Fourth and long for Predators

It’s good to offer a variety of entertainment in the Valley, but it appears the Arctic Predators indoor football team has fumbled the ball.

The cards were stacked against the team from the start. First, by league rule, the Predators not only have to travel but pay their opponents’ travel expenses as well.

Even high schoolers know travel is expensive. Local athletes and music students are out there selling doughnuts, washing cars, selling gift cards and conducting any number of other fund-raisers so they can compete in this far-flung state.

By the time school’s over, local merchants and organizations are practically bled dry from helping out. Even individuals sometimes feel like there’s a hand out on every corner.

The Predators are in financial trouble with some players saying they aren’t being paid.

While there are many football fans here, they have lots of choices for ways to scratch that entertainment itch when summer rolls around. Sitting inside to watch a game doesn’t sound as appealing as being in a boat fishing or out on the golf course or just camping.

Alaskans are shut in much of the winter, so when the sun comes out and the days are long, even die-hard football fans may not want to be indoors for a few hours.

For that reason, the Predators aren’t drawing crowds they would like that would help support the team. Without 1,000 or more screaming fans in the arena, advertisers probably think their hard-earned money would be better spent elsewhere.

If you like sports and the sun, the Mat-Su Miners play excellent baseball and have been a Valley fixture for many summers.

The Predators overestimated the interest here, possibly because people are fans of their high school football teams. And lots of people enjoy Sunday afternoons watching professional football. So it seems reasonable they would embrace summer football.

Apparently that’s not the case.

To even have games now, the Predators are playing a rag-tag team gathered in Anchorage to fill its schedule. In the first exhibition game, the Predators won 96-6. In the second game, they won 67-8.

In regular league play, against good teams, they have struggled to compete, winning two games and losing six. They’ve had to forfeit two games because they couldn’t afford to fly teams here. Another two wins came because the other team forfeited due to similar financial problems.

That kind of sketchy history doesn’t bode well for the future of the team.