Arena football's big man has plans

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, January, 2006 | by Marc Narducci

David Baker is a huge man with an even bigger vision. The commissioner of the Arena Football League now presides over an organization that was once the butt of jokes but is now enjoying vindication.

The indoor league can't relax yet, but as it enters its 20th season, the gains are noticeable. In 1995, Baker and a few investor friends bought a franchise in Las Vegas for $375,000. Now, the commissioner says, new franchises will cost $20 million.

One of the reasons for the league's ascent may be a commissioner who literally looms large. Baker, 52, a former college basketball player at the University of California at Irvine (and briefly a pro in Europe) stands 6-foot-9.

As for his weight, he says, "I'm a couple of cupcakes above 400."

Since becoming...