Amid Doubt, AFL's '09 Season a Go

The Arena Football League blazed attendance records last year, reports the New York Times, but when league honchos met last night, it was to decide the murky future of the 2009 season. Though they decided to play on despite the gloomy economy, the league's untoward business model remains a concern: "We’re going to work on the economic model either way," said one owner.

High-profile owners are growing weary of punting money into the league without return, and some execs think a year off is what it needs to streamline. “We need a model that collectively works for the group,” said one owner. “At this point in time—and given the limited revenue streams that this model has—we have to look at prudent expense management and ways to produce revenue."