Late last year, Major League Baseball shot down a report that the Los Angeles Dodgers would play its 2014 opener at Australia's famous Sydney Cricket Ground.
The story is interesting for bringing to light that MLB 'bankrolls' a 2-year-old, 6-team competition in the Lucky Country. Previously, in 2001, the US organization set up the Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program, which has 'led to a 40-percent increase in the number of Australians playing professional and college baseball', according to the Australian Baseball League.
Attendance typically ranges from 1,000 to 2,000, more or less the size of rugby crowds at such elite colleges as BYU or Cal. ABL organizers hope to lift game attendance to 3,000-5,000, 'which along with increased corporate support, would help the ABL realise its goal of self-sustainability'.
In 2002, USARFU and Canada won England's backing for commercial competition in North America, but poor sales led the Rugby Football Union to abandon the Churchill Alliance after 2011. The highest-profile outcome of America's strategic relationship with New Zealand, signed in 2008, has been the same year's outbound, three-match Collegiate All-American tour as well as sundry player placements. Plans for hosting a Bledisloe Cup match in Denver were aborted; discussions of a North American Super Rugby franchise have never progressed much.
Aussie pro baseball features teams in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, an expanse almost exactly the size of America's 'lower 48' states. Further, as the ABL's season runs from November through February, it's the opposite of the US season and several players player 'winter ball' in the US minor leagues.
Talks of the Dodgers playing Sydney are ongoing, an MLB executive told Bloomberg, 'but we’re a long way from actually signing paperwork'.
American leagues see international markets as one more way to butter their bread, while rugby leagues abroad are counting on the USA for long term solvency. We're not exactly comparing apples to apples.
Posted by: Josh Macy | 15 January 2013 at 16:01
I love how your readers consistently beat the shit out of you all day long ... I have sincerely really grown to appreciate the fact neither of my two blogs really ever generate any comments at all. No joke ... Keep up the good work here, readers!
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 15 January 2013 at 18:11
In fairness, I think a large majority of readers support Kurt. But those that support USA Rugby are likely to get on his case.
Posted by: Angle | 16 January 2013 at 07:26
Rugby in the United States needs all the fucking Kurt Oelers it can find.
The people who actually like this niche sport in the United States can consider themselves f---ing lucky that Kurt is not cut from the same cloth as I am.
I'd remind the schmucks attendance at this blog is NOT mandatory --- and say a bunch of unflattering shit about their mothers.
Then, I would stop providing them free rugby stuff to read and ask them where they plan to hang out next.
Yep. You clowns are lucky you got Kurt instead of me. Have a great day!
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 16 January 2013 at 10:01
@kurt's brother
If Kurt stopped providing free Rugby content, where would people turn? Are you being serious? I can think of 4 different sources that provide not only greater volumes of content on an almost daily basis, but, tend to be able to garner interviews from coaches, player and the administration of a regular basis.
As for the actual article above, the ABL is a non-entity in Australia. Take it from an Australian. For it to be successful it must compete it a very tough sports market against a much stronger and frankly entertaining alternative in T20 Cricket. If the Dodgers did play a few games in Sydney, they'd get a crowd, the novelty factor will excite a few but sorry guys Baseball isn't all that exciting.
Before anyone berates me on Cricket. T20 isn't the traditional form. It only goes for 3 hours and involves quite a bit of athleticism in comparison to Baseball.
Posted by: Working Class Rugger | 16 January 2013 at 17:05
@WCR, you raise a valid point about content on this site, but if gainline went away, where would readers go to find this brand of stream of consciousness style writing in which connections between seemingly unrelated events and subjects are discovered where no other reasonable person might find them.
My mind gets blown each time I visit and I cant find that anywhere else.
Posted by: College | 16 January 2013 at 20:09
I fail to comprehend most of what Kurt writes. I just visit so I can hang out with the cool (and smart) kids.
Posted by: Andrew Jackson | 17 January 2013 at 05:37
I just come on here to go Limey bashing - Nigel Melville being my favorite target!
Posted by: Jack Sparrow | 17 January 2013 at 09:17
Working Class Rugger, College and Andrew Jackson :
Fuck you clowns.
Why are you even here if this place sucks so bad?
PS --- Grow some balls and sign your real names, when you get the chance.
Sincerely,
ROLF OELER
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 17 January 2013 at 10:47
Oh I almost forgot, Three Stooges :
Please list the web addresses of the rugby blogs YOU pricks produce.
I would like to come see if you schmucks really CAN do any better, or if talking shit is the extent of your talents.
Thank you in advance as your cooperation is most appreciated and should you have any quesitons or require further assistance, please call 1-800-GETA-JOB.
R.O.
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 17 January 2013 at 10:53
I wish that Rolf would start writing a rugby blog. He is righteously funny.
It's not easy to be frustrated with a system that is growing and write positively about it. I find myself editing out negativity when I write about the NGB from time-to-time.
Posted by: Grant | 17 January 2013 at 11:50
@the internet hard man,
Feel better now. Got that off your chest. Good. Now fuck off. There's a good little boy. Go suck on your mother teat.
As for the other sites. There's Rugbyamerica, thisisamaericanrugby (both hugely superior to this site), rugbyrugby.com contain a great deal of American content and the rugbywrapup.com. There you go. Four listed just for you.
As for using my real name. What does that matter. You don't know me. By revealing my last name won't change that you're an immature, emotionally unstable child posing as a hard man from the other end of a keyboard. Fuck me you're a loser. That is all.
Posted by: Working Class Rugger | 17 January 2013 at 12:01
@working class rugger,
Where did you learn that this is the way that a Man should act? I mean a real man, who knows how to handle themselves. Knows how to deal with conflict and do so with class. Is secure in themselves and who they are.
You probably felt pretty good about yourself when you responded to those comments. You showed him.
No you didn't. You wrote a bunch of meaningless words that you don't have to back up in any way and only showed the other people who read these comments what type of person you are. Maybe you have physically played the game of rugby but you certainly don't seem to be a real rugby player. Not the type that young men should aspire to be.
Posted by: Call yourself whatever you want, it's the internet! | 17 January 2013 at 12:59
Dude, if we posted our real names it would be absolutely no fun for you anymore. You see, about 75% of the people that post here already know each other and can tell who is who simply by the way the write.
Anyway, most won't take you seriously until you can control that potty mouth...
Posted by: Ernest Angley | 17 January 2013 at 13:02
Working Class Rugger :
Again --- If this place sucks so bad, then why are you here?
I don't know the first fucking thing about rugby.
I'm here and commenting because I don't appreciate the constant bullshit bozos like you consistently spew.
So I'm calling you out ...
... and what about those websites I want to come visit sometime?
R.O.
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 17 January 2013 at 13:39
the last 10 or 12 comments need to be directed to the dr. phil blog to address their frustrations with all things insecure and stop wasting the adults time. now, back to the topic at hand....
Posted by: 7's vs 15's | 17 January 2013 at 13:41
I'm impervious to lectures from people who actually use the word, "potty mouth", Ernest.
Es tut mir leid.
R.O.
Posted by: Kurt's brother | 17 January 2013 at 13:42
The thing is, whether we use our real names or not, no one really knows who anyone is on the internet.
I mean, how do you know I'm really me and not some midget standing on another midget's shoulders wearing a trench coat?
Posted by: Lennay Kekua | 17 January 2013 at 17:34
Kurt hasn't got a brother - it's really Manti Teo's girlfriend looking for some more fun.
Posted by: Jack Sparrow | 17 January 2013 at 20:54
Rolf, Please stfu. you are embarrassing the family YET AGAIN. Kurt doesnt care about the comments or he would have disabled the function long ago.
- Olaf Oeler, Kurt's other brother
Posted by: Olaf Oeler | 18 January 2013 at 04:27
No worries, its Friday so his mom will make him take her to the beauty shop and he'll probably move on from there. Once he gets back to the basement he'll be too busy taking down all his Lance Armstrong posters.
I enjoy Gainline - even the comment section. I'll keep visiting unless Kurt starts charging me $7.49 a month to comment.
Posted by: Tyler Hamilton | 18 January 2013 at 05:53
@call yourself whatever,
I chose to respond in kind. While you have chosen to change tact. Nice try but no one is falling for it.
As for the sites, read my comment above and you'll see them.
Posted by: Working Class Rugger | 18 January 2013 at 20:56