Sports Thread

[famicommander]

Waiting for Fami to chime in and do his usual IFL bash comment. He hasn't been the same since the Colorado Ice/Crush folded after going winless in their several playoff appearances. Colorado's best years were with the AFL as they were a competitive team in a better league (I do miss them nets in the AFL as the Rattlers used them several times to pull victories at the last second).

The IFL team was irrelevant and nobody here watched them. They didn't even play in Denver, they played in the minor league barn up in Loveland. The real Crush were owned by billionaires and played in the major league arena in downtown Denver.

Sorry but the IFL is trash, it has always been trash, and it's only been getting worse as the also trash outdoor leagues are taking all their players.

Indoor football as a legitimate operation died in 2008. Then from 2010-2019 a semi-competent zombie operation took over. But it's just been getting worse and worse ever since.

Yes, the actual IFL game sucks without the 8th man and the nets and all that. But the main problem is the league itself. They play in trash arenas in shithole towns with clownshoes ownership and the players make less than McDonald's employees (that is not a joke). Rio Rancho, New Mexico? Prescott Valley, Arizona? Sioux Falls, South Dakota? Ashwaubenon? Henderson? Frisco? Worcester? Moline, Illinois? C'mon man, these aren't even AA baseball towns.

 

[famicommander]

Alleged markets for the new AFL

Austin, TX
Bakersfield, CA
Boise, ID (actually in Nampa, the Idaho Horsemen from the AWFC)
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Denver, CO
Everett, WA
Lake Charles, LA
Nashville, TN
Odessa, TX (West Texas Warbirds from the NAL)
Orlando, FL (Orlando Predators from the NAL)
Philadelphia, PA
Salem, OR
St. Paul, MN
St. Louis, MO (actually in St. Charles)
Tallahassee, FL

Some of these are pretty damn small time. Not sure how a team playing in Odessa, TX or Lake Charles, LA is supposed to compete financially with a team in Chicago or Philadelphia.

Only a few teams have announced their home arenas yet but it's likely many of the teams listed for big cities are actually playing in smaller arenas in the suburbs, like how they announced a St. Louis team that will actually play 20 miles away in a sub-10,000 seat arena.

Philly will be back in their major league arena and will be called the Soul, at least, and the league says Ron Jaworski is back but Jaws hasn't actually commented.

Some of the markets the AFL announced had local reporters call the mayors/city halls/arena managers and they hadn't heard anything about the AFL Not a great sign.

 

[Arcademan]

If the AFL want to go big, over half of those cities listed aren't going to do it. Philadelphia, Orlando and Denver have had success as well as large arenas in the original. St. Louis and St. Paul might stand a chance. Nashville (as well as Memphis) had failed teams. Salem won't do any better than Portland (Forest Dragons, Thunder or Steel). With West Texas and Orlando leaving the NAL, that league is toast since that leaves them with 3 teams (Jacksonville, a former AFL team, should consider rejoining the AFL or maybe be finally allowed to join the IFL). Odessa's arena only holds 5,131 and most likely has the end zone corners cut off. If they can make it all work out, I'd love to see the AFL make a comeback, endzone nets and all. May be a lot more exciting than the current IFL but they'll need to go a long way to get to their current caliber of play (Fun Fact: the current top team in the IFL, the Frisco Fighters play in an arena that holds 3,500 and the IFL Championship is held in an arena that holds slightly above 6,000 (Vegas Knight Hawks, which actually play in Henderson, NV). My Arizona Rattlers (winners of the most AFL titles along with Tampa Bay) play in front of 13,000 in the 18,000+ Footprint Center.

 

[famicommander]

If the AFL want to go big, over half of those cities listed aren't going to do it. Philadelphia, Orlando and Denver have had success as well as large arenas in the original. St. Louis and St. Paul might stand a chance. Nashville (as well as Memphis) had failed teams. Salem won't do any better than Portland (Forest Dragons, Thunder or Steel). With West Texas and Orlando leaving the NAL, that league is toast since that leaves them with 3 teams (Jacksonville, a former AFL team, should consider rejoining the AFL or maybe be finally allowed to join the IFL). Odessa's arena only holds 5,131 and most likely has the end zone corners cut off. If they can make it all work out, I'd love to see the AFL make a comeback, endzone nets and all. May be a lot more exciting than the current IFL but they'll need to go a long way to get to their current caliber of play (Fun Fact: the current top team in the IFL, the Frisco Fighters play in an arena that holds 3,500 and the IFL Championship is held in an arena that holds slightly above 6,000 (Vegas Knight Hawks, which actually play in Henderson, NV). My Arizona Rattlers (winners of the most AFL titles along with Tampa Bay) play in front of 13,000 in the 18,000+ Footprint Center.

They'll easily eclipse the IFL's level of play. The IFL pays like 250 bucks a game. They'd have to go out of their way to find worse players than the IFL has.

But it'll still suck monkey ass compared to AFL 2.0, and AFL 2.0 sucked hard compared to AFL 1.0.

 

[Arcademan]

They'll easily eclipse the IFL's level of play. The IFL pays like 250 bucks a game. They'd have to go out of their way to find worse players than the IFL has.

But it'll still suck monkey ass compared to AFL 2.0, and AFL 2.0 sucked hard compared to AFL 1.0.

Very true but if the AFL is going to have a future, they need to establish themselves in major cities and markets, not suburbs and have arenas that can have a full field of play and have at least 10,000 or more seats. If play and pay are good, teams like the Rattlers and Iowa Barnstormers can make the leap back.

 

[famicommander]

Very true but if the AFL is going to have a future, they need to establish themselves in major cities and markets, not suburbs and have arenas that can have a full field of play and have at least 10,000 or more seats. If play and pay are good, teams like the Rattlers and Iowa Barnstormers can make the leap back.

They don't have the money to play in the big league arenas.

Chances are the Denver team ends up in the shithole Coliseum, which began construction in the 1940s. It has no air conditioning or heat, not nearly enough bathrooms, not nearly enough concession stands, not nearly enough parking, is not handicapped accessible, and it holds less than 10,000 seats for football. Plus it's in a shitty neighborhood near a dog food factory, a cemetary, and a car impound lot. It was considered ancient in the 70s when McNichols Arena was built, and McNichols itself was torn down over 20 years ago and replaced by the current arena for being outdated.

This is going to be marginally better than IFL/NAL, at best. No chance of reaching the lowest lows of previous AFL incarnations.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

They don't have the money to play in the big league arenas.

Chances are the Denver team ends up in the shithole Coliseum, which began construction in the 1940s. It has no air conditioning or heat, not nearly enough bathrooms, not nearly enough concession stands, not nearly enough parking, is not handicapped accessible, and it holds less than 10,000 seats for football. Plus it's in a shitty neighborhood near a dog food factory, a cemetary, and a car impound lot. It was considered ancient in the 70s when McNichols Arena was built, and McNichols itself was torn down over 20 years ago and replaced by the current arena for being outdated.

This is going to be marginally better than IFL/NAL, at best. No chance of reaching the lowest lows of previous AFL incarnations.

Yeah, there's an indoor soccer league up here and the Cleveland Crunch ended up getting evicted from the I-X Center (which is a convention center) and had to play the rest of the games in an indoor rec center. Just not a good look.

 

[famicommander]

I just want the stupid Premier Lacrosse League to announce the home markets for their teams already. So dumb that they splintered off from MLL which already had teams in home markets, drove the MLL out of business and went with a full-time touring model, discovered that you don't make money on a touring only model, and are now going to crawl back to those same MLL markets which have now been dark for three straight seasons and basically start from scratch.

 

[Arcademan]

Looks like the PAC-12 is dead and buried. USC and UCLA are heading to the SEC after this year, then earlier in the week, Colorado announced they'll be returning to the Big XII. And now Arizona State, Arizona and Utah will be also heading to the Big XII (which will starting next year have 16 teams). Oregon and Washington will make the Big10 their new home next year (those road trips will be murder on their travel budgets!) leaving Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford the only PAC teams left. 100+ years and the so-called "Conference of Champions" will be no more.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Looks like the PAC-12 is dead and buried. USC and UCLA are heading to the SEC after this year, then earlier in the week, Colorado announced they'll be returning to the Big XII. And now Arizona State, Arizona and Utah will be also heading to the Big XII (which will starting next year have 16 teams). Oregon and Washington will make the Big10 their new home next year (those road trips will be murder on their travel budgets!) leaving Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford the only PAC teams left. 100+ years and the so-called "Conference of Champions" will be no more.

I really feel for Oregon State and Washington State. I could foresee them going to Mountain West.

Cal and Stanford could be fine for a little bit as independents, but I remember reading somewhere that ACC was looking into adding them and maybe Big Ten were doing the same.

 

[prof]

New Derrick Lewis commercial for my UFC bros.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

@famicommander Your boy is on the cover:

Makar makes cover of NHL 24 in 'wow' moment

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will grace the cover of EA Sports' NHL 24 video game, it was announced.

www.espn.com

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Zach Collaros looked very good in his return from injury. Had a few picks, but the high powered Blue Bomber offense truly cannot be stopped. Winnipeg is by far my favorite team to watch in CFL.

 

[famicommander]

I'm so glad to be a Bombers fan right now. Rockies are fuckin' horrible and it's looking like another tough Broncos season ahead.

Can't wait for the Nugs, Avs, and Mammoth to start back up.

It looks like that AFL reboot is probably not happening but it does seem like the WNBA is going to expand to Denver. The commissioner came to town and met with a couple local billionaires along with the mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado, plus they toured Ball Arena (Nugs/Avs/Mammoth home) and Magness Arena (DU Pioneers hockey and basketball home) as potential venues. Wouldn't be my first choice but I guess I could become a superfan and annoy the fuck out of basic with incessant updates about them.

Still waiting on the PLL to announce their home markets. I guess they'll do it after their playoffs.

And there's a group trying to bring a NWSL team here too, but it doesn't seem like they have the cash behind them unlike the PLL and WNBA groups. In any case, no chance of me watching soccer.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

Zach Collaros looked very good in his return from injury. Had a few picks, but the high powered Blue Bomber offense truly cannot be stopped. Winnipeg is by far my favorite team to watch in CFL.

no...not like this. i beg you to choose a team other than winnipeg.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

no...not like this. i beg you to choose a team other than winnipeg.

Winnipeg is my favorite team to watch since they have such a high powered offense. But my team is still Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Go Bombers. Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira, and Kenny Lawler are unstoppable!

 

[wataru330]

Las Vegas F1 return suuuuuuuucked.

They would’ve been better off, running the 1981 course.

 

[Lets Gekiga In]

Congrats to the Als on their Grey Cup win!

 

[Tw3ek]

I'm so glad to be a Bombers fan right now.

Aged real well right here

 

[100proof]

College football playoff committee once again shows their ass on national television and adds another shining example of what a joke/sham D1 college football is. Alabama gets in because Alabama despite losing by double digits at home and needing a miracle to beat 6-6 Auburn in a weak SEC and Florida State, an undefeated team in a power 5 conference, is left out because their QB is injured (despite winning their conference championship and a rivalry game with a backup).

FSU probably would've been blown out in the semifinal (though who knows... Michigan chokes every year) but if the playoff is about who would hypothetically provide the most competitive matchup, why even bother playing the regular season? As usual, "amateur" athletics proves to be about advertising revenue and television rights contracts and not the "student ath-a-lete" but rarely has it been so bold-faced.

 

[Tw3ek]

FSU probably would've been blown out in the semifinal (though who knows... Michigan chokes every year)

I would say one year we're bound to get one but now the reward is Alabama so maybe not. Definitely some bullshit either way. Just seed the playoffs based on who recruits if you wanna go with potential over actual on field results

 

[Yoshi]

College football playoff committee once again shows their ass on national television and adds another shining example of what a joke/sham D1 college football is. Alabama gets in because Alabama despite losing by double digits at home and needing a miracle to beat 6-6 Auburn in a weak SEC and Florida State, an undefeated team in a power 5 conference, is left out because their QB is injured (despite winning their conference championship and a rivalry game with a backup).

FSU probably would've been blown out in the semifinal (though who knows... Michigan chokes every year) but if the playoff is about who would hypothetically provide the most competitive matchup, why even bother playing the regular season? As usual, "amateur" athletics proves to be about advertising revenue and television rights contracts and not the "student ath-a-lete" but rarely has it been so bold-faced.

It's a glimpse at the future. Power 5 is over; nothing but Big Ten vs. SEC matters.

 

[100proof]

Frankly, I don't even care about the conference realignment and consolidation. Fine. Do it. Fuck the traditional rivalries and conferences. Relegate all of the schools that have zero chance of winning at the beginning of the year no matter how well they play back to D1-AA. Just stop the dog and pony show and decide the playoffs and championships on the field like every other major sport (and the vast majority of college sports). No computers, no committees, no schools making their own schedules. You win or shut the fuck up.

It's the reason I stopped watching college football 25 years ago. Same with boxing... if the process by which champions are crowned involves anything beyond what takes place on the field/in the ring, why should I give a shit who wins and loses?

 

[famicommander]

college football: *does what college football has been doing for 150 years*
college football fans: "this sucks"
college football fans: "can't wait for next year!"