NBC Deal Laughs in Face of Tradition -- Whether We Like It or Not
Mary-Ann Williams
Thursday March 7, 2002
“(The AFL) is a legitimate sport played by men with talent,” said Ebersol. “Unlike the XFL, this is a game with a proven track record.” A proven track record without a national audience, which is what this agreement will give the AFL.
Good for the AFL. Tradition dictates that the league needs exposure on one of the four major networks to be considered a “big league” sport by those outside of the Arena world. And with Ebersol signing an indefinite contract with the league just a couple of weeks before the NFL votes on whether or not to buy their options, what could be better for Arena Football?
How about a contract that might allow them some room to wheel and deal when they finally get that national recognition they so hope for? Tradition also dictates that we get some room to maneuver if there’s a chance to make more money elsewhere.
The specifics of the contract, as I understand them, involve a two-year commitment by NBC to air 55 hours of Arena Football during the regular season, plus all playoff games and the ArenaBowl. In 2005, NBC has the option to pick up another four years. If they like the way the AFL is performing for them, they can pick up another four years in 2009. And so on, and so on, and so on, indefinitely. BUT, the Arena Football League cannot shop around for someone else. They are locked into the contract as long as the NBC wants it and does what it’s supposed to do: market and produce. Not a traditional type of contract, but will it work to the advantage of the Arena Football League?
While at first glance that’s a bad deal for the AFL, the truth is, it works out fine. The most costly side of any sport is the marketing and production. As long as NBC does what it’s signed on to do, i.e. produce a quality show and market the hell out of it, the AFL can’t lose. NBC doesn’t own the rights to the AFL, but rather shares the proceeds equally after certain bills are paid. The other option is for the AFL to continue to flounder along, paying stations to air the ArenaBowl, and not making any money at all. At least this way, there’s a chance that a little money will actually start coming in.
Again, it depends completely on NBC keeping up their end of the bargain, and Ebersol and his cronies have an incredible track record in marketing. After all, they managed to get viewers to watch the XFL... for a bit.
“We had great ratings the first week,” said Ebersol. “And even the second week. But the goods just weren’t there. That’s not the case with the AFL.”
No, it’s not. The goods are there: fast-paced, hard-hitting, in-your-face football. The very thing that NBC promised with the XFL. But can NBC convince the preferred market to take another chance on them? And why didn’t Ebersol go with Arena Football, a tried and true sport, before hooking up with Vince McMahon and his circus-football? Do we care?
Of course we do, but no one up high is answering. NBC had to try their hand at the pomp and flash of McMahon’s moronic fiasco first, to get a taste of real disaster, before finally listening to Baker’s pitch. Another tradition among network executives: try out garbage before going back to what works. Now it’s time to let by-gones be by-gone. Sit back and enjoy some time with the kids after the Super Bowl before diving in... oh, wait. That’s right. They moved the season ... a full two months earlier than we’re used to seeing the nets go up.
Next season will start on February 2, 2003, the weekend following the Super Bowl, and end June 22, 2003. What?? Mess with our traditions? That’s not right!
If NBC sees us as a quality product, why are they already messing with what’s worked for 15 seasons? Because they can. And because they have years of experience knowing what works on television. And because, well, because they can. We may not like it much, but it looks as though we’ll have to get used to it ... indefinitely.
And it definitely works for the players! They can actually rest before NFL training camp, going in fresh and ready to go. Those players trying to work their way around the leagues to get a shot at the NFL can do it with adequate time to rest and recuperate between leagues, unlike Kevin Swayne, with his 40+ consecutive game weeks in one year.
But will the season-shift work for the arenas? Commissioner Baker wasn’t too worried about scheduling conflicts.
“After competing against the March Madness and World Cup, we’ll finally be able to launch our sport right,” said Baker. “We’ve done a lot of research and we’ve found that there aren’t many conflicts on Sunday afternoons. I think it will be fine.”
Arenafan esteemed staff member, John Ferlazzo, pointed out that now that the AFL is affiliated with NBC and the NFL buy-in is nearly a done deal, the arenas will make room for Arena Football. Wow. Now there’s a tradition worth changing! No more shifting our schedules to accommodate the “primary” leasee. No more last minute time changes. No more being low-man on the totem pole. I can live with that.
And as the af2 isn’t involved in this agreement yet, the af2 schedule isn’t affected. Die-hard fans who live in an af2 city will get their wish of year-round football. From September to January: NFL and college. From February to June: AFL. From April to August: af2. With this schedule now in place, a talented, college athlete who didn’t get picked up in the draft could conceivably play his senior year of eligibility, then rest a few months before going for an af2 team. They could then rest a few months and try to make it on an AFL team, followed by trying out for the NFL a few months later without missing a beat.
Is this NBC-AFL marriage going to build up our beloved league? Absolutely. Will it destroy the integrity of the sport in the process? That remains to be seen. Ebersol and NBC can sometimes utilize a bit too much hype, which turns off true sports fans, the core of the AFL fan base. It can also create a fad-like atmosphere surrounding its first couple of on-air seasons, leading to a quick, untimely demise.
The big question for me is how will the players react to being “big league players?”
The AFL was built on guys just wanting to play ball. No big, corporate honchos. No egocentric asses. Just everyday men throwing the ball around and having some fun while we fans cheered them on. With the addition of NBC and the NFL, we can probably kiss those days goodbye, gang. Market share growth equals ego growth traditionally, and our guys are nothing if not traditional.
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
