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preeths
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Post by preeths » Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:50 pm

The point can be made that the folding of any league, especially one that could be perceived as ill conceived, hurts the sport as a whole. The markets affected by folded teams or cancelled/subpar games certainly see the effects, now and in the future. Why wouldn't fans of the game be upset? This has nothing to do with assigning blame, but one who has followed this game for any time should be able to understand the angst among fans.

jerry101jlh
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Post by jerry101jlh » Thu Oct 20, 2011 3:06 pm

[quote=""coachingubigr""]How is it the fault of the Richmond Raiders that two leagues folded two years in a row? Its not. The Raiders are a well run organization that happened to join the wrong league twice.

And its not like I can follow a different local indoor team in 2012. As for the Revolution, I only attended one game in 2011 because standing in the rain sucks.[/quote]

Sorry about that, did not mean to infer the Raiders were in the league jumping business by choice. My reference was to the team I follow, not any other. Again my apologies. So lets hope they haven't joined the wrong league this time around.

Up until this season the Raiders didn't have many choices of what league to join because of the IFL Richmond team. This year they did have a choice and I hope the direction they decided on a good one.

daytonadan
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Post by daytonadan » Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:31 pm

[quote=""preeths""]... to understand the angst among fans.[/quote]

Do indoor football fans have angst or do they just get pissed?
Former Hall Monitor
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New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1974-75
"I Have More Important Things To Occupy My Time That What's Being Said On Message Boards -- OSC Founder Paul Reeths"
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daytonadan
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Post by daytonadan » Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:41 pm

[quote=""BananaCat""]I believe in looking toward the future, but not forgetting the past. The SIFL in 2011 ranks as the third worst season (behind the last two years of the NIFL) a league has ever put forth. As far as money spent towards something, that has never been reserved as the only criteria to comment on anything. I didn't spend any money on the league (I would've gone to a game if I was in the area...well, if it wasn't a replacement game), but I will tear it a new one until times end if I feel like it. The NIFL's destruction was heavily harped on, so I expect this demise of the SIFL to be talked about for years to come. Don't worry though, the talk on this subject will decrease significantly once the 2012 season starts for indoor leagues. This is the off-season for indoor football, so I think it's fair to expect this subject to drag on for awhile.[/quote]

AIFA 2006 was pretty bad as well.

Yeah, things sucked for SIFL 2011 and I don't like how it turned out, but you know... I learned something [cue South Park music]. To perservere when things aren't going well and that once a situation is over, move on to the next challenge. There's no sense to come here and say the same thing over and over again while overlooking other miscues.

So if you have nothing better to do, B-CU is playing Norfolk State at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU if you want to watch a game and in the meantime, enjoying a classic performance from George Jones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R2F9f2Cl6Y
Former Hall Monitor
Mrs. Brown's 4th Grade Class, Faulkner Elementary
New Smyrna Beach, Florida, 1974-75
"I Have More Important Things To Occupy My Time That What's Being Said On Message Boards -- OSC Founder Paul Reeths"
"There's a sucker born every minute" -- PT Barnum

jerry101jlh
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Post by jerry101jlh » Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:23 pm

[quote=""BananaCat""]I believe in looking toward the future, but not forgetting the past. The SIFL in 2011 ranks as the third worst season (behind the last two years of the NIFL) a league has ever put forth. As far as money spent towards something, that has never been reserved as the only criteria to comment on anything. I didn't spend any money on the league (I would've gone to a game if I was in the area...well, if it wasn't a replacement game), but I will tear it a new one until times end if I feel like it. The NIFL's destruction was heavily harped on, so I expect this demise of the SIFL to be talked about for years to come. Don't worry though, the talk on this subject will decrease significantly once the 2012 season starts for indoor leagues. This is the off-season for indoor football, so I think it's fair to expect this subject to drag on for awhile.[/quote]

I would certainly agree that it is your right to tear it a new one as much as you want and even though overdone it does send a message to other leagues. They may say they don't pay attention to message boards, but in reality they do. If you send the same message over and over eventually some might see the light.

For someone that openly disliked the NIFL is ironic that Hager took the SIFL right down that same path. One would think that their were enough lessons on how to screw up a league in the NIFL that any paying any attention what so ever would or could avoid tragedy, but obviously Hager didn't dislike the NIFL way of doing business since he pretty much copied the model. Add to that he had the smarts to hire a commissioner that did nothing and with that commissioners experience one would thing he might have had some glue in how to run a league, but again obviously he didn't.

To other leagues wanting to stand the test of time, are you paying attention?

Bouncer_Texxx
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Post by Bouncer_Texxx » Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:31 pm

[quote=""daytonadan""]Do indoor football fans have angst or do they just get pissed?[/quote]

Yes.

angst
noun, plural
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.


I think as fans that care about the sport as a whole we have angst about these start-up leagues that subsequently run perfectly good markets into the ground. I've been privileged enough to root for arguably the greatest franchise in indoor football history for the past decade. I saw a Louisiana team travel all the way to Sioux Falls and give the Storm a heck of a game, using unfamiliar rules and a hectic travel schedule.

Hagar's subsequent choice to forgo the "my ego is bigger than yours" shenanigans going on in the IFL and start his own league was commendable and foolish at the same time. He knew what his budget would allow, and he sought to take advantage of forming a regional league. I think he thought that more of the former Intense teams would come with him in what I picture in my mind as a Jerry Maguire moment.. "who's coming with me..."

He formed the SIFL... Hired some of the best in the business at what they do and we all thought hey, this might work out... they then uttered the most cursed words in all of indoor football history. "we're going to do this right..." and then didn't. Hagar's public quote referencing a religious deity notwithstanding, it might not have been the best move.

He could have bucked up (pun intended) and fought to be the voice of logic and reason for the small market (shallow pocketed) ownerships in the IFL. Seems he and Bob Scott would have gotten along swimmingly, and what a powerful, pardon my French, "tight-a$$ed" alliance that would have been. Instead he took his proverbial ball and went home. We see how that worked out. We'll never know how things could have worked out.

We fans have angst, because we see leagues like the SIFL, the bulk of the AIFA, the CIFL. We watch the sketchy venues, the talent disparity, the lack of a professional on the field product.. We see this, then we realize that the casual fan doesn't know the difference between the AFL, the IFL, and the garbage they're watching. The instantly get a negative view of the whole sport. Indoor football has more spin-offs than a late 80's sitcom. the intense league begat the sifl, which begat the pifl.. but most or the original intense teams are back in the LSFL now..

having done a lot of forced reading about the early days of the NFL.. the histories aren't all that dissimilar. Crazy... I think the IFL should add a team in Potsville.. but that's beside the point.

Like sands through the hourglass...man card for sale.... I mean.. Hi.

jerry101jlh
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Post by jerry101jlh » Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:03 pm

Although still not an excuse, but we can't confuse greed with desperation. Hager didn't bring the SIFL down because of greed, but desperation to save his dream. Some ignorance involved as well as a supporting cast in 2011 that did nothing to stop the slide. I'm not sure I would call Hager a bad person or crook, but certainly didn't have the tools needed to start and run a league. More evidence to that is in who he hired and fired. He allowed good people to be let go and hired others that maybe had less of a clue than he did.

sportznut
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Post by sportznut » Sat Oct 22, 2011 7:06 pm

Remember, I left.. wasnt fired, BUT surely was not asked to stay...
Changes.... they are a coming......

King Of The Jungle
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Post by King Of The Jungle » Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:27 pm

Guys, it has been over 3 weeks since anyone posted to this thread. I miss is it. Can some please kick the dead honey badger in the balls while wearing sunglasses in the dark at Bethune Cookman while George Jones sings a hymn from South Park for Tuff?

...please

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Post by coachingubigr » Sat Nov 12, 2011 5:55 pm

[quote=""King Of The Jungle""]Guys, it has been over 3 weeks since anyone posted to this thread. I miss is it. Can some please kick the dead honey badger in the balls while wearing sunglasses in the dark at Bethune Cookman while George Jones sings a hymn from South Park for Tuff?

...please[/quote]

LOL excellent point.

I bet Hager is kicking himself right now for not selling the SIFL logo and naming rights. Now all he has is a logo, a slightly used web site and no teams.

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