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SPORTS Friday 5 april 2019
Predictably, another gamble lost in AAF failure

By TIM DAHLBERG after talking to Ebersol, the
AP Sports Columnist track record says no.
Charlie Ebersol was sure his A look in the stands at any
new football league was of the AAF games should
different, even as it ven- make any potential inves-
tured into the dark hole tor — or player — in a new
that had swallowed up league cautious. A look at
ventures like his before. the television ratings should
I talked to him in Novem- send them fleeing to the
ber, before uniforms had next big thing somewhere
even been ordered and else far, far away.
one game had aired. The AAF wasn’t exactly a
The Alliance of American grand experiment, no mat-
Football league was well ter what its founders said.
financed and for real, he Recent history is littered
said, and ready to put on with leagues like the USFL,
a show for a country sup- XFL and WFL that launched
posedly starved for more to great fanfare only to
football. go under amid fan indif-
“There is a massive amount ference and financial sink-
of people in this country holes.
who watch only one sport Spring football doesn’t
on television and that work, and minor league
league (the NFL) only plays football isn’t an appealing
a set period of time,” Eber- product. No one can go
sol said. “They stop watch- In this Feb. 19, 2019, file photo, Tom Dundon, left, majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, and head to head with the NFL
ing sports on TV the day Charlie Ebersol, co-founder and CEO of the Alliance of American Football, talk to the media in and, as the AAF found out,
after the Super Bowl and Raleigh, N.C. no one particularly cares
don’t come back until the Associated Press about the NFL’s castoffs.
NFL returns.” for the AAF. Put together in past will become another worth of WWE stock to fund The marketing genius of the
It all sounded good, maybe little more than a year, the case study for those in the the effort and plans to in- WWE isn’t enough to over-
too good. Ebersol talked league lasted only eight future. vest as much as $500 million come that. Neither is sports
about television contracts, weeks. The question now be- to keep it going in its forma- betting, which AAF had
50 people already working Turns out Americans comes, is Vince McMahon tive years. counted on to ensure the
on technology alone in the weren’t all that hungry for paying attention? Big money, and even big- league’s survival.
league’s San Francisco of- spring football, at least the The WWE chief honcho ger plans. For less than the The AAF was supposed to
fice and a gambling deal second-tier product put on plans to unveil the latest price of an NFL franchise, be different, but it really
with MGM Resorts that the field by the AAF. The pro football league next McMahon envisions own- wasn’t. Take away celeb-
would take advantage of market for minor league spring under the banner ing an entire league. rity coaches Steve Spurrier
the explosion in sports bet- spring football was minus- of the XFL, another failed But will he build one that and Mike Singletary and
ting around the country. cule, if not nonexistent. league. According to pub- people care about enough there wasn’t a recogniz-
A little more than four And a league that claimed lished reports, McMahon to actually watch? Well, as able face in the league for
months later, it’s a wrap to have learned from the recently sold $272 million I pointed out in November fans.q

ANA Inspiration

birdie on 18. “You just have
Continued from Page 17 erything sorted, and just to play smart,” Lydia Ko
go out there confidently said. “If you are in not so
“I wanted to hit my 50 de- tomorrow.” Fellow major good position, try and not
gree, which was max what champion Kim eagled the get yourself out of it.”
the yardage was,” Thomp- second — her 11th hole of The 41-year-old Kerr
son said. “He was like, ‘No, the day — and had four dropped out of the lead
just chip the 47, take the birdies and three bogeys. with a bogey on the 17th.
spin off, in case a gust does “I don’t have greed on the “We’ve never seen it
come up.’ Sure enough, it course,” Ko said. “Course tucked on the right side
did. Just chipped up there. is hard, so I’m thinking al- that much,” Kerr said. “You
I was like, ‘Thank you so ways, ‘Hit the fairway, also miss the green, it’s just su-
much, Benji.’ That’s what green, middle of the green. per awkward.”
a great caddie does. He’s Like two-putt is fine. I’m Jin Young Ko, of South Korea, watches her tee shot on the second Sei Young Kim made a
there for me to play aggres- good.’” hole during the first round of the LPGA Tour ANA Inspiration golf 10 on No. 18 in a 78. Af-
sive and call me off shots Playing partner Jessica Kor- tournament at Mission Hills Country Club, Thursday, April 4, 2019, ter laying up on the par 5,
that need to be called off.” da had seven birdies in an in Rancho Mirage, Calif. she twice hit into the wa-
She had five birdies and adventurous 70. She was ter and was penalized a
two bogeys, the first on the tied with 2016 winner Lydia had a double bogey after could possibly have. ... It’s stroke for dropping from
par-5 second. Ko, Cristie Kerr, Jane Park, driving out-of-bounds on really tough, especially if the wrong height. Kim in-
“I just tried to stay into it,” Lizette Salas, Amy Yang the par-4 third and three you hit it in the rough. Even stinctively held out her arm
Thompson said. “I made a and Lauren Stephenson. bogeys. around the greens you just and dropped at shoulder-
lot of clutch putts on the Coming off a second- “A serious roller-coaster,” don’t know what you’re height, but the modernized
back nine to save par. Go- place tie in Phoenix in her she said. “Glad I got off it going to get.” Rules of Golf that began
ing to go out and hit a few return from a left forearm on 18. It was a crazy day. I Lydia Ko matched playing this year require drops to
balls on the range, get ev- injury, Jessica Korda also literally had everything you partner Thompson with a be knee-height.q