AFL commissioner celebrates 10-year anniversary
November 6, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
NEW YORK - November 7, 2006 represents the 10-year anniversary of DAVID BAKER becoming Commissioner of the Arena Football League. Baker's decade of leadership has been marked by unprecedented growth, an unparalleled commitment to the fans and world-class football.
"It has been an honor to serve the greatest fans, players and owners in sports for 10 years," said Baker. "Growing the Arena Football League has been a rewarding experience and I am as excited as ever about its future."
When Baker began his tenure in 1996, the AFL looked a lot different from today. Teams were unstable, players were paid by the game, and the League was underexposed and lacked credibility. But a decade later, the AFL's stability, credibility, and exposure are infinitely improved. In 1996, an expansion team could be purchased for less than $400,000. Today, it costs $20 million to join the AFL.
How has the AFL become the fastest growing league in sports? According to Sports Illustrated, who wrote a 2003 feature story on the Commissioner, "Baker has fortified the AFL through astute business practices and the sheer force of his personality."
Some of Commissioner Baker's major accomplishments during his 10-year tenure:
Writing the AFL Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights.
Working with the NFL to amend its bylaws to allow NFL owners to purchase AFL teams.
Migrating small-market teams to major markets, such as moving the Iowa Barnstormers from Des Moines to New York to become the Dragons.
Creating af2, the AFL's developmental league, which will play in 30 secondary markets in 2007.
Securing television agreements with ABC, TNN, NBC, FSN, Comcast and OLN that all increased the AFL's exposure and total viewership.
Establishing the first-ever neutral-site ArenaBowl in Las Vegas.
"The most significant developments during my 10 years have been the improvement of our ownership, our partnership with the players, and our commitment to AFL partners and fans," said Baker. "The next decade promises more fan-friendly innovation for fans, further domestic and international expansion, and the continued emergence of the AFL as a credible, major-league product providing exciting, year-round football to a new generation worldwide."
What they've said about AFL Commissioner David Baker:
Newsday (January 10, 2006): Since taking over as commissioner in 1996, Baker has transformed the league. He's attained a long-term labor agreement with the players and reached a partnership with NBC that provides network coverage of games, giving the players association and the network a share in the future increase in team values. During his tenure, the league has added new teams (it has 18 now) and a high-profile roster of new owners, including rocker JON BON JOVI, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback JOHN ELWAY, Dallas Cowboys owner JERRY JONES, The Home Depot co-founder ARTHUR BLANK and CHARLES WANG, Computer Associates founder and owner of the Dragons.
Wall Street Journal (June 10, 2005): The United States Football League, World Football League and XFL all failed. The AFL under Mr. Baker, a real-estate attorney and ex-mayor of Irvine, Calif., has retooled itself to stress family entertainment and more value for the spectator's dollar.
Sports Illustrated (June 2, 2003): "Only a unique individual could have taken us from there to here, especially with so many people hoping he'd fail," says Los Angeles Avengers owner CASEY WASSERMAN. "When you don't have a Michael Vick to be the face of the league, it's huge to have someone like David Baker who can be your focal point."
Dallas Cowboys owner JERRY JONES says Baker, who persuaded him to buy the expansion Dallas Desperados in 2000, "is probably the most significant reason I feel good about our future in the AFL."
"He's a great salesman and he totally believes in what he's selling," says Colorado Crush president and CEO JOHN ELWAY, the former NFL great. "He's one of those guys who you can talk to for half an hour and feel like you've known him for 10 years."
Sports Illustrated (March 10, 2003): Since becoming commissioner in 1996, the 50-year-old Baker has driven up the value of the AFL franchises from less than $400,000 to $12 million, relocated them in large cities and deftly pushed out lightweight owners from the AFL's small market past.
Esquire (February 2003): Walk the streets of Manhattan with him and you'll spy some of the smaller buildings covering up. He's so big...hell, the dude is huge, all right? Good thing for the Arena Football League he has the substance to back up his, uh, substance: In six years on the job, he's pulled every trick on this lofty to-do list-though, and saved arena football from the fringe sport ranks of Roller Derby and ESPN2. Need Proof? Franchise values have risen 3,000-that's three thousand-percent over the last five years. New teams will soon roost in New Orleans, Jacksonville, Nashville, San Francisco, D.C., and Philadelphia. Attendance was up 9 percent last season.
Orange County Register (August 17, 1999): "The NBA, NFL or major-league baseball can survive with just about any commissioner who can walk and chew gum at the same time. That's not true for a league that needs to fight and scratch for every fan. You need a great salesman to bang around the country and get people to buy into the league, and that's what Dave is doing," said NEAL PILSON.
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Comparison Chart:
CATEGORY 1996 2006
Expansion Team Price $400,000 $20 million
Top Team Market(s) Iowa Barnstormers New York Dragons, Los Angeles Avengers, Chicago Rush, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Desperados
Teams 14* 19*
NFL, NHL or NBA Owners 1 16
Total Television Viewers 9 million 65 million
Total Attendance, including af2 1,220,387 2,897,259
Number of af2 Teams Did not exist 30*
ArenaBowl Des Moines, Iowa Las Vegas (neutral site)
Video Game None EA Sports' Arena Football
CBA Did not exist Through 2010
Celebrity Owners/Executives Danny White (head coach), Jack Youngblood Jon Bon Jovi, Mike Ditka, John Elway, Joey Galloway, Ron Jaworski, Tim McGraw, Deion Sanders, Neil Smith, Danny White
*1997 and 2007 seasons, respectively.
***
Timeline of significant events since David Baker was named Commissioner:
June 3, 1998. The AFL Board of Directors approves New Orleans Saints owner TOM BENSON to place a team in New Orleans, making the VooDoo the first AFL team with NFL ownership.
August 23, 1998. The AFL makes its network-TV debut on ABC when ArenaBowl XII is viewed by more than two million fans. Orlando defeats Tampa Bay, 62-31.
April 1999. The AFL unveils its Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights, a first among professional sports.
August 24, 1999. The AFL Board of Directors approves the final four applications for arenafootball2 (af2) - the AFL's development league - to begin play in April 2000.
2000. New NFL owners sign on, including JERRY JONES SR. (Dallas) and DANIEL SNYDER (Washington, D.C.). More than two-million fans attend regular-season games in the 32 markets competing in both the AFL and af2.
August 18, 2001. PAT BOWLEN, owner of the Denver Broncos, along with former Broncos QB JOHN ELWAY, and Tennessee Titans owner "K.S." BUD ADAMS JR. are approved for future AFL teams in Denver and Nashville, respectively.
December 10, 2002. The AFL and Arena Football League Players Association solidify a long-term Collective Bargaining Agreement that runs through 2010 - the longest and most far-reaching in professional sports.
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February 2, 2003. The AFL on NBC debuts to critical acclaim with four regional games.
July 10, 2003. The AFL Board of Directors approves an application for JON BON JOVI and CRAIG SPENCER to place a team in Philadelphia for 2004.
February 8, 2004. The AFL and Spalding debut the new design of the AFL's Official Game Ball when Tampa Bay and Orlando open the season.
June 7, 2004. ESPN The Magazine proclaims the AFL as "The Fifth Major."
July 5, 2004. Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly says about ArenaBowl XVIII..."This sure as hell isn't the Super Bowl. Right now, it's better."
August 17, 2004. The AFL Board approves Atlanta Falcons owner ARTHUR M. BLANK as new owner of the AFL's Georgia Force.
November 1, 2004. Country music superstar TIM MCGRAW joins Nashville Kats ownership.
December 16, 2004. AFL and Fox Sports Networks announce a multi-year agreement to carry regular-season AFL games on 11 of FSN's owned and affiliated regional sports networks.
December 16, 2004. NFL Hall of Famer and MIKE DITKA joins Chicago Rush ownership.
June 10, 2005. The Wall Street Journal proclaims that Arena Football has "Found It's Footing" on its front page.
June 12, 2005. The Colorado Crush defeat the Georgia Force, 51-48, to win ArenaBowl XIX. Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center is the first-ever neutral site to host an ArenaBowl.
February 8, 2006. EA Sports' Arena Football is released to the public with critical acclaim. It is the first-ever AFL-themed game produced by the video game giant.
February 17, 2006. The Arena Football League and OLN reach an agreement naming OLN as the national cable television home for the AFL during its historic 20th Season.
April 26, 2006. Former NFL great Deion Sanders becomes the most recent AFL celebrity owner when he joins the Austin Wranglers ownership group.
May 1, 2006. The AFL's cumulative 20-season attendance surpasses 20 million fans.
June 7, 2006. Orlando Predators defensive specialist KENNY McENTYRE (5-11, 185, Kansas State) is selected as the Al Lucas Hero Award winner for 2006. He is chosen as the player who made the most significant contribution to both his community and the game of Arena Football. The award was created in honor of the late Los Angeles Avengers lineman Al Lucas, who believed in both giving back to his community and growing the AFL.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from November 6, 2006
- Avengers in the community - Los Angeles Avengers
- Force Bring Back 19 Players from Open Tryout - Georgia Force
- Preds roster starting to take shape - Orlando Predators
- AFL commissioner celebrates 10-year anniversary - AFL I
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