Loading ...Access Interview: Hartford Sports Scene
UFL Access and Nation Hahn recently interviewed a writer on the Hartford sports scene, in reference to the recent news of the strong possibility of a United Football League franchise in that area. Because of the figure’s ongoing coverage and work with the league, he/she has wished to remain anonymous. Access will honor that request.
We probed the writer’s brain on a few quick issues concerning the Hartford market. Check the interview below - UFLA questions are in bold.
1. What has the reaction been in Hartford thus far for the potential of a UFL franchise?
I would say people are skeptical. Understand the history here. The city lost the Whalers in 1997. The Patriots were supposed to come, but that fell through. I think sports fans around here are a bit gun-shy. There were many comments on the story in the Courant the other day (you can still see the comments) and most were negative/skeptical, although some said they would welcome the franchise.
2. What is your gut feeling toward the media reaction should Hartford land a team - skeptical or welcoming?
I think the media would certainly pay attention, at least at first. The state has a WNBA team, two Double A baseball teams, two AHL teams. These teams get various amounts of media coverage. I could see a UFL team getting some coverage, at least from the Hartford-area media. But newspapers from outside the Hartford area may be less inclined to cover the team. Connecticut’s a small state, but it’s very much divided into regions and that’s reflected in the media - Fairfield County, the New Haven area, Eastern Connecticut (where the casinos are located), Greater Hartford. Aside from UConn sports - which transcends the entire state - the sports media tends to concentrate on its own turf. So I’m sure a UFL team, long term, would draw much media attention from the entire state. I must say there is a parochialism in the state and the franchise could create a media buzz by having former UConn players or players with state ties.
3. What are your thoughts on Northland as an ownership group?
Hard to say, because they haven’t owned pro sports franchises before. They’re a very successful real estate company and they seem to be succeeding at running the XL Center (Hartford’s downtown arena) and Rentschler Field. I suspect they would be good at running a team, based on their track record. They’re also committed to Hartford ($500 million invested in the city…. they’re the largest landlord in Hartford), so they have a real stake in making it work.
4. Would the UCONN football program have a problem with the UFL team playing at “The Rent” - or with sharing the market?
Hard to say. The stadium was certainly built for UConn football and the school is a heavyweight in the state. I’m sure UConn would have some say in this, but I don’t know that for sure. Going forward, I think this is a big question. In terms of sharing the market, I’m not sure that’s a concern. UConn is an entity that stands by itself in the state. This is a state with divided professional sports loyalty (being stuck between Boston and NY), but UConn athletes appeal to pretty much everyone.
5. How well do you think Hartford would receive a NFL alternative in terms of fan support?
This could be a concern. Hartford’s American Hockey League franchise averaged 4,405 (although there were usually fewer in the building . . .the attendance numbers were a bit dubious) and was in the bottom half of the league last year. There are plenty of hockey fans in the state, but I think people have not forgotten about the Whalers and they refuse to support a minor league replacement (even after 11 years). On the flip side, the Eastern League franchise in nearby New Britain is averaging over 5,100 a game this year and has set franchise attendance records in recent years. That team is well-marketed, and they draw from both Red Sox and Yankees fans in the region. So, if the UFL team is marketed well, the fan support could be there. There’s certainly a large population in Greater Hartford. (By population, it’s the 44th largest metro area in the country. In terms of TV markets, Hartford/New Haven is No. 28 and is the largest TV market without a professional sports franchise.)
Billy Kirk @ August 18, 2008
Bookmark this article!
While this Hartford journalist makes some excellent points, I think he is confusing Hartford’s bitterness towards sports in the city. I would certainly agree that the relocation of the Whalers and the almost-host of the Patriots would leave a bad taste in any city’s mouth. However, let’s use poor AHL hockey attendance to portend the potential failure of a UFL football team.
Media polls show that half of America chooses football as its favorite spectator sport. The NFL destroys other leagues in ratings every year (even the defunct and embarrassing XFL showed better ratings on some nights than NHL games). In terms of gameday attendance, football dominates every other sport. The aforementioned Hartford reporter mentioned the 4,000 plus or minus attendance at minor league hockey games, but that is irrelevant in this case because it is a completely different sport. You can claim that Hartford loves hockey and I would agree but the average attendance of the 96-97 Whalers (last season) was around 14,000 - about the same as a UCONN women’s basketball game.
Now, let’s look at UCONN football. They had a sellout 2005 season at The Rent and have been averaging anywhere in 30,000-40,000 since. This is not to say that the Huskies fan loyalty will spill over into the UFL; it won’t. But create a league with a 20 mil salary cap per team in a market that is deprived of America’s favorite spectator sport, and you are left with the potential to bring talent to an area that has shown that they deserve a quality sports franchise.
So I ask you, the anonymous Hartford journalist behind the curtain, why wouldn’t the press want to be behind this? Hartford residents, just because you have been burned in the past doesn’t mean you can’t get excited about the future. As Morgan Freeman said in the Shawshank Redemption: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of all things.” Let’s have some hope for the UFL, because it could be a great thing for many of us.