Independance Day
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Bouncer_Texxx
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[quote=""jerry101jlh""]Bt I can agree with what you say, but I'd like to add that although leagues may not have the funds and resources to enforce some rules, all playing by the same rules on the field should be a no brainer. To add further my opinion is a strong leader can also minimize problems through that strong leadership. One of the SIFL problems that clearly stands out is not the lack of strong leadership, but NO leadership.[/quote]
Oh, I agree completely.. the IFL has problems with refs wanting to use arena rules in OKC this year. There was just no one ever at the games to complain.
Oh, I agree completely.. the IFL has problems with refs wanting to use arena rules in OKC this year. There was just no one ever at the games to complain.
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jerry101jlh
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Caballo Diablo
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[quote=""mace""]You know, I have stayed away from these forums most all year because it seems to be a big ole hate party on every league whenever you go into the respective forums. I have tried to stay positive during the year and keep a straight face, but after what I saw in Albany, this is getting to be too much. I for one hope that a "restructuring" of the SIFL comes from the top down.
I am praying for a day when things get "ironed out" within the league and Robert comes back!! COME BACK ROBERT!!
[/quote]
It's never been a "Hate Party", but understand your point of view. Your view was limited to your team and a bias towards your league since your team owner founded and owned it. Yes, there is a lot of discussion here about the negatives. In part because there's so much more of it than the positives.
I tried your approach in year one. I had followed different teams/leagues and they always diasappeared from my town. (We had the NIFL, Intense, AFL, af2) When the T-Cat's and SIFL came in I was happy to once again have the sport in my backyard. I decided to enjoy it while I can and not worry about how long they would be here.
I accepted all of the year one problems as growing pains. Year two the T-Cats left for the IFL because of the lies from the league. The league stealing their insurance premium and letting all of the teams play all season long with no insurance and never informing the teams of this fact. If a league will put the players and owners at this risk, what else are they capable of?
Year two I still supported the SIFL even though I no longer had a team in it. I wanted them to succeed and help strengthen the sport as a whole. Year three I could not support them in any way. The people that cared in the first two years were always handcuffed and not allowed to implement the correct policies and actions. In both of the first two years good people working in the league office had difficulty collecting their measly hard earned paycheck. The league founder often cried about paying his own players.
Year three, some new owners, new commish, new structure and promises of improvement. It was worse than the man behind the curtain, at least he occasionaly pulled some levers of deception and pretended to care or look for answers. Year three the problems increased ten fold, no one seemed to care, no one ever stood up to address the issues or reassure the customers.
Many here follow several leagues, the entire sport of Indoor Football if you will. Sure, they've got their favorites in both team and league but understand all of them have an affect on each other. People just trying to follow their team don't want to hear about the stuff behind the curtain, they just want to hear some good things about their team.
I am praying for a day when things get "ironed out" within the league and Robert comes back!! COME BACK ROBERT!!
[/quote]
It's never been a "Hate Party", but understand your point of view. Your view was limited to your team and a bias towards your league since your team owner founded and owned it. Yes, there is a lot of discussion here about the negatives. In part because there's so much more of it than the positives.
I tried your approach in year one. I had followed different teams/leagues and they always diasappeared from my town. (We had the NIFL, Intense, AFL, af2) When the T-Cat's and SIFL came in I was happy to once again have the sport in my backyard. I decided to enjoy it while I can and not worry about how long they would be here.
I accepted all of the year one problems as growing pains. Year two the T-Cats left for the IFL because of the lies from the league. The league stealing their insurance premium and letting all of the teams play all season long with no insurance and never informing the teams of this fact. If a league will put the players and owners at this risk, what else are they capable of?
Year two I still supported the SIFL even though I no longer had a team in it. I wanted them to succeed and help strengthen the sport as a whole. Year three I could not support them in any way. The people that cared in the first two years were always handcuffed and not allowed to implement the correct policies and actions. In both of the first two years good people working in the league office had difficulty collecting their measly hard earned paycheck. The league founder often cried about paying his own players.
Year three, some new owners, new commish, new structure and promises of improvement. It was worse than the man behind the curtain, at least he occasionaly pulled some levers of deception and pretended to care or look for answers. Year three the problems increased ten fold, no one seemed to care, no one ever stood up to address the issues or reassure the customers.
Many here follow several leagues, the entire sport of Indoor Football if you will. Sure, they've got their favorites in both team and league but understand all of them have an affect on each other. People just trying to follow their team don't want to hear about the stuff behind the curtain, they just want to hear some good things about their team.
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Caballo Diablo
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[quote=""jerry101jlh""] my opinion is a strong leader can also minimize problems through that strong leadership. One of the SIFL problems that clearly stands out is not the lack of strong leadership, but NO leadership.[/quote]
Even weak leadership would have been better than no leadership. They didn't even try this season, sure some PR guy might tell us they were doing things behind the scenes to correct issues, but I'm not buying it.
If they were making corrections behind the scenes it was an epic fail as the problems continually got worse and new problems seemed to arise weekly. The league directors were seen or heard from less than sasquatch. They never reassured us or, acknowledged us or the issues. Well, that's not entirely true, one of their directors was making the forum rounds to fight with customers.
The league ownership and the commish have been around the block, how could they let the league run itself as they hid? At least the other league shysters seemed to occasionally work at their job within the league and pretend to care.
Even weak leadership would have been better than no leadership. They didn't even try this season, sure some PR guy might tell us they were doing things behind the scenes to correct issues, but I'm not buying it.
If they were making corrections behind the scenes it was an epic fail as the problems continually got worse and new problems seemed to arise weekly. The league directors were seen or heard from less than sasquatch. They never reassured us or, acknowledged us or the issues. Well, that's not entirely true, one of their directors was making the forum rounds to fight with customers.
The league ownership and the commish have been around the block, how could they let the league run itself as they hid? At least the other league shysters seemed to occasionally work at their job within the league and pretend to care.
[quote=""Caballo Diablo""]Many here follow several leagues, the entire sport of Indoor Football if you will.... People just trying to follow their team don't want to hear about the stuff behind the curtain, they just want to hear some good things about their team.[/quote]
How can you REALLY follow this to really enjoy it? I was a fan of the Baltimore Mariners and what drove me nuts, it was like pulling teeth to get info on the whole league! Even their own website was rarely updated to even have game scores. So usually all I ever got was seeing home games. They had some sort of internet TV thing going on, but I don't even like watching ESPN's internet feeds that much. Last year, they finally got some tape dalay TV on Comcast Network and I saw 5 of Baltimore's games and 7 AIFA games overall on TV, I went to 67% of the Mariners game (6 of 9) and I finally felt like I really enjoyed the league, it was a great season. But I can't imagine how you really get into it with the information and ability to watch any of it being so scarce. Unless you are willing to travel and I'm only willing to travel the 15 minutes from my house to Baltimore Arena.
How can you REALLY follow this to really enjoy it? I was a fan of the Baltimore Mariners and what drove me nuts, it was like pulling teeth to get info on the whole league! Even their own website was rarely updated to even have game scores. So usually all I ever got was seeing home games. They had some sort of internet TV thing going on, but I don't even like watching ESPN's internet feeds that much. Last year, they finally got some tape dalay TV on Comcast Network and I saw 5 of Baltimore's games and 7 AIFA games overall on TV, I went to 67% of the Mariners game (6 of 9) and I finally felt like I really enjoyed the league, it was a great season. But I can't imagine how you really get into it with the information and ability to watch any of it being so scarce. Unless you are willing to travel and I'm only willing to travel the 15 minutes from my house to Baltimore Arena.
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Caballo Diablo
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Most of the people that REALLY follow a league (or 3) do get lots more info than you've been able to acquire. The biggest reason is they work at it. Avid followers acquire connections. But you have to want to do it and enjoy doing it.
Many of us know owners, players, front office people for teams and leagues. It took years to establish but also a great hobby. We never get enough info.
You talk about teams/leagues with empty shells for websites, yes that can be very frustrating. Fans need to be active, they need to let the team know they care and want better. Be constructive, not a pain. Most teams I've followed had a group of fans that worked with the front office. We helped with booths at other events, habitat for humanity and other charities through the teams. Helped with parades, heck we even helped set up seating and install the turf and dashers and then take it all apart.
In turn we got better info, updated website, help with the tailgate, behind the scenes access, etc. We got to know a few owners quite well, I used to travel to road game and sit with owners an GM's. I went to practices and became friends with the coaching staff, a few were local U of T players and played in the pro's. I would sit in on meetings and film sessions with them. I road the team bus to the Championship game one year, spent the weekend with the players and management, I even took the GM's truck to the airport to pick up a player that was coming in late, and watched the game from the players bench.
It just depends on what you want. Most have hobbies, golf is expensive and takes a lot of time. But you'll never be any good at it unless you commit. Same with the hobby of the 50 yard game, it takes time and committment if you want to enjoy it fully. Most butts in seats are like you, buy a ticket, enjoy the entertainment and don't think about it again until the next home game. Then they have to decide which is more important, going to the movies, hit the clubs, go to the lake or go to the Arena. For most here the Arena is the only option.
I love football and pursue it. Of course I watch local High School, but want more. When no 50 yard team is in my area I do travel to watch some games. I was driving 3 hrs one way on a regular basis to watch. When my team left last year I got involved in the local Semi-Pro team. There are several teams in close proximity. The one I follow plays 10 min from my house and I haven't missed a game this season, home or road. They are undefeated, ranked #1 in the Nation and play in the Championship game this coming Saturday, 10 min from my house!
Before the season started I contacted the owner, we emailed daily. About a dozen players from the last local 50 yard team play for them. Another team I could follow and call my own, isn't football wonderful.
Many of us know owners, players, front office people for teams and leagues. It took years to establish but also a great hobby. We never get enough info.
You talk about teams/leagues with empty shells for websites, yes that can be very frustrating. Fans need to be active, they need to let the team know they care and want better. Be constructive, not a pain. Most teams I've followed had a group of fans that worked with the front office. We helped with booths at other events, habitat for humanity and other charities through the teams. Helped with parades, heck we even helped set up seating and install the turf and dashers and then take it all apart.
In turn we got better info, updated website, help with the tailgate, behind the scenes access, etc. We got to know a few owners quite well, I used to travel to road game and sit with owners an GM's. I went to practices and became friends with the coaching staff, a few were local U of T players and played in the pro's. I would sit in on meetings and film sessions with them. I road the team bus to the Championship game one year, spent the weekend with the players and management, I even took the GM's truck to the airport to pick up a player that was coming in late, and watched the game from the players bench.
It just depends on what you want. Most have hobbies, golf is expensive and takes a lot of time. But you'll never be any good at it unless you commit. Same with the hobby of the 50 yard game, it takes time and committment if you want to enjoy it fully. Most butts in seats are like you, buy a ticket, enjoy the entertainment and don't think about it again until the next home game. Then they have to decide which is more important, going to the movies, hit the clubs, go to the lake or go to the Arena. For most here the Arena is the only option.
I love football and pursue it. Of course I watch local High School, but want more. When no 50 yard team is in my area I do travel to watch some games. I was driving 3 hrs one way on a regular basis to watch. When my team left last year I got involved in the local Semi-Pro team. There are several teams in close proximity. The one I follow plays 10 min from my house and I haven't missed a game this season, home or road. They are undefeated, ranked #1 in the Nation and play in the Championship game this coming Saturday, 10 min from my house!
Before the season started I contacted the owner, we emailed daily. About a dozen players from the last local 50 yard team play for them. Another team I could follow and call my own, isn't football wonderful.
My thing is, I just want to watch the games. I'm a fanatic for watching football. Even if it's tape delayed and I already know who won. Baltimore went 16-0 last year and I got to see 8 of the games (6 in person and 2 away games tape delayed-I also rewatched 2 home games that I had attended tape delayed), 50%. All I would need to be fully satisfied as a fan of a team, would be, just to be able to see the games, nothing more really. Like I'm also a lifelong Steeler fan, having grown up in Pittsburgh. I don't care a whole lot about seeing many games around the rest of the NFL, but I make a point of wanting to see EVERY Steelers game, in it's entirety, if I get that, I am satisfied for the season. But in these indoor leagues this is almost impossible.
Teams need to be active in disseminating this information. It should not be hard for fans to figure out what's going on, who's doing good in a league, what teams are strong, etc etc etc.
But it is. And it always has been. And that's a problem that I wish I'd have done better in 2006 to alleviate in the CIFL.
But it is. And it always has been. And that's a problem that I wish I'd have done better in 2006 to alleviate in the CIFL.
What are you doing here?
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Caballo Diablo
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NTE, you seem to be an anomaly.
Most butts in seats are casual fans just looking for sports entertainment, some might not even be considered "Casual" fans of the sport. They hook up with some friends and enjoy a night out but the activity isn't all that important. Most of these are only interested on game day.
Avid fans are a small percentage of the crowd. They may be the loudest and know all the players names, but there's not enough of them to pay the bills. Most avid fans will check the team website during the week, and some the league site. But even most avid fans don't frequent the forums.
I know diehards that have never went to forums. They painted up for the games, were a big part in making the tail gates successful, were active in other team events, etc. People that regularly come to the forums are a tiny part of the overall fandom. You claim all you want is to watch the games, yet here you are. You came looking for info, which is great, but shows deep down you do want more than to just watch.
Anyone that enjoys the sport has to care what's going on and hope for success, even if they aren't active about it.
Most butts in seats are casual fans just looking for sports entertainment, some might not even be considered "Casual" fans of the sport. They hook up with some friends and enjoy a night out but the activity isn't all that important. Most of these are only interested on game day.
Avid fans are a small percentage of the crowd. They may be the loudest and know all the players names, but there's not enough of them to pay the bills. Most avid fans will check the team website during the week, and some the league site. But even most avid fans don't frequent the forums.
I know diehards that have never went to forums. They painted up for the games, were a big part in making the tail gates successful, were active in other team events, etc. People that regularly come to the forums are a tiny part of the overall fandom. You claim all you want is to watch the games, yet here you are. You came looking for info, which is great, but shows deep down you do want more than to just watch.
Anyone that enjoys the sport has to care what's going on and hope for success, even if they aren't active about it.
