Let me start off by saying that the Command better be grateful that they were not playing a good team. I caught the Shock vs Command game on Nifty TV. I cheated. I went to the Spokane Shock channel and pulled the game up, and when they finally got the broadcast stabilized, I found myself sitting back and shaking my head as the Command came out of half-time leading by two touchdowns, held through the third quarter, then almost gave the game away in the fourth. PENALTIES. Stupid mistakes that almost cost the Command the game. Bad play calling on a goal line stand, repeatedly beating themselves against the Shock defense with running plays, then missing a field goal. Add insult to injury ... a penalty for interfering with the kick catch that gave the Shock better field position than they really should have had.
Stupid mistakes. Bad clock management early in the second half. I couldn't help but sit and shake my head as the announcers for ESPN AM 700 out of Spokane commented on how the Command were probably the worst clock management team they had seen. Then they talked about how few fans were in attendance at the game.
Let's face facts. The Command are not going to come close to making the playoff's this year. They are not 4-7, and with the Chicago Rush coming in next weekend, they are unlikely to make .500 by the end of the season. So the Command need to address their team problems. They need to address their marketing problems. They need to address the fact that a sport that used to pack 9,000+ fans into the Sprint Center on a bad night and with a losing record, can barely get 3,000 to 4,500 fans into the seats now. This partnership with AEG, the owners of the Sprint Center, could be as devastating to the Command as the ESPN relationship to the old AFL was to the league. Some hard decisions need to be made, and they must address two issues. How to make the Command a winning team and how to win back the fans that they lost.
No comments:
Post a Comment