Knickerbocker happenings

[schlim]

So what is happening at the great Soda-Pop Arena in the Capital District?
I've heard rumors of the RiverRats leaving town, (they popped up on this board, among other places, last year), the Firebirds flew the coop, and the afl2 is headed into town? Where does this leave the Attack? Is anything besides the WWF a big draw there? The Firebirds always were a strong draw, weren't they? Does anyone else think this could be the Attack's last stand in Albany?

[Fabio gump]

If memory serves me correctly, in a last ditch effort the River Rats and the Attack teamed up in a deal to split arena advertising revenue to get some cash into both teams.

Although both teams drew badly at the gate(I think attack drew about 4500 this year?). If Albany doesn't draw at least the min to break even (8000), the last remnet of the Livsey era in the NLL will be gone.

[schlim]

Fabio and perhaps Saul - I don't like to dance on graves, or wish anything bad against the Albany franchise (I was born in the Capital District), but what are the possibilities of the Attack moving at the end of the season if attendence doesn't turn around?
Do you think there will be more expansion next season or perhaps 1-2 franchise moves to sure up the league beforet he next big growth spurt - I guess I should move this topic to the NLL news portion, but I just thought of all this here...


(((( I posted a similar topic under the big board, but what about Albany? Anyone living there seen more advertising or awareness of the team? )))))

[canam44]

I'm an Albany native myself, and as much as I hate to say it, I'm pretty sure this is the last year for the Attack. I went to the home opener last season, it was embarassing, even with no other drawing sports team in the area, and a local boy on the team that they hyped up all Fall (hyped up as in publicity, Regan's pretty good), they still can't draw a decent crowd. It makes me so mad that the people their are so F'ing lazy that they can't get their asses off the couch and make it down to see a really good team play. If it's true about the Rat's leaving, and the Attack coming up on their third year in a 3 year contract with the Pepsi, then it doesn't look like their is going to be any legitimate sports teams left in that town. Let them have their stupid AFL2! Boston deserves the Attack over Albany any day!

[sassy]

Maybe Herb needs me to help do promotions and marketing...It's a great sport in a city that has potential fans...the team isnt marketed properly...CNY, they said is a hotbed of lacrosse fans...well I'm here..they took away my Syracuse Smash, and they threaten to take away the ATTACK...hey, if I wasnt an AVID fan, I would NEVER know about any of the games. If it werent for this board and my friends in the know....Central New Yorkers would have NO info on the NLL. Perhaps the LEAGUE needs to assist franchises with some marketing...hold marketing and promo seminars...get the owners to think a little...basically what they do right now is SHOW UP ! and its NOT working.....

[WingsNut423566]

I know that, the league has started a team services divison. Now I figure that the team services division, is in place to help struggling franchises. But I don't believe the team services divison, has done much to date.

[DaveatNLLLax]

Nut,
The leagues team services division consists of one person, that is to help all thirteen teams with marking, advertising, etc. One would think that if the league was truly serious about staying put in Albany, that's where they would start. The only thing that I, personally, can base any form of opinion off of, is the facts being posted here. The fact that the Attack and the Rats are teaming up for their joint adventures may give the league a sense that because of this, they may start helping out elsewhere. The Firebirds move was in part due to the fact that the Arena League is setting up for the NFL's minor league system, believe it or not, and the AFL wants teams in NFL cities. That's the reasoning behind the move to Indy, and Iowa's move to Long Island. The NLL is looking at kind of the same thing, which would lead one to believe the Albany situation not lasting more than this year. The NLL is looking to put teams in major league cities and have said that in the past. When you look at the possible expansion plans for next year, add Chicago to the list of cities where the Attack could end up, not Boston alone. More proof of the NLL leaning towards the AFL seneario, is the minor league system the league wants to introduce next year. The AFL has AF2, the NLL has NL2. Do I feel this will be the last year for Albany? Perhaps, but alot of us here have felt this way for the last two years, and the Attack is still in Albany. Advertisng and marketing has to be driven in an overkill mode this coming season for any kind of success being seen here. Depending on one league official, who has a full plate to begin with, is kind of fool-hearty to say the least.

Dave