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.
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).
ReplyDeleteAt 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.
ReplyDeleteOr 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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