Today is T minus 2. Less than 48 hours remaining. As of noon EST there are 105 teams paid and 157 teams registered including 8 pro teams. Phoenix '08 had 123 teams including the NXL. The most interesting addition of the weekend is XSV registering in the semi-pro division. This looks like a sharp move. Lower entry, better opportunity to defray expenses through winning prizes all while likely playing pr0 competition in the prelims which should develop and prepare the team for a future move up. And strategically it allows XSV to keep a foot in both major league camps. If they can pull it off that is a win, win in these troubled times.
Registered teams alone do not tell the whole story however. Sponsorship dollars from the industry are down and at a guess I'd say that the savings benefits of the rules changes is about a wash with the added expense of the webcast.
Monday, February 9, 2009
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3 comments:
The XSV move is only sharp if they win. If they lose it will be humiliating to go from one of the top teams in the world, subject of a major documentary, to losing to last year's D1 squads. (regardless of the valid justifications for the possible decrease in performance).
At least if they were a bottom middle pro team they are still pros going through some tough transitional phases.
I disagree, Chris. Right now it's about survival. Trust me when I tell you Rich is far more concerned with there continuing to be an XSV than what some peeps on the internet might say about them.
Or better yet, a stable league for XSV to compete in. Despite what the press releases suggest, the USPL is an illiquid, losing proposition.
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