PROFESSIONAL MINOR LEAGUE SPORTS HAS BEEN GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND SPECIFICALLY IN MANCHESTER.
FIRST THERE WERE THE MANCHESTER MONARCHS OF THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE, AND THEN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS OF DOUBLE-A BASEBALL.
NOW COME THE FIRST PLACE MANCHESTER WOLVES IN ARENA FOOTBALL.
NHPR'S SPORTS CORRESPONDENT JIM JEANNOTTE SAW THE WOLVES PRACTICE, WENT TO A FEW GAMES AND FILES THIS REPORT.
A NIGHT AT A MANCHESTER WOLVES INDOOR FOOTBALL GAME IS NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED.
START WITH THE EXCITEMENT OF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAME.
BUT THIS ONE'S PLAYED ON A 50-YARD FIELD.
ADD TO THAT, LOUD ROCK-AND-ROLL MUSIC, A PROFESSIONAL DANCE TEAM, AND A STADIUM ANNOUNCER INCITING FANS FOR MORE NOISE.
PA Announcer
(track 66) (9 seconds) ?It?s time to make some noise because the ball is on the tee.?
LONG TIME ARENA FOOTBALL COACH BEN BENNETT, IS IN HIS FIRST SEASON IN MANCHESTER.
Ben Bennett
(track 03 & 04) (total 16 seconds)
03 ?It?s a much more fast-paced game than the outdoor game. It?s a lot more violent, which I think a lot of people like.? 04 ?But I think the one thing that really makes Arena Football different is that it?s more an entertaining event than it is a sports outing.?
ANGELO MAZZELLA IS THE WOLVES GENERAL MANAGER.
Angelo Mazzella
(track 18) (9 seconds) ?We say we have everything from a football game to a hockey game to a rock concert all rolled together. Affordable family entertainment.
ARENA FOOTBALL2 IS WHAT?S CALLED A DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE.
IT?S ONE NOTCH BELOW THE ORIGINAL ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND TWO LEVELS DOWN FROM THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
IN BASEBALL TERMS, IT?S EQUIVALENT TO THE DOUBLE-A LEAGUE THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS PLAY IN.
AT A RECENT HOME GAME, THE WOLVES DANCE TEAM ENTERED THE FIELD RIDING ON 21 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES?AND THE NOISE LEVEL ROSE FROM THERE.
THE SIDELINE SHOW CONTINUES WHILE THE TWO TEAMS OF EIGHT PLAYERS EACH BATTLE FOR TOUCHDOWNS.
(Track 33) Dick Lutsk calling a touchdown
THE WOLVES 19-PLAYER ROSTER IS FILLED WITH FORMER COLLEGE PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND ACCORDING TO GENERAL MANAGER MAZZELLA, THESE PLAYERS CAN?T BE IN IT FOR THE MONEY.
Angelo Mazzella
(Track 25) (11 seconds) ?Our players are paid $200 a game and there?s a $50 bonus if we win. The incentives here is that they also have their housing paid for and their meals paid for.?
TWO OF THIS YEAR?S HIGH PROFILE STARS ARE FORMER UNIVERSITY OF MAINE QUARTERBACK JAKE EATON AND A WIDE RECEIVER FROM CLEMSON, JJ MCKELVEY.
EATON HOPES HIS STAY IN MANCHESTER IS A STEP TO BIGGER THINGS.
Jake Eaton
(Track 12) (26 seconds) ?I have aspirations of playing Arena One, even the NFL.
But right now, I think if things here take care of themselves, and we win games, we get
Playoff wins, get to the Arena Cup, things like that, I?m going to get the recognition. And that?s going to help me play Arena One. That what, it?s not a secret, that?s why we?re all here to do, further our professional careers.?
AND COACH BENNETT THINKS EATON AND MCKELVEY HAVE A CHANCE AT THE BIG LEAGUES.
Ben Bennett
(Track 07) (14 seconds) ?I don?t think there?s any question about it. I?ve got probably the best quarterback in the league, and maybe the best wide receiver/linebacker in the league. And, I?ve got some other guys who have potential. If they just continue to work hard and do the things we teach them, they?ll have the opportunity top move up.?
BRINGING ARENA FOOTBALL TO NEW HAMPSHIRE WAS THE BRAIN CHILD OF MANCHESTER BUSINESSMAN STEVE SCHUBERT.
THE FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AND CHICAGO BEARS WIDE RECEIVER PUT TOGETHER AN OWNERSHIP TEAM OF EIGHT AREA BUSINESSMEN.
Steve Schubert
(Track 44) (19 seconds) ?They are all people who have been successful in their own right and their own business. And, it?s a great outlet for them and they are working partners. Because one of the things I felt we had to do, I could get guys to put in money, but more importantly, I didn?t only want guys to put in money, I wanted guys to be able to work the business, and that?s what they?ve done.?
UNLIKE THE MONARCHS IN HOCKEY AND THE FISHER CATS IN BASEBALL, THE WOLVES HAVE ONLY EIGHT HOME GAMES A YEAR TO TURN A PROFIT.
THEY?VE BEEN AVERAGING ABOUT 7,000 FANS EACH HOME GAME IN THEIR FIRST SEASON AND A HALF.
SCHUBERT SAYS THAT NUMBER IS MORE THAN THEY EVER EXPECTED.
Steve Schubert
(Track 46) (18 seconds) ?I wanted 5,000 and we were amazed about last year. We?re about 300 or 400 behind per game right now. Is some of it the Fisher Cats? Yeah there probably is. We?ll work that out next year. Our goal is if we can do something between 6,500 and 7,500 per game, we?re going to be fine.?
TO GIVE A COMPARISON, THE MONARCHS HOCKEY TEAM SELLS NEARLY 9 thousand SEATS A GAME AT THE VERIZON.
BUT THAT'S OVER A 42 GAME HOME SEASON.
ONE OF THOSE WOLVES FANS IS DANNY BACHAND, A SEASON-TICKET HOLDER FROM MANCHESTER.
EACH GAME, HE AND ONE OF HIS SONS PAINT THEIR FACES BLUE AND WHITE, AND SIT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE WOLVES BENCH.
Danny Bachand
(Track 51) (18 seconds) ?The hitting is excellent. The speed, it?s better than any other football. This is the best football we have. You can?t beat the seats we have here. You meet the players down here. You see what?s going on. Hear the plays. You hear the coaches tell the players what to play.?
THE WOLVES ARE IN FIRST PLACE IN THEIR DIVISION, AND HAVE ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE UPCOMING PLAYOFFS.
THEY?LL COMPETE FOR A SPOT IN THE ARENA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN LOUISIANA ON AUGUST 27TH.
THE WOLVES NEXT HOME GAME AT THE VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA IS ON JULY 8TH.
YOU CAN BE SURE DANNY BACHAND AND HIS SON WILL BE THERE.
Danny Bachand
(Track 53) (7 seconds) ?Oh it?s great. It?s better than great. It?s excellent this year. It?s better than last year. We were here when they had the worst, and now it?s the best.?
FOR NHPR NEWS, I?M JIM JEANNOTTE.
