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Post by David on Nov 14, 2016 14:14:10 GMT -8
 11.14.16-
Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.
In the case of the Arena Football League, things were looking to be on the outs. Orlando, Los Angeles, and Portland all closed up shop, while Arizona and Jacksonville decided to get out and continue to live in another indoor/arena league.
The league had come full circle; founded in 1987, the AFL began with 4 teams. 30 seasons later, the pearl anniversary season, the league honors years of history and memorable moments by fielding... 4 teams.
Just when many were ready to read the AFL its last rights, a ray of hope beamed through on Monday - the news that Baltimore, MD, would become the home of a brand new AFL franchise.
In the words of Monty Python - "I'm not dead!"
The acquisition of an expansion franchise in Baltimore was announced by Monumental Sports &; Entertainment, the same ownership group that owns the expansion Washington Valor. MSE, owned by chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis, announced that the Baltimore franchise would play at Royal Farms Arena and would begin play in the spring of 2017.
Said Leonsis in MSE's press release, “We are looking forward to bringing an AFL team to the Baltimore community. "Baltimore is known for its passionate sports fans, and we look forward to their spirited support of their AFL team. The AFL is a fast, fun experience for families and fans of all ages. We are excited about growing the league and using an array of technologies to bring fans closer to the game and the players. Baltimore is a natural location, and I envision some great rivalries between Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia."
Baltimore's expansion and priority to play as soon as next spring is a far cry from the process the league the league took when adding the Valor. When MSE was awarded an expansion team for Washington D.C., they were given a year in advance to plan out everything to have an efficiently run organization. The last thing the league wanted was a repeat of the Las Vegas Outlaws, whom many fans feel were rushed into play a year before it was ready to take the field.
While it's surprising that Baltimore would play as early as next spring, there's no reason to believe Baltimore would suffer the same fate as Las Vegas. Ted Leonsis, who owns the Valor, the NBA's Washington Wizards, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and the NHL's Washington Capitals, has a better sense at how to run a franchise than a drunk and past-his-prime rock star like Vince Neil.
Commissioner Scott Butera voiced his confidence in Leonsis. "Baltimore is an ideal location for the Arena Football League and we look forward to rivalries with other AFL cities including Washington and Philadelphia,” he said in MSE's release. “This expansion also demonstrates the dedication of our strong ownership group and its commitment to expanding the Arena Football League as a premier source of sports entertainment."
MSE also announced that their sports network, Monumental Sports Network, will telecast not only the Washington Valor's games, but Baltimore's as well.
This is the AFL's first go-around in the Baltimore market, but the AFL team will be the third arena/indoor football franchise to be based out of Baltimore. The previous two teams, the Baltimore Blackbirds (2007) and the Baltimore Mariners (2008-2010, 2014), played in the American Indoor Football Association (AIF) and played their home games at Royal Farms Arena. While the Blackbirds were unsuccessful in their lone season, the Mariners had winning seasons in 3 of their 4 seasons, winning the AIFA Championship Bowl in 2010 and 2014.
With the addition of Baltimore, the AFL currently stands with 5 franchises tentatively scheduled to begin the season in April 2017. A sixth team, potentially located in St. Louis, Missouri, could be the next franchise on the way.
- DKH
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Post by DiamondThief on Nov 14, 2016 19:13:10 GMT -8
All right, I am confused.
So everyone hates former commissioner Jerry Kurz because he rushed new teams into the league. Now, current commissioner Scott Butera is doing exactly the same thing now with the Baltimore team and some want to praise him. How is that not a contradiction?! Ted Leonsis is taking a second huge risk. I believe he has the finances, but how long will he seriously want to run two separate teams in a fledgling league.
When I first heard this news, I was surprised. I was shocked when I found out about this arrangement. I had to laugh. This is not so much a new team as it is a sibling team with the same owner. Apparently, Butera's plan is to milk as much as he can out of a single owner. I am not sure how that is going to equate to long-term success for the AFL.
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Post by Kasey on Nov 15, 2016 6:43:58 GMT -8
given the geography and ownership, the Valor and the Baltimore team will have some similar staffing in the areas of ticket sales and promotions. that should save some finances. i would worry that Baltimore becomes the stepchild of the Valor and is not treated with the same vigor.
one of the common threads of our friends here is that we feel for the players and coaches of these teams probably more so than owners and so forth. i would hope The Baltimore team be given an equal opportunity as the Valor. i have no reason to necessarily believe that wouldn't happen, but i can see a scenario in which it could.
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Post by David on Nov 16, 2016 11:40:24 GMT -8
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Post by DiamondThief on Nov 16, 2016 18:23:11 GMT -8
This sounds like a Butera press release. It is all talk. I almost think Baltimore is too large of a city to support an AFL team along with the other teams which already have a foothold there. The article states that the league would schedule around Orioles games. Frankly, I do not think the league is that intelligent. My prediction is that there would be a few conflicts between the two games and the AFL team will not win that battle for audiences. There are three comments at the bottom of the page. Let's just say that none of the three will be seen at an AFL game in Baltimore anytime soon. |
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Post by PWTRPWR on Nov 22, 2016 16:18:51 GMT -8
Im in the Tampa Bay Area, so more the merrier, wasn't looking good for any of the AFL to survive.
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Post by DiamondThief on Nov 22, 2016 20:27:46 GMT -8
Im in the Tampa Bay Area, so more the merrier, wasn't looking good for any of the AFL to survive. I think the jury is still out, but it could be a positive move. |
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Post by David on Jan 4, 2017 2:16:31 GMT -8
Well, the announcement was in November. Here we are in January, and the team still doesn't have an identity yet.
I was just thinking about this around New Year's Eve that the team is still "Baltimore AFL." A few days later, Baltimore announced the brand unveiling will happen January 25th.... which seems kind of late, considering the season is expected to start in April.
Turns out I'm not the only one that thought that. Turns out Baltimore/Ted Leonsis were going to unveil it earlier in the month and that this is a delay (or according to Facebook users) "another" delay.
It's sounding like there's some deeper issues with the AFL, which is why it's odd the schedule and the Baltimore identity haven't been released at this point. Even some facebook users are commenting on it like they know something is up.
I do think it's fishy they haven't revealed a name yet, let alone delayed the announcement.
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Post by DiamondThief on Jan 4, 2017 20:01:19 GMT -8
Well, the announcement was in November. Here we are in January, and the team still doesn't have an identity yet. I was just thinking about this around New Year's Eve that the team is still "Baltimore AFL." A few days later, Baltimore announced the brand unveiling will happen January 25th.... which seems kind of late, considering the season is expected to start in April. Turns out I'm not the only one that thought that. Turns out Baltimore/Ted Leonsis were going to unveil it earlier in the month and that this is a delay (or according to Facebook users) "another" delay. It's sounding like there's some deeper issues with the AFL, which is why it's odd the schedule and the Baltimore identity haven't been released at this point. Even some facebook users are commenting on it like they know something is up. I do think it's fishy they haven't revealed a name yet, let alone delayed the announcement. We agree on the state of the AFL, so this is not a surprise. Could there be difficulties and, perhaps pessimism, regarding the CBA negotiations? |
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Post by David on Jan 4, 2017 20:34:12 GMT -8
Well, the announcement was in November. Here we are in January, and the team still doesn't have an identity yet. I was just thinking about this around New Year's Eve that the team is still "Baltimore AFL." A few days later, Baltimore announced the brand unveiling will happen January 25th.... which seems kind of late, considering the season is expected to start in April. Turns out I'm not the only one that thought that. Turns out Baltimore/Ted Leonsis were going to unveil it earlier in the month and that this is a delay (or according to Facebook users) "another" delay. It's sounding like there's some deeper issues with the AFL, which is why it's odd the schedule and the Baltimore identity haven't been released at this point. Even some facebook users are commenting on it like they know something is up. I do think it's fishy they haven't revealed a name yet, let alone delayed the announcement. We agree on the state of the AFL, so this is not a surprise. Could there be difficulties and, perhaps pessimism, regarding the CBA negotiations? They announced an expansion draft dispersal to happen this month. There's also supposedly a delay regarding trademarks (something nobody really thought of until the Portland/Spokane incidents). Now what's interesting is that it sounds like Baltimore might just recycle a trademark name that the AFL owns of a team that has folded. Honestly, Baltimore feels like a rushed project to me, even if it is Leonsis that owns it. |
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Post by DiamondThief on Jan 4, 2017 23:14:12 GMT -8
We agree on the state of the AFL, so this is not a surprise. Could there be difficulties and, perhaps pessimism, regarding the CBA negotiations? They announced an expansion draft dispersal to happen this month. There's also supposedly a delay regarding trademarks (something nobody really thought of until the Portland/Spokane incidents). Now what's interesting is that it sounds like Baltimore might just recycle a trademark name that the AFL owns of a team that has folded. Honestly, Baltimore feels like a rushed project to me, even if it is Leonsis that owns it. This is Butera's AFL. It is hypocritical. The biggest criticism of the league have been the rushed teams into the league. Now, Butera is rushing a team into the league. This is a desperation move. It will not work in the long term. Aside from Leonsis, no one wants to get involved in the AFL. Mexico is not going to happen nor is Sacramento. The AFL is now a minor league version of indoor/arena football. Such desperation is so, so sad. |
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Post by spiderfan on Jan 6, 2017 12:21:40 GMT -8
They announced an expansion draft dispersal to happen this month. There's also supposedly a delay regarding trademarks (something nobody really thought of until the Portland/Spokane incidents). Now what's interesting is that it sounds like Baltimore might just recycle a trademark name that the AFL owns of a team that has folded. Honestly, Baltimore feels like a rushed project to me, even if it is Leonsis that owns it. This is Butera's AFL. It is hypocritical. The biggest criticism of the league have been the rushed teams into the league. Now, Butera is rushing a team into the league. This is a desperation move. It will not work in the long term. Aside from Leonsis, no one wants to get involved in the AFL. Mexico is not going to happen nor is Sacramento. The AFL is now a minor league version of indoor/arena football. Such desperation is so, so sad. Baltimore is going to end being a pop-up shop just like the Steel were. Just like the Steel I would assume Butera in the league office is telling people someone is going to buy it from Monumental but that won't happen. Now, why attempt another pop-up shop? I have no idea. I also have no idea why a 5 team league that probably won't be broadcast on TV is better than cancelling the season and waiting to see if anybody actually wants a team. I would assume that this season the league is going to lose money, which won't be good for obvious reasons. I also see if attendance isn't good for the Valor and the (insert Baltimore team name here) Monumental will bail. At this point I'm wondering if the AFL will play this season. If they do how likely is 2018? What is a shame is that the AFL if/when it folds, it will probably happen unexpectedly and will come off as "wait that just happened?". That was my reaction to half the league leaving/folding this offseason. I expect to have that same reaction. Thoughts? |
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