League looks for TV deal

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 | 7:39 a.m.

After Sunday's ArenaBowl XX capped a weeklong celebration of his sport's first 20 years, Arena Football League Commissioner David Baker was ready to turn his attention to the future.

"I only allow myself one weekend to reminisce," Baker said moments after presenting the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy to the Chicago Rush after its wild 69-61 victory over the Orlando Predators at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"I kind of prefer to think about the future."

At the top of Baker's to-do list is securing a "television partner" to broadcast the league's games. The AFL's most recent two-year contract with NBC expired Sunday and, although the two sides continue to discuss an extension, Baker sounded an awful lot like a commissioner without a TV contract.

"We have had some discussions with NBC already, and we're talking to them, but frankly I think we're pretty well positioned no matter where we want to go," Baker said.

"They're going to look at us, but we're also looking at them. They've been great partners in all that we've done together, but other groups have expressed a lot of interest."

The "other groups" include cable television networks OLN (Outdoor Life Network) and Fox Sports Net, Baker said. OLN has broadcast the National Hockey League and the Tour de France. Fox Sports Net features regional action in major league baseball and college sports.

Baker, who said he expects to know by midsummer if the league's games will return to NBC, sidestepped the question when asked if he thought it would be a blow to the AFL if it didn't land on a major network next season.

Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson, however, said having NBC televise the ArenaBowl is part of what led his organization to support the championship game.

"A network component is a critical piece," Christenson said. "The network deal is a big deal. If the AFL does decide to move in a different direction, we'd have to evaluate that.

"I wouldn't say we're out because there's not a network component, I just think we'd have to evaluate it."

Baker said he also plans to keep the ArenaBowl at a neutral site, which the league attempted for the first time last year in Las Vegas. ArenaBowl XIX drew 10,822 spectators to watch Colorado beat Georgia. Sunday's game attracted 13,746 fans.

Baker said it is his desire to hold next year's ArenaBowl in New Orleans to help bolster that city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina and return it to Las Vegas in 2008 to honor the final year of a three-year, $3.6 million deal with Las Vegas Events. That would only happen if the league's New Orleans franchise, which took this year off to regroup after Katrina, can secure a lease agreement with the New Orleans Arena.

Christenson said Las Vegas Events would have no problem with such a scenario.

"I'm OK with that," Christenson said. "For the most part, sitting on the sidelines a year may be good for both of us. That would be something the board would have to decide, but, to me, it isn't critical that they come back next year versus the year after."

Baker said he expected to know "within 30 days" if Las Vegas would host ArenaBowl XXI or if the city would wait until 2008 to again host the game.