Judging from its 5-9 record and failure to qualify for the American Indoor Football Association playoffs, it would be easy to make the assumption that the Fayetteville Guard had a terrible season.
But it's an assumption team owner Richard King isn't ready to make.
In fact, like the rogue cadets in the climactic scene of the 1981 movie "Taps," King has instead chosen to "declare victory" despite all appearances to the contrary. The difference in this case is that King has a vaild argument. Despite making several major tactical errors and falling well short of its championship sucess of the past two seasons, 2008 was probably the most successful of the Guard's four seasons to date.
Total attendance was up nearly 6,500. Sponsorships also increased. The team, once all the key elements were finally brought back together, was as competive as anyone in the league. And most important of all, the pool of red ink that has threatened to drown King since he began the Guard has begun to recede -- enough so that he's already making plans for next season and beyond.
"I like to tell people that the first year, I lost my shirt, then the second I lost a sock and last year, I lost another sock," King said Monday night on my weekly radio show (The PowerAde Pressbox with Brett & the Bad Boy, which airs from 6-8 p.m. on WFNC, 640 AM). "This year I'm not taking anything else off. I'll probably never make money (from the Guard), but I can see things starting to come around."
While that's certainly great news, King isn't ready to start celebrating. Learning from his own mistakes and those made by the Guard's predecessor, the Cape Fear Wildcats of arenafootball2, King has vowed to work harder than ever this offseason to keep the momentum going. And he's not going to wait to get started.
He's already extended offers to his team's nucleus -- including Charles Gunnings, running back Wilmont Perry and quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen -- to return next season while promising to get younger and faster in the defensive secondary, the team's biggest weakness this season. He's promised to raise awareness in the Guard and confidence in a skeptical ticket-buying public by increasing the team's presence in the community this summer and fall. He also plans to work with his fellow AIFA owners to strengthen and improve a league that was a marked improvement over the mess that marred the Guard's former affiliation with the National Indoor Football League.
The Guard's situation, though still a work in progress, now seems to have the same kind of potential as that of hockey's highly successful Fayetteville FireAntz. There were some growing pains early, not to mention a pair of failed leagues. But with a lot of hard work, a little luck, a group of committed investors and a sound business plan, the FireAntz have evolved into the model of mid-market, minor league sports consistency. It's a road map the Guard would be wise to follow.
"We've found a nice little niche and I want it to take off here in Fayetteville," King said. "I think that's happening."
I'll be honest. After the way this season unfolded, I had serious doubts about the Guard's future. I figured that this might be the end of the line. After hearing what King had to say Monday, I've changed my mind. Now comes the hard part, following through on that committment and turning words into action. If King does -- and I have every reason to believe he will -- then there's hope for the Guard yet.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I like having more than 1.5 pro teams (swampdogs get a .5) in Fayetteville.
What's the avg. attendance currently and what's needed to keep the team here in FAY?
And, Is the league stable?
They Guard averaged right at 3,000 per home game this season, up almost 1,000 per game from last year.
I'm not sure what Richard King's budget is and how much he's bringing in with sponsorships and ticket sales, but I do know that with the FireAntz, the break-even point on attendance is around 2,800per game.
Personally, I think the Guard can do much better than that under the right circumstances. Remember that the old Wildcats drew more than 5,000 per game in their first season and were still around 4,000 per game when they left because they budget in af2 was too cost-prohibitive to be profitable here.
As for the stability of the AIFA, so far so good. It looks like it's a decently run organization and it's been around for a few years now. Only time will tell, but the longer the Guard can keep it going, the better chance it has of being a long-term factor on the local sports scene.
Post a Comment