Team Insight

And, Then There Was One Next spring the two professional spring football leagues in the U.S. will become one as the United States Football League (USFL) and XFL plan to merge. The USFL's games were televised by NBC, Fox and FS1, while the XFL's games were on ABC and the ESPN family of networks. Super Bowl in London? "That is not out of the question," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said recently at a fan forum in London. But for time being, all Super Bowls will remain in the U.S., according to the NFL. "Super Bowls will remain in cities that have (NFL) franchises," confirmed Goodell. The next three will be in Las Vegas (2024); New Orleans (2025) and Santa Clara (2026). The NFL placed three games in London and two games in Germany on its 2023 schedule. New Amateur Adult Football League For those who can't get enough play- ing, there's the new Elite American Football League (EAFL), consisting of 59 teams in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. In 2022, the league championship game featured the Bay Area Reapers (St. Petersburg, FL) vs. the Bold City Thunder (Jacksonville, FL). The Reapers prevailed, 13-8. In 2023, the league championship game featured the South Florida Browns (Hollywood, FL) vs. the Georgia Cobras (Thomasville, GA). The Browns won, 21-20. returned so strongly that there's no lingering hangover at all from the COVID pandemic. Even better, supply chain issues are no longer a regular concern. Meanwhile, in western Massachusetts, the football business is a reflection of early-season play of the New England Patriots: poor and lackluster. According to Betsy Frey, the owner of Holyoke Sporting Goods in Holyoke, MA, her football business is average at best and it has not returned to where it was pre-COVID. "It is not what it used to be," says Frey. "Right now, not as many kids are playing football as they used to. Football has never been a big category for us, but the numbers are even lower now than pre-COVID." With her football business limited to selling to nine local high schools as well as the local youth league, the fact that the local youth football league has been struggling to attract registra- tions has negatively impacted football-related sales. In fact, sign-ups for the league were so poor last year that the local youth league was canceled in 2022. ere is one outside factor which positively impacts sales and interest in football in west- ern Massachusetts. "When the New England Patriots do well, local interest and participation in football gets stronger." Out in Missouri, tackle football gear, equip- ment and so goods are being ordered, paid for and delivered, but the dynamics around the sport have changed in the Show-Me State. "High school football is a reflection of the local economy," explains Mike Weir, owner of Red Weir Athletic Supplies in Columbia, MO. "Industry has moved out and we are now more of a farming community, which means we have fewer people in the area. As a result, many schools have less than 30 players on the football team, so they are playing eight-man football rather than 11-man football." From a sales perspective, uniform sales for Red Weir Athletic Supplies have been average this past fall and it's been a struggle selling helmets and shoulder pads. "e reconditioning issue has been slowed by not having enough parts," he says. "It is getting better, though." One bright spot on the local football scene has been the emergence of a local summer flag foot- ball league for young boys. Last summer more than 300 boys, age sixth grade and younger, played in the league. Another outside factor impacting interest and participation in Missouri is how well the University of Missouri Tigers football team plays each fall. So far, so good this season. Out west in Las Vegas, Turf Sporting Goods owner Jerry Ocuda "beat the odds" of supply chain issues affecting his ability to deliver foot- ball products to teams and players by ordering everything six months in advance. So, when football season rolled around this year, he was ready to deliver upon request to local youth football leagues and some area high schools. "With our local leagues, everything is pur- chased by the parents," says Ocuda. "We offer a package deal that includes a helmet, shoulder pads and practice pants and if they need any ad- ditional items, such as cleats or a practice jersey, I give a team discount on those purchases." Ocuda is already making plans for the 2024 football season: "I've already placed my football orders for next year." In the Southeast, one of the service attributes of Baker's Sporting Goods in Jacksonville, FL, is its ability to recondition the football helmets in-house. For its high school teams, Baker's collects the helmets as soon as the season comes to an end, with the goal of having them reconditioned and returned in time for spring football practice. According to Joel Dunn, one of Baker's salesmen in south Florida, he's very busy with high school clients in November and December TEAM FOOTBALL 17 • Team Insight ~ November/December 2023 teaminsightmag.com Overtime: Notable News and Newsworthy Notes Photo: BluIz60/istock

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