Muscle Sport Magazine » Tri State Area

UFL Needs to Promote League More to Succeed

Joe Pietaro — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:08:50 +0000

The United Football League has been playing games for five weeks now in their inaugural season and unless you’re a die-hard gridiron fan, you would be hard pressed to even know that they are in existence. As far as the Tri-State area goes, nary a mention has been made of the league itself or the local team, the New York Sentinels.

The only noticeable advertisement came in the form of billboard along the New Jersey Turnpike near Giants Stadium, the location of the Sentinels’ first home game. On that Thursday evening at the end of October, the California Redwoods came into town and kept New York winless by taking a close contest, 20-13. The attendance was light and appeared even more so because of the capacity of the stadium. And it didn’t help matters any that the game was up against the second installment of the World Series in the Bronx.

But with more promotion, football fans who are shut out from Giants or Jets games would probably be more than happy to take advantage of the very affordable $20 tickets the UFL is offering. Couple that with the familiar names that adorn the rosters of the four teams and this thing may be a viable alternative during the week to the NFL.

“We had some guys here, like Simeon Rice, who had some injuries and are just looking to come back to play,” said Sentinels head coach Ted Cotrell, a former defensive coordinator for a number of teams including the New York Jets. “There are a few players like that and there are players coming up that just need a chance. It’s a win-win thing. If they do well, then we do well.”

Sounds like a good plan but for that to come true, the UFL has to get its name out there more. With the three other teams employing head coaches like Dennis Green (California Redwoods), Jim Fassel (Las Vegas Locomotives) and Jim Haslett (Florida Tuskers), instant credibility is brought to the table. Plus they have a television deal with Versus and HDNet, so the coverage is there if the fans choose to tune in.

In any situation where a new product is released, there will be trial and error periods. Such is the case when the Sentinels changed the location of their next home game from Citi Field (the Mets new ballpark in Queens) to Hofstra University on Long Island. A much smaller venue is more appropriate in a town like New York where it is very difficult to catch on when you have to deal with the likes of the Giants and Yankees garnering all of the headlines.

A short eight-week schedule commencing with the UFL championship game on November 27 will wrap up a campaign that the UFL can hopefully build on. They intend on adding teams and games in 2010 but need the capital to do so.

Other football leagues have had a difficult time surviving in what has become an NFL-monopolized sport. The WFL, USFL, AFL, XFL, WLAF and NFL Europe all dot the landscape of failed attempts to at least share a piece of the pigskin pie. Hopefully the UFL can stay off of that list.

Mr. & Mrs. Jones Beach USA Aug. 9 – Muscle Beach East

Joe Pietaro — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:45:44 +0000

ATOMIC Fitness CEO and Chairman of the Board Steve Michalik announce that the Dan Lurie and Steve Michalik 2009 Mr. & Ms. Jones Beach USAcharity fundraiser will benefit the LI2DAYWALK Breast Cancer Organization and UCPN.

The 2^nd Annual Return to Muscle Beach event is August 9^th, 2009 (rain date August 16) at the West Bathhouse, Jones Beach, NY. The event is presented by world renowned legends Dan Lurie and Steve Michalik, both trendsetters and record breakers in the bodybuilding industry. ATOMIC Fitness will launch the Steve Michalik Fitness Ambassador Award program honoring Dan Lurie for his lifetime achievement during the event. This Award will be given out annually to those who have dedicated their lives to fitness and excellence.

This event crowns this year’s Mr. & Ms. Jones Beach USA and is a very exciting event for the whole family. The public and spectators are invited to come early, bring a lawn chair and enjoy the beautiful stretch of famous white sand beach which will play host to the contest. Beach access is free of charge. Parking is $8 per car for the day.

The contest features some of the areas most impressive physiques and will take place at the Jones Beach West Bathhouse Oceanfront. This exciting event marks the return of “Muscle Beach East” in New York and will include a Bodybuilding and Best Beach Body contest which features beautiful, sculpted bodies, both male and female, as well as special appearances by bodybuilding hall of famers along with other celebrities.

The event will be held at the West Bathhouse, located at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island, New York. Jones Beach is the East Coast’s most popular and heaviest visited oceanfront with millions of patrons each summer enjoying over 2400 acres on the Atlantic Ocean. Located only 33 miles from New York City, Jones Beach is easily accessible from the Tri-State area and is well linked to public transportation.

Competitor registration will begin at 9:00 A.M. with prejudging starting at 10:00 A.M. The show and awards presentation will commence at 1:00 P.M. and will continue to approximately 3:00 P.M. Awards are given to the top 5 competitors in each category. Pre-registration fee is $25 ($50 day of event). To register and for more information about this event visit www.jonesbeachusa.com.

MEDIA & EVENT CONTACT: Fran Petito 631.235.9382franpetito@aol.com

3 Wyndham Road Brentwood, NY 11717

Dan Lurie and Steve Michalik 2009 Mr. & Ms. Jones Beach USA

DAN LURIE: A pioneer in the sport of bodybuilding and a passionate advocate of physical fitness for well over 70 years, Dan Lurie has made it his lifelong mission to promote health and wellness, bringing information and education to the masses. Using fresh and innovative ideas well ahead their time, Dan led the way in promoting health, longevity and quality of life. The Dan Lurie Barbell Company, founded in 1945, was the first to make barbell sets, gym equipment and nutritional supplements available to the public. At the youthful age of 86, Dan is a living testament to his philosophy and remains an inspiration to each life he touches.www.danlurie.com.

STEVE MICHALIK: A triple-crown champion, with titles including Mr. USA, Mr. America, and Mr. Universe, began at the age of eight. A tireless leader in the field of Health and Wellness, Steve utilizes his diverse and extensive background of accomplishments and experience to continuously research and develop safe, new and innovative methods for improving health, fitness and longevity. His indisputable mastery of the human condition make Steve a valuable and much sought after spokesperson. Currently, Steve focuses his energies on authoring books, lecturing, fundraising events and children’s fitness workshops. www.mramericas.com.

The LI2Day Walk to Fight Breast Cancer is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2004 that raises awareness and much needed funds for the women and men in our community who are fighting breast cancer right now – emotionally, physically and financially. Since its inception, LI2DAY has raised over $2 MILLION from the annual 35-mile, two day walk. Local grassroots breast cancer organizations receive funding from LI2DAY to assist Long Islanders who are suffering the effects of breast cancer. LI2DAY helps fund programs that assist with medical expenses, transportation, prosthetics and wigs, physical therapy, child care, research, education and more. Hundreds of Long Islanders from all ages and backgrounds participated in the 6th Annual Long Island 2 Day Breast Cancer Walk on June 6th and June 7th, 2009. The emotional journey of inspiration, hope and healing took place along scenic Suffolk County roads and in Suffolk County Parks. For more information please visitwww.li2daywalk.org or call 631-863-2DAY. Donations can be made online or by sending a check to LI2DAYBCW P.O. Box 506, Nesconset, NY 11767.

United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, Inc. (UCPN) is an independent, not-for-profit health agency serving over 1800 children and adults with cerebral palsy, developmental and other disabilities. The Association, founded in 1948, operates a comprehensive Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Roosevelt, New York which has earned international recognition for innovative and high quality programs. Many state-of-the-art services are provided in the Fortunoff Treatment and Rehabilitation Center and other areas of the facility

MEDIA & EVENT CONTACT: Fran Petito 631.235.9382franpetito@aol.com

Jones Beach Spotlight: All for 2 Charities

Joe Pietaro — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:43:48 +0000

Melville, NY – June 4, 2009. ATOMIC Fitness CEO and Chairman of the Board Steve Michalik announce that the Dan Lurie and Steve Michalik 2009 Mr. & Ms. Jones Beach USA charity fundraiser will benefit the LI2DAYWALK Breast Cancer Organization and UCPN.

MEDIA & EVENT CONTACT: Fran Petito 631.235.9382 franpetito@aol.com

3 Wyndham Road Brentwood, NY 11717

Dan Lurie and Steve Michalik 2009 Mr. & Ms. Jones Beach USA

The LI2Day Walk to Fight Breast Cancer is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2004 that raises awareness and much needed funds for the women and men in our community who are fighting breast cancer right now – emotionally, physically and financially. Since its inception, LI2DAY has raised over $2 MILLION from the annual 35-mile, two day walk. Local grassroots breast cancer organizations receive funding from LI2DAY to assist Long Islanders who are suffering the effects of breast cancer. LI2DAY helps fund programs that assist with medical expenses, transportation, prosthetics and wigs, physical therapy, child care, research, education and more. Hundreds of Long Islanders from all ages and backgrounds participated in the 6th Annual Long Island 2 Day Breast Cancer Walk on June 6th and June 7th, 2009. The emotional journey of inspiration, hope and healing took place along scenic Suffolk County roads and in Suffolk County Parks. For more information please visit www.li2daywalk.org or call 631-863-2DAY. Donations can be made online or by sending a check to LI2DAYBCW P.O. Box 506, Nesconset, NY 11767.

MEDIA & EVENT CONTACT: Fran Petito 631.235.9382 franpetito@aol.com

UFL Kicks Off on October 8th

Joe Pietaro — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:40:20 +0000

Geography has not exactly been a strong point with football teams in the Tri-state area. Not one, but two teams play their games in the heart of the Garden State but still call themselves New York, the state where they were born. They are obviously the Giants and Jets, who are in New Jersey to stay with their new joint venture stadium set to open in 2010 right next to Giants Stadium. (The Meadowlands if you’re there for a Jet game.)

Two other teams played in the same venue and took credit for both states. The Knights of the WLAF and Hitmen of the XFL actually called themselves ‘New York/New Jersey’ during their short tenures in their respective leagues.

Even the one team that actually did play here in the New York is gone, maybe forever. The Dragons and the rest of the Arena Football League will sit out the 2009 season with the hope that by the time next year rolls around, the economic state of the league and its fans will be better.

All hope is lost, right? Maybe not, with the creation of the United Football League. The brand new outdoor league that is scheduled to kick off this October with four teams includes one in New York to be coached by former Jets defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. The big question is where will they play? According to the league’s website, www.ufl-football.com, mentions a few possibilities, some more reasonable than the others. Just for window dressing, the page for the New York franchise states that both Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium would be “ideal for a UFL team.” Fat chance that either place would ever see a football game, especially one from a league in its maiden season.

Figure on one of the next set of places spoken about to be the eventual location. Laurence Wein Stadium at Columbia University in Manhattan or James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra on Long Island both seat less than 20,000, a number attainable from an unknown entity than the 45,000 or 53,000 at the Mets and Yanks new surroundings.

Bringing football back to New York will probably be a good marketing tool, but of the team ends up in either of the other locations listed (Rutgers Stadium, Princeton Stadium or the future home of the MLS Red Bulls in Harrison, New Jersey) then they will have to come up with something different.

The other UFL teams will be in Las Vegas, Orlando and San Francisco and all have former NFL head coaches leading them. Jim Fassel (Giants), Jim Hasslet (Saints, Rams) and Dennis Green (Vikings, Cardinals), respectively, will give the league instant credibility and known names, at least on the sidelines.

Just who will don the uniforms of these four teams remains to be seen. There is no question that there will be a wide pool to choose from with the AFL and NFL Europe no longer an option, but quantity does not exactly mean quality. There has been some speculation that Michael Vick may be destined for the new league if no NFL teams want to touch him once he’s eligible to play again.

During a press conference, UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue said, “The first UFL game will take place on October 8 at AT&T Park, the home venue of the San Francisco Giants,” which has been the only stadium announced. He further said,” We will commence (that week) for a total of seven weeks which will conclude with our championship game in Las Vegas,” which will take place during Thanksgiving weekend. Huyghue also stated that the cable network VERSUS will broadcast weekly games.

Certain games will also be played in neutral markets such as Los Angeles and Hartford, in all likelihood potential expansion cities for next season.

Will they be successful, especially going head-to-head against the NFL? Most critics have said that any league would be better off playing in the spring, such as the new USFL plans to do in 2010.

But with a chance to finally land a team in New York, are we in any position to be picky?