Well, the polls are now closed and the survey results are final. The Bulldogs will be back to defend their 2006 Friday night Playoff Championship!!
There was a 50/50 preference for Thursday/Friday nights and unfortunately we had to pick a night, which means that some guys who could only play one night or the other would not be able to play with us this season. It was a tough decision, but we elected to side with seniority as the deciding factor. However, after calling the park district to get availability, it didn't much matter. As it turns out, both leagues on Thursday night are already filled for 2007.
So, tomorrow I will be putting a deposit down and registering us in the Friday-B league. This is the same league that we won the playoff championship in 2006. If you need a reminder (cause I know I did), we ended the season with a 12-2 record tied with PB & J, but since PB &J had the tie breaker over us, they won the league championship.
Based on league rules, the "league champion" is required to move up to the next division in the following season. However, this does not apply to the "playoff champion" if they are not also the regular season champion, as well. Therefore, we will be able to re-enter the Friday B league.
Here are some important dates/deadlines that we have to meet, and we will appreciate everyone's cooperation in ensuring that we make these dates.
- Thursday, April 12: Captains meeting at 8pm. Some of us will be meeting for drinks, but everyone is welcome to join us.
- Friday, April 27:
- Remainder of league fee must be in.
- Initial roster is due.
- Friday, May 4: Final roster changes are due.
- Friday, May 11: Remainder of "non-resident" fees are due.
In order to raise funds we are going to be sending out "sponsorship" forms to local businesses. We have put together some packages for them and we'll see what kind of result we will get.
In addition, we are looking into a couple of fund raising ideas. Sean is working with an ex-Bulldog on a "golf card" that we could sell. In the past, when we looked at this, we would net $20/card sold. There's another fund raising option that we are looking at that would net the Dogs $15/account sold. Just by selling two to three cards/accounts you make up the majority of your cost of playing for the Dogs. If each player on the team were to sell 5 golf cards, that would net the team $1200. We will be finalizing the "wish list" and will let you know what our target will be. All of this money will be used to fund all of our activities, equipment, gear, possible tournaments (separate Bulldog Tourney team?) and increase our fun factor for both the summer and fall.
Kenny has been looking into a new jersey for this season. It would be thinner then the jersey we used last season (similar to Under Amour's Loose Gear). We also won't be held to the standard white/gray color shirts and can now mix and match colors. So we could get a navy based jersey with silver and red mixed in to the shirt.
Hats and visors will be available and Kenny has also purchased a jacket for the season. Kenny has also done some research on pants/shorts and shoe options for the team from Boombah. The more we purchase at one time, the more money we save.
We are looking for additional ideas for fund raising and sponsorship ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me with your ideas. Also, tell us what you'd like to see us provide. No "wish" is too big. If we don't know about it, we can't ever provide it. It's just a "wish list", don't be afraid to open your mind to what is possible.
Alright, that's enough from me for now. I'm looking forward to a successful 2007!
Go Bulldogs!
