Post by fwp on Apr 8, 2010 9:20:03 GMT -5
www.standard.net/topics/sports/2010/04/07/knights-hitting-road
OGDEN -- The Ogden Knights have played their final home game of the 2010 season.
The American Indoor Football Association team will play its remaining games on the road after "unforeseen circumstances" made their final five home dates at the Golden Spike Arena "no longer available."
That includes Saturday's game with the Wenatchee Valley Venom. Ogden played two games in March, losing to Wyoming and San Jose.
A joint press release from the Knights and the AIFA was obtained late Wednesday, but had yet to be posted on either the league or Knights Web sites as of press time. Knights owner William Bennett would not elaborate beyond the content of the release and neither Mike Mink or John Morris -- co-founders of the league -- were available for further comments.
That release referred to an "undisclosed and confidential matter" between the Golden Spike Arena and the team. When reached, the arena said to contact the Knights office for further information.
"This is the best decision at this time," Bennett said in the release. "We will honor our away game commitments and our commitment to the fellow teams."
A conference call among league owners -- and the release stated the arena was included in the call -- was held Wednesday to discus the situation and all available options. The league will later decide how the five defunct games will be factored into completing the 14-game regular season and postseason seeding.
Ogden's next road game is April 30 at Wyoming.
"Sometimes situations arise outside the control of the league," Morris stated in the release. "However, our job and our commitment to our member teams are to make the best decisions for all parties involved, and to facilitate the desired outcomes. We guarantee no disruption to any other member teams' home games. The same level of competition the fans and supporters have seen over the past few weeks will continue."
"We are confident in our plan of action and our ability as a league and member teams to make this work, while still preserving the integrity of play," Morris added.
Ogden is in its second of play in the AIFA. Last year, the Knights were 4-10, with all four victories coming against a New Mexico Wildcats team that went 1-13 and folded after the season ended.
In its fourth season, the AIFA's membership can be described as a revolving door, especially in the west.
Ogden and Wyoming were the only returning teams after New Mexico folded, and the Orem-based Utah Valley Thunder elected to upgrade to the reformed Arena Football League and acquired the rights to the Utah Blaze name.
Wenatchee Valley and Yakima Valley expansion teams were added this season, as well as one in Wasilla, Alaska, after it was rejected by the Indoor Football League, the largest of the five active leagues.
Two of its three champions no longer play. The Columbus (Ga.) and Greenville (N.C.) teams switched to the Southern Indoor Football League but were replaced by an expansion team in Richmond, Va., where it shares the market with the Indoor Football League.
OGDEN -- The Ogden Knights have played their final home game of the 2010 season.
The American Indoor Football Association team will play its remaining games on the road after "unforeseen circumstances" made their final five home dates at the Golden Spike Arena "no longer available."
That includes Saturday's game with the Wenatchee Valley Venom. Ogden played two games in March, losing to Wyoming and San Jose.
A joint press release from the Knights and the AIFA was obtained late Wednesday, but had yet to be posted on either the league or Knights Web sites as of press time. Knights owner William Bennett would not elaborate beyond the content of the release and neither Mike Mink or John Morris -- co-founders of the league -- were available for further comments.
That release referred to an "undisclosed and confidential matter" between the Golden Spike Arena and the team. When reached, the arena said to contact the Knights office for further information.
"This is the best decision at this time," Bennett said in the release. "We will honor our away game commitments and our commitment to the fellow teams."
A conference call among league owners -- and the release stated the arena was included in the call -- was held Wednesday to discus the situation and all available options. The league will later decide how the five defunct games will be factored into completing the 14-game regular season and postseason seeding.
Ogden's next road game is April 30 at Wyoming.
"Sometimes situations arise outside the control of the league," Morris stated in the release. "However, our job and our commitment to our member teams are to make the best decisions for all parties involved, and to facilitate the desired outcomes. We guarantee no disruption to any other member teams' home games. The same level of competition the fans and supporters have seen over the past few weeks will continue."
"We are confident in our plan of action and our ability as a league and member teams to make this work, while still preserving the integrity of play," Morris added.
Ogden is in its second of play in the AIFA. Last year, the Knights were 4-10, with all four victories coming against a New Mexico Wildcats team that went 1-13 and folded after the season ended.
In its fourth season, the AIFA's membership can be described as a revolving door, especially in the west.
Ogden and Wyoming were the only returning teams after New Mexico folded, and the Orem-based Utah Valley Thunder elected to upgrade to the reformed Arena Football League and acquired the rights to the Utah Blaze name.
Wenatchee Valley and Yakima Valley expansion teams were added this season, as well as one in Wasilla, Alaska, after it was rejected by the Indoor Football League, the largest of the five active leagues.
Two of its three champions no longer play. The Columbus (Ga.) and Greenville (N.C.) teams switched to the Southern Indoor Football League but were replaced by an expansion team in Richmond, Va., where it shares the market with the Indoor Football League.