Dave Kern, a goalie for the defending National Indoor Soccer League champion Baltimore Blast, stops a shot during Monday's first day of practice at Du Burns Arena. The Blast's home opener is scheduled for Nov. 13 against the Rockford Rampage at 1st Mariner Arena. (Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum / October 26, 2009) |
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While Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale battles through tough economic times with his banking and development businesses, he said he's certain those issues won't affect the team as it begins defense of its National Indoor Soccer League championship.
"There's not any connection whatsoever," Hale said. "The staff that I have with [Blast general manager Kevin Healey], it's self-sustaining, and that's an anomaly with [professional indoor] soccer because most of the time you lose money with soccer operations. But we've been doing it for so long, we feel we have it down to where it's going to be self-sustaining and not affected by anything that's happened to me."
The Blast made just under $100,000 last season, Healey said, and was the only NISL team to turn a profit.
Hale's 1st Mariner Bank is operating under intense federal scrutiny to raise its capital and deal with problem real estate loans. Also, Hale avoided the foreclosure sale of his signature 1st Mariner Tower in Canton Crossing last week after the lender voluntarily dismissed the case.
"It's an unfortunate time for me right now with the capital markets being closed. I can't refinance my building, the loan matured and it's virtually impossible to do it, so that's created a problem. But that's me with my real estate - it has nothing to do with the Baltimore Blast," he said.
Officials of the NISL, a five-team league formed last year after the Major Indoor Soccer League ceased operations, have discussed with team owners the financial stability of the franchises, when they could release the 2009-10 schedule, and the future of the league. The schedule was delayed because the Philadelphia KiXX had conflicts with Temple basketball, which also plays at the Liacouras Center.
The Blast, which has won five championships in seven years, has been a model franchise on and off the field while others have floundered. The team began practicing Monday, with its home opener scheduled for Nov. 13 against the Rockford Rampage at 1st Mariner Arena. It will be the 30th season of professional indoor soccer in Baltimore.
More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the game, and the Blast is expecting roughly 9,000 - about the same as last year's season opener. Last season, the Blast led the league in attendance, averaging 7,534 in nine home games, and was able to make a profit.
"Based on all my discussions with Ed, we really didn't have a concern," NISL Commissioner David Grimaldi said. "He reassured me that regardless of the situation with 1st Mariner, the Blast were going to operate. And that's an assurance he gave to all the other owners and even some of the prospective owners that may be joining us next season."
Grimaldi added that, despite the fragile nature of the business and tough economic times, the league is methodically moving forward. New franchises are expected to join the league next year, with Dallas and Harrisburg, Pa., among the possibilities. He said a good business plan with practical spending is a key. Those are things the Blast has practiced all along.
"We're proud that as a soccer franchise, we've done well not only on the field, but off the field. As a stand-alone entity, we made money last year," Healey said. "And our challenge now is to continue to do that. We know we have to earn the right to get people into the stands, to get sponsors and whatnot. We've delivered a great product and plan on continuing to do that."
Hale said he can't wait to watch some soccer with the season less than three weeks away. The Blast's 20-game schedule includes 11 home games this season; the team bought one of the KiXX's home games to settle the issue with Temple.
"With all the stuff that's going on in my life right now, which I hope to have resolved soon, I'm looking forward to the season opening," he said. "I truly love it, my mother, who is 83, loves it, and I go with my kids and my grandsons now. We all sit there and have a great time."
Baltimore Sun reporter Hanah Cho contributed to this article.
"There's not any connection whatsoever," Hale said. "The staff that I have with [Blast general manager Kevin Healey], it's self-sustaining, and that's an anomaly with [professional indoor] soccer because most of the time you lose money with soccer operations. But we've been doing it for so long, we feel we have it down to where it's going to be self-sustaining and not affected by anything that's happened to me."
The Blast made just under $100,000 last season, Healey said, and was the only NISL team to turn a profit.
Hale's 1st Mariner Bank is operating under intense federal scrutiny to raise its capital and deal with problem real estate loans. Also, Hale avoided the foreclosure sale of his signature 1st Mariner Tower in Canton Crossing last week after the lender voluntarily dismissed the case.
"It's an unfortunate time for me right now with the capital markets being closed. I can't refinance my building, the loan matured and it's virtually impossible to do it, so that's created a problem. But that's me with my real estate - it has nothing to do with the Baltimore Blast," he said.
Officials of the NISL, a five-team league formed last year after the Major Indoor Soccer League ceased operations, have discussed with team owners the financial stability of the franchises, when they could release the 2009-10 schedule, and the future of the league. The schedule was delayed because the Philadelphia KiXX had conflicts with Temple basketball, which also plays at the Liacouras Center.
The Blast, which has won five championships in seven years, has been a model franchise on and off the field while others have floundered. The team began practicing Monday, with its home opener scheduled for Nov. 13 against the Rockford Rampage at 1st Mariner Arena. It will be the 30th season of professional indoor soccer in Baltimore.
More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the game, and the Blast is expecting roughly 9,000 - about the same as last year's season opener. Last season, the Blast led the league in attendance, averaging 7,534 in nine home games, and was able to make a profit.
"Based on all my discussions with Ed, we really didn't have a concern," NISL Commissioner David Grimaldi said. "He reassured me that regardless of the situation with 1st Mariner, the Blast were going to operate. And that's an assurance he gave to all the other owners and even some of the prospective owners that may be joining us next season."
Grimaldi added that, despite the fragile nature of the business and tough economic times, the league is methodically moving forward. New franchises are expected to join the league next year, with Dallas and Harrisburg, Pa., among the possibilities. He said a good business plan with practical spending is a key. Those are things the Blast has practiced all along.
"We're proud that as a soccer franchise, we've done well not only on the field, but off the field. As a stand-alone entity, we made money last year," Healey said. "And our challenge now is to continue to do that. We know we have to earn the right to get people into the stands, to get sponsors and whatnot. We've delivered a great product and plan on continuing to do that."
Hale said he can't wait to watch some soccer with the season less than three weeks away. The Blast's 20-game schedule includes 11 home games this season; the team bought one of the KiXX's home games to settle the issue with Temple.
"With all the stuff that's going on in my life right now, which I hope to have resolved soon, I'm looking forward to the season opening," he said. "I truly love it, my mother, who is 83, loves it, and I go with my kids and my grandsons now. We all sit there and have a great time."
Baltimore Sun reporter Hanah Cho contributed to this article.
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I think it's quite fitting that someone who has foreclosed on so many peoples' homes is in fact himself now being evicted from his penthouse suite!
Karma maybe?
joefab@hotmail.com (11/03/2009, 11:46 AM )