tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13652090.post6823154658961594161..comments2023-06-08T08:10:31.126-05:00Comments on Husker Mike's Blasphemy: Nighthawks & UNO Stadium Is Mostly A DreamHusker Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05764508184267042143noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13652090.post-45058874452618078212010-09-29T21:19:30.424-05:002010-09-29T21:19:30.424-05:00Igo is a big-talker who hasn't done much in an...Igo is a big-talker who hasn't done much in any sport. If you have heard him speak in public or private you would understand this. The Nighthawks have a good staff selling football in the most fertile ground for football in the country.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13652090.post-61383337195996338062010-09-28T13:32:01.888-05:002010-09-28T13:32:01.888-05:00Oh boy…where to start?
I like Don Igo, I think he’...Oh boy…where to start?<br />I like Don Igo, I think he’s brilliant. Smart guy, loves Omaha and sports. Very good businessman. I actually worked with his wife at one point in time, about 12 years ago, she’s a whip-smart salesperson.<br />That being said, I have a very hard time seeing how the UFL becomes successful.<br />In year two, they’ve added a franchise in Omaha, and for year three, there’s going to be a team in the Hampton Roads (Newport News/Norfolk area) of Virginia. That’ll give the league an even six teams, but nothing even remotely geographically close.<br />So it’s not a bus league, there goes a huge chunk of revenue when you have to fly 50+ people plus gear all across the country.<br />Salaries are $50k/player, with the exception of quarterback (if I read correctly) plus playoff bonuses. With 52-53 players on the roster, that’s $2.6 million in just salaries for players…at least. At $10-$35 per ticket and 4 home games, you’re not even close to just paying player salaries, and that’s assuming 20k in paid attendance.<br />You’ve also got front office salaries, insurance, facility rental, equipment, pre- and post-game spreads (they probably trade this out), utilities, etc.<br />I’m going to assume that they’ve got a handful of corporate sponsorships and league-wide sponsorships (probably Coke or Budweiser or something like that), but I’d be hard pressed to think that there are enough companies in Omaha that are willing to pony up thousands of dollars to associate with the Nighthawks, an unproven entity in the sports marketplace. <br />TV contract? I’d have to think the revenue sharing from that isn’t a huge chunk of change.<br />Drawing 23k-ish to Rosenblatt is pretty impressive, Omaha is an event town (as are most cities, DC included) so it’s not surprising they did well. They’ll likely be the best-practice franchise.<br />All this aside…I’m not anti-UFL or anti-Nighthawks, I just have yet to find someone that can show me how the league generates revenue. It’s no wonder they lost money hand over fist last year.<br />What would I do if there was an NFL lockout or strike? Stick teams in NFL markets that have available stadiums you can use. I don’t know if the talent pool is deep enough to support 20 teams, but you could probably temporarily expand to 10-12 and be safe…at least for a season.Adam F.noreply@blogger.com