Arena Football league folds

[YoFuggedaboutit]

WTF??  I was planning on going to a few Predators games this year.  This game was becoming quite popular.  I can only imagine what this will do to the fan base. 

Any thoughts?

(edited title because AFL will not be coming back)

[NADS]

Why is this happening?

[EDGECRUSHER]

Money. It would be cheaper to just not have a season in 2009 then playing one. They say they will be back in 2010, but look to the NHL to see what a lost season can do to your sport. Even baseball in 1995 took a major blow.

[NADS]

That's weak.  Doesn't the NFL help fund the AFL?  Sounds to me like the owners don't want to play.  First NFL Europe, and now this.  The CBA deal is also going to be a sticky situation.  I don't really feel like watching college though it's doubtful it will come to that.

[Orlando Rays]

AFL wants to turn into a single-entity league, where the league owns the teams, and the team "owners" are just investors in the league.

It's the same way MLS works right now.

[NADS]

Is MLS still losing $20M a year?  I think some of them have their own stadiums now.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

AFL wants to turn into a single-entity league, where the league owns the teams, and the team "owners" are just investors in the league.

It's the same way MLS works right now.

A lot of the AFL owners, particularly Jon Bon Jovi, will never go for that. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

BUMP

They've shut down for good now.  They got what they deserved.  They were a bunch of fucking idiots to suspend operations for this year. 

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Arena-Football-League-Bids-Farewell-52443762.html

[Dave Gray]

I only ever went to 1 game.

[Brian Fein]

too bad - i used to like watching AFL on TV.  I had always wanted to go to a game and never got the chance.

[Sunstroke]

My dad was the original radio voice of the Arizona Rattlers when they started up back in '92, so I'm a little sad to see that league go belly-up.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

To think I was going to look into season tix this year for the Olrando Predators.... I heard you could get them for as low as $99. 

Frankly, I'm perturbed by their actions.  They don't have the exposure of baseball and hockey so they obviously could not stand the financial hit they took shutting down for a year.

[Phishfan]

They shut down for a year because they were already taking a financial hit.

I did enjoy going to the games and will miss the league. It was an entertaining way to spend an evening.

[Dave Gray]

I don't care that the league is folding, from a personal entertainment standpoint.  But, I hate to see businesses go under right now, and I like when there are multiple sports organizations, so that there is competition for your dollar.  It makes the other leagues push harder.

[masterfins]

In the long run this, coupled with Europe, will hurt the NFL.  Not many places to develop talent if the players aren't quite ready when they exit college, or don't have the ability to attend college.