the future of the afl?

[magillagorilla]

I really love this game.it reminds me of indoor soccer compared to the regular outdoor soccer.Regular soccer bores alot of people but people who don't even like soccer love indoor for the action

the afl builds off a popular sport and still seems to be failing.is the next xfl? ? I really love the afl but tonight is really sad for this sport.

a monday night afl game,not shown on espn because of all things a college baseball game.A college baseball game where the winning team is up by 7 runs.

Then they finally get to the game after 11 oclock and they dont even show it live?????????

is this sport going to survive?

 

[-Chase-]

This isn't surprising. It's not like it's just an average season game for college baseball, this is like the final four. Omaha is really the only time college baseball gets any real tv ratings.

I'm not sure AFL will ever be huge, but I don't see it falling anytime soon. It's still an exciting game that has a loyal fan base.

 

[magillagorilla]

thanks chase for responding.I agree its a special time for college baseball and I really wish college baseball were on all year round.

it would be easier to wager on

the sad thing about tonight,baseball is in the college playoffs , but its not even omaha yet,this is like the beginning of the regionals and there were two two blowouts tonght.

the afl had a game already scheduled.and then when they finally get to the action its taped!!!!!!!!!

I hope you are right and it i will survive but I really wonder.I hope so

cheers

 

[Marco84]

All I know is I lost the over by half a freaking point tonight and both teams missed extra points in the fourth!:sadbb:

 

[GreenDoberman]

It's a niche market and they have done well. 20 some years and still going now I believe.
They won't thrive in every market, but certain areas are very loyal to their teams.

 

[AFLGuru]

Look, I've written article after article after article on this, but I'll pick the one to share with you all here when they first struck the ESPN deal. The league was on NBC before this, and though the last memory of NBC was being joined in progress of playoff games during the THIRD QUARTER because Senior Golf went into a playoff, the memory was better than the one we've got now.

http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=113&article=2408

The AFL won't last much longer. The big owners are REALLY pissed that teams are losing money hand over fist (they really are... only 2 teams turned profits in 2007 and one of those two ain't doing shit this year).

Contracts are too high, the television contract isn't nearly as lucrative as it once was, insurance rates are killing the teams, and travel is really starting to be a cause for concern.

You watch, this 17 team league will get trimmed to about 14-15 next year, and several more the next year. The Austin owner last year came up with a ploy to fold his team, then start up an af2 team in Austin with the same logos and everything. Opened up the floodgates for everyone else to do the exact same thing this year.

 

[magillagorilla]

Look, I've written article after article after article on this, but I'll pick the one to share with you all here when they first struck the ESPN deal. The league was on NBC before this, and though the last memory of NBC was being joined in progress of playoff games during the THIRD QUARTER because Senior Golf went into a playoff, the memory was better than the one we've got now.

http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=origcol&writer=113&article=2408

The AFL won't last much longer. The big owners are REALLY pissed that teams are losing money hand over fist (they really are... only 2 teams turned profits in 2007 and one of those two ain't doing shit this year).

Contracts are too high, the television contract isn't nearly as lucrative as it once was, insurance rates are killing the teams, and travel is really starting to be a cause for concern.

You watch, this 17 team league will get trimmed to about 14-15 next year, and several more the next year. The Austin owner last year came up with a ploy to fold his team, then start up an af2 team in Austin with the same logos and everything. Opened up the floodgates for everyone else to do the exact same thing this year.

great write up aflguru,last night was the icing on the cake for me,was really excited to watch this game and ended up on that sad afl gametracker they have on the afl site.Unreal to not even show the monday night game live

 

[scottw]

Actually, NBC joined that playoff game with about 2 mins left in the second quarter years ago due to a SENIORS GOLF PLAYOFF. That showed how much they cared.

I agree the league seems to have peaked and is dropping. Losing teams every year it seems. I think eventually we are gonna end up with 10-12 teams in the league's core cities (ORL, TB, CHI, PHL, SJ, CHI, etc.) and that's where it will stay.

 

[AFLGuru]

ORLANDO????? Orlando may be playing its last game EVER on Friday.

 

[scottw]

Nah. Orlando has been around forever and they do support the team. It's the KC's and GR's and other places where in the past the team would move will now fold instead of move. I don't know the ORL financial status like you do, but I can't imagine the team leaving or folding now. But teams like GA and NY and AZ and those kind of teams that don't really draw and are overshadowed by their big markets may disappear soon I think.

 

[AFLGuru]

Orla(f2)do
Preda(f2)tors

 

[hm2.0]

Thinning the herd will help bring a better product to the masses.

Which teams are likely to fold?

 

[AFLGuru]

Never can tell when the whole league is just going to collapse, but these are the teams that are on thin ice.

Philadelphia
New York
Dallas
Orlando
Georgia
New Orleans
Colorado
Grand Rapids
Kansas City
Arizona

Any combination of these teams folding/folding and becoming af2 teams wouldn't surprise me at all in this, or any upcoming offseason.