Q&A With Greg Ramey
Published on June 15, 2007 under American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Huntington Heroes News Release
With the season now complete Heroes owner Greg Ramey took the time to talk with us for this Q&A story. We discussed the past season, the future for the Heroes, the league and a look ahead to what is sure to be an exciting future for not only the Heroes but the AIFA.
Q: Let's start by getting your overall thoughts on the Heroes organization this season. Second year, things look to be moving in the right direction both on the field and off.
GR: Things are moving well. This year we focused more on the football aspect and wanted to get it right. We've had a good first two years, but we still have a lot of name branding to do. I'm proud of our on the field performance and I'm looking forward to 2008. I feel like we just missed our goal of a championship. Gary is a great coach, and we are a young team and we're getting better. We've got a good thing here and I hope that Huntington embraces us and realizes what they got. We want to bring the championship game to Huntington. We're going to bid on hosting the championship game for next year.
Q: Do you think that Huntington's past experience in hosting the NCAA Football championship will help in getting the championship in Huntington? Do you plan on using that as a selling point?
GR: We're committed to working with the city and bringing the championship game to Huntington. I really wanted to host a playoff game so we could show the league that this town will show up and support it. The past experience (with NCAA) cannot hurt.
Q: The move to Big Sandy Arena this year appears to have been a success. With better seating, better amenities. Talk about the move and the Heroes relationship with BSSA.
A: We still have two more years left on our agreement with the arena. A.J. Boleski and the Arena staff is great to work with. A.J. is all about helping us out, he's been a big help. We tried to get into Big Sandy arena our first year and the management at that time didn't even want to talk with us. The field house was kind enough to take us in, but that was not a long term solution. The move to Big Sandy has been great for everyone. The players love the locker rooms and VIP room, they're just thrilled to be playing here. It's just good for everyone the fans, the team. Better seating, concessions and restrooms.
Q. Let's move on to some league issues. From many fans perspective the league did some good things this year and some bad things. Let's first talk about the good things. Every team completed the season, no one folded and that was because the league stepped in to help some struggling teams. So it appears they're committed to making this league work. Give you thoughts on that.
A: Every team completing their schedule is a great accomplishment. We're the first indoor league to do that. Someone may say the WIFL did but they only have four teams and that's only 50 games. Not 150 like we have. John Morris and Michael Mink are the guys that run the league. John is more of the business end of things and I have a ton of respect for him. He's hard working and honest. Both those guys own the Montgomery team and the Concord (NC) team and they have made decisions that hurt their teams but helped the league. I'll give you an example; changing the playoffs to four teams. That was brought up by Pittsburgh. John and Mike voted against that so that it wouldn't appear that they are trying to help themselves. I've read where they are taking alot of heat for that because it benefited Carolina. But they voted against it, and I have alot of respect for them. They've done things for other teams to help them. They've put the league first.
Q. Now onto the bad things. Many fans, league wide not just in Huntington, were disappointed in AIFA TV. It wasn't delivered as promised leaving people no way to follow their teams on the road.
GR: AIFA TV was a disappointment in some ways. The idea is good, but there just wasn't enough time to work it out. We got our box two days before the first game. It was hurried. Some arena's were not capable of doing it and we were close. We could have had trouble if we had a game on a weekday because we share the internet connection there. But we're all committed to some type of TV whether it be AIFA TV or the new TV deal.
Q: Speaking of the TV deal. Do you have any more details on this, and give your thoughts on it.
GR: The TV deal has the potential to really generate some revenue for every team. It's a step in the right direction and could take the AIFA to the next level, making us the best indoor league out there. What other league has that besides the AFL?
Q: Another thing fans were disappointed in was lack of information. Only a few teams actually update their websites. The league site changes sporadically at best. Has there been any talks at the league level and between owners on fixing this?
GR: I agree on the lack of information. But I think priorities got shifted and everyone was focusing on just keeping everything going. It's been discussed and things will change.
Q: With other indoor leagues out there, what's the Heroes standing in the AIFA. Are we in it for the long haul?
GR: Huntington is committed to the AIFA, we're in it for the long haul. There are some big changes on the horizon. There's going to be some big announcements in the next month. You'll see that this is the best indoor league available. You need to understand that there is arena league and then indoor leagues. We don't compete with the AFL. We're trying to develop players and hopefully get them in the Arena league. But when you compare with AF2, the franchise fees and everything you get more bang for your buck in the AIFA. We pay our players more than the AF2. We're very confident that the AIFA is the best indoor league. Next season we'll be expanding and bringing in some quality owners.
Q: Final question: We made it past the all important first season last year. The second season went pretty well. Many say the third season for a minor league sports team is when things really get moving. Are we in position for this thing to take off next year?
GR: Yes, I think we're gonna take off. I've learned alot about management and the league these first two years. The TV deal could generate alot of revenue that could support some other things we'd like to do. We've got the football part down now. We're looking forward to better promotions and giveaways and making the experience better for the fans. We were ready to give away a Harley at the playoff game if we would have hosted it, so we're moving in the right direction.
American Indoor Football Association Stories from June 15, 2007
- Heroes Owner Responds to Legends False Statements - Huntington Heroes
- Q&A With Greg Ramey - Huntington Heroes
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
