cats out in the aa

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ca
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cats out in the aa

Post by ca » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:31 pm

imo is this really a stunner for a aa loop with aaa travel bills

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Ken, Steelheads fan
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Post by Ken, Steelheads fan » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:59 pm

...and attendance in Fort Worth has been WAY down.

ca
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any idea why ...

Post by ca » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:17 am

attendance is way down ?

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Ken, Steelheads fan
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Post by Ken, Steelheads fan » Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:45 am

My favorite answer to that type of question...It's the economy. 8)

There are also a lot of sports/entertainment options in the DFW area.

ca
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imo fw needs to find a loop ...

Post by ca » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:53 pm

that has a smaller payroll (if any) or a better travel situation and they may not be the only one in that boat

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Post by nlfan » Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:57 pm

The AA has a large footprint but doesn't have "AAA travel." Few clubs (ever) fly. The divisions also reduced the need (with Winnipeg and El Paso never facing each other).

The economy in DFW did affect him. But mainly due the HUGE building boom in the late '00s that collapsed. Carl held on to his real estate investment WAY too long (the Cats are just a small piece of it). Had he sold a couple years ago he would have made a small profit and been fine. Now he's trying to control how much money he's going to lose and doing what he can to try putting a "brave face" on the plight of the ballclub.

This year he no longer has the means to put up the $200K letter of credit the league requires. So the franchise is out of the league (for the moment). And, if things don't get better, the Cats will fold much like the Flyers, JackHammers and maybe the Fielders. That may allow the AA to re-enter LaGrave with a new ownership group and franchise.

Attendance count is down more to reduced promotion and spending. Another factor may be that the Rangers, under Ryan's ownership, are getting a lot of renewed interest since they made the WS two years in a row. Then you can add "the economy" to the list (which has affected nearly all indy clubs in all leagues).

There is/was a really great fan base in Ft. Worth. I have many friends there --most of whom made trips up to St. Paul in the first years of the AA. It's a shame the club is facing such problems.
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