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Post by ajax on Sept 11, 2012 18:36:18 GMT -5
LINCOLN — The Capital City will become the home of an arena football league team next spring, with the help of a northeast Nebraska Indian tribe. Lance Morgan, who heads the Winnebago Tribe’s economic development arm, Ho-Chunk Inc., said his agency plans to partner with the owners of the Council Bluffs Express to move that arena football team to Lincoln’s Pershing Auditorium. The “Lincoln Haymakers” was selected as the name of the new team in a nod to Lincoln’s Haymarket area, Morgan said. The move means one less tenant for Council Bluffs’ Mid-America Center arena. The Council Bluffs Express, formerly called the Iowa Blackhawks, had played home games in the arena as a member of the American Professional Football League (APFL).
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Post by hawkchicklet on Sept 11, 2012 20:33:15 GMT -5
okay I'm confused. So part of the APFL or not? Part of the Sioux City league or not? And with Topeka's new ownership, will Ralph still run the APFL?
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Post by drugbust on Sept 11, 2012 21:49:33 GMT -5
Indoor football is returning to Lincoln next spring in the form of the Lincoln Haymakers.
The Council Bluffs Express, formerly of the American Professional Football League, is moving lock, stock and shoulder pads to Pershing Center for at least six home games between April and June.
Brad Lindgren, part of the Express ownership group, said the Haymakers will join the newly formed Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL).
Although the name is unofficially “Haymakers,” there is talk of a contest to name the team that will play under 8-man football rules on a 50-yard field. The quick-paced game is played with players in motion before the snap and on a field with little to no out-of-bounds lines except for the hockey-like dasher boards that surround the field.
Lincoln has had previous indoor football franchises that played in Pershing Center. The Lincoln Lightning played from 1999-2000. New owners changed the name to the Lincoln Capitols through 2005 and boasted heavy-set men as cheerleaders known as the "Rotundas." In 2006, the Lincoln franchise merged with St. Joseph, Mo., and the team stopped playing in Lincoln.
Thomas Lorenz, general manager of Pershing Center, said he was approached about a franchise team playing in Lincoln. He said he felt the Pershing staff could adjust quickly since they have experience with indoor football.
The Haymakers ownership group includes Lindgren, Justin Hayes and Ho Chunk Inc., an economic development corporation owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
“We felt this is a solid group of owners from Council Bluffs (Express) that played recently at the Mid-American Center,” Lorenz said. “We said we’d work with them for two years, but after that, we don’t know because we don’t know the future of Pershing Auditorium at this time.”
Lindgren said the CPIFL will have a handful of established indoor football franchises joining the league for its inaugural season this spring.
Among the teams moving to the CPIFL are the Oklahoma Defenders (Tulsa), Mid-Missouri Outlaws (Sedalia), Sioux City Bandits, Wichita Wild and an unnamed Kansas City franchise. Lindgren said there are a few other teams that could potentially join the league as well.
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Post by fwp on Sept 18, 2012 15:31:30 GMT -5
I did go to the Press Conference today here in Lincoln.
Marlon Lucky was there and has signed with the team as has Cory Ross who will also be working in the front office.
Bob Scott was there as well as the owner of the Wichita Wild, at least I think he was the owner.
Ho-Chunk becoming the majority owner to go along with Brad and Justin appears to be a huge positive.
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Post by charlie1 on Sept 19, 2012 9:06:35 GMT -5
hopefully this new league has some good athletes and teams in it. the bandits are hands down way better then any other team and this should bring alittle more parity into the mix. who wants to watch a game that is 112-0. hope it works out in the end.
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