TNN kicked off its inaugural coverage of the AFL last
night with its Firebirds-Kats telecast, and AFL Commissioner
David Baker said, "I think [the season] is going to be
outstanding. We've got a shot at having over 100,000 people
this weekend for the first time in Arena Football with new
teams in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Raleigh. ... [The
NFL] has been a great supporter and ... we've actually got
six or seven NFL owners that have applied for teams. I'm
not at liberty to disclose all of them, but the guys that
we've got are obviously Tom Benson, who'll begin next year
in New Orleans, along with Chicago and with Detroit. ...
Then we've got Dan Snyder in Washington, DC, Wayne Weaver in
Jacksonville and a whole lot of others coming" (TNN, 4/13).
In Raleigh, J.P. Giglio writes the AFL is "still trying to
carve a niche in the vast American sporting landscape."
Baker: "Our goal is to be the most fan friendly sport in the
world" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 4/14).
O' CANADA? Baker said that he "remains committed to
expanding into Canada, but only in a joint venture with the
CFL that doesn't threaten the Canadian game" (CP, 4/14).
PREDATOR OR THE PREY: AFL Predators CFO Jeff Bouchy
said that the team's payroll will be 22% higher than last
year. The team will spend "about" $225,000 for player
benefits. Bouchy also said that Orlando Predators Ent.,
which "owns the majority of the team" and a 12% revenue
interest in the AFL, "turned a profit (about $215,000) for
the first time last season" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/14)
