Post by Banana Cat on Jan 18, 2011 3:30:15 GMT -5
Smart move by Cuban suing them now...get them while they're still operating and not defunct. The commish doesn't even address the actual issue of not paying back the loan and instead gives out propaganda on the league...same as other startup football league's, as well as arena and indoor leagues...bs, bs, and more bs. I won't give any of these commish's my respect until they answer a question with an honest answer as if you were on the stand in a courtroom. Goodell does the same thing sometimes and he also totally avoided suspending Favre when it was obvious he effed up...loses a lot of credibility there. Ugh, everyone's corrupt. They should make it mandatory at new conferences for commish's and owners to do the Nixon move with using his two fingers on each hand as simulating quotation marks while saying "I'm not a crook!" Ridiculous.
www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-ufl-commish-0116-20110115,0,6652317.story
www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-ufl-commish-0116-20110115,0,6652317.story
UFL moving forward despite skeptics, shaky public relations
By Dave Fairbank, dfairbank@dailypress.com | 247-4637
January 15, 2011
Within a few short days last week, the United Football League engineered a coaching switch, folded and relocated a franchise, and was sued by its most visible partner to recoup a multi-million dollar loan.
Not exactly signs of stability from a start-up professional sporting venture hoping to gain a foothold in Hampton Roads and across the nation.
The UFL's local franchise, the fledgling Virginia Destroyers, were a big part of the machinations.
First, the league signed off on Joe Moglia, the millionaire businessman-turned-coach introduced as the Destroyers head coach two months ago, instead taking over the Omaha franchise.
UFL officials decided to fold the Florida Tuskers' and move the Orlando-based team's football operations to Hampton Roads, thus giving the team part of an established roster and a running start as it prepares to begin play next fall.
Then, word leaked that Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and a partner with the UFL, filed a lawsuit in federal court to get the league to repay a $5 million loan.
The Cuban lawsuit came amid reports that the UFL also was late in paying some players.
"Our business is public and at times your dirty laundry gets aired," UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said late last week. "That's fair game. People are certainly entitled to take shots or make statements. That's fine. We understand that. When you're in this business, you recognize that.
"But I think the important thing for us is that we have not been deterred from our focus, which is, we believe we have a good model. No one that's gone to our games that I'm aware of has ever said it's not good football, it's not good entertainment, it's not been good for our community. So if those things remain true, and our owners still want to continue to put in money, notwithstanding the fact that they're going to experience losses, then who is this harming?"
The week's events prompted Huyghue to do damage control and issue a statement touting the league's assets: job creation for players and local franchises; affordable entertainment in a sluggish economy; positive economic impact in UFL cities; no civic money for teams and stadium upgrades.
"There are always going to be skeptics," Huyghue said, "but the truth is that people should be rooting for us, not against us. If we win, they win, because we're going to be able to bring more entertainment. I don't think we should be apologetic for where we are, because what we're trying to do is bring high-quality football and entertainment to markets that don't have it. I think that's a great objective in this economy.
"If we struggle along the way, if we stumble along the way, if we have financial problems, so be it. The point is and our focus is to continue to grow it, to make good, sound decisions and to keep our focus on providing football, and we continue to believe that we can do it."
The UFL just completed its second season under the model of cost containment and NFL affiliation. Salaries are capped, which keeps team payroll low and tickets affordable.
Rosters are dotted with former NFL players, some of whom were caught in the salary squeeze that pays stars the majority of a team's payroll.
The UFL has targeted cities and areas that don't have professional football — Omaha, Hartford, Sacramento, Las Vegas.
The league plays a short season in the fall, which permits players to fill NFL rosters after the UFL season concludes.
Hampton Roads was to be the sixth franchise. It's now the fifth with the relocation of the Florida Tuskers, who were swallowed up in the 70,000-seat Citrus Bowl and were barely more than a whisper competing against the state's professional and major college football programs.
"It wasn't that Orlando failed," Huyghue said. "It was that even with the expectation of its growth in attendance, that the venue we had in Orlando was never going to be sufficient to get the kind of atmosphere we want at our games. I think what we were doing was getting out in front of a business decision and not waiting another year to say this venue is always going to be a problem for us."
Huyghue said the league still aims to field a sixth team for the 2011 season.
"I think a lot of people have their doubts, with what's gone on the last few days," said Tuskers head coach Jay Gruden, who was part of the franchise move to Hampton Roads and is the Destroyers new head coach. "However, any time you start up a new league, you're going to have hiccups. People are going to have to move, and they're going to have to change cities and locations from time to time, looking for the perfect fit."
Gruden's status contributes to the uncertainty of the new league's viability in Hampton Roads. He was formally introduced to media and fans Friday afternoon at a gathering in Virginia Beach amid reports that he was a candidate to become an NFL assistant coach.
If he leaves, the Destroyers will be seeking their third head coach before they've held the first practice.
Still, plans are moving forward. The Virginia Beach Sportsplex, the team's home venue, is being expanded and re-fitted to accommodate upwards of 20,000 fans. Staff is being hired, office space is being leased.
"We all want to play the game," said Destroyers general manager Doug Williams, the former Redskins quarterback and one-time NFL personnel official. "The reason why we're up here is we feel like in our hearts we're going to play. If we didn't think we were going to play, there's no reason to be up here.
"I know there's been things said, there's been articles written, there's been lawsuits filed, there's been some apprehension. But I hope that the fans realize that until it's not, we're here. And I think that's how you have to look at it. You can't worry about what might happen, you can only worry about what is happening."
The lawsuit by Cuban was the biggest public relations blow. He signed on, in part because it was relatively inexpensive to do so, in part because the potential of a player lockout in 2011 would make the UFL the only professional game in town.
UFL games are broadcast on Cuban's HDNet, as well as the Versus network. According to the suit, he loaned the league $5 million last April with the agreement that it would be repaid in October. The deadline was extended to December 1, along with a greater interest rate. When that deadline passed, his attorneys filed suit Jan. 10 in federal court in Dallas.
Huyghue insisted that the matter would be taken care of quickly. He pointed out that owners and investors already have sunk $100 million into the league and signed off on another $50 million at the most recent board meeting. He believes that conveys their confidence in the league and its model.
"When you dress up for a party, it isn't always pretty in the planning phases," Huyghue said, "but when the show comes out, that's what dress rehearsals are for. We still have bumps, we know that we're developing, we're a work in progress. But at the end of the day, each of the two years, we've demonstrated that we're putting a great product on the field."
By Dave Fairbank, dfairbank@dailypress.com | 247-4637
January 15, 2011
Within a few short days last week, the United Football League engineered a coaching switch, folded and relocated a franchise, and was sued by its most visible partner to recoup a multi-million dollar loan.
Not exactly signs of stability from a start-up professional sporting venture hoping to gain a foothold in Hampton Roads and across the nation.
The UFL's local franchise, the fledgling Virginia Destroyers, were a big part of the machinations.
First, the league signed off on Joe Moglia, the millionaire businessman-turned-coach introduced as the Destroyers head coach two months ago, instead taking over the Omaha franchise.
UFL officials decided to fold the Florida Tuskers' and move the Orlando-based team's football operations to Hampton Roads, thus giving the team part of an established roster and a running start as it prepares to begin play next fall.
Then, word leaked that Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and a partner with the UFL, filed a lawsuit in federal court to get the league to repay a $5 million loan.
The Cuban lawsuit came amid reports that the UFL also was late in paying some players.
"Our business is public and at times your dirty laundry gets aired," UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said late last week. "That's fair game. People are certainly entitled to take shots or make statements. That's fine. We understand that. When you're in this business, you recognize that.
"But I think the important thing for us is that we have not been deterred from our focus, which is, we believe we have a good model. No one that's gone to our games that I'm aware of has ever said it's not good football, it's not good entertainment, it's not been good for our community. So if those things remain true, and our owners still want to continue to put in money, notwithstanding the fact that they're going to experience losses, then who is this harming?"
The week's events prompted Huyghue to do damage control and issue a statement touting the league's assets: job creation for players and local franchises; affordable entertainment in a sluggish economy; positive economic impact in UFL cities; no civic money for teams and stadium upgrades.
"There are always going to be skeptics," Huyghue said, "but the truth is that people should be rooting for us, not against us. If we win, they win, because we're going to be able to bring more entertainment. I don't think we should be apologetic for where we are, because what we're trying to do is bring high-quality football and entertainment to markets that don't have it. I think that's a great objective in this economy.
"If we struggle along the way, if we stumble along the way, if we have financial problems, so be it. The point is and our focus is to continue to grow it, to make good, sound decisions and to keep our focus on providing football, and we continue to believe that we can do it."
The UFL just completed its second season under the model of cost containment and NFL affiliation. Salaries are capped, which keeps team payroll low and tickets affordable.
Rosters are dotted with former NFL players, some of whom were caught in the salary squeeze that pays stars the majority of a team's payroll.
The UFL has targeted cities and areas that don't have professional football — Omaha, Hartford, Sacramento, Las Vegas.
The league plays a short season in the fall, which permits players to fill NFL rosters after the UFL season concludes.
Hampton Roads was to be the sixth franchise. It's now the fifth with the relocation of the Florida Tuskers, who were swallowed up in the 70,000-seat Citrus Bowl and were barely more than a whisper competing against the state's professional and major college football programs.
"It wasn't that Orlando failed," Huyghue said. "It was that even with the expectation of its growth in attendance, that the venue we had in Orlando was never going to be sufficient to get the kind of atmosphere we want at our games. I think what we were doing was getting out in front of a business decision and not waiting another year to say this venue is always going to be a problem for us."
Huyghue said the league still aims to field a sixth team for the 2011 season.
"I think a lot of people have their doubts, with what's gone on the last few days," said Tuskers head coach Jay Gruden, who was part of the franchise move to Hampton Roads and is the Destroyers new head coach. "However, any time you start up a new league, you're going to have hiccups. People are going to have to move, and they're going to have to change cities and locations from time to time, looking for the perfect fit."
Gruden's status contributes to the uncertainty of the new league's viability in Hampton Roads. He was formally introduced to media and fans Friday afternoon at a gathering in Virginia Beach amid reports that he was a candidate to become an NFL assistant coach.
If he leaves, the Destroyers will be seeking their third head coach before they've held the first practice.
Still, plans are moving forward. The Virginia Beach Sportsplex, the team's home venue, is being expanded and re-fitted to accommodate upwards of 20,000 fans. Staff is being hired, office space is being leased.
"We all want to play the game," said Destroyers general manager Doug Williams, the former Redskins quarterback and one-time NFL personnel official. "The reason why we're up here is we feel like in our hearts we're going to play. If we didn't think we were going to play, there's no reason to be up here.
"I know there's been things said, there's been articles written, there's been lawsuits filed, there's been some apprehension. But I hope that the fans realize that until it's not, we're here. And I think that's how you have to look at it. You can't worry about what might happen, you can only worry about what is happening."
The lawsuit by Cuban was the biggest public relations blow. He signed on, in part because it was relatively inexpensive to do so, in part because the potential of a player lockout in 2011 would make the UFL the only professional game in town.
UFL games are broadcast on Cuban's HDNet, as well as the Versus network. According to the suit, he loaned the league $5 million last April with the agreement that it would be repaid in October. The deadline was extended to December 1, along with a greater interest rate. When that deadline passed, his attorneys filed suit Jan. 10 in federal court in Dallas.
Huyghue insisted that the matter would be taken care of quickly. He pointed out that owners and investors already have sunk $100 million into the league and signed off on another $50 million at the most recent board meeting. He believes that conveys their confidence in the league and its model.
"When you dress up for a party, it isn't always pretty in the planning phases," Huyghue said, "but when the show comes out, that's what dress rehearsals are for. We still have bumps, we know that we're developing, we're a work in progress. But at the end of the day, each of the two years, we've demonstrated that we're putting a great product on the field."