ESPN AFL Preview Show - The Good and the Bad
Laurie Button
Wednesday February 28, 2007
Sure – we’ve all been reading the stories dissecting the rule changes and effects those changes will have on league play – but until now we’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the first game of the season. Now those first games are just days away and Tuesday’s ESPN broadcast served to wet the appetites of fans both old and new.
When the League’s new television partner aired its inaugural show, we were planted in front of the TV to soak in every morsel the network had prepared to serve us.
To be honest, my husband Joel and I are so anxious for the beginning of the 2007 season that we would have salivated at almost anything ESPN brought to the table. That being said, the much-anticipated program was flashy, full of action-packed classy video and undiluted enthusiasm.
So, what did we think of the network that took over NBC’s role in promoting the AFL? My initial reaction is a guarded, yet positive “thumbs up.” During my first four short years as an AFL fan, I’ve become very protective of the game I consider to be one of the most exciting around.
The trio manning the ESPN desk – Mike Greenberg, Mike Golic and Merril Hoge – were pretty darn convincing in their enthusiasm regarding the arena game. But always the skeptic, I wonder if at least part of that upbeat attitude was manufactured for the task ahead.
Throughout the program, the commentators outdid themselves in their efforts to not only introduce the arena game to viewers, but to educate them in the basics as well. Kudos for that effort. The video was great, information was made simple, the interviews were insightful, and after listening to Ron Jaworski’s effervescent commentary, I think he could have sold me anything.
On its maiden voyage, this team of announcers provided a solid foundation for potential fans to enter into the AFL scheme of things, which has not always been easy to do in the past. Did the show have a lot of meat for the League experts? Maybe not, but I have a feeling that this show was designed to pique the interest of a new audience.
As could be expected, the network highlighted its program with interviews from the AFL’s noteworthy, ranging from Jaworski to Jon Bon Jovi and the new chairman of the League’s Executive Committee, John Elway. Images of Mike Ditka also frequented the screen.
What didn’t I like about the telecast?
It’s a personal thing. There seemed to be a preoccupation with using the AFL as a training ground for the National Football League and I’m sensitive, if not over-protective about that particular plan. While knowing that is the direction the League has apparently chosen for the future, I’m also sure it’s probably the dream of most, if not all, AFL players to play in the NFL. I would be kidding myself if I believed otherwise. But as much of a “newbie” as I might be, I loved the game the way Mr. Foster designed it so many years ago on that famed napkin. And while I may be proved wrong, I’ll continue to believe arena football should be loved for what it is and that’s not the NFL.
Getting older at this point in life, I’m discovering that I get much more set (and stubborn) in my ways. Just looking at the roster of our team of choice – the Colorado Crush – recent cuts have had definite impacts upon the roster due to the more NFL-tone of the indoor game. Several of the team’s fan favorites have been sent packing, causing a level of discord in the fan base.
Joel and I have had season tickets for the Denver Broncos for a number of years. That certainly doesn’t make us particularly unique – there are more than 70,000 of us. What did surprise me this past season, however, was that during the Broncos action my husband was frequently caught exclaiming “Go Crush!” out of the blue. The words exploded from his mouth much like a happy version of Tourette's Syndrome. He has been waiting for this new AFL season to begin since the gun sounded last June in Vegas.
It’s a reality that in the world of successful marketing, sacrifices need to be made. The rule changes will make it much easier for us to introduce friends to the arena game and then anticipate that they will return to buy more tickets another day. In today’s world, that’s the bottom-line.
Did I buy in to last night’s show? If I were new to the AFL, after this ESPN broadcast I’d at least check out a game. And that, friends, is what it’s all about. To ensure the survival of the league we love so much, we need to addict new fans. Next February I’d like to see an epidemic of people suffering from AFL withdrawal and I think this network may be a partner in the weeks, months and years to come in helping us to achieve that goal.
Laurie Button worked fulltime as a writer for more than a decade, but she's been a football fan all of her life. Having left the newspaper life behind, Laurie now spends her days as a public works department office manager in Estes Park, Colorado. Her nights and weekends, however, revolve around the Colorado Crush and the team's booster organization, Club Crush. Laurie serves on the club's board of directors and is also responsible for writing and designing the organization's newsletter.
