The Arena Football League (AFL) is Shutting Down in 2009; Which Sport is Next?

Everyone knows the economy is in rough shape. Everywhere you look you see evidence of it. The housing market is in the dumps as is the stock market. Banks have to be bailed out by the government and the big three auto makers are looking for help as well. To put it simply, this country is hurting. But professional sports seemed to be almost bullet proof. That is until now. The Arena Football League (AFL), which is known for its hard hitting indoor football played on a 50-yard field, is shutting down in 2009 (source: espn.com) and it leaves the question as to which sport is next?

NASCAR has already seen its share of problems as sponsorship is increasingly hard to come by and many teams have been merging operations just to survive. But the AFL is the first sport to be hit so hard by the economy that an entire shut down is necessary. The AFL is trying to restructure and hopes to be back in 2010 (source: espn.com) but who knows if the economy will allow for their restricting plans?

Granted the AFL is only what most would consider to by a minor league of the NFL but it is a professional sport. Their shut down is the equivalent of the NASCAR Truck Series shutting down or the entire A-ball system(minor leagues for Major League Baseball) shutting down. When it comes down to it, it is all about the dollars being generated. With so much money being spent in the upper level of sports like the NFL, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Major League Baseball just to name a few, management everywhere must be nervous. After all, if fans can't afford the minor levels of sports, how long will they be able to afford the ever increasing ticket at the big levels? It is called disposable income for a reason.

The collapse of the AFL now leaves many players, coaches, officials and other various staff out of jobs. Just in time for the holidays. The players have nowhere to go. They aren't going to be able to just jump on an NFL team. Many of the players have never held a job in the private sector before and there isn't much out there as it is.

Eventually the economy will rebound and things will get back to normal (or our version of normal). But who can say when that will be. So for now, the AFL is shutting down and sitting back and hoping for the best. As for which sport is next on the chopping block, the world will just have to wait and see.