Post by fwp on Nov 22, 2009 8:59:33 GMT -5
www.tri-cityherald.com/1026/story/801676.html
KENNEWICK — Teri Carr's decision to take the Tri-Cities Fever from the Arena Football One league to the Indoor Football League on Thursday was about survival in every way.
The Fever's co-owner and general manager wanted to make sure football stayed in the Tri-Cities, and could be financially successful.
But in doing so, she also leveled the playing field -- on the field.
Instead of playing big-market teams that have 10,000-plus seat arenas, the Fever finds itself among franchises of similar demographics.
The Fever went from a lowly minnow in a shark tank in the AF1 to a goldfish in a bowl with the sign reading "Goldfish only."
"We were not an equal with those teams," Carr said of AF1 teams like Arizona and Chicago. "I don't think they even thought of us like that."
The Fever has struggled on the field the past three seasons since making the move to the arenafootball2 league in 2007, against some of those same teams jumping from af2 to AF1.
Tri-Cities had just a 13-34 record and made the playoffs just once, and was playing in front of a half-empty arena last season. In 2005-06 in the National Indoor Football League, the Fever made the playoffs both seasons, winning the championship in 2005, against teams in similar markets to those in the IFL -- and in some cases some of the same franchises.
"I definitely think we can be competitive," Carr said, "especially with Coach Pat O'Hara."
The IFL was formed in 2008 when the United Indoor Football League and the Intense Football League merged, and is expected to have 26 teams this season, up from 19 a year ago.
The league has teams from Alaska to Maryland, and the season culminates in the United Bowl, where Billings beat RiverCity in last year's title game.
It's the same Billings team that the Fever played when it was a member of the National Indoor Football League in 2005-06. The Outlaws still have the same coach, Heron O'Neal, and the same quarterback Chris Dixon, who beat the Fever in the 2006 playoffs.
"I am already looking forward to playing them," Carr said.
The league plays a 14-game schedule, which is supposed to start in late February.
That's one month earlier than the AF1 was going to start its season. Carr said it's not a big deal about starting the season earlier than expected. She will need to make some changes, but nothing she is worried about.
On the other hand, O'Hara is already feeling the pinch. He knows the arena football game, both as a longtime player and coach. The IFL has a different rule set, requiring a different style of play calling and personnel.
"As you see in the arena league, it's about 90 percent pass," IFL commissioner Tommy Benizio said. "Here it's about 60 percent pass and 40 percent run."
O'Hara said he already has game film and the league's new rule book. Now it's just a matter of him learning the game and teaching it to his players in a few months.
"It's like we are starting over," O'Hara said. "It's just other challenge we have to deal with."
Defensive backs DeVon Walker and Ray Little already signed back on with the Fever on Friday after their AF1 contracts were voided. O'Hara hopes the other four players he inked to AF1 contracts will do the same.
Unlike the AF1 and the arenafootball2 league, the players are employed by each team and do not require league approval to play.
"We got a lot of work to do," said O'Hara, who still plans on having an open tryout next month in Las Vegas.
But he, like Carr, thinks things will work out for the best in the long run.
"I am excited," Carr said. "After the initial shock wore off, I gained some perspective.
"I looked at things and I think this is the right move."
KENNEWICK — Teri Carr's decision to take the Tri-Cities Fever from the Arena Football One league to the Indoor Football League on Thursday was about survival in every way.
The Fever's co-owner and general manager wanted to make sure football stayed in the Tri-Cities, and could be financially successful.
But in doing so, she also leveled the playing field -- on the field.
Instead of playing big-market teams that have 10,000-plus seat arenas, the Fever finds itself among franchises of similar demographics.
The Fever went from a lowly minnow in a shark tank in the AF1 to a goldfish in a bowl with the sign reading "Goldfish only."
"We were not an equal with those teams," Carr said of AF1 teams like Arizona and Chicago. "I don't think they even thought of us like that."
The Fever has struggled on the field the past three seasons since making the move to the arenafootball2 league in 2007, against some of those same teams jumping from af2 to AF1.
Tri-Cities had just a 13-34 record and made the playoffs just once, and was playing in front of a half-empty arena last season. In 2005-06 in the National Indoor Football League, the Fever made the playoffs both seasons, winning the championship in 2005, against teams in similar markets to those in the IFL -- and in some cases some of the same franchises.
"I definitely think we can be competitive," Carr said, "especially with Coach Pat O'Hara."
The IFL was formed in 2008 when the United Indoor Football League and the Intense Football League merged, and is expected to have 26 teams this season, up from 19 a year ago.
The league has teams from Alaska to Maryland, and the season culminates in the United Bowl, where Billings beat RiverCity in last year's title game.
It's the same Billings team that the Fever played when it was a member of the National Indoor Football League in 2005-06. The Outlaws still have the same coach, Heron O'Neal, and the same quarterback Chris Dixon, who beat the Fever in the 2006 playoffs.
"I am already looking forward to playing them," Carr said.
The league plays a 14-game schedule, which is supposed to start in late February.
That's one month earlier than the AF1 was going to start its season. Carr said it's not a big deal about starting the season earlier than expected. She will need to make some changes, but nothing she is worried about.
On the other hand, O'Hara is already feeling the pinch. He knows the arena football game, both as a longtime player and coach. The IFL has a different rule set, requiring a different style of play calling and personnel.
"As you see in the arena league, it's about 90 percent pass," IFL commissioner Tommy Benizio said. "Here it's about 60 percent pass and 40 percent run."
O'Hara said he already has game film and the league's new rule book. Now it's just a matter of him learning the game and teaching it to his players in a few months.
"It's like we are starting over," O'Hara said. "It's just other challenge we have to deal with."
Defensive backs DeVon Walker and Ray Little already signed back on with the Fever on Friday after their AF1 contracts were voided. O'Hara hopes the other four players he inked to AF1 contracts will do the same.
Unlike the AF1 and the arenafootball2 league, the players are employed by each team and do not require league approval to play.
"We got a lot of work to do," said O'Hara, who still plans on having an open tryout next month in Las Vegas.
But he, like Carr, thinks things will work out for the best in the long run.
"I am excited," Carr said. "After the initial shock wore off, I gained some perspective.
"I looked at things and I think this is the right move."