NPF suspends operations. New pro team formed in Florida.

[flash277]

My DD plays field hockey in HS, should that be a pro sport in the USA too? Most of you who do not watch it now would never watch it as a pro sport, same with people who don't watch softball.
I read that 1.2 million watched the college world series. That's a good number I guess but if that's the top number.for the pinnacle.of softball, that's just not enough to start and sustain a league. Not every sport needs a pro league.

 

[CoachJD]

I have to say, you have made it a lot longer than your previously (now banned) identity on here. Congrats.

Honestly incredible since every other post is a direct violation of one of the main rules of the board.

 

[CoachJD]

College softball has the support of the college sport fans. Many of the people who show up or tune in are fans of the school's athletic programs.

Where's your evidence to support this?

 

[Schmick's Gloves]

The ratings of college softball games on TV vs the ratings of pro softball games on TV is far greater evidence of that than anything you have posted opposing it.

As a college student we would sometimes go watch the Trojan Womem's swim team or volleyball team play because we were on campus and we knew some of the girls on the teams. We would never watch swim meets or volleyball matches that didn't involve our schools teams. That was obviously not unique to us, our school or those sports. Many universities have +20,000 students, that's a captive audience for the universities athletic programs
Obviously that's all anecdotal evidence but there are not scientific studies on the matter.

 

[Gtrips07]

The ratings of college softball games on TV vs the ratings of pro softball games on TV is far greater evidence of that than anything you have posted opposing it.

As a college student we would sometimes go watch the Trojan Womem's swim team or volleyball team play because we were on campus and we knew some of the girls on the teams. We would never watch swim meets or volleyball matches that didn't involve our schools teams. That was obviously not unique to us, our school or those sports. Many universities have +20,000 students, that's a captive audience for the universities athletic programs
Obviously that's all anecdotal evidence but there are not scientific studies on the matter.

I guess you've never been to an SEC softball game and seen the fans base. Or seen a regional or super regional.

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[Northball]

...Attendance at the women’s game was under 1000
Attendance at the men’s game was 70,000

Soccer is pretty popular in Europe BTW.

This is what makes it so frustrating that pro softball can't get traction. Soccer, basketball, and hockey all have a men's version that draws crowds and viewers. The women's' versions are basically the same sports but do not draw the interest. Softball is different enough to not be known as just the women's version of baseball, so it seems the opening is there for a women's professional league to be the pinnacle of the sport.
Maybe I'm countering my own point by drawing attention to the fact there is no men's fastpitch with filled stadiums and huge TV contracts, so why would there be women's pro softball all over the place?

 

[newsoftballdad]

I think we need to resolve that there is no real interest in a pro league. I feel for the players that need to go oversees to get paid, but at least they have that option. We should enjoy the college game and the tournament that they put on and recognize it for the highest level that it is played in the USA.

 

[_MIA_]

Fan interest aside, the difference between when professional baseball just started and the current situation for potential professional FP players, is that the economic prospects were, in general, much more bleak for potential players when baseball was just getting started. For the most part it was a question of do I want to work a low paying blue collar job for the whole year vs playing baseball (with a similar low pay) for 7 months and then work a low paying blue collar job in the winter. Baseball was able to sustain a professional league with minimal fan interest because of this...they always had players willing to make that choice.

 

[FP26]

The entire economic model is different today when compared to when baseball started. Not only are people more willing to part with disposable income on entertainment (such as professional sports), but accessibility to that entertainment is completely different; television, social media, etc. Honestly, I don't think it is even necessary to compare fastpitch with pro baseball. It isn't necessary for a league to have that level of interest and still be viable. The 200+ television stations I have access to (when I watch the same 3 or 4 most of the time) is proof of that.

 

[Schmick's Gloves]

I guess you've never been to an SEC softball game and seen the fans base. Or seen a regional or super regional.

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I have been to Mary Nutter and Judi Garmin tournaments, I have been to college games at UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Cal St Fullerton, Long Beach St and Regionals at UCLA.
I've been to sec baseball games at LSU, Miss St, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Arkansas.
I watched my kid play at Texas A&M and Oklahoma in their stadiums this year. But no, I have never gone to a softball game at an sec stadium.
Based on the baseball games at sec stadiums I am still going to go with my original thesis that the majority of people there in the stands are there because they are students or fans of the athletic program at those universities and that same support would not follow a pro league.

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