Post by Banana Cat on Feb 18, 2011 23:26:52 GMT -5
The one dollar beers thru the first quarter will get the crowd in more than anything, but giving away hot tubs, having a makeshift bowling lane, etc...he's definitely giving it the college try...kudos.
www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/02/saginaw_sting_begin_season_rea.html
www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/02/saginaw_sting_begin_season_rea.html
Saginaw Sting begin season ready to prove doubters wrong about indoor football
February 18, 2011
Kyle Austin | The Saginaw News
SAGINAW — This time around, Saginaw Sting officials say things will be different.
The Sting kick off the season at 7:30 Friday against the Eastern Kentucky Drillers, marking the inaugural game for the new Ultimate Indoor Football League.
It’s the first of 14 regular-season Sting games through the end of May.
This is Saginaw’s second try at indoor football, after the original version of the Sting operated for two seasons and closed up shop in 2009.
And even though the colors and the logo will be the same, this year’s Sting have new ownership, a new league and almost a completely new roster. And management is aware of what it must prove to the fan base.
“We’ve got to prove to the fans and the market that we’re a legit, professional run organization,” Sting Chief Executive Officer Mike Esposito said. “It’s a nice little challenge, but I think we’ll be fine. I think when they see the product, they’ll be shocked.”
Esposito said he hopes the team can draw between 3,500 and 4,500 fans for the season opener. That’s where the original Sting started, before dwindling below 1,000, particularly in the second season.
Head coach John Mize, who has been involved in indoor football for nearly 10 years, said he thinks the league can be successful if ownership of every team keeps its promises.
“We hope to be the elite of the league,” Mize said. “As long as the ownership and management of other teams do what they’re asking and maintain that professionalism in their city and players get paid like vendors get paid, and it doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare like it’s been in other leagues.”
As much as he’s selling a football team, Esposito knows he’s selling an experience, as well. A dozen years as a professional wrestler and running three indoor football teams before the Sting taught him that. So Esposito has spent the preseason putting together a host of promotions that range from familiar to outrageous.
“I’m trying to get a hot tub in there, that’s the main one,” Esposito said. “I’m putting a hot tub in one of the suites, and whoever wins the wrestling matches can sit in it, because we’re doing wrestling beforehand at the tailgate party.”
Among the other promotions: Esposito plans on giving $1,000 to a fan who can make a putt of 100 feet or more. He hopes to give away a car at some point during the season, and set up a makeshift bowling lane somewhere in the arena.
And that hot tub? It’ll be given away after the season to a contest winner.
“It’s going to be off the wall,” Esposito said.
Mize said fans coming to Sting games can expect much more than just football.
“It’s like going to an athletic event and a rock concert at the same time,” Mize said. “It’s a lot of fun. When they see what we have with the dollar beer from 6 p.m. until the end of the first quarter, you can’t go wrong with that.”
For the players, suiting up for the Sting is more about gaining exposure and a chance at moving up the football ranks than it is about money.
Jeremiah McLaurin, a former Saginaw High and Michigan State cornerback, was on his way to another season with the Port Huron Predators before he got a call from Stuart Schweigert, the Sting’s director of player development.
Schweigert made his pitch, and McLaurin said playing for the Sting started to make sense. McLaurin is trying to start a personal training business in Saginaw, and suiting up for the Sting would help get his name out there and provide an entertainment option for his hometown.
“It’s not about the money,” said McLaurin, the only player who also played on the first Sting. “I’ve made money in this league. It’s about getting the fans out here and the city of Saginaw ready to see a football team play.”
The Sting finalized their 23-man roster Thursday morning. Eighteen of those players will be active for Friday’s game.
The roster includes local players McLaurin, Mike McFadden (Heritage), Michael Carter (SVSU), Chuck Dowdell (SVSU) and Steve Michalak (Northwood).
Add to that a roster filled out with players drawn from California to Texas — including quarterback Tommy Jones, an indoor football veteran who has led leagues in passing and won league championships — and the Sting hope to have a team that can stack up with any team in the UIFL, and one that will keep fans coming to The Dow all season.
“We’ve got serious ball players here,” Mize said.
Saginaw Sting opening game roster
Name, position, height, weight, college
Tommy Jones, QB, 6’4", 250, Indiana University
Robert Haynes, RB, 6’0”, 205, Michigan Tech
LaVaughn Macon, WR, 5’8”, 170, New Mexico Highlands University
Carlos Robinson, WR, 6’1”, 185, Grand Rapids Junior College
Eric Brim, OL, 6’6”, 325, Joliet Junior College
Josh Pack, OL, 6’5”, 305, Mount Union
Steve Michalak, OL, 6’3”, 285, Northwood University
Mike McFadden, DE, 6’2”, 230, Grand Valley State University
Tony Norman, DB, 5’8”, 195, Western New Mexico University
Jaa Valentine, DB, 6’2”, 185, Virginia State University
James Skodak, DB, 6’2 “, 190, Ferris State University
Phillip Smith, LB, 5’10”, 207, Fort Valley State University
Tony Woods, LB, 6’1 “, 250, Grand Rapids Junior College
Mike Carter, DL, 6’2”, 255, Saginaw Valley State University
Shawn Horetski, DL, 6’1”, 265, Saginaw Valley State University
Chuck Dowdell, QB, 6’1”, 200, Saginaw Valley State University
Chris Kolias, K, 6’2”, 195, Northwood University
Yvens Louis, WR, 6’2”, 190, Western Connecticut State University
Ed Loscalzo, DB, 5’10”, Iona University
Kevin Brown, WR, 6’2”, 185, Lincoln University
Maurice Manley, LB, 6’4”, 230, Mesa State University
James Herring, LB, 6’2”, 225, Texas A & M
Rodney Pebbles, DB, 6’0”, 195, Tusculum College
February 18, 2011
Kyle Austin | The Saginaw News
SAGINAW — This time around, Saginaw Sting officials say things will be different.
The Sting kick off the season at 7:30 Friday against the Eastern Kentucky Drillers, marking the inaugural game for the new Ultimate Indoor Football League.
It’s the first of 14 regular-season Sting games through the end of May.
This is Saginaw’s second try at indoor football, after the original version of the Sting operated for two seasons and closed up shop in 2009.
And even though the colors and the logo will be the same, this year’s Sting have new ownership, a new league and almost a completely new roster. And management is aware of what it must prove to the fan base.
“We’ve got to prove to the fans and the market that we’re a legit, professional run organization,” Sting Chief Executive Officer Mike Esposito said. “It’s a nice little challenge, but I think we’ll be fine. I think when they see the product, they’ll be shocked.”
Esposito said he hopes the team can draw between 3,500 and 4,500 fans for the season opener. That’s where the original Sting started, before dwindling below 1,000, particularly in the second season.
Head coach John Mize, who has been involved in indoor football for nearly 10 years, said he thinks the league can be successful if ownership of every team keeps its promises.
“We hope to be the elite of the league,” Mize said. “As long as the ownership and management of other teams do what they’re asking and maintain that professionalism in their city and players get paid like vendors get paid, and it doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare like it’s been in other leagues.”
As much as he’s selling a football team, Esposito knows he’s selling an experience, as well. A dozen years as a professional wrestler and running three indoor football teams before the Sting taught him that. So Esposito has spent the preseason putting together a host of promotions that range from familiar to outrageous.
“I’m trying to get a hot tub in there, that’s the main one,” Esposito said. “I’m putting a hot tub in one of the suites, and whoever wins the wrestling matches can sit in it, because we’re doing wrestling beforehand at the tailgate party.”
Among the other promotions: Esposito plans on giving $1,000 to a fan who can make a putt of 100 feet or more. He hopes to give away a car at some point during the season, and set up a makeshift bowling lane somewhere in the arena.
And that hot tub? It’ll be given away after the season to a contest winner.
“It’s going to be off the wall,” Esposito said.
Mize said fans coming to Sting games can expect much more than just football.
“It’s like going to an athletic event and a rock concert at the same time,” Mize said. “It’s a lot of fun. When they see what we have with the dollar beer from 6 p.m. until the end of the first quarter, you can’t go wrong with that.”
For the players, suiting up for the Sting is more about gaining exposure and a chance at moving up the football ranks than it is about money.
Jeremiah McLaurin, a former Saginaw High and Michigan State cornerback, was on his way to another season with the Port Huron Predators before he got a call from Stuart Schweigert, the Sting’s director of player development.
Schweigert made his pitch, and McLaurin said playing for the Sting started to make sense. McLaurin is trying to start a personal training business in Saginaw, and suiting up for the Sting would help get his name out there and provide an entertainment option for his hometown.
“It’s not about the money,” said McLaurin, the only player who also played on the first Sting. “I’ve made money in this league. It’s about getting the fans out here and the city of Saginaw ready to see a football team play.”
The Sting finalized their 23-man roster Thursday morning. Eighteen of those players will be active for Friday’s game.
The roster includes local players McLaurin, Mike McFadden (Heritage), Michael Carter (SVSU), Chuck Dowdell (SVSU) and Steve Michalak (Northwood).
Add to that a roster filled out with players drawn from California to Texas — including quarterback Tommy Jones, an indoor football veteran who has led leagues in passing and won league championships — and the Sting hope to have a team that can stack up with any team in the UIFL, and one that will keep fans coming to The Dow all season.
“We’ve got serious ball players here,” Mize said.
Saginaw Sting opening game roster
Name, position, height, weight, college
Tommy Jones, QB, 6’4", 250, Indiana University
Robert Haynes, RB, 6’0”, 205, Michigan Tech
LaVaughn Macon, WR, 5’8”, 170, New Mexico Highlands University
Carlos Robinson, WR, 6’1”, 185, Grand Rapids Junior College
Eric Brim, OL, 6’6”, 325, Joliet Junior College
Josh Pack, OL, 6’5”, 305, Mount Union
Steve Michalak, OL, 6’3”, 285, Northwood University
Mike McFadden, DE, 6’2”, 230, Grand Valley State University
Tony Norman, DB, 5’8”, 195, Western New Mexico University
Jaa Valentine, DB, 6’2”, 185, Virginia State University
James Skodak, DB, 6’2 “, 190, Ferris State University
Phillip Smith, LB, 5’10”, 207, Fort Valley State University
Tony Woods, LB, 6’1 “, 250, Grand Rapids Junior College
Mike Carter, DL, 6’2”, 255, Saginaw Valley State University
Shawn Horetski, DL, 6’1”, 265, Saginaw Valley State University
Chuck Dowdell, QB, 6’1”, 200, Saginaw Valley State University
Chris Kolias, K, 6’2”, 195, Northwood University
Yvens Louis, WR, 6’2”, 190, Western Connecticut State University
Ed Loscalzo, DB, 5’10”, Iona University
Kevin Brown, WR, 6’2”, 185, Lincoln University
Maurice Manley, LB, 6’4”, 230, Mesa State University
James Herring, LB, 6’2”, 225, Texas A & M
Rodney Pebbles, DB, 6’0”, 195, Tusculum College