The number of bums on seats is the single most important thing that any sport in the world values most bar none. Anyone that doubts that is away with the fairies.
Just look at every major billion dollar TV rights deal around the world ffs. They are all consistently played in front of full houses, even AFL. We may curse the injustices of our deals, but the simple fact is that the consistently biggest crowd drawing sport in Oz has also got the biggest money deal. Bums on seats invariably draw the most eyeballs to the box. Leagues' win in the ratings last year (and it is debatable) was a first and what experts call an outliner.
I know that a lot of people will argue the merits of the AFL's contracts Vs the NRL's, with demographics and all, but really all that separates the two sports of significance is stadium crowd numbers and junior playing numbers which really can be attributed to more people going to the game in the first place and a superior development program due to the money from the better TV deal. See how people participating physically in a sport either going to watch a sport and or playing it is intimately related to viewers, or as networks claim potential viewers and money then available to it. Networks love full stadiums and the hype and buzz associated with it and so do the viewers, they feed off it. State of Origin is a perfect example.
We must get more bums on seats, the life blood of any sport and then everything else that is good for the sport will follow. To not appreciate that is so totally off the mark, ridiculous and naive.
So are you a member yet, and if not why not? If it is due to anything other then monetary difficulty, then it is simply a BULLSH*T EXCUSE!!!
