Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE IF MEMBERS WANT TO SAVE AFL SEASON

          Despite AFL owners cancelling the 2000 season due to a
     pending antitrust lawsuit brought by a group of players
     against the league seeking better working conditions, Albany
     Firebirds QB Mike Pawlawski said that the players "aren't
     backing off" the suit, according to Mark Singelais of the
     Albany TIMES UNION.  AFL Deputy Commissioner Ron Kurpiers
     said that there is "still a slim chance to save the season,
     if the players unionize quickly."  Pawlawski said that the
     Teamsters Union ended its efforts to unionize the players
     "because they realized that a union wasn't in the best
     interests of the players."  But Detroit Fury member George
     LaFrance told the AP that the Teamsters "remain very much
     involved."  Meanwhile, the AFL "is in the process of laying
     off employees" (Albany TIMES UNION, 2/26).  In St.
     Petersburg, Chris Rotar wrote that AFL players' attorney
     Jeffrey Kessler said that he will file an injunction today
     "to prevent the league from canceling the season." 
     Kurpiers: "We are committed to cancel. ... The only way to
     turn it around is literally for something to happen in days,
     and I am not sure that could happen" (ST. PETE TIMES, 2/26). 
     In Rochester, Bob Matthews: "I can't help but think [AFL]
     owners are bluffing and that there will be a 2000 season. 
     The AFL has made too many positive strides in the last year
     to give up" (DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 2/28).  In Albany, Steve
     Campbell wrote that there is "little reaction" to the
     season's end outside AFL markets, and that AFL owners and
     players "might want to keep that in mind while they're
     sifting through the rubble they made out of the good things
     they had going" (Albany TIMES UNION, 2/27).  
          WILL OTHER LEAGUES BENEFIT? In Orlando, Jerry Greene
     asked, "Who benefits if the [AFL] season is dead?  Hello,
     XFL" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/26).  The CFL has "advised its
     teams to stand down and not sign any" AFL players (Toronto
     GLOBE & MAIL, 2/26).  In Wichita, Van Williams wrote that
     the AFL's "loss" is the Indoor Football League's (IFL)
     "gain," as IFL officials are now looking to sign players
     (WICHITA EAGLE, 2/26).  Meanwhile, in Naples, FL, Greg
     Hardwig wrote that af2 "will still go on" in April with 16
     teams competing (NAPLES DAILY NEWS, 2/26).  af2
     Communications Dir Matthew Eres said that AFL players "will
     not be allowed" to play in af2 (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 2/26).
          A BAD SIGN? In San Gabriel, CA, Michelle Rester wrote
     that 1,400 "risque" billboards the AFL Avengers put up to
     promote the team "outraged" some Azusa officials.  A few
     variations of the signs read, "On April 9, Hundreds Of Men
     Will Leave Their Wives For Other Men"; "On April 9, Eight
     Oklahoma Tourists Will Be Beaten In Downtown Los Angeles'";
     and "On April 9, Sixty-Nine Won't Be Out Of The Question."  
     Avengers spokesperson John Tamanaha added that there were
     "no plans to remove the billboards" before the eight-week
     promo was completed.  Rester added that some "angry people"
     in Azusa "began destroying some of the signs immediately
     after they went up" (San Gabriel VALLEY TRIBUNE, 2/26).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2000/02/28/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/TIME-IS-OF-THE-ESSENCE-IF-MEMBERS-WANT-TO-SAVE-AFL-SEASON.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2000/02/28/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/TIME-IS-OF-THE-ESSENCE-IF-MEMBERS-WANT-TO-SAVE-AFL-SEASON.aspx

CLOSE