should the AFL follow NFL and allow private ownership?

[milznjim]

Eddie raised the issue with david hill on EMT tonight

would it help bridge the gap between the clubs or make it worse?

also what are peoples thoughts on EMT having slater as a guest? Was it AFL charity to our little sister NRL and there fledgeling melbourne expansion or greed in the hope of poaching there biggest star?

[Xman]

Eddie raised the issue with david hill on EMT tonight

would it help bridge the gap between the clubs or make it worse?

also what are peoples thoughts on EMT having slater as a guest? Was it AFL charity to our little sister NRL and there fledgeling melbourne expansion or greed in the hope of poaching there biggest star?

I think the current AFL model of community owned clubs is working well. The NRL are the code in far more trouble and they follow the private owner model. I would much prefer to stay away from this if possible.

I thought it was good having slater on. I think the AFL media are consistently setting the example here. The code wars are are not an AFL initiative, but a Sydney media campaign. The storm are regularly mentioned in the Victorian media. Many AFL media personalities openly admit they follow the storm. If only the NRLs media personalities could follow this more mature example, instead of threatening to storm off their shows like we've seen before.

[TLPG]

All one has to do is look at the Swans when Edelsten was in charge, and you'll know that the answer is NO!

It works in the US because they shun socialism almost completely. The Packers (they were mentioned on EMT) are an exception to the rule. We are far more socialist and that's why private ownership struggles.

[Beaussie]

Not a fan of private ownership.

As TLPG points out, the Swans under Eldesten and the Bears under Skase. Disasters.

Member based community ownership is the go.

[cos789]

Australia is the graveyard for private sports ownership. I cannot think of a successful Australian model but I can think of many that have had dire consequences.
The NFL is seen as a successful model but a community model could have been even more successful.
Because they are privately owned they don't seem to get many breaks from the community with their stadia.

[TLPG]

The NFL is seen as a successful model but a community model could have been even more successful.

Not in America, Cos. That's the way that place is. The Packers are lucky and buck the trend. Americans are usually not interested unless there's money in it for them.

[cos789]

The NFL is seen as a successful model but a community model could have been even more successful.

Not in America, Cos. That's the way that place is. The Packers are lucky and buck the trend. Americans are usually not interested unless there's money in it for them.

Yes, that pysch is heavily ingrained in the American people.
I was trying to point out that the benefit of the community model is that a lot of the time the (bigger)community builds the facilities. Even though the NFL regularly gets huge crowds most of there stadia seem to lack any roofing(there are exceptions of course) and a lot of stadia arew built where land is cheap and not convenient.
But it does seem that the American view is that sport is a business - full stop.
The Australian viewis that sport is a business - a good business, has benefits and should be encouraged.

[TLPG]

Actually I don't agree with that last sentence - to a point.

We see sport as a combination of business and community. We encourage participation more. The thing about the NFL is that the competition consists of the league itself and the college level. No local comps as such. If someone doesn't make the grade in the NFL, they have to go to Canada to play (WWE wrestler and Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a perfect example - had a great college gridiron career, but couldn't get into the NFL so he had to go and play in Canada. That contributed to his choice to get out of gridiron and follow his father and grandfather into sports entertainment).

But in most sports in Australia - there are grass roots for adults. It's why I support the grass roots of football, and I participate as an umpire. Couldn't do that in any sport in the US, although getting to umpire footy there wouldn't be hard to do. Not too many level 2 accredited whistle blowers over there after all!

[King-Eliagh]

Michael Jordan just lost 20million last year on his charlotte bball team. He was calling for help in running the club hes that desperate.

The risk increases massively when one has private ownership so it should rightly be shunned here.