Sport Ax/Chainsaw on ESPN

[CarlKnoch]

That last post was Very informational!

The TV results that you posted on those 2 links really do show how much TV time Curling is getting! Those pages are for 2001-02 Winter Games, and 2003 national events. Curling is on TV 4 times in those 2.5 years. Now that's a lot of coverage!! Whew!

[Catal]

You're comparing this to the 30minutes that fencing has had all year. Yes, I'd say it's better. Not all impressive compared to Golf or Tennis, but certainly better than Fencing.

[CarlKnoch]

So that TV time has really helped Curling gain in popularity. I think I'll run right down to my local ice rink to try out for the team.

No honestly. The time they have had in the past few years on the tube means absolutely nothing for their sport. It isn't making them grow, it's not helping their income. They are getting money from the World Curling Assn. and it's being pissed away into that big toilet we call TV. The USFA would be doing the same thing if they tried it. That's not where I want the money I pay to go. It won't help us, and that's obvious. Just taking the Curling and Axing examples is proof enough for me that this isn't for us....

The Stihl Championship series has 28 competators. That's all. This isn't a sport for just anyone. It's a sport that's used as a fun advertisement for Stihl. That's about it. There were a couple of qualifying events, but it's not really a sport like fencing.

The US Curling Association has 135 clubs. They have a great pdf that explains how to start a club of your own, from selling bonds, to aquiring financing, building the facility and trying to figure out the dues ($300 and up per year for a local club) to pay the 5-7% on the bonds as well as pay for the space and payments on the financing. I found the reading good, but also found that they don't talk much about how much it costs to be a member. Only one site did and it was $300 and up. Perhaps they try to get the bonds they sell to pay for everything? It is an interesting approach and I think that someone involved in finance on this board could check it out for viability. http://www.usacurl.org/basics/building_facility.pdf Page 24 if you please. Also they are helping to educate the local clubs on marketting.... http://www.goodcurling.net/Member%20...es/Members.htm
Not that the individual club is responsible for getting the sport out there. They are trying to get people involved much like local fencing clubs are. The difference I think is that they are using different financial means than we are. We might learn something from them and put it into action for our local clubs! It sounds reasonable. Might not be practical, but it looks good. I'll look into it further. NOTICE THAT NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TV COVERAGE! TV coverage isn't what's helping them at all.

Now that I look at it I must admit that comparing the Stihl Timbersports Series to US Fencing is like apples and oranges. There is no comparrison. It's just not the same, and to try to compare a sport that began hundreds of years ago as a martial discipline to a sport that was created for fun and to advertise a specific set of products to the public doesn't work out.

Comparing fencing to curling is much closer in that both organizations are trying to grow their respective sport. The curling assn in the US has left it to the local clubs to finance themselves, and maybe that's where we as fencers are not holding up our end of things. The US Curling Assn IS however trying to help the clubs by educating them. That would be good if the USFA helped to educate us on the marketting and running of a club. If a curling club can raise the almost $400,000 to build and start a curling facility, which some have, then why don't we see fencing clubs doing this same thing? I think we could learn from them and possibly get our local clubs up to speed! A better business plan from the USFA for local clubs would be a welcome site I think. Much better than tryingto spend $400000 on getting us on TV 4 times in 2 years.


This of course was a rant looked at over a few hours, so my thoughts were wandering as I read websites.....