Will this league survive?

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VinnyTheViper
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Post by VinnyTheViper » Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:57 pm

[quote=""Minor League Mania""] Also if you can put together a quality win and quality entertainment against lesser competition you might have some fans return. I wish every league would allow one non-league game like this.[/quote]

I never want to see this happen in any league. As Forest said, "games with travel teams are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." I find nothing redeeming about travel or non-league games, it is a sign of league weakness, a sign that the league is not strong enough to stand on its own merits. Furthermore, you are not fooling the fans, it does more to scare fans away from return trips to the arena because they see that the travel game was nothing more than a bad joke. As someone who helped promote a team, the toughest thing I ever had to do was tell fellow fans to continue support this product after a 96-7 victory, I just felt dirty and cheap, like a liar and a fool, I never want to see or be part of a travel game ever again, period.

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50 Yard Fan
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Post by 50 Yard Fan » Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:24 pm

[quote=""VinnyTheViper""]I never want to see this happen in any league. As Forest said, "games with travel teams are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." I find nothing redeeming about travel or non-league games, it is a sign of league weakness, a sign that the league is not strong enough to stand on its own merits. Furthermore, you are not fooling the fans, it does more to scare fans away from return trips to the arena because they see that the travel game was nothing more than a bad joke. As someone who helped promote a team, the toughest thing I ever had to do was tell fellow fans to continue support this product after a 96-7 victory, I just felt dirty and cheap, like a liar and a fool, I never want to see or be part of a travel game ever again, period.[/quote]

I agree with you on this, when the score ends 96-7, the game is or in the first quarter. Fans pay for an entire game of entertainment, most casual fans won't come back.
Now if a non league game is against another league's team like Missouri and Marion did last year, that is okay.

Minor League Mania
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Post by Minor League Mania » Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:50 pm

Sorry, but I don’t agree. I am not saying you have to play a travel team in a pre-season game. Why would you even want to play a league opponent in a pre-season game anyway? Most times you have to cover at least a percentage of the traveling team's travel cost. Look at the pros and college. More and more MLB baseball teams are ending their pre-season by playing their Minor League squads. Often time the MLB spring season schedule starts with a local college team. They also travel to Japan and play exhibition games against teams from the Japan league. In college almost every major team plays down to lesser competition for a couple a games every single year. I wouldn't mind seeing Rome take on Columbus or Huntsville matchup with Birmingham. Not to mention in the world’s largest sport Soccer it has always been common place to cross over and play games. Are you saying those billion dollar soccer clubs in England show weakness because they chose to fly over a little MLS team from the states to play in an exhibition game?
Last edited by Minor League Mania on Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

firehawk5
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Post by firehawk5 » Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:58 pm

[quote=""Minor League Mania""]Sorry, but I don’t agree. I am not saying you have to play a travel team in a pre-season game. Why would you even want to play a league opponent in a pre-season game anyway? Most times you have to cover at least a percentage of the traveling team's travel cost. Look at the pros and college. More and more MLB baseball teams are ending their pre-season by playing their Minor League squads. Often time the MLB spring season schedule starts with a local college team. They also travel to Japan and play exhibition games against teams from the Japan league. In college almost every major team plays down to lesser competition for a couple a games every single year. I wouldn't mind seeing Rome take on Columbus or Huntsville matchup with Birmingham. Not to mention in the world’s largest sport Soccer it has always been common place to cross over and play games. Are you saying those billion dollar soccer clubs in England show weakness because they chose to fly over a little MLS team from the states to play in an exhibition game?[/quote]

He's talking mid-season games against other leagues. Not preseason games.

VinnyTheViper
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Post by VinnyTheViper » Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:45 pm

[quote=""Minor League Mania""]I wouldn't mind seeing Rome take on Columbus or Huntsville matchup with Birmingham.[/quote]

I can guarantee you that what you suggest will NEVER happen. Some of the owners within the PIFL got burned so badly by travel games when they were in the SIFL during the 2011 season, they vowed never to go down that road again. That bad experience was the catalyst for the PIFL being born. The owners decided that if you wanted to be part of the PIFL, there were certain standards that had to be met, and for the most part, the owners have stuck to their guns. The PIFL has quickly established a brand name, most of the posters on this message board speak generally very favorably about the PIFL, and this in only a matter of two short seasons. So why would any owner in the PIFL be interested in allowing travel teams to exist in the league or for that matter, play inter leagues games with other leagues such as the AIF or the X League? Answer is they would not, there is zero benefit for the PIFL. If your league is constructed properly, it can stand on its own merits without having to bow down to any outside gimmicks. Did the PIFL schedule any games with Harrisburg last season? NO. Instead, the PIFL was attractive enough that Harrisburg decided that it was beneficial for them to leave the AIF and move to the PIFL this season. The PIFL was able to pull this off by projecting strength, not weakness. If Rome or Birmingham are interested in playing games against PIFL teams, then let them do the things that are necessary to join the PIFL, it is that simple, the PIFL is not in business to grant teams in other leagues "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.
Last edited by VinnyTheViper on Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Minor League Mania
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Post by Minor League Mania » Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:01 pm

Why do you keep on mentioning "Travel Teams" I have never once been talking specifically about a "Travel Team". I could see in the future (not this upcoming season) a few teams playing each other in an exhibition game. Maybe not the X-League and PIFL but some combination of teams from 2 leagues. My point was, if you want to have an exhibition game, you could play it against whomever you want as long as the league is ok with that. The X League has said we don’t care who you play in your own non-league game. You could play a scrub travel team if you really wanted to, you could play a team better than you or a team on your level. You could even divide your own squad in two and play a game like that. My point was that I like the fact that they have freedom to do that. Somewhere we got stuck on playing travel teams. I personally hate travel teams. This would not be the case though if Rome or Birmingham, decided to play Columbus or Albany.
Last edited by Minor League Mania on Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

VinnyTheViper
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Post by VinnyTheViper » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:27 pm

If you do not like the term "travel team", then try "semi-pro". The fact of the matter is that the X League has two non-league games scheduled for each team, that is 20% of each team's schedule that will be played against a semi-pro team. The AIF is not much better, the Washington team, while identified a league member, does not play one game at home at all, can you say semi-pro team. Bottom line is that with both of these leagues, this is the manner in which they can get enough home games for certain teams in the league to attempt to turn a profit, without these games, I do not think the league could stand on its own. Fine if a league wants to do this, but in the end the league errodes it own creditibility and the fans end up being the ultimate losers of a bait and switch game. Bewteen these two leagues, there are potentially 17 of these such games on the schedules for 2014, there is no way that these leagues are perpetrating anything but a sham.

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Post by Alhammer » Sun Jan 12, 2014 1:34 am

First... No real professional league allows games to be played outside their league. The NFL doesnt not play anyone outside league. Liabilty laws make it impossible if your running a legimate league.

Baseball can play their minor leagues due to milb being a offical part of mlb.

If you like semi pro ball fine no big deal. This league and others like them exploit the players and the fans. Too bad for the comminites they are in. These fans deserve better.

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Post by JeffKuntz » Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:20 pm

[quote=""Alhammer""]First... No real professional league allows games to be played outside their league. The NFL doesnt not play anyone outside league. Liabilty laws make it impossible if your running a legimate league.

Baseball can play their minor leagues due to milb being a offical part of mlb.

If you like semi pro ball fine no big deal. This league and others like them exploit the players and the fans. Too bad for the comminites they are in. These fans deserve better.[/quote]

Well... The NBA and MLB played games against non-league teams in the past calendar year.. And the NHL also did in the very recent past in Europe..

All exhibition games obviously, but they did play them..

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Post by ArenaJoe » Sun Jan 12, 2014 9:45 pm

[quote=""coachingubigr""]Probably not. Just saying. Are we taking bets on how many teams fold by mid-season?[/quote]

Will this league survive? Anything associated with Haines does not survive. When will people learn that Haines is in this business to make a quick buck and then leave town. I thought Mink and Smith were smart enough to cut their ties with Haines but apparently not. UNBELIEVABLE!

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