New arena football team looks to community

One of the keys to owning a successful business is community support, and nowhere is that more important than with a professional sports franchise, especially a niche sport like arena football.

So, when Vince Neil approached the Arena Football League about owning and operating a team in Las Vegas, the league jumped at the opportunity despite two previous failed attempts in the city. Neil, frontman for the rock band Motley Crue, calls Las Vegas home and has opened several successful businesses here. His ownership group is Rock Star Investment Group.

“The time was right, and it’s always about timing, location and whom,” Arena Football League President Jerry Kurz said. “The opportunity arose with Vince, and he meets a lot of the criteria we look for: passionate, dedicated and loyal sports enthusiast with strong ties to the community. Before, we never had anyone indigenous to Las Vegas. He has businesses there. He’s from Las Vegas, and that is an important thing.”

Neil also has two strong business partners working with him to make the newest Arena Football League team, the Las Vegas Outlaws, a success. Mark Daniels, president of Rock Star Investment Group, is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in building companies from the ground up.

Rock Star Investment Group Executive Vice President Bob Hewko has the most sports experience in the group. He played college football at the University of Florida and in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He previously worked in the Arena Football League as general manager and partner of the Miami Hooters. He also served as vice chairman of the AFL’s television and marketing committee, which developed the league’s ESPN contract, and as vice chairman of the league’s rules committee.

All three owners stressed the importance of getting the community involved in the Outlaws — from local business sponsorships to drawing rabid sports fans in Las Vegas to the games.

The owners of the city’s previous arena league franchises cited a lack of local ownership as the reason they failed. The Las Vegas Sting played here from 1994-95, eventually moving to Anaheim, Calif. The franchise folded in 1997. The Gladiators moved to Las Vegas from New Jersey in 2003, playing here until 2007, before moving to Cleveland for the 2008 season. The Gladiators are still in business and owned by Dan Gilbert, owner of the National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

“We need to get the community behind us,” Neil said. “Arena football is a family sport, and we want to get the young football fans in there with their families, having a good time. It’s a great form of entertainment. Once you get to a game, you are pretty much hooked.

“You are in the game. The players are flying into the stands. Footballs are flying into the stands and you can keep them. You can yell at the players, coaches and referees. You are a part of the game, which makes it a lot of fun. There are no other sports like that.”

The team’s Facebook page, which debuted Aug. 13, already has more than 3,000 “likes.” Neil’s rock-legend status has already contributed to $50,000 in season ticket sales, even before a single player had been signed or the schedule released.

“That’s unheard of without a schedule,” Hewko said.

The Outlaws are also recruiting local businesses to sponsor the team. Dollar Loan Center, led by Chuck Brennan, was one of the first local businesses to sign on with the team. Sobe Jeeps, which has a showroom at the Hard Rock Hotel, also has come aboard. Hewko said they also are lining up Motley Crue sponsors and other businesses, nationally and locally. However, they are waiting for the official schedule’s release before pushing corporate sponsorships.

“Ticket sales, ticket sales, ticket sales is what we need to be a success financially,” Daniels said. “With all of our connections and Vince’s connections, no doubt we will lead the league in major sponsorships. We were on a call with Chuck, and he wants to promote the team in his stores. He’s a big fan of Vince. There are a lot of football fans and people, like Chuck, in Vegas who want to be a part of the team.”

Hewko added that the Outlaws want to use their influence to help their local sponsors grow.

“We are working with local businesses in addition to national businesses so that we have cross tie-ins to help local businesses make the most of their advertising dollars,” he said. “We are here to help other businesses in the community be successful.”

The Outlaws ownership also has the advantage of learning from other franchises’ mistakes. The Los Angeles Kiss, an expansion Arena Football League team owned by bassist Gene Simmons and guitarist Paul Stanley of Kiss, struggled on the field in its first season, and those struggles were broadcast nationwide on the reality TV show 4th and Loud.

The Outlaws will play their home games at the Thomas &Mack Arena on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus. The ownership group chose Thomas &Mack over several other local facilities because it’s easy for locals and tourists to access and has the infrastructure for arena football. Thomas &Mack already has an indoor football field and a scoreboard. The arena has also hosted arena football and other indoor football franchises including two Arena Bowls, the league’s championship game.

The owners also are taking the community aspect of the Outlaws to the playing field. They hope to find athletic talent in Southern Nevada to star for the Outlaws through open tryouts.

The Outlaws are working with regional sports networks to try to make the games accessible on local television. The Kiss games are broadcast in the Los Angeles area on KCAL, and Hewko said he is working on a similar arrangement.

And the team will have a decidedly Vegas and rock ’n’ roll flair with a dance team entertaining the crowd during breaks in action, pregame entertainment, giveaways at the gate, and opportunities to win money by kicking field goals.

Neil’s celebrity friends are also excited about being involved with the Outlaws. Comedian Carrot Top was part of a media event announcing the team at the Fremont Street Experience. Also, Hewko said the team is working with illusionist Criss Angel, who will handle the coin toss for the team’s first home game. Want to bet the coin disappears?

For a first home opponent, Hewko said preliminary schedules he’s seen have the Outlaws opening against the Kiss.

Neil’s said he would be there to help the team in any way necessary during day-to-day operations. However, he described himself as a fan.

“I don’t want to be the guy picking the players or calling the coaches,” he said. “That isn’t me. I don’t want to be that guy. I’ll be the quiet owner who goes to the games and has a good time. I’ll leave the football to the pros.”

However, Hewko said Neil’s role might be bigger than he expects.

“We want to have him involved in all the major decisions,” he said. “When we hired our coach (Aaron Garcia), we made sure Vince liked him. He will be more involved than he thinks he will.”

Perhaps a lot more.

“We are trying to persuade him to be the quarterback,” Daniels said with a smile. “I don’t know if he’s going to go for it. We’ll also have him call some plays.”