SPRINGFIELD, MA – As the New Year looms near, the NHL and it’s players still have not come to an agreement to end its now 86 day old lockout and have officially cancelled games until December 30. With plans to start games on New Year’s Day, the season would allow for 4o-something games per team to be played. Yes the AHL has been benefiting from this as increased revenue. But if there are no games through January (or the rest of the year), the National Lacrosse League and Arena Football League will also see increased revenue AND attendance.
The NLL in particular will be helped because there are nine teams in the league and two always have near sell out crowds (Buffalo and Colorado) – the best fan atmospheres around. Even Toronto barely gets an average attendance of 10,000 unlike their glory days a decade ago. Between the fans of Banditland at First Niagara Center (or as I say “the Den of Thieves) to the Mammoth in the mountains of Denver you can watch a great game of box lacrosse regardless of whats happening in the game.
Arena Football has changed a bit since the original league folded and had it’s rights acquired by Arena Football One. Most arena games don’t climax over 8,500 attendance unless their team is consistently good or it’s one of the older franchises. playoff games aren’t even a guaranteed draw. We have to wonder if there will be further expansion as the af2’s goal was to have 100 teams bey it’s fifth season (an bad failure – the NLL has it’s own problems).
Since commissioner George Daniels switched from interim to full time commissioner of the NLL, there has been more contraction than expansion. The Orlando Titans and Boston Blazers (II) franchises have both suspended operations with no word from Orl-o and a pending 2014 return possibly under new ownership for Boston, whereas the Portland Lumberjax folded after just four seasons. Expansion has been talked about since Jim Jennings ran league operations. Primarily reactivating the Vancouver Ravens franchise (which have remained inactive since the 2005 season) as will as reintroducing Montreal to the league.
There are also considerations as to who should be the next commissioner of the league if and when Bettman leaves. Many people say David Andrews (AHL commiss) which is a logical answer, however, my personal preference would be Craig Harnett for several lengthy to be discussed later reasons. In the instance of last seasons NBA labor sipute, I am surprised that the NHL -Bettman specifically – isn’t using the NBA guidelines seeing as how Bettman and David Stern (NBA commiss) are such close friends.
If it is at all possible we can manage to scratch out some sort of season, but don’t get your hopes up. I’m actually pleased that this lockout may be full season as it may spell the end of Gusty Gary even though I was anticipating to see some professional hockey this year. It seems as though only time willl tell now.
-Ricky
The NLL in particular will be helped because there are nine teams in the league and two always have near sell out crowds (Buffalo and Colorado) – the best fan atmospheres around. Even Toronto barely gets an average attendance of 10,000 unlike their glory days a decade ago. Between the fans of Banditland at First Niagara Center (or as I say “the Den of Thieves) to the Mammoth in the mountains of Denver you can watch a great game of box lacrosse regardless of whats happening in the game.
Arena Football has changed a bit since the original league folded and had it’s rights acquired by Arena Football One. Most arena games don’t climax over 8,500 attendance unless their team is consistently good or it’s one of the older franchises. playoff games aren’t even a guaranteed draw. We have to wonder if there will be further expansion as the af2’s goal was to have 100 teams bey it’s fifth season (an bad failure – the NLL has it’s own problems).
Since commissioner George Daniels switched from interim to full time commissioner of the NLL, there has been more contraction than expansion. The Orlando Titans and Boston Blazers (II) franchises have both suspended operations with no word from Orl-o and a pending 2014 return possibly under new ownership for Boston, whereas the Portland Lumberjax folded after just four seasons. Expansion has been talked about since Jim Jennings ran league operations. Primarily reactivating the Vancouver Ravens franchise (which have remained inactive since the 2005 season) as will as reintroducing Montreal to the league.
There are also considerations as to who should be the next commissioner of the league if and when Bettman leaves. Many people say David Andrews (AHL commiss) which is a logical answer, however, my personal preference would be Craig Harnett for several lengthy to be discussed later reasons. In the instance of last seasons NBA labor sipute, I am surprised that the NHL -Bettman specifically – isn’t using the NBA guidelines seeing as how Bettman and David Stern (NBA commiss) are such close friends.
If it is at all possible we can manage to scratch out some sort of season, but don’t get your hopes up. I’m actually pleased that this lockout may be full season as it may spell the end of Gusty Gary even though I was anticipating to see some professional hockey this year. It seems as though only time willl tell now.
-Ricky
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