Team Spirit

Germain Arena, of which Brush is also president, was built for the Everblades but now houses much more. "We actually opened the arena with a hockey game; but right on the heels of that, we had Elton John," says Brush. In addition to big-ticket concerts and special events-think Stars on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters-the facility hosts a regular schedule of home games for the area's arena football and NBDL teams.

"We generate in excess of $35 million in economic output per year," says Brush. "That translates to over $200 million since we opened the doors." Brush says those figures include revenues from the arena as well as the salaries of workers. "We have about 40 full-time employees and in excess of 300 part-time people," he says.

Before the arena opened just off Interstate 75, fans had to go to Tampa or Miami to see some of the acts that now come to Estero. "It's been a terrific boon to the area, having the Florida Everblades and the arena," says Meg Judge, board chairman of the Estero Chamber of Commerce. "It's a benefit for tourism with the concerts. It elevates the standards so you can compete more with other forums."

Another return for the county: Germain Arena serves as an emergency shelter for up to 7,000 people. "That was utilized significantly [last] summer," notes Brush.

Winning Ways

Last August, the Florida Firecats won the ArenaCup, the championship of the arenafootball2 (af2) league, on the team's home turf in Germain Arena. The five-year-old af2 serves as the developmental league for the Arena Football League. With a season that runs from April through July, the Firecats averaged close to 5,000 fans per game during the past two regular seasons; 6,419 people saw last year's ArenaCup victory.

The new Florida Flame basketball team aims to follow the success of the region's other minor league operations. The Flame is owned by a group of prominent local business people, which is unique in the NBDL; the NBA operates the league's five other teams. The owners say that model is important to establishing the franchise: They're personally invested in the Southwest Florida community as well as in the team, yet they also benefit from the NBA's marketing might.

Last year the Flame's owners hired former Boston Celtics star Dennis Johnson as head coach. "I'm a businessman. In business, you've got to hire the best," says part-owner Brian Thompson.

Another part-owner, Tim Gilbert, says, "I used to go watch Coach John-son in Boston." Gilbert, who also owns Channel Mark Restaurant in Fort Myers Beach, recalls going to a restaurant where Johnson and other Celtics would gather after games. As a restaurateur, Gilbert says, "I knew what the potential was" of bringing a team to the Fort Myers area.

The Flame plays from November to April, sharing Germain Arena with the Everblades. "The season is perfect," says Gilbert, noting that many people come down from places such as New England during those months. But like the Everblades, the Flame wants to engage residents as well as seasonal visitors. "We are going for everybody," says Thompson.

Crowds were small early in the Flame's inaugural season, but the owners remain realistic about the time and commitment involved. "Expectations are we're going to do something within three years," says Gilbert. "That's the way it is; it's business."

Brush doesn't see a problem with the two teams sharing the arena during the winter months. "There's a sports fan out there for all three sports we have here," he says. "The more options that we can offer to people, the more new people we can get into the building. There are still people who haven't been through the doors. Our objective is to get as many people exposed to it as possible."