John Elway is confident the Arena Football League made the right move canceling the upcoming season. The co-owner of the Colorado Crush only wishes he could be as certain about the league’s future. Elway thought it was “up in the air” whether the 22-year-old league would return in 2010.
“I think it’s about 50-50,” Elway said in an interview with The Associated Press today while promoting his latest cause, helping design a limited-run motorcycle for Cheetah Choppers with part of the sale proceeds going to charity. “There are a lot of things that have to fall in line. But I think there’s a good chance the league will be back.”
The AFL is seeking to mold a better business model in turbulent economic times. In Elway’s opinion, the future of the league rests with revamping that model.
“Band-Aids have been placed on the league (over the years), but this was a chance to step back and look at the business model to get it to where it’s not only good for the fans and players but be viable for the owners,” Elway said.
Although the AFL is on hold, the former Broncos great has plenty to keep him busy. The Hall of Fame quarterback owns two area restaurants and is a shareholder, along with Wayne Gretzky, in Colorado-based Professional Bull Riders Inc.
“I’ve been really pleased with that,” Elway said of the bull-riding venture. “Those cowboys are tough.”
There are wedding bells in Elway’s future, too. Earlier this year, he was engaged to Paige Green, a former cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, the Broncos’ archrivals. They met at a celebrity golf tournament three years ago. They have yet to set a date.
The Colorado Crush remain optimistic that a vibrant business model can be implemented to salvage the AFL, even in an economic chill.
“Unfortunately, the perfect storm has created the perfect opportunity to put together a plan to allow the league to prosper at least another 23 years,” Michael Young, an executive for the Crush, recently said. “We have the opportunity to lay out a model that’s going to survive in these new economic times.”
Elway certainly hopes so.
“The only way to get it fixed is to look at the business model and get everyone on the same page,” he said.
