Chicago NLL

[jwalters]

I am very happy that Chicago has an NLL team but I have to ask about the arena. The Sears Centre only seats about 9500 for hockey/lacrosse so why does the league approve? Back a few years ago the Ottawa Rebel or the Ontario Raiders tried to move to London, Ontario and the league openly protested. The Labatt Centre in London seats 9,100 so why is one small venue okay and another not. In London a team would have had to deal with only a Major Junior hockey team for competition in Chicago the team have to fight for ticket dollars with the Blackhawks, Wolves, Bulls, Storm, Fire(part of the year), Rush,Cubs(part of the year), UIC, and Northwestern. I'm happy with the team but the move seems a bit hypocrtical of the league.

[McMinnesotaFan]

Television is probably the basic answer to the question. The league has wanted Chicago really bad, and as the top tenant - the covetted Friday and Saturday game times at Sears center.

I myself am looking forward to a better regional rival for my beloved Minnesota Swarm.

[rams80]

Actually they'll have to share the arena with a hockey team and indoor football team.

[SuperSonicStuart]

Actually they'll have to share the arena with a hockey team and indoor football team.

Actually the Sears Centre is only going to be home to an UHL team and an NLL team besides they don't need an indoor football team they already have the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League (which is the best and only best form indoor football) besides Chicago does need a crappy UIF or NIFL team because those leagues suck! The Arena Football League is better!

[rams80]

UIF is slated to have a team there in 2007.

Keep your own opinions about the league (although I concede the talent level in the AFL is higher than the UIF).

Hoffman Estates is about as far away from Chicago as you can get and still be in a suburb, I'm sure they'll be able to support a UIF team and an AFL team.

Actually I wonder how you can say just having an AFL team is enough for Chicago, yet having a NHL, AHL and UHL team in market seems to be ok.

[McMinnesotaFan]

For the other leagues.

Generally the NLL is a weekend league. Friday 7pm, Saturday 7pm, Sunday at 5 pm. (will probably play more at 7pm as the league grows.)

Hockey leagues generally play a 7-day schedule - Any day, anytime. I'm not familiar with the arena football leagues or when they play.

I still think it would have not been a good move for the NLL to take a second seat to a major junior team.

[patmc16]

Hockey leagues generally play a 7-day schedule - Any day, anytime. I'm not familiar with the arena football leagues or when they play.

The UHL plays the bulk of its games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well. The only weekday that has quite a few games is Wednesday. There are only a handful of games, league-wide, played on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. The Motor City Mechanics, for example play 4 home games on Wednesdays and 34 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and none on the other days this season.

[Sportsfan2005]

It had to do more with the size of london then the size of the rink.There are many that beleave london will and can never support pro sports.

[patmc16]

I am very happy that Chicago has an NLL team but I have to ask about the arena. The Sears Centre only seats about 9500 for hockey/lacrosse so why does the league approve?

Take a look at the virtual tour and you will know why any league would be proud to have one of its team play there.

http://www.searscentre.com/arena/video.htm

Click on the Real Player link to watch it. If it looks as good in real life as it does in the video, it would be a show place for any team that calls it home. BTW, the video states that there are 11,000 seats.

[Sam Hill]

Looks like a nice arena, and the perfect size, considering the average attendance in the NLL is 11,000.

I've heard that place is supposed to have the UHL team, the NLL team, an indoor football team of some sort (I originally heard af2, but I guess it makes more sense that it would be one of the knockoff leagues and not af2), and that there was a possibility that if their MISL team survives, they'd move there, too.

And there are suburbs of Chicago that are farther away from the center of the city than Hoffman Estates.