Pardon our mess while we update The Huddle over the next couple days. The Huddle 3.0 begins next Tuesday, March 16th, 2010. Thanks — Ben & Andy

The Huddle

Todd Leber

of Wilmington, North Carolina

You are a self-described 'idea guy'. During your time on RSD, you have described yourself as 'just another Sportscenter-watching guy on his couch'. You've also taken on a roll as a 'critic of Ultimate'. You have a history and a reputation that proceeds you. This reputation is both positive, as a solid player and an organizer of events like the original MLU and negative, as a profane and verbally abusive arguer without much regard for logic or detail. You are, and we doubt you will disagree with this, a big-picture guy.

You have often stated that the UPA should promote an elite, viewable, referee-officiated league (similar to Major League Lacrosse). If you were to be elected to the BOD, however, your constituents would need more than just big picture shouting. They need details, and persistence, and attention to detail. Now is your chance; please give us your proposal for starting this league. In particular, what costs would be involved, what kind of income might the league generate, and how would you draw players/spectators to participate. Details become important when we are talking about what you would do with my $40. Please be specific, and write these answers as you would write a proposal to the Board.

Lastly, what real and specific benefits would this league generate? How would this help the majority of UPA members who are neither elite players, nor men? Why should a recreational player join the UPA, only to see some portion of their dues go towards this elite-level organization?

BASIC LEAGUE STRUCTURE

The League would be owned by the UPA and be initially comprised of 6 franchises that would be awarded to the 6 strongest geographical hotbeds of ultimate in which a top level club team currently resides. These franchises would actually be owned and operated by the various community organizations (buda, nw ult [DiscNW? -TH], etc) as opposed to being owned and operated by the club teams (DoG, Sockeye, etc) themselves.

The administrators of each community franchise would be responsible for; hiring coaches, selecting players, local marketing, and hosting events. The UPA would oversee all aspects of the league, rules and standards, and would focus on marketing the league and soliciting title, event and product sponsorship opportunities on a national level. They/we would also focus on national exposure and media opportunities.

TEAM STRUCTURE AND RULES

I would propose that each team have a 16 man traveling roster with additional practice squad members and a two coach per team standard (I would also suggest that the coaches be the only ones allowed on the sidelines during comp, restricting players to a bench area). Each team should be obligated to select 4 of its traveling players from a pool of qualified players from other teams, via a draft, in which one player from each team would be of international origin. I would propose that all competition be governed by a refined set of MLU rules with a 6 man ref crew as a standard. Each franchise would be obligated to solicit and train their own crews and two hand picked head referees (by an approved competition committee) should be made available to help local crews work each event in order to establish a more consistent process of enforcing rules throughout the different regional franchise events throughout the series. The KEY part of the success of the presentations will be the crews having sufficient experience and consistency prior to, as well as during, official competition.

SCHEDULE AND FORMATING

The schedule for such a league would work best during the early summer months and include 4 events that could take place over a 6 to 8 week period. The "regular season" would consist of 3 four team events (in which each team would be prescheduled to attend 2 of the 3 events). This would be followed by a final, "championship" event with all 6 franchise teams. A simple double elimination format could be used with minimal consolation games so that players get their fill of action yet every game means more. The beautiful thing about such a schedule and format is that each event would only require one "stadium/showcase" field (although 2 may be required for the championship). In reality, facilitating such a league schedule and format would be relatively as easy as running a very modest summer league.

BUDGETARY AND LOGISTICAL CONCERNS

The budget of the league would be essentially custom-made based on the available resources and the resource attainment skills and creative management of both the appointed UPA committee (which, ideally, would be myself and a crew of other interested and motivated board members) and the individual franchises administrators. In reality the only initial added expenses from any other comparable event would be the game management expenses and possible venue expenses (marketing expenses would grow as title and event sponsorship is made available). I would recommend that host franchises hold associated tournaments to not only draw people from out of town that wouldn't have other wise made the trip just to spectate, but also to provide a substantial working budget while using the select league comp as a feature. So even with some added expenses through creative TD'ing and sound resource attainment skills, not to mention the increased sponsorship and consumer related revenue opportunities, these expenses should be negligible. In the end both the UPA and franchise administers would have to network on and constantly refine a fair and equitable form of sharing both expenses and revenues. I also feel, though, that franchises that draw more attendance and generate more revenue and exposure should be appropriately compensated so the there is a "healthy competition" between franchises not only on the field but also in the way events are presented and ran. These events would essentially be fund raisers for said franchises and the best hosts would undoubtedly get first priority on receiving event bids. I think it is evident that such a league series concept, packaged in this manner, would provide for more and better sponsorship, media and exposure opportunities as well as being much more conducive to fit the preferred model of what is accepted AND expected as a legitimate form of the sports entertainment delivery system.

SHORT TERM GOALS

To establish the franchises, rule and team standards and set a schedule would be the first phase. After those aspects are nailed down the first 3 years of the league should be looked as being largely developmental. I would like to believe that the league could be completely self-subsidized with little to no need for seed funding from the collective UPA budget. Soon there after I can see such a program actually creating revenue that can be pumped back into the league with residuals contributing to the UPA budget. In addition such efforts should help to strengthen the individual franchises and help to mend the present perceptions of ultimates' status in the fraternity of sports.

LONG TERM GOALS

In a word..."ownership", as each and every member of the UPA would have a sense of ownership of this league. It would be rather naïve for anyone to think that ultimate won't, one day, go "big time". And when it does, and more and more business opportunities are made available, it would be ashamed if the UPA wasn't to "get in on the action". There also may come a day when youth, rec and collegiate competition become more controlled and facilitated by outside and localized agencies. Managing a pro style league along with some selective club comp may very well be the UPA's near future destination, expanding franchises into all the growing cities and town across America and simply networking with the local organizations. So the important thing to do now is to realize this and also realize the vast potential ultimate has in the areas that aren't currently being explored. If ultimate can get properly prepared in this area the next time a window of opportunity arises (which might be sooner than we think) we can step thru that window with a product that is worthy of the sports entertainment market.

INCENTIVES

Incentives are the key...

So with the UPA's involvement incentives come full circle and reach out to ALL the membership and the response potential would increase substantially so that it can and will fuel the ultimate success of the league as well as the sport.

OTHER RELATED PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES

CONCLUSION

I have personally wrapped my brain around the idea and strategy of how to take ultimate to the next level for well over a decade now. What I have found is that no other entity would have as much to gain and as little to lose, tangibly, from the creation, management and success of such a league than the UPA. Not only that but the UPA has all the resources and connections that it should take to jump start and maintain such a venture in an urgent, yet proper, manner and, on top of that, running such a league through the UPA would give each and every member of the association a stake in its success. Those franchises, players and franchise organization members would have an even greater stake in its success. This plan will not only give each and every UPA member a sense of ownership in the league itself but it will also give the franchise members a sense of ownership much in the same way that the, NFL, Green Bay Packers are owned in a nonprofit status by the town of Green Bay WI. From there more and more business and administrative opportunities could arise so that those of us that love this sport can somehow make our livelihood. I realized first hand, over 12 years ago, on a brisk spring evening of the untapped potential that ultimate has as a legitimate form of sports entertainment and have kept that vision a personal mission ever since. I have recently come to the realization that this isn't likely to happen unless it does so thru OUR COLLECTIVE ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION. Please consider this proposal as a viable form of exposing, presenting and marketing ultimate to the masses. The sports world is ready and waiting for us to join their ranks but it's up to us to conform and make the proper concessions that allow for us to fit into the modern and standardized "sports entertainment" model. I feel strongly that this plan will help in achieving this vision that is shared by so many while also providing each and every person involved a stake in its success and the ability to reap and control the bounties that one day will be associated with it.

The Huddle's Take: We continue to admire Mr. Leber's passion and energy for the game, and for imagining it's future. Mr. Leber is an idea guy...but not an administrator. His unwillingness to address the potential costs of any of his proposals is frustrating. Simply put; organization costs money, and when you add up all of the organization that Mr. Leber wants the UPA to take on, the potential costs (unless massive sponsorship is found) are prohibitive. We feel that his inclusion on the Board would be unproductive, though if he continues to refine his positions he may become the perfect consultant when the UPA is ready to outsource or investigate these possibilities.