Fresno Falcons Fold http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=9569361&nav=menu612_7_4_1 The Falcons are the 2nd ECHL franchise to fold mid-season this year. In the previous 20 years of the ECHL, there were ZERO clubs that folded during the season. BTW, the ownership of the Falcons also own the Fresno Fuego of the PDL. A quick review of the problems in pro sports in the last few months: * Arena Football League cancelled their season, although they say they will return in 2010. * Indoor soccer club Orlando Sharks go defunct just weeks before their season was to start. * Atlanta Silverbacks, supposedly a solid club with their own SSS, decide to sit out the 2009 USL-1 season. * The independent minor baseball league ULB is beset with many troubles, including being locked out of a stadium due to non-payment of bills, and is likely to fold this offseason. Another league is trying to nab the healthier clubs. * Pittsburgh Xplosion of the Continental Basketball Association is "sitting out the season", leaving the 62 year-old CBA with only 4 teams that are playing ABA teams to fill out their schedule. The CBA is about belly up. And those are the troubles that i noticed in just 30 minutes of searching GoogleNews. Folks, it's becoming more obvious that survival (forget about expansion) should be the goal of any sports league or club in 2009.
Good overall article on what Nascar is going through: http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/page2/20081225-9999-1s25motors.html Oh, and I hope the Fresno Fuego don't fold. I saw them play the Galaxy in the Open Cup a few years back and they had a good side.
They have one of the highest attendance in PDL, higher than many USL1 and USL2 sides. They also play in a baseball stadium of the fresno grizzlies. Both teams, and stadium, are owned by the same group. Last year they even had 2 mexican teams come play exhibition.
The 'Backs killed themselves by building a substandard stadium, a lack of marketing, and blowing the team up and starting over just about every year. Not a very good prescription for a successful team. The so-called SSS has neither rest rooms or concession stands (although the stadium itself (grandstands) wasn't half bad, but the parking was only okay (gravel)), and the 'Backs gutted the team this year toward the end of the season, almost insuring that they wouldn't make the playoffs. Plus, they did practically no marketing, aside from their website. Stuff like this keeps new fans from coming out, and causes those who do to think twice about doing it again, and so it's no wonder they're "sitting out" for 2009. And probably 2010, 2011, 2012...
Good. I hate to see anybody suffer, but the silver lining here is that maybe Nascar can get back to its gritty old ways. I'm not even a big fan, but man, it's gotten cheesy over the past decade. It's all so slick and choreographed now. The races need to be raced by rednecks, not just watched by them. (I use that word affectionately.)
Oh sh*t the Falcons folded!! I was born and raised in Fresno. Not that I'm a big hockey fan but that team has been around like forever. damn say it ain't so
Not enough land on that plot, I don't think. You could use it as the basis of a very nice USL1 stadium, but I don't think an MLS facility (and its parking lot) would fit there.
I wonder what will happen to the Silverbacks. Kinda of sad when an ownership puts a lot of money and time into their soccer ventures and then holds back, because of economy and competition.
More bad minor league sports news in the last few weeks: * The Continental Basketball Association is ending their season SIX WEEKS early. The league's only employee now is the league commish. Frankly, i don't expect them to come back in the fall even though the commish is hopeful. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=766311 * Canton Legends of the AIFA (indoor football) are taking the dreaded season off due to the economy and an "unfavorable schedule". http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/x1796479576/Legends-wont-play-this-season-hope-to-return-in-2010 * The ULB did throw in the towel, and declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Some of their teams will play in the Continental Baseball League in '09, which will be a big step down in salary and level of play. * The first year 4-team league, the All-American Hockey Association, had the Detroit Dragons fold mid-season. In its place, they started up the Chicago Blaze half a season early. The Blaze originally were to start in the 2009-2010 season. * The Columbia Inferno of the ECHL are taking a 2nd year off. They are having trouble getting financing for an arena. http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/675905.html And i'm not even mentioning any teams in the ABA, which is worth its own thread. The ABA is severely unstable in the best economic times.
I think the Silverbacks as a [men's] team is done. Boris can still make a good bit of money with the complex and the stadium. The Women's team still plays there, though. You're right, Stan; a MLS size stadium would not fit at Silverbacks Park, unless the whole thing was destroyed in the process, and may not even then. And it would only be usable for games, not camps and leagues, which are the Silverbacks organization's bread and butter.
This whole situation does provide an easy way to prove to soccer haters that MLS is not minor league.
what does qft mean? also, columbus, detroit and chicago with minor league hockey teams in nhl towns? what else do you think is going to happen?
If the economy stays on the skids, expect this to hit major league sports eventually. The Pheonix Coyotes of the NHL are 45 million in the red and three potential buyers for the team shot the league down. In Atlanta, the Hawks and Thrashers have lost a ton of money over the last few years. Simply put, people with shrinking incomes aren't going to shell out a hundred dollars to watch a couple of hours of sports. This, however, could help MLS as its tickets are more economically priced.
Damn. I'd guessed "quite f---ing true". I mean, usually in any acronyn, "F" has a good chance of standing for "f---ing". ------RM