Much of the league is based in the Midwest but the Stampede also journeyed to Connecticut on two occasions. Along the way, the Stampede group adhered to rules that helped ensure that the operation ran smoothly. The owners couldn't interfere with daily team operation. Mr. Ilett met often with the Stampede's general manager Clay Moser, a former senior vice president of the CBA, and reported regularly to his partners. Nor could the owners enter the locker room.
Owners have to be like umpires.
If you notice them, it's a bad thing. Mr. Ilett treats his team less as a sports venture than an entertainment business. We have to build a full house of entertainment cards. And so, Stampede home games have the air of a carnival. Throughout its match-up with Sioux Falls, rock music blares from the speaker system.