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JayLawrence
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Post by JayLawrence » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:20 am

[quote=""Comet""]Jay, I don't think there are a lot of issues with the Florida Stingrays as much as there are with the SIFL.

Just consider, this is a league that accepted a LOI when, as you just admitted, POF aren't exactly following immediately. The league seems desperate in this regard. However, I can understand where your group might be coming from.

Just curious, was your decision to announce the LOI an effort to be attractive to prospective ownership groups that could financially float the team?

I understand it's sometimes easier to get people behind you when what you have is real.

Good luck to you. Hopefully your influence will only make for a better league. If not, you can always jump ship to the IFL in a couple of years.[/quote]

No, not really. We actually now have a new CEO who, when officially announced will leave NO doubts as to our teams financial health.

JayLawrence
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Post by JayLawrence » Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:16 am

FYI - my lone experience in indoor football came in the Florida Stingrays lone season in the AIFA. I was inserted as GM around game 2 and the original owners took off by mid-season. I got burned, but most importantly to me, I had 2 friends get burned. We still finished our season and fulfilled ALL of our obligations to our sponsors.

I'm not delusional. I understand the Juggernaut that is the NFL, I understand the economy sucks, I understand travel costs, and I understand the Lee Civic Center is not as pretty as Germain arena.

I also understand................

I have about 9,000 shares left out of the 10,000 originally available. A VERY conservative estimate say's if somebody buys 1 share for $100 which includes a season ticket for the first 6,000 share holders for the first year, they will probably buy at least 2. Some will buy more, some less, but no one should argue that AT LEAST 2 is a safe bet. So, to sell out EVERYTHING, I would need 4,500 people out of approx. 1 million to think this is a good idea. To sell out the stadium, I need about 3,000 people who think it's a good idea. To turn a profit, I need about 1,500 people.

Yes, the economy does suck. That's a huge reason I'm doing it this way. By giving the fans their own team, you can build loyalty. $100 for 6 games plus playoffs isn't bad. After the first season, season ticket prices for shareholders will range from $25 to $50 PER SEASON. We also have our "Sponsor A Future Stingray" program CLICK HERE

Travel? Not bad to SIFL cities even if there are no other teams in FL.

As for the building comparison. Real football fans don't care who plays in the prettiest building.

JayLawrence
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Post by JayLawrence » Fri Aug 12, 2011 11:17 am

FYI - my lone experience in indoor football came in the Florida Stingrays lone season in the AIFA. I was inserted as GM around game 2 and the original owners took off by mid-season. I got burned, but most importantly to me, I had 2 friends get burned. We still finished our season and fulfilled ALL of our obligations to our sponsors.

I'm not delusional. I understand the Juggernaut that is the NFL, I understand the economy sucks, I understand travel costs, and I understand the Lee Civic Center is not as pretty as Germain arena.

I also understand................

I have about 9,000 shares left out of the 10,000 originally available. A VERY conservative estimate say's if somebody buys 1 share for $100 which includes a season ticket for the first 6,000 share holders for the first year, they will probably buy at least 2. Some will buy more, some less, but no one should argue that AT LEAST 2 is a safe bet. So, to sell out EVERYTHING, I would need 4,500 people out of approx. 1 million to think this is a good idea. To sell out the stadium, I need about 3,000 people who think it's a good idea. To turn a profit, I need about 1,500 people.

Yes, the economy does suck. That's a huge reason I'm doing it this way. By giving the fans their own team, you can build loyalty. $100 for 6 games plus playoffs isn't bad. After the first season, season ticket prices for shareholders will range from $25 to $50 PER SEASON. We also have our "Sponsor A Future Stingray" program CLICK HERE

Travel? Not bad to SIFL cities even if there are no other teams in FL.

As for the building comparison. Real football fans don't care who plays in the prettiest building.

jimsmith
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Post by jimsmith » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:07 pm

Where do I start. why wait to announce your new ceo. Is the CEO owning the team or are the fans? I'm not sure the teams in the sifl would want to travel to ft myres to play. So you admit you were the GM of a failed team, WOW sign me up for 10 shares before they sell out.

I applaud your dream but in the real world things don't go as we hope they will. So 1000 shares already sold so you should have 100k in the bank. question how many years did it take to sell the 1000 shares and how many of those shares were purchased based on you playing in the nice arena and not in a barn. why arent you in the better arena if you already have the this fan base. True football fans don't care where you play, see thats where your living in a fantasy world if that were true all the pro teams would not be building new stadiums and just play in the cheapest dumps they can find like the lee civic center. Sponsors don't like advertising where only true football fans go.

From the outside this looks like a Joke and at best you will only be JV team to the team playing in the nice arena where sponsors would want to promote their business.
Last edited by jimsmith on Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jerry101jlh
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Post by jerry101jlh » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:55 pm

[quote=""JayLawrence""]No, not really. We actually now have a new CEO who, when officially announced will leave NO doubts as to our teams financial health.[/quote]

Let's try to clear the air on this issue some. From what I've read the Stingrays are more or less dependent on this selling of shares to make the team viable. If I read this correctly I don't see where any CEO would speak of financial health unless they have deep pockets and have invested heavily in the team. If not invested just a hired gun of sorts. That being said the viability or credibility of the team based on the CEO would mean that said CEO has a long and good track record in sports, minor league preferred, at management level. Just a big name, such as ex NFLer would mean absolutely nothing.

There has been nothing said that really speaks to this teams viability and credibility. Its all been just talk, but so far I see no real money. I see maybe a unique way to sell season tickets via this buy a share in the team thing, but as to truth worth, investment factors and all, this is no more than having to depend on ticket sales to get the show on the road and keep it playing for an entire season. Fact is and has been proven time after time that teams who have to rely on ticket and sponsor sales more times than not fail before finishing their first season.

exit322
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Post by exit322 » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:13 pm

I also see people looking at this and saying "OK, so if they stiff someone, that someone could come after me since I have a share of the team. No, thanks."
What are you doing here?

Gusher
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Post by Gusher » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:14 pm

Jay
Good luck to you and your organization. I appreciate you coming on this message board and sharing with us your plans and goals. Sometimes I as well as other want desperately for indoor football to succeed that sometimes it looks as thou we are quick to judge. This is because we have witnessed so many failed attempts and we want to share what we see could have been done for improvement. It is nice to have someone that is willing to come on these boards and discuss the workings of indoor football. You seem to have passion to make this organization a success so please take all that is being said under advisement.

jimsmith
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Post by jimsmith » Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:37 pm

Not doubting the passion, but if passion is all it takes to run a minor league sports team then we would have a few million people lining up. I had all the passion in the world to play in the NBA but at some point reality kicks in and I must face facts.

Fact if you have no money and depend on fans to buy shares for your team it will fail and the shareholders will be burned. Each share holder will be taking liability, so what happens when your in week 3 and you need cash do you call the fan who gave you a 100 bucks to give more. Not going to happen, in theory yes green bay does it well but i'm sorry to point out your not in the NFL where there are other revenue sources such as T.V. The packers have generations of fans and you have been trying to play for a few years and have only sold 1000 shares. Where is the 100k from the shares that you have sold, do you have it in escrow or have you been living on it. What happens to the money for the 1000 shareholders money if you don't play a game is it returned to them or is this fraud and the money is gone. Why don't you just put up the money. that whats wrong with minor league sports, people who have pipe dreams start something that they can't pay for when the fairy tale wears off and bills need to be paid.

This is the worst set up I have ever seen, atleast these other owners who go under have some skin in the game this team is just selling shares hoping to play, Just hope all that money is sitting in escrow somewhere or someone maybe wearing an orange suit for the state of Florida. Your best bet is to return the money before shareholders start investigating the non profit fraud here.
Last edited by jimsmith on Fri Aug 12, 2011 3:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

newiflfan
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Post by newiflfan » Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:09 pm

Just wondering, has the team actually collected the money on the shares that have been spoken for? Not asking this to be a smartass, asking it in an honest fashion.

Reason I ask is because there's a huge difference between people saying they will buy shares, and people actually coming down and forking the money over. Especially if there's no contract involved with somebody making a pledge to buy a share.

Caballo Diablo
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Post by Caballo Diablo » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:45 pm

[quote=""JayLawrence""]Travel? Not bad to SIFL cities even if there are no other teams in FL. [/quote]
Easy for you to say, what do your opponents say?

[quote=""JayLawrence""]
As for the building comparison. Real football fans don't care who plays in the prettiest building.[/quote]
It's a proven fact there aren't enough "Real" football fans to pay the bills. I'm guessing you mean "Diehard/Hardcore" fans instead of Casual fans. Most butts in seats are casual fans just looking for cheap sports entertainmnet. To them the venue matters greatly.

I've met many that have either not gone or quit attending Indoor football games because of the venue. It was a barn, not pretty enough, not big enough, on the wrong side of town, too far off the Interstate, etc. To me none of that matters, if you put a team in my area I'll be there. If I lived in the Ft. Meyers area I'd probably get season tickets to both teams, or at least catch as many games for both teams as possible. Trouble is most won't.

Does anyone know what the tarpons averaged for attendance? The af2 Florida Firecats in their last season (2009) averaged 3,000 at Germaine. Can the area really support two teams? The arenas are about 24 miles and a half hour apart.

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