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Post by vbnerd on Aug 24, 2008 21:09:47 GMT -5
I've heard fromsome people on and off the board that the US needs professional leagues to develop as a sport. Now, given our recent success, their is a sentiment that now is the time.
WHY?
The WNBA and Major League Soccer have shown that players are passing up the opportunity to play in the top leagues in the world to play at home. Now, having that as an option may entice some more players to pursue the professional option, but are these the players who are going to help the national team?
Is the thought that a domestic league would make the sport more popular? But few places support thier college teams so is there really a market for more volleyball? And if nobody goes, how is anyone going to moved to take up the sport by watching? Are kids taking up Lacrosse because their is a pro league? Why don't more kids outside of the Northern Plains and Northeast take up Hockey with the ever present goal of the NHL?
So again, why do we need/want a domestic pro league? What good will come of it?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2008 21:13:18 GMT -5
If elite players play against elite players they get better. That would be the main reason. That's why our best players are the players playing professionally elsewhere.
Keeping them closer to home is better for them and, more to the point, better for the VB fan.
Is it going to happen? Of course not. But the World League having matches here is a start. It'd be cool if there could be more tournaments/leagues on that scale.
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Post by vbnerd on Aug 24, 2008 22:34:01 GMT -5
So just having an american pro league wouldn't do much? Because then our elite players would be playing against our lesser players. We'd actually need to get top players for other countries to come to play in our league for it to really pay off. I could see where that would make sense, if we could get Brazilians and Europeans to come our way.
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Post by callinup22 on Aug 24, 2008 22:40:39 GMT -5
We have quite a few more players than our national team in pro leagues in Europe. Just look at all the guys on BIP's website, there are way more where that came from.
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Post by itsallrelative on Aug 25, 2008 6:08:19 GMT -5
If elite players play against elite players they get better. That would be the main reason. That's why our best players are the players playing professionally elsewhere. Keeping them closer to home is better for them and, more to the point, better for the VB fan. Is it going to happen? Of course not. But the World League having matches here is a start. It'd be cool if there could be more tournaments/leagues on that scale. Does the US get to host the finals of the next world league? or was that just a concidence with Brazil this time around? |
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Post by bumpkill on Aug 25, 2008 8:14:08 GMT -5
I think a pro league here would be great. Elite players from other countries would come here, if we could pay what the other countries pay. Remember back when the Italian league was the main draw, then Russia and now its Poland. So players will go wherever the money is. While women's volleyball would certainly be more entertaining than the WBNA, I think the best play would be to start the men's league first and then the women's. This is the time to get those major corporate sponsors on board!
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Post by gobears on Aug 25, 2008 11:34:29 GMT -5
Wandering around reading items on this topic lately...on line...I thought I saw somewhere that the corporations who sponsor the pro teams in Europe get some type of a tax break...anyone know anything about that?
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Post by Mac on Aug 25, 2008 13:16:41 GMT -5
It would be sweet to have a domestic pro league that paid real salaries here. Our players have to go to leagues that have incredibly long seasons, up to 9 months, for peanuts for the average developing player. The elite players can make six figures in leagues where there is a great fan base and TV to afford a $300,000 to $500,000 salary, like Korea and Russia. We barely get 2,000 if that to the World League matches. (But those should be held in better cities with real volleyball fans and with better event marketing.) Regardless, the American fans haven't proven themselves worthy spectators for a league that'll keep the best players home. Living in Europe for most of you twenties, being away from home, not building a post volleyball life resume, etc. can get old.
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Post by Murina on Aug 25, 2008 14:08:57 GMT -5
Wandering around reading items on this topic lately...on line...I thought I saw somewhere that the corporations who sponsor the pro teams in Europe get some type of a tax break...anyone know anything about that? Sports club sponsorship (not necessarily professional team sponsorship) is encouraged by the governments in Europe. This is not for professional sports development, but for kids sports development. This extends to the professional teams because the professional teams are part of the same clubs as the children. Most European governments (national, municipal, local)are required to spend some funds on sports clubs, but it is almost always a tiny sum. They encourage the community to contribute to the sports clubs with the tax benefits. China is moving toward this system, at least for volleyball. I think that will leave only the USA and Cuba with major directly government subsidized sports machines. |
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Post by chancelucky on Aug 25, 2008 14:17:47 GMT -5
A US pro league would be great. I just think it would be a tough sell in this economic climate. The last pro league in the midwest folded not because they weren't drawing fans....Apparently, all the sponsors pulled out.
I just think it'll be very very hard to find the money right now especially for a women's pro league. The record of women's leagues in general just hasn't been good, including the WNBA.
One thing I did notice was that NBC really sold the beach volleyball very hard. The indoor game, not so much. I could see beach volleyball becoming a spring sport at the NCAA level as opposed to the current occasional tournament tied to the indoor team. It's not expensive and
you can add the men's and women's version at the same time for title IX purposes.
They don't seem poised for a marketing boost from the performance of the indoor teams, but one never knows.
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Post by pumpkin on Aug 25, 2008 16:02:27 GMT -5
how about in Nebraska or Hawaii  those 2 can fill the seats of an Arena... |
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Post by OverAndUnder on Aug 25, 2008 17:39:39 GMT -5
I think a pro league here would be great. Elite players from other countries would come here, if we could pay what the other countries pay. Remember back when the Italian league was the main draw, then Russia and now its Poland. So players will go wherever the money is. While women's volleyball would certainly be more entertaining than the WBNA, I think the best play would be to start the men's league first and then the women's. This is the time to get those major corporate sponsors on board! Money isn't the only factor. Moving from Italy to Poland can be done in a bus or by train. Moving from Italy to Denver can only be done by a 16-hour plane ride and expensive (or slow) air/boat freight. |
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those 2 can fill the seats of an Arena...
