one that played in the spring you'd think that GP1 would have mentioned it here by now. "Commercially viable" is interesting. By that, I assume you mean self sustaining. I don't know if the Arena League makes money or not, so right now the only commercially viable league I know of is the NFL. College football, at the non-BCS division one level, is not commercially viable. It is supported by taxpayer dollars and student fees along with other forms of revenue. To be commercially viable, it must be attractive or people to go to games, watch on TV, listen to on the radio, etc. in a way that makes it self sustaining. Whatever league they are talking about in Akron offers none of that. They won't pay players the way the old USFL did so no decent player will play in it and people won't want to watch it or listen to it. The old USFL had future Hall of Famers playing in it and the quality of football was good. There is a level of football, non-BCS, that I believe offers entertainment people would want to watch, listen to or attend games in the spring. Football is the American past time now and they should take advantage of it. Non-BCS football is good entertainment. The problem is it is drowned out by the noise of BCS and the NFL. Decisions aren't complicated. Willie Keeler once said, "Hit'em where they ain't." The non-BCS schools need to play in the spring because that's where they ain't. Getting back to "commercially viable". Non-BCS schools playing in the spring will become more of a commercially viable product if they played in the spring. It will still require student and taxpayer support, but I think the right deals could be struck with networks to make the blow to the students and taxpayers less severe. When my father saw people making the same mistake over and over again, he used his glass door analogy (he also had a "never marry a mean faced woman" story as well, but I won't go into that)....If a human and a cat both walk into the same glass door, the cat will never walk into it again. The human will one day walk into the door again because we are one of the few living creatures that doesn't learn little from our mistakes. I don't think athletic directors would ever play in the spring because I don't think they are collectively smarter than a cat. So, non-BCS fans will just have to keep walking into the glass door. Enjoy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I don't know if the Arena League makes money or notDoesn't sound like it. Article about the 2012 labor deal The current league has 17 members. Many of those still aren’t profitable, including the Chicago franchise, which is being operated by the league in the same manner as the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA. The additional salary and benefits likely will force several — most likely teams in Kansas City, Milwaukee, Georgia and Chicago — out of business. Maybe Ochocinco can help a team sell a few dozen tickets if he doesn't play soccer this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 If I could give these guys any advice, it would be to drop the idea of minor league football. Until the NFL throws their weight behind a minor league system, it will never be anything more than a money pit. They're better off trying to retrofit the Rubber Bowl into a soccer stadium and praying that the MLS wants an expansion team in the area. That or putting a roof on it and turning it into a convention center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 If I could give these guys any advice, it would be to drop the idea of minor league football. Until the NFL throws their weight behind a minor league system, it will never be anything more than a money pit. They're better off trying to retrofit the Rubber Bowl into a soccer stadium and praying that the MLS wants an expansion team in the area. That or putting a roof on it and turning it into a convention center. So is it too late to get a franchise in NFL Europe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Z Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 So is it too late to get a franchise in NFL Europe?This will be the next guy to take the NFL to Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 There are now 2 port-a-potties sitting outside the gates! Woo-hoo! Well shit that's a vast improvement over the restrooms there when the Zips had it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 "Commercially viable" is interesting. To be commercially viable, it must be attractive or people to go to games, watch on TV, listen to on the radio, etc. in a way that makes it self sustaining. Whatever league they are talking about in Akron offers none of that. They won't pay players the way the old USFL did so no decent player will play in it and people won't want to watch it or listen to it. The old USFL had future Hall of Famers playing in it and the quality of football was good. The USFL with it's future hall-of-famers making high salaries was NOT commercially viable. The salaries took it out of it's scope. A minor football league could be commercially viable IF they remained in their scope. Question. Are the Lake Erie Crushers commercially viable? Unlike the other three minor league teams in NEOhio, the players aren't paid by a major league team. Yet they break even. They sell tickets, sell ads, and their longest road trip is an 8 hour bus ride. They don't pay MLB salaries or are forced to fly everyone to Portland Oregon for road games like the USFL did. That's where I see the new USFL failing. You're not paying them very much, but you're still flying 50-60 people across the country for a game you don't make any money on. MINOR LEAGUE SPORTS WORK IF REGIONALIZED. The Akron Aeros don't play the San Jose Giants. The Canton Charge don't play the Idaho Stampede. The Wooster Oilers don't play the Seattle Thunderbirds. Boise State doesn't travel to UConn, errrrr nevermind. The old and new USFL had teams criss-crossing the country for games. The WLAF had teams travelling across the Atlantic for regular season games. That's not sustainable. The skill level of the players doesn't matter (as long as you're not charging NFL admission). High school football fans who attend games on Friday night don't care that the skill level is sub-NFL. A minor football could be commercially viable if they live within their means, stay regionalized, and don't blow millions of dollars on 75 year old stadiums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't think some understand the depth of sustainable minor league sports in the US. We know about the Eastern League because we have a team. And it is well attended. We don't hear about the other minor leagues if we don't have local teams. According to OurSportsCentral which has been around for years, there are 176 minor league games tonight. Here's a list of the leagues they recognize. Some are fly-by-night and come and go (along with their teams). Some are well managed and have been around for decades. Ohio has 9 baseball, 1 softball, 1 basketball, 3 football, 5 hockey, 4 soccer, and 1 lacrosse minor league teams. 24 teams recognized by OSC. Minor league sports are very sustainable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't think some understand the depth of sustainable minor league sports in the US. We know about the Eastern League because we have a team. And it is well attended. We don't hear about the other minor leagues if we don't have local teams. According to OurSportsCentral which has been around for years, there are 176 minor league games tonight. Here's a list of the leagues they recognize. Some are fly-by-night and come and go (along with their teams). Some are well managed and have been around for decades. Ohio has 9 baseball, 1 softball, 1 basketball, 3 football, 5 hockey, 4 soccer, and 1 lacrosse minor league teams. 24 teams recognized by OSC. Minor league sports are very sustainable. I think you used too much breadth in your comments about our misunderstanding of the the depth of sustainable minor league sports. Nobody in this thread has suggested that minor league lacrosse isn't sustainable in Ohio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZIPCODE Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 Beginning to it's merciful end, this may be the most boring thread ever on ZN.O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 ...almost as boring as reading some old hen whining in a thread they're not interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 The USFL with it's future hall-of-famers making high salaries was NOT commercially viable. The salaries took it out of it's scope. A minor football league could be commercially viable IF they remained in their scope. Link This just isn't the case. The death of the usfl began when some teams thought it would be a good idea to compete against the nfl playing in the fall. Part of this logic was to force a merger with the nfl and cash in. Unlike athletic directors at the non-bcs d1 level, many of the pro-spring owners saw the futility of competing against the nfl and decided to get out of the league. TV revenue is hugely important for viability. Two networks had offered the usfl deals to keep their games in the spring, but by the time that deal was offered, many of the pro-spring owners had folded their teams so no deal was struck. If the usfl was offered $175 million by ABC in the mid 80s to play in the spring. I dare say, non-bcs programs could bring in a hell of a lot more than that in TV revenue in 2013. Let's say non-bcs teams could have their own spring league and there were 60 teams in the league. A network pays $300 million for rights. That's $5 million per school. Where else is UofA, or any other non-bcs school, getting $5 million out of their athletic department. It doesn't get them to break even, but it gets them closer and that's why they need to do it. Something has to support the "building process" and that something is spring football. This isn't as much about commercial viability as it is about maximizing potential and spreading out the financial blow to schools, students and taxpayers. The problem with using the usfl as an example of why spring football won't work ignores all of the changes in American sporting culture over the now almost 30 years. It's really shortsighted to do so. The usfl was popular in the south and the population explosion in the south had not really begun yet. Spring college football in the south would be an explosion of popularity. Baseball is not the American past time anymore and people love football. Americans love football. Give the people what they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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