The OSC interview: Amarillo Dusters General Manager Warren McCarty
by Fran Stuchbury
September 28, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Amarillo Venom
Warren McCarty is entering his second season as general manager of the Amarillo Dusters. In 2003, McCarty was involved with the Dusters as Director of Football Operations when they were part of the Intense Football League. OurSports Central contributor Fran Stuchbury recently had the chance to get his thought on af2 and the move from the IFL.
Fran Stuchbury: What interested you in bringing an af2 team to Amarillo? Were you involved with the team when they were part of the Intense Football League? What made you choose to go af2 over going to other indoor leagues?
Warren McCarty: I actually began working on getting af2 in Amarillo back in 2001. The Amarillo National Center had just been built, and we thought that if we could get an ownership group put together, we'd be able to play af2 either in the new arena or the Amarillo Civic Center.
Unfortunately, the ANC wasn't built for events like Arena Football, and we weren't able to get the right people in place for ownership. When the IFL was formed in the fall of 2003, I was put in touch with the group here in Amarillo, and was hired as the Director of Football Operations.
After our experience in the IFL, I knew that we had no choice but to play in af2 versus the NIFL, AIFL, and UIF. In the IFL, we played Arena Football rules but without the nets. Four different times in the 2004 season we scored 80 or more points. There was no way that we could go play the slower-paced game that the NIFL and other leagues offer and expect our fans to be satisfied.
They see plenty of running game in the fall. This is entertainment, and it is adrenaline. That's what we sell. The professionalism, unity, and overall product of af2 and the AFL were what we desperately wanted as a franchise.
FS: Prior to your involvement with the Dusters how familiar were you with the Arena Football?
WM: I've been involved with Arena Football since 1998, when I formed my sports agency (TeamLink). My partner and I represented players and coaches in the af2 and AFL primarily. I went to see my very first Arena Football game in person in April of 2000 when Steve Perdue and I watched the Buffalo Destroyers and Oklahoma City Wranglers.
I was representing a defensive specialist for the Destroyers at the time, and that day is when I really knew that I wanted to be involved in Arena Football in some form or fashion.
FS: Is 'The Cellar' a good place for af2 games? Do the fans like being close to the action?
WM: The 'Cellar' is a wonderful place for Arena Football. Yes, it's the smallest arena in the deuce, and yes, it is probably one of the oldest arenas in the deuce, but I promise you that it is electric every time we play. The fans make it what it is. The fans are right on top of the action, it is extremely loud, and it is a total adrenaline rush. Some of the arenas that we play in on the road are beautiful and state-of-the-art, but they don't have the same intense atmosphere that we have in Amarillo. I guess that is why we are 16-2 at home.
FS: Has Amarillo received the af2 with "open arms," meaning that the sporting public is passionate towards the Arena game?
WM: I believe that our fans are even more passionate about the Arena game because of the improved competition, the exposure that the AFL on NBC brings, and the interesting match-ups that they see in the arena.
In the IFL, it was all Texas teams. Those rivalries were great, but being in the af2 has brought a much more national feel to our arena and our fan base. We played Lubbock five different times in 2004. This is big time. Last season, we played teams from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Illinois, Georgia, California, and Louisiana.
FS: What type of marketing have the Dusters done to help get fans to come to the games?
WM: We haven't done enough, but that's my job to improve our business operation. We are going to focus much more on the pre-game show and half-time show this coming season. We run ticket specials for civil servants, and that covers a broad array of people.
Basically, we consider anyone who is employed by a government entity to be a civil servant. So, that includes teachers, school janitors, and anybody who works for the city, county, state, or federal government. That's been a big hit thus far.
FS: How did the Dusters get involved with being on the show "Only in America?" What made the Discovery Times Channel want to do a show on the af2 team?
WM: The Discovery folks contacted us. They knew football was remarkable in Texas, and they also knew that Arena Football was the hottest sport in America. They knew that the Dallas Desperados already got exposure from NBC and with their affiliation with the Cowboys, so they thought an af2 team would be a better fit with the purpose of the series. The series really focuses on the passion of the people in America, but also on things such as Arena Football that are becoming more popular to the masses.
FS: Were you happy when Rickey Foggie was named af2 Assistant Coach of the Year? What has the former AFL quarterback brought to the team?
WM: I was thrilled for 'The Fog Dog.' Rickey and I became good friends, and he really took us to a different level offensively. More importantly, I was very proud of how he matured and grew as a coach as the season wore on.
It's so easy for the players and fans to criticize coaching decisions, but until you've been in the pressure situation and see what goes on behind the scenes for these guys, it's best not to judge.
He checked his ego at the door, and got down on the level of our players and taught them the game. He put himself in their shoes mentally, and did a great job of helping them grasp his concept.
FS: Which af2 team do you feel will develop a good rivalry with the Dusters?
WM: We've already developed a hot rivalry with the Yard Dawgz. Coach Perdue and Coach Jarnigan are very intense, and they both bring that to the table when we play each other. Everybody in the arena witnessed that first hand.
The Yard Dawgz got us twice in the regular season, and we returned the favor in the playoffs. The whole Texas-Oklahoma thing will always be big, and they are only 3 1/2 hours away from us on I-40. They brought well over 100 fans to the game here in Amarillo, and we had over 100 fans at both games in Oklahoma City. It's really intense, and a lot of fun. The fans get the best treat watching two teams go at it for four quarters.
FS: Did you like the idea of a neutral site ArenaCup? Did you like how the event was run in Bossier City?
WM: Personally, I'm not a fan of the neutral site ArenaCup. I know that logistically it is a must, especially with television, banquets, etc. But, I think the fans of both teams miss out if they aren't able to travel to the game. I went to the 2003 ArenaCup in Tulsa.
I was representing several players for the Macon Knights, as well as Coach Kevin Porter and Coach Tres Sullivan. That was unreal. The Tulsa fans and the few Macon fans that were in attendance were absolutely nuts. The front page of the Tulsa newspaper the next day mentioned that the crowd noise got up to 98 decibels, which was the loudest it had ever been in the Tulsa arena since an AC/DC concert a few years back. That's rockin'.
Dan Newman and his staff in Bossier, along with the af2 and AFL front office staff did a remarkable job putting the ArenaCup together this year. It was first class all the way. Dan's a great guy, and loves the game. But, even though they sold almost 11 or 12,000 tickets, not everybody showed up. That's disappointing. When you have a host team rather than a neutral site, I think you are much more likely to get the sellout crowd. I think the AFL experienced the same thing in Las Vegas this year. That's just my opinion, though.
If you have any questions or comments about this interview feel free to drop me an email at arenazone@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to get back to you.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
