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Printer-Friendly ModeMinor league franchises of major importance
November 12, 2007 —
A STING THAT DOESN'T HURT -
Last week, the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) announced a new expansion franchise, the Saginaw Sting. The Sting is the third professional sports franchise to locate to the tri-cities area in less than five years: the Saginaw Spirit in 2003, the Great Lakes Loons earlier this year, and now the Saginaw Sting, which will start its regular season next March.
So now, there's really no excuse to be bored in Saginaw if you're a sports fan. There are the numerous club and varsity teams at SVSU, for one, in addition to the three pro teams in the area.
Some might scoff at the fact that these are minor league teams. But sports are sports. And going to see minor league games isn't like going to see a big league team. It's less about being a fan of the team or idolizing the players, and more about family, friends, and community.
The Sting will help get people out of their houses or apartments, and that's the first step to making community. The Internet is great for certain kinds of communities, but local communities rely on face-to-face interaction. And the Sting can help produce that.
Second, the Sting brings investment to the city and the community. People are needed to staff the games, selling beer, hot dogs, and chips. People are needed to market the team: to write ads and releases, to talk to the press, and direct the team's image. And most importantly, there are going to be some career-level openings with the organization. Those mid to high-paying jobs are what can really contribute economically to the city. All good cities have well-paid denizens that eat at nice restaurants, see plays, and visit museums.
Finally, the Sting will help create community be attracting the attention of the local press (for example, next week the Vanguard is doing a story on the club). Just like people that may have not necessarily liked baseball flocked to see the Loons this summer, the press coverage that the Sting are sure to receive will draw the attention and maybe even the dollars of people that may not be all that interested in football (thankfully, such folk are few and far between).
So minor league these teams may be, but they're of major importance in the area. We reported this week on a group of SVSU students that want to recast Saginaw's image. The city is known around the state (and perhaps the nation) as just another casualty of the rust belt's decline in the 80s and 90s. And changing that perception is up to all of us, and the Sting is only going to help. Why would the CIFL's marketing staff think there is a demand for another franchise in Saginaw if they didn't see past the perception of a city in decline?
The tri-cities area has a lot going for it: SVSU, Northwood, Delta College, The Dow Chemical Company, and now three professional sports teams have provided the area with hundreds if not thousands of jobs, many of which are high-paying.
So it's up to all of us to repaint Saginaw as a place someone would want to live.
Thankfully, we have the help of the Great Lakes Loons, the Saginaw Spirit, and now the Saginaw Sting to make that job a little easier. Who doesn't like football, anyway?