The next big sports league that we don't care about

[RedCoffee]

Browsing the newspapers and seeing this story everywhere.
The IPL is huge and the money is real.

Sydney Herald

Globe and Mail

For a 7 week season.

Highest played player 1.5million
Expansion Team Fee: 350 Million US
TV rights: $1.026-billion for global media rights for 10 years.

For a league that's in it's 3rd season of existance thats insane.

I wonder how that would work here. Get a gazillionaire (Ballisie) to invent a summer league.

[valo403]

If you're a baseball fan you'd probably be in to this actually. Twenty20 cricket is a fast paced game, probably faster than baseball, and not at all like the 5 day test matches most people know cricket for.

[mykalberta]

Baseball is fast paced?

Is fast paced a different way of saying boring?

I much prefer cricket to baseball - even though I dont regularly watch either.

[Da_Chief]

The IPL isn't going to last forever. India is cricket money-maker right now when that runs out the IPL will expire too and be just like the other T20 county tournaments.

Look at right now, its really just India and South Africa playing there, rest of the big countries are playing their series (England, NZ, Australia, Bangladesh) or controversially not invited (Pakistan).

How the new franchises expect to get there money back is beyond me.They get something like 8? home games. The obvious thing would be the TV money but taking that. Even that, they'll get $102 million per year, divide that among 10 teams and your looking at 10 mill per team. Now for an expansion team, you would need a lot of other revenues to make up for that $350 million dollar expansion fee.

It is fun cricket though, but when you have the T20 World cup coming up right after the IPL season every other year I'm not sure how many players would want to risk playing in this tourny especially looking at all the injuries right now.

To me the next big thing is the NLL. Its slowly coming around, good markets are getting around 10K attendance per game. Give it 15-20 years and it will be a strong league with around 16 good teams. I think the NHL probably started off slow like this too.

[RedCoffee]

I'm sure they're banking on cricket never running out in India. There are owners lining up for teams. They're talking about 2 more teams, at 500 million each.

That's quite a bang for a starter league!

[Da_Chief]

Cricket is not going to run out in India but this is the T20 craze. T20 games everywhere have done well so far but there are people who want to preserve Test cricket and that might be the biggest reason it will slow down.

They already expanded 2 more teams for next year and they've said they're not expanding anymore for awhile.

[getbak]

Where can I go to protest such a racially insensitive name?

[RedCoffee]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Cricket is not going to run out in India but this is the T20 craze. T20 games everywhere have done well so far but there are people who want to preserve Test cricket and that might be the biggest reason it will slow down.

They already expanded 2 more teams for next year and they've said they're not expanding anymore for awhile.

I think you can like both. It's the ODI that's in danger. Why watch a shorter version when I can watch an even shorter version.

But I'm really interested in the economics. How can there be so much money in such a short tournament. Could be just a fad like you said.
Cricket porn.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

The IPL isn't going to last forever. India is cricket money-maker right now when that runs out the IPL will expire too and be just like the other T20 county tournaments.

Look at right now, its really just India and South Africa playing there, rest of the big countries are playing their series (England, NZ, Australia, Bangladesh) or controversially not invited (Pakistan).

How the new franchises expect to get there money back is beyond me.They get something like 8? home games. The obvious thing would be the TV money but taking that. Even that, they'll get $102 million per year, divide that among 10 teams and your looking at 10 mill per team. Now for an expansion team, you would need a lot of other revenues to make up for that $350 million dollar expansion fee.

It is fun cricket though, but when you have the T20 World cup coming up right after the IPL season every other year I'm not sure how many players would want to risk playing in this tourny especially looking at all the injuries right now.

To me the next big thing is the NLL. Its slowly coming around, good markets are getting around 10K attendance per game. Give it 15-20 years and it will be a strong league with around 16 good teams. I think the NHL probably started off slow like this too.

With the cash being thrown around I'm not sure why any player wouldn't want to play in this tourney. And plenty of foreign players have played in the IPL in the past, IIRC Ponting was the first pick when the league started. Most of these players have retired from test cricket, but they are still elite players and often among the most famous names.

Look at this list of players in this years tournament:http://blog.sport.co.uk/Cricket/679/...n_the_IPL.aspx

I'm a very casual observer of cricket, and even I know those names. Whether or not the format will die out as a fad remains to be seen, but I really don't see any reason to think that right now.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Baseball is fast paced?

Is fast paced a different way of saying boring?

I much prefer cricket to baseball - even though I dont regularly watch either.

Relative to a test, yes baseball is fast paced.

[RedCoffee]

Originally Posted by valo403

With the cash being thrown around I'm not sure why any player wouldn't want to play in this tourney. And plenty of foreign players have played in the IPL in the past, IIRC Ponting was the first pick when the league started. Most of these players have retired from test cricket, but they are still elite players and often among the most famous names.

Look at this list of players in this years tournament:http://blog.sport.co.uk/Cricket/679/...n_the_IPL.aspx

I'm a very casual observer of cricket, and even I know those names. Whether or not the format will die out as a fad remains to be seen, but I really don't see any reason to think that right now.

Agreed. I think it's exciting. Each team bats for about 80 minutes, they have disco music and cheerleaders. Balls flying into the stands.
It looks like great fun. It's not going to kill Test cricket, it's just something different and fun for 2 months.

It would be like a 2 month 4-on-4 hockey tournament with 30 minute games in the off-season.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by valo403

With the cash being thrown around I'm not sure why any player wouldn't want to play in this tourney. And plenty of foreign players have played in the IPL in the past, IIRC Ponting was the first pick when the league started. Most of these players have retired from test cricket, but they are still elite players and often among the most famous names.

Look at this list of players in this years tournament:http://blog.sport.co.uk/Cricket/679/...n_the_IPL.aspx

I'm a very casual observer of cricket, and even I know those names. Whether or not the format will die out as a fad remains to be seen, but I really don't see any reason to think that right now.

Thats exactly what its going to become in the end, Indians + retired players. The whole league lost a lot of credibility after the omission of T20 Champions Pakistan. Even the owner of some of those teams (Knight Riders owner particularly) spoke against it.

From the list in that link, it would've been nice to watch Warne, Symmonds, Hayden etc 5-10 years ago but they're nothing special now. If you wana watch them cus they were stars in years past than thats your choice. Thats like watching Flames Alumni games.

Also with the cash being thrown around the players will likely want to play but in the end most of these international players are contracted by each Board. So if they refuse to let them go and schedule tours at this time than the players have no choice, ie the Ausies, English and the Kiwis right now.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by valo403

Relative to a test, yes baseball is fast paced.

Relative to test cricket, the last 30 seconds of a basketball game is fast paced!

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Relative to test cricket, the last 30 seconds of a basketball game is fast paced!

Test cricket isn't for everyone, I don't mind it but I rarely watch it. Test cricket is a test of fatigue, determination, commitment, etc. You could be in the field all 8 hours of the play somedays. Its widely thought that a cricketer becomes a real cricketer once he plays test cricket.

[You Need a Thneed]

Let's get a team here!

I have seen lots of kids playing cricket already this spring.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Thats exactly what its going to become in the end, Indians + retired players. The whole league lost a lot of credibility after the omission of T20 Champions Pakistan. Even the owner of some of those teams (Knight Riders owner particularly) spoke against it.

From the list in that link, it would've been nice to watch Warne, Symmonds, Hayden etc 5-10 years ago but they're nothing special now. If you wana watch them cus they were stars in years past than thats your choice. Thats like watching Flames Alumni games.

Also with the cash being thrown around the players will likely want to play but in the end most of these international players are contracted by each Board. So if they refuse to let them go and schedule tours at this time than the players have no choice, ie the Ausies, English and the Kiwis right now.

With the exception of Warne the comparison to a Flames alumni game is ridiculous. Most of the guys on that list would still be included on their nations test sides if they hadn't chosen to retire, it's much like saying that Scholes or Shearer were second rate when they retired from England despite still being world class club players.

If the money continues to be there the national Boards are either going to have to shift their schedules to accomodate or accept the fact that players will retire from test cricket early in order to take advantage of a massive earning opportunity. It's not as simple as you're makign it out to be solely due to the money these palyers are being offered.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by valo403

With the exception of Warne the comparison to a Flames alumni game is ridiculous. Most of the guys on that list would still be included on their nations test sides if they hadn't chosen to retire, it's much like saying that Scholes or Shearer were second rate when they retired from England despite still being world class club players.

If the money continues to be there the national Boards are either going to have to shift their schedules to accomodate or accept the fact that players will retire from test cricket early in order to take advantage of a massive earning opportunity. It's not as simple as you're makign it out to be solely due to the money these palyers are being offered.

No they wouldn't be otherwise they'd hurt by day 1. Look at Shane Bond right now, his body has taken a beating, guy can't play tests anymore, good for ODIs and T20s. Symonds lost some of his pace, can't see him troubling world class batsmen nowadays. Obviously some on that list like Tendulkar, Sehwag, Pollard are still playing tests at a high level. Brian Lara has said he would like to play IPL next year so more retirees joining. Even Brett Lee is considering giving up tests cause of the toll its taken on his body.

If these players want to cut their ties and piss off the Boards than all the power to them, if IPL isn't around the year after they snub their Boards than guess whos looking like an idiot than? Don't forget the Boards pay these guys a nice wage too, if they're willing to give up a year around salary for a 2 month salary than good for them.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

No they wouldn't be otherwise they'd hurt by day 1. Look at Shane Bond right now, his body has taken a beating, guy can't play tests anymore, good for ODIs and T20s. Symonds lost some of his pace, can't see him troubling world class batsmen nowadays. Obviously some on that list like Tendulkar, Sehwag, Pollard are still playing tests at a high level. Brian Lara has said he would like to play IPL next year so more retirees joining. Even Brett Lee is considering giving up tests cause of the toll its taken on his body.

If these players want to cut their ties and piss off the Boards than all the power to them, if IPL isn't around the year after they snub their Boards than guess whos looking like an idiot than? Don't forget the Boards pay these guys a nice wage too, if they're willing to give up a year around salary for a 2 month salary than good for them.

You forgot to mentio nthat the 2 month salary is often more than what they earn over the other 10 months.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by valo403

You forgot to mentio nthat the 2 month salary is often more than what they earn over the other 10 months.

Is that a fact? As for as I know the salaries paid by the Boards haven't been revealed to the public? Don't forget the sponsorship money the player will lose out on as well. I'm not sure how the sponsorship money works in the IPL but I would think its the teams that make the deals and teams getting the money.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Let's get a team here!

I have seen lots of kids playing cricket already this spring.

Calgarypuck cricket team? I'd actually sign up for that, if there was a "OMFG n00b!" division.