What's the chance of a US pro league?

[The Daddy3]

Now it appears as though AMNRL has been disbanded, is a pro league possibly something the sport in America can aim for?

The US is one of the most developed countries in the world with hundreds of tv stations and millions of pounds in corporate sponsorship up for grabs, why is it not realistic to aim for at the very minimum a 10 team pro league?

Every American who has been exposed to the sport has loved it and would really take to the rules, which is similar to that of American Football.

 

[deal.with.it]

Not unless the sport is played in youth ages.

 

[Steve Davy]

I think all ages has to be approached differently. The model was always to have a open-age team and then all age groups beneath that. Increasingly, you can teach kids, then you lose them in their teens and get them back again afterwards. I am more in favour, generally, of having seperate kids teams associated but seperate from the main local club.

 

[PacificCoastRL]

I really believe that a pro league would work in North America. And I agree, the sport has to be played at the youth level. But - history tells us that sports at the youth level do not grow until there is a pro level league for children to aspire to. Besides, who is to organize the kids, if not the adults who are playing it. In a perfect world - for argument's sake - an eight team pro league, with those team's players and executives helping to grow the game in their respective cities by helping to establish an "amateur" adult competition in each of their areas (maybe 4-6 teams in each city). In turn - the people involved in those amateur teams help to establish youth programs in their areas of the city. Simplified - the New York Empires (pro team) spawn the Bronx Bombers, the Brooklyn Kings, the Long Island Sounds and the Queens Royals, who build youth teams in the neighbourhoods of their areas. The kids feed to the "amateur team", the top players from the amateur teams look to play for the pro team. Sport being what it is of course, the aspiring pros don't have to play for the Empires, they can go play for the Boston Beacons or another pro team if they wish.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

The Long Island Sounds? What sort of a mascot would they have?

 

[gyallop]

Every chance if they can find someone with a lazy billion they are happy to risk!

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Every chance if they can find someone with a lazy billion they are happy to risk!

All well and good but the sounds?

 

[deluded pom?]

The Long Island Sounds? What sort of a mascot would they have?

A six foot tall ear.

 

[IowaRL]

A stylish treble cleft. Memphis had an aba team who were the sounds, with a treble cleft

 

[photomarv]

I think you all know that a "sound" in this case refers to a body of water. "Long Island Sound", " Puget Sound" etc?

 

[PacificCoastRL]

Exactly, photomarv.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Of course, but the mascot?

 

[photomarv]

Of course, but the mascot?

I don't think most of the teams in the league really have a mascot so to speak, more so just a logo? Maybe they could use a wave, like a Hawaii Five-O wave?

 

[PacificCoastRL]

Again, exactly photomarv. Or anything that comes out of the ocean in that area. Miguel, you do know that this isn't a real team? I chose that name as I was writing the post.

 

[PacificCoastRL]

Every chance if they can find someone with a lazy billion they are happy to risk!

I hadn't really noticed this, what I would perceive as a snide remark earlier gyallop. But yes, that is what it will take - more than a few people who have a fair amount of cash available to put into a sports team, not a group of people with very little cash who go out and form some sort of society or leagues club to field a team. There are those types of people out there in the US. The guy who now owns the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL and the Detroit Tigers of MLB started out with a team in a pro slo-pitch softball league. He was just getting started back then with his business and he wanted to promote it. Maybe you've heard of it - Little Ceasars Pizza.
That is the type of individuals that will have to be drawn to the game by people like Spinner and Larry.

 

[IowaRL]

I wonder how much each team would take to run, how much the league would cost, and what sort of salary cap we'd have to have.

 

[goodplayer]

do your research , plenty of usa rugby league sites out there

 

[deal.with.it]

I think NRL clubs run on approx $20M budget per year.
If you halve the number of games played, play in high school fields, and reduce the salary of players to average income, then maybe you could do it for a lazy $5M??
Who knows...

 

[Western_Eel]

i think if they are successful you might be able to do it in 5 - 10 years

 

[IowaRL]

do your research , plenty of usa rugby league sites out there

I run a team now goodplayer, more trying to stimulate some discussion. And I guess it depends on how professional you want to make it.