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Post by why is it on Jan 24, 2008 18:53:43 GMT -5
Im a semi-pro football player and I was just wondering why everybody makes it sound bigger than it is. We play Rec league football, nothing more and nothing less. We are not pro's. Fans arent coming out to watch us. Nobody cares about Semi-pro besides us. Here is a list of things that bother me about semi-pro.
People saying that so and so SIGNED with a certain team. Nobody has to sign anything, nobody is getting paid. Stop trying to act like we do something we don't.
People saying they are HEAD OF OPPERATIONS. Come on, it is what it is. It's not that official. If you are the head coach, you are going to do numerous things cuz its just you and a few other guys.
People say they are playing Semi-Pro to go to the next level. How many Semi-Pro guys do you know that have gone to the Next level. I am talking about atleast the arena league. Like the Rampage, where you could get traded and have to relocate. Not some place where they make 100$ a game and dont end up seeing the money cuz the league folds.
People say they play Arena Football, and they really play INDOOR football. Arena football is the Rampage, you play for the Kalamazoo Explosion bro.
Guys call it what it is. Semi-Pro is Little league football for adults.
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Post by ONLINE DETECTIVE on Jan 24, 2008 19:44:42 GMT -5
You make a good point it is semi pro football, BUT there is nothing wrong with taking it serious cause this is are NFL and what ever team you play for you should have a little more respect for your owner or HEAD OF OPERATIONS beacuse it is so hard to secure a field these days raise money or get taking serious with people like you LOOKING DOWN ON US . The pro's get paid for what they do thats a cool everybody not even 98 percent of us coming out of high school wont make to the next level. So i respect the guy that does it for the love of the game . So I say to everybody out there who ever you play for enjoy what your doing be safe and lets prove the NEY SAYERS wrong.
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Post by Ring Maker on Jan 24, 2008 21:26:30 GMT -5
Im a semi-pro football player and I was just wondering why everybody makes it sound bigger than it is. We play Rec league football, nothing more and nothing less. We are not pro's. Fans arent coming out to watch us. Nobody cares about Semi-pro besides us. Here is a list of things that bother me about semi-pro. People saying that so and so SIGNED with a certain team. Nobody has to sign anything, nobody is getting paid. Stop trying to act like we do something we don't. People saying they are HEAD OF OPPERATIONS. Come on, it is what it is. It's not that official. If you are the head coach, you are going to do numerous things cuz its just you and a few other guys. People say they are playing Semi-Pro to go to the next level. How many Semi-Pro guys do you know that have gone to the Next level. I am talking about atleast the arena league. Like the Rampage, where you could get traded and have to relocate. Not some place where they make 100$ a game and dont end up seeing the money cuz the league folds. People say they play Arena Football, and they really play INDOOR football. Arena football is the Rampage, you play for the Kalamazoo Explosion bro. Guys call it what it is. Semi-Pro is Little league football for adults. It's small minded, negative thinking like this that prevents a lot of semi pro teams from being successful. Whether people outside the management of a team realize it or not, this is business. Granted it is small business, but thats not any different than any local organization. Many teams do things the right way and experience great success both competitively and financially. When most of your work force pays to participate, the fan base required to be viable can be quite modest. What kills even the greatest organizations are the players who think they are prima donnas as opposed to skilled athletes doing what they enjoy AND entertaining the public. Another obstacle is the poorly run organizations who are an embarassment on the field (either conduct, performance or image), forfeits, and the concentration of teams in some areas...which leads to multiple startups and failures. Treat it like little league and thats what it will be. Act like a business and more than likely you ll be successful. |
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Post by metalhead on Jan 24, 2008 22:26:12 GMT -5
Ring Maker, you could have not made a more valid point. People who say that "it is what it is" forget that that kind of mentality halts any kind of progress. You have to realize that even the NFL started this way. That is why football orginizations carry the "club" moniker to them because they realize the history of the sport that they are playing.
The NFL began when two teams in Ohio, Canton and Massilon, began paying former college athletes to play for their respective clubs. Research teams like the Detroit Maroons, the Detroit Cardinals, Massilon Tigers or even the Ann Arbor Independents who paved the way for the current roster and status that the NFL enjoys now. If these men would have carried the "it is what it is" attitude, we would not be looking forward to watching the SuperBowl in a couple of weekends. This level may not be there yet, but I would be proud and hope my children would be proud of me if I could be just a brick in the foundation of something that spectacular.
I have seen a lot of men take this seriously, and for that I have the highest respect for what they do and how they are trying to take this level of football and make it bigger and spectacular. You cannot tell me that guys like Scott Beard and Batman take this as just a little hobby for a few other guys. The better run orginizations have numerous staff and players. I do not know the exact numbers, but with the Timberwolves I would have to say that the number of coaches, volunteers, team doctors and other staff equal or may out number the amount of players they have. I wouldnt say that that is just for a "few" of his boys.
I agree, some of us do get on here and beat our chests like we are T.O. or another elite athlete. But it does show me that A LOT of people take pride in what they do of which I do applaud them. It may not be much to you, but to be a champion among my peers would be a worthy accomplishment to me.
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LCLGM
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Posts: 20
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Post by LCLGM on Jan 24, 2008 22:53:23 GMT -5
Enough Said!!!!!
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Post by why is it on Jan 25, 2008 0:00:23 GMT -5
I agree with a lot of what you guys are saying. I'm just saying that we are not pro athletes. Stop pretending like we are when we are not. I too play for the love of the game, if my peers respect me, that is all that matters. But a lot of these guys believe they are what they are not.
Semi Pro football has its purpose. To entertain the people playing. NOTHING more. No your team is not making money. Matter of fact, we are shelling money out of our own pocket to play. Ask Batman if his team makes money, ask Scott Beard and Ted S if their teams make money or lose money.
I'm saying enjoy what we are doing. Respect it. And don't exagerate things. No body is coming to watch us ALL AMERICANS play football besides our families and other semi-pro guys. When you win a championship and have to pay for your own ring, its not that big of a deal to anybody sept you.
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Let me ask you this
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Post by Let me ask you this on Jan 25, 2008 0:04:06 GMT -5
Does a little league football team call it a HEAD OF OPPERATIONS? No, they call it THE GUY THAT SCHEDULES THE GAMES AND GETS THE REFS.
Do little league players SIGN with the team they want to play with? No, they just play with that team.
No difference, but people act like their is.
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Post by DIP on Jan 25, 2008 0:05:16 GMT -5
No organization in semi pro really matters except "DIP", so if u aint "DIP", u aint nothin in my eyes!
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Post by Exactly on Jan 25, 2008 16:20:02 GMT -5
exactly, they are the only ogranization that matters. Yet nobody knows who they are.
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Post by ok man on Jan 25, 2008 18:48:48 GMT -5
F.u.c.k what you talkin about bro this is my NFL so i'm going to go hard at this like its the league. And fans do come out to watch us be it your family or not their fans of you and of the game you play, you fool. ok, I play for a team that has more fans at home games than any other place I have been in the state. And we still have nobody there besides family. I go hard like its the NFL too. But when you step away from it, its nothing more than a Softball league. Their is no difference. Look at it like this. The biggest game in Michigan this year was the MCFL championship game. How many people showed up? And its not all about the fans. I'm just saying, dont say you Signed with a team. Just say "Im playing for this team". Don't make it out to be what it isnt. |
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Post by gr8bigbull on Jan 25, 2008 20:00:52 GMT -5
I can see what you are saying BUT in the reality, the players who "sign" with the Detroit Seminoles are contracted "within" the MCFL to play for the Seminoles and not later play for the Ravens unless "released" by the original team they signed with. I know it makes it sound like something that it is not BUT it is reality. Other leagues do this too and it means nothing about the player being a "paid professional" just under a league contract to keep players from shuffling among different league teams during a season.
About the teams NOT making money and so on, I believe that there ARE some of these organizations who do actually make enough money to pay travel expenses for players making practices and also per diems or travel stipends for road games. These teams also pay for rooms and transportation to and from the games. It can happen and does probably more so than what you think.
I would rather have the guys take it for that rather than the guys who blow it off and say "it is what it is so screw it!"
There could be a middle ground in all this that would make life alot easier for all the teams and their owners. The guys who think they are too good to play at this level yet they sit at home eating chips and drinking kool aid ripping on guys playing anything less than Arena 2 or professional indoor football of any sort. The guys who work hard in the off season then make all the practices they possibly can and still accept their roles on the team. The players who are willing to help fundraise because if they don't help, they know the team cannot survive another season of letting all the freeloaders slide. The guys who say they are just playing to make it to the next level yet they never started for a high school team or even got near a college program other than sitting in the stands. That same guy who swears up and down that the coaches play favorites or "it's just to political" they play this other guy from UM because ....!
Oh what a wonderful world this could be!!!
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Post by gippergeiger1 on Jan 25, 2008 20:14:48 GMT -5
here is the deal those who got a beef pPUT YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU PLAY FOR. darn THIS IS WHY THIS BOARD IS A JOKE you can pregnant dog and moan and complain and gloat and talk trash but never put a name a real name not some lame butt vistor name
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Post by another reason on Jan 26, 2008 0:25:08 GMT -5
Another reason Semi-pro football is a joke. Coaches getting on a public forum and cussing people out who dont agree with them.
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Post by Ya think on Jan 26, 2008 1:55:14 GMT -5
Do you think that; if organizations would produce a better quality team, thus getting rid of the 900 extra teams there are in Michigan..... that more fans would come to the games? Think about it... all these Michigan teams, all play on Saturdays (typically), all play at the same times (generally), all have fans at their games (how many, who knows). Now, get rid of these lesser teams, that are run less than average. Combine teams. Now we have fewer teams, stronger organizations and larger fan base. Do we really need 20 different Detroit teams, 2 Grand Rapids teams, 2 Kalamazoo teams, 2 flint teams, and so on? Yeah the Force and Thunder have both had good success and both have great players.. .combine the rosters and yes some players are left out... But Kalamazoo isn't far, battle creek isn't far. If you can increase the worth of each team.... you could make it possible to pay these players gas money who are driving an hour or so to practice and games. Question is; can we get Michigan to sacrifice quantity for quality?
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Post by PlayerCoach on Jan 26, 2008 10:51:35 GMT -5
Their are some valid points even though they are coming across with alot of sarcasm. Many of us play because we still like to play tackle football and hopefully at a high level of competition like the Seminoles and Ravens and Force and a few other teams.
I still get jacked like I did in college when I put the pads on and run on to the field and start playing. I know many guys still have the same intensity as they did in college. Their have been a handful of guys that have not only made it to the Arena League but about a dozen in the last 5 years in the Midwest have actually gotten into an NFL camp and I know one former Seminole made it to the NFL.
I also know as a coach I take it serious as I do when I coach my High School team and work in the summer at college camps.
Their are some great franchises nationwide that pay players and make money and some teams like Racine and Kane county get over a thousand to 3 thousand people at there games. I think the Seminoles and the Downriver team about 10 years ago had over 5000 people there.
The potential is their if the team is run right. I know many of us thought the West Michigan Force was a great model until the bottom fell out in the fall.
You have some very good players driving 2-3 hours to go play for the Seminoles because of the talent and coaching and ownership and I hear they are scheduling some of the better teams in the Midwest for some great pre-season games.
Yes most of us just play because we still love the game But every now and then someone gets a break and gets seen and gets to college or a pro camp. Just like the lotto you can't win if you don't play even if the odds are against you. Nothing wrong in still playing or hoping for a door to open. Watch the movie Invincible and Dreams do come True once in a great while thanks to the people that run and coach teams. Thank you for everyone who gives their time and energy to keep playing and loving a great game and maybe that door to open. Just Maybe-------Nothing wrong with that.
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