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It comes as no surprise that the United Football League suspended operations Oct. 20 midway through its fourth season. Players in the four-team league haven’t been getting paid, attendance in each city has been dismal and former Virginia Destroyers coach Marty Schottenheimer just sued the league for $2.3 million in unpaid compensation, following a similar suit by ex-Sacramento coach and general manager Dennis Green.
But the fact that the league’s Las Vegas franchise faired so poorly in the money game should be an eye-opener. Because when it comes to actual football, the Locomotives have been the class of the UFL. Jim Fassel, who once led the New York Giants to the Super Bowl, gave the Locos a high-profile coach, and he’s the only UFL coach to remain from the league’s inaugural year. His Locos won the first two UFL championships before losing in last year’s title game, and—with the league’s top-scoring offense and stingiest defense—they were off to a 4-0 start this season.
But Las Vegas never embraced the Locos, punctuated by an announced “crowd” of 601 for the team’s last home game, a 41-6 rout of Omaha at Sam Boyd Stadium on Oct. 3. Officially, the Locos aren’t gone yet. UFL officials say they intend to resume the suspended season in the spring, and then return to a fall schedule in 2013.
Don’t bother. Las Vegas has had numerous pro sports franchises fail before, including teams from the Canadian Football League, Arena Football League and the XFL, but this team was different. Not only did the Locos win, but the quality of play was good, with former NFL players on each UFL roster. And in reaching a fourth season, the league lasted longer than any other pro football league co-existing with the NFL since the American Football League—so Las Vegas had plenty of time to embrace it.
Alas, we snubbed it, just as we have every other startup league that has tried to plant its flag in Las Vegas. Even if the UFL returns in the spring—an unlikely scenario given the league’s significant financial problems—the only way it survives is if it positions itself as a farm system for the NFL.
So let’s stop welcoming these wannabe leagues, most of which are destined to fail before the ball is even pumped up. If one of the Big Four (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) comes calling—an unlikely occurrence—then, sure, it’s worth listening. But if we’re ever going to become a big-league city, we need to abandon our minor-league mentality.
I think the best way that Vegas can prove that it is really ready to support a sports franchise would be to look to Major League Soccer. A sport that wouldn't impact sports betting, a sport that is relatively low in cost compared to other sports, one that offers fans a reasonable price for season tickets, as well as one that would bring in travelling fans, as well as appeal to the many international travelers that visit Las Vegas.
All the other sports now rely too much on corporations, and with the possible conflict of interests with casinos who have sports betting, it might be a tough sell with the NFL, MLB or the NBA.
The clear-eyed truth is pretty simple-Las Vegas doesn't have the population and hasn't shown any type of interest and civic financial commitment to support an MLB or NFL team. Gambling makes Las Vegas radioactive to the NFL and there is zero chance of that changing. This leaves the NHL or NBA.
By any measure the NBA is the gold standard. But Las Vegas has to accept and embrace the reality that about a dozen well quailfied cities in America are on the same mission: Seattle, Anaheim (or Sacramento), Omaha, Kansas City, Austin, St. Louis, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnatti, Tampa/St. Pete, Pittsburgh, Hartford and Montreal are most of the competition for the one or two opportunities that arise every decade or so. The key component to getting a team is clear: An arena paid for with taxpayer dollars that is able to allow the team to compete financially with the established teams in the league. Rationalize all you want, but that is the price of entry. Pay it or be quiet. The same formula (and competition) mostly exists in an NHL scenario.
I live in Oklahoma City. We did that and were lucky enough to get an NBA team. We did that by commiting our own taxpayer money to build and subsidize the arena. And by having civic leaders who had the money and commitment to buy a team and take their chances on bringing it to Oklahoma City. The payoff has been beyond our wildest dreams! We are used to big league football (I don't think there is much debate that the OU Sooners are bigger than the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnatti Bengals or a couple other NFL teams) but the NBA exposure is tremendous! The whole state has Thunder fever. OKC is on national TV on a regular basis. I have heard so many executives comment about how often they are in meetings and conferences where people they talk to learn they are from OKC and the conversation goes to the Thunder, instead of Indians, cows, farms and oil wildcatters.
The exact same opportunity exists for Las Vegas. But you gotta pay for it out of your own taxpayer pocket. Are you ready and willing?