We know that Project Franchise is a new idea and probably leaves you wondering a bit, so hopefully here we are able to answer many of your questions.

These are the one's we get most often, but if you have any other questions, just ask.

Will the fans be shareholders of the team?

No, unfortunately it would be prohibitively expensive to sell shares in the team. It would be considered a public stock offering which would get the SEC involved (the Federal Government, not the football conference). This would greatly limit the flexibility of fan control and would entail very expensive legal and filing fees before we could even get started. Basically, selling shares would not allow us to offer this level of fan control for such a low cost to the community. Also, under this approach fans will not be responsible for the debts of the team.

What happens to the current employees once the team is purchased?

We don't want to go into a Franchise and start putting people out of jobs, remember we are regular people too. As long as they are on board with our fan-run approach, jobs should be safe. This should facilitate the transition to PF Team control. That being said, our fans are encouraged to apply for open positions that they are qualified for, as we expect there to be expansion and growth within whatever team we acquire.

Won't the existing fans of the acquired team be upset?

Some fans might resist the change, as with any major team decision. We'll do everything we can to reach out to them and get them involved, offering special incentives and features for locals in the market that we acquire a franchise in. Hopefully, over time, all fans will recognize the benefits of having their team run by true sports fans, rather than an owner that only cares about the bottom line.

You explain that the voting fans would make trades and sign free agents. But who will actually do the deals?

As a practical matter, not all members can have a seat at the negotiating table so there will need to be an individual or two to explore and negotiate potential deals, but the fans will have the final say. We will look to hire quality, experienced business managers in the league that we operate in to help fill some positions as PF Team Captains. Our fans are also encouraged to research potential deals on their own and suggest them to the team - and, unlike all of your requests that they bring back Crystal Pepsi, all suggestions sent to the PF Team Captains will be seriously considered.

Do you really think that the average fan is capable of running a sports team?

The answer is unequivocally 'Yes, We Can!' We believe that regular fans do have the capacity to run a sports team, but they just haven't been given the opportunity or access to the right information. Right now fans have to base all of their opinions on second or third hand knowledge from some guy who spent more time in the makeup chair than watching practice. Project Franchise is all about fan control and access. Our fans will be able to not only look at stats, but watch practices, games and tryouts via the web and come to their own conclusion rather than have one jammed down their throat by the likes of Screamin' A. Smith or Skip "No Eyebrows" Bayless. Given the right information regular fans can absolutely do as well or better than most of the Owners and GM's out there. In some cases, like the Knicks, they can't possibly do any worse. Our inspiration is a guy like Mark Cuban (who actually reads emails from Mavs fans). Take away his billions and he's a lot like the guy in Row 37 yelling for the ref to watch the 3 second violations. Considering where they were as a franchise before Cuban took over, we think that attitude is working pretty well in Dallas.

What if the fan's decisions are causing the team to lose money?

This structure of the business makes this extremely unlikely. First, the fans will be presented with the financial consequences of potential deals. Secondly, this team will have revenue streams that other teams will not; this includes money from premium fan memberships and advertising from the web portal. Basically, as long as our fans are spending time on the website, making their decisions and becoming more involved, they are boosting the Project's revenue. All this is on top of traditional revenue streams such as ticket sales, merchandise, broadcast rights and concessions. All of these, coupled with the teams increased popularity and national appeal, make it highly unlikely it will lose money - but if it does, well that's a risk we as the founders are willing to take!