A lot of these links probably say the same thing. My computer is moving too slow to get the articles past the links. There's one that starts with "It was definitely Bon Jovi's idea to call the team the Soul." If someone can capture that article and post it, I'd appreciate it.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercuryne...ts/6836264.htm
Becky
See next post.
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi (news), left, stands with Craig A. Spencer, right, and Arena League Commissioner David Baker, center, Monday, Sept. 22, 2003, in Philadelphia. Bon Jovi was anounced Monday as co-owner, along with Spencer, of the Philadelphia Soul, an expansion Arena League Football franchise that will begin play next season in the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/6836412.htm
http://www.curlio.com/new_showarticle.php?id=5315#
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/23/sp...partner=GOOGLE
Rock and Soul as Bon Jovi Buys Part of Arena Team
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
t a pep rally today outside the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, the rock star Jon Bon Jovi, a New Jersey resident and a devout Giants fan, will be introduced as the co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul, an Arena Football League expansion team.
"I'm a very conservative investor," Bon Jovi said last Friday in a telephone interview. "I don't like to lose money, first and foremost, so since my name will be out in front, I had to build a great team." Ron Jaworski, an ESPN analyst and former Eagles quarterback, will be the team's president.
Bon Jovi is sensitive to the stereotype of a rock star being fiscally irresponsible or somehow undeserving of team ownership. "I didn't get rich or famous by being stupid," he said. "I've been able to surprise people with my business acumen.''
Craig Spencer, a real estate developer, who had applied to be the sole owner of the Philadelphia team, said he had "leaned to saying no" to being in partnership with a celebrity, but "Jon's one of the brightest guys in the business.''
"His rock life is his business,'' he said. "You'd be shocked at how his band is a well-oiled business machine."
Richie Sambora, a Bon Jovi bandmate, is the owner of a small stake in the team.
Bon Jovi had barely paid attention to the A.F.L. when a friend mentioned it early this year, but once persuaded of its appeal, he spent several months talking to the league and to owners like John Elway of Colorado and Jerry Jones of Dallas.
"I see this as a growing enterprise," Bon Jovi said. "This is a baby league, in its 18th season, as opposed to its 100th-plus season. This is growing by leaps and bounds. It's real football. It's not the XFL."
C. David Baker, the A.F.L.'s commissioner, said he had ignored past contacts by rock stars to buy teams, but he was persuaded that Bon Jovi was different.
"These guys did more due diligence than any other owner," Baker said.
At a Bon Jovi concert in Cleveland, Baker said the atmosphere and the band's marketing "almost felt like one of our events."
Ken Schanzer, the president of NBC Sports, which began a long-term deal with the A.F.L. last season, watched Bon Jovi address team owners earlier this year.
"He talked about the nature of the game as a place to take your children and that in his company, he's never had one guy arrested for drug use, drunk driving or salacious behavior," Schanzer said.
The addition of Bon Jovi, who said his band would not tour this year so he could concentrate on overseeing the Soul, is the latest wrinkle at the A.F.L.
It has expanded, moved teams from midsized markets to larger cities, sold franchises to several N.F.L. owners and received regular broadcast exposure on NBC every week, reaching 25.4 million households last season, up from 5.2 million in 2002.
Bon Jovi's team purchase includes a commitment to make a commercial for NBC, which Baker hopes will help raise the league's profile.
"John Elway and Jerry Jones can get us into Sports Illustrated," Baker said. "Jon Bon Jovi can get us into 'Access Hollywood' and Rolling Stone."
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Sep/09232...orts/95053.asp
ARENA FOOTBALL
Arena rock: Jon Bon Jovi is bringing arena rock to arena football. Just don't expect him to perform during games. Bon Jovi will be co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul, an expansion Arena Football League team that will play next season in the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum. His partner is developer Craig A. Spencer, whose properties include the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia.
The Soul become the league's 18th team and second expansion team this year, following the New Orleans VooDoo.
http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySports/cs.cs-09-23-0080.html
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Ooh, we're halfway there -- it's second and five
By AP
PHILADELPHIA -- Jon Bon Jovi is bringing arena rock to arena football. Just don't expect him to perform during games.
Bon Jovi will be co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul, an expansion Arena Football League team that will play next season in the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum.
His partner is developer Craig A. Spencer, whose properties include the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, where Bon Jovi spoke yesterday.
"I love football, always have," said Bon Jovi, a New Jersey native. "It's the only sport I really live and breathe."
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has a stake in the team.
The Soul become the league's 18th team and second expansion team this year, following the New Orleans VooDoo. A team in Austin, Tex., is expected to enter next season.
Bon Jovi has sold upward of 100 million albums worldwide but he had to overcome skepticism among league executives. The 41-year-old rocker quickly impressed with his business acumen, work ethic and football knowledge, league commissioner David Baker said.
"We're driving on our way to a concert and he's asking me about the emergency quarterback rule," Baker said. "Nobody ever asks me about the emergency quarterback rule."
Arena football is a fast-paced version of the outdoor game that sent quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Tommy Maddox to the NFL. The 17-year-old AFL debuted last season on NBC, drawing 65 million viewers while attendance increased 15% to an average of more than 11,000.
The value of a typical AFL team has gone from $400,000 US six years ago to about $16 million, said Baker, who declined to put a price tag on the Soul.
The Soul's president is Ron Jaworski, who once quarterbacked the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. The coach is Mike Trigg, who won an ArenaBowl title with Grand Rapids.
http://msnbc.com/news/970337.asp