Post by 50yardfan on Nov 5, 2010 13:19:33 GMT -5
by Jerry Hewitt - Believe it! There are those who doubted my story of the Southern Indoor Football League acquiring the East Division of the American Indoor Football Association, but yesterday the Trenton Steel made it official: the AIFA East is now a part of the SIFL. There were just too many sources confirming this deal before my story went to press for it not to be true.
Thom Hager promoted the SIFL as a regional league, as the best deal for fans and teams, yet threw all of them under the bus when he knowingly struck a deal with someone to take over the SIFL who's intent was to acquire the AIFA and then take steps to make all part of the new arenafootball2. Gone now is that regional plan. The idea of the SIFL was good, but now the league could turn into just another NIFL.
Why is one team ditching their perfectly good helmets to get new AFL-approved ones? Why is one team telling players they will be playing in the AFL? Why is this new SIFL working to bring rules closer to those of the AFL? Why does today's article in the Huntsville Times mention the league will be using rebound nets? There are just too many AFL-related questions for me to doubt that the next step for the SIFL is a partnership with the AFL.
Unfortunately, this is a plan that may fall flat on its face, may fail even before 2012 which is the projected launch date for the new SIFL/af2. Teams now playing for this new hybrid may still have something to say even though they don't get a real vote on league matters.
Watch out CIFL, IFL, and UIFL, you have a new enemy to contend with that is siding with the AFL. I'm guessing phone calls from the AFL or the new SIFL have already started to teams in the other indoor teams. Most likely ex-af2 teams are at the top of their list. Be warned that the AFL may try to paint a pretty picture, but behind this new AFL are the people who waged war against the indoor football world and folded the original af2. Millions of dollars were lost due to the actions of the old AFL/af2 and now this new version is already running deep in the red and maybe looking at a new af2 as a way to generate more dollars to help reduce their deficit. Be warned indeed as this new AFL may not be a rising star, but just another money pit.
In their first year, the SIFL was a leader in the media department, and news and updates flowed freely. Thom Hager was forward thinking enough to make that happen. I used to refer to the NIFL as the No Information Football League and have been trying to come up with a tag for the SIFL which now has gone dark in the media. Maybe the Silent Indoor Football League? The AIFA/SIFL merger was big news, huge news in fact, but 24 hours after the Trenton revelation, there is still no official announcement by the SIFL itself. Clearly, the media efforts of the SIFL have been put on the backburner.
In the good news department, the management group which is taking over the Stockton, Cal. venue is now in place. This past week they approved the lease for the indoor soccer team and are now taking up the lease for the AIFA West San Jose Wolves. Most I talk to see this as happening quickly so the team can get down to the business of building towards the 2011 season.
In talks with Mike Mink on how he plans to make the AIFA West successful, I see a man working hard and trying to get things right. Unfortunately, With only four or five teams, just one or two problems would put 2011 plans on hold or kill the AIFA West plan entirely. Mink has a tough uphill job here and one that may prove too hard, but I have to give the man credit for his efforts, win or lose.
Last I agree with many fans that the new IFL Oklahoma City franchise should drop the "z" from any name chosen unless it actually ends in z according to Webster. It was barely still hip when I the Utah Catzz of the old IPFL used it, but now it's rather dated and just silly.
Thom Hager promoted the SIFL as a regional league, as the best deal for fans and teams, yet threw all of them under the bus when he knowingly struck a deal with someone to take over the SIFL who's intent was to acquire the AIFA and then take steps to make all part of the new arenafootball2. Gone now is that regional plan. The idea of the SIFL was good, but now the league could turn into just another NIFL.
Why is one team ditching their perfectly good helmets to get new AFL-approved ones? Why is one team telling players they will be playing in the AFL? Why is this new SIFL working to bring rules closer to those of the AFL? Why does today's article in the Huntsville Times mention the league will be using rebound nets? There are just too many AFL-related questions for me to doubt that the next step for the SIFL is a partnership with the AFL.
Unfortunately, this is a plan that may fall flat on its face, may fail even before 2012 which is the projected launch date for the new SIFL/af2. Teams now playing for this new hybrid may still have something to say even though they don't get a real vote on league matters.
Watch out CIFL, IFL, and UIFL, you have a new enemy to contend with that is siding with the AFL. I'm guessing phone calls from the AFL or the new SIFL have already started to teams in the other indoor teams. Most likely ex-af2 teams are at the top of their list. Be warned that the AFL may try to paint a pretty picture, but behind this new AFL are the people who waged war against the indoor football world and folded the original af2. Millions of dollars were lost due to the actions of the old AFL/af2 and now this new version is already running deep in the red and maybe looking at a new af2 as a way to generate more dollars to help reduce their deficit. Be warned indeed as this new AFL may not be a rising star, but just another money pit.
In their first year, the SIFL was a leader in the media department, and news and updates flowed freely. Thom Hager was forward thinking enough to make that happen. I used to refer to the NIFL as the No Information Football League and have been trying to come up with a tag for the SIFL which now has gone dark in the media. Maybe the Silent Indoor Football League? The AIFA/SIFL merger was big news, huge news in fact, but 24 hours after the Trenton revelation, there is still no official announcement by the SIFL itself. Clearly, the media efforts of the SIFL have been put on the backburner.
In the good news department, the management group which is taking over the Stockton, Cal. venue is now in place. This past week they approved the lease for the indoor soccer team and are now taking up the lease for the AIFA West San Jose Wolves. Most I talk to see this as happening quickly so the team can get down to the business of building towards the 2011 season.
In talks with Mike Mink on how he plans to make the AIFA West successful, I see a man working hard and trying to get things right. Unfortunately, With only four or five teams, just one or two problems would put 2011 plans on hold or kill the AIFA West plan entirely. Mink has a tough uphill job here and one that may prove too hard, but I have to give the man credit for his efforts, win or lose.
Last I agree with many fans that the new IFL Oklahoma City franchise should drop the "z" from any name chosen unless it actually ends in z according to Webster. It was barely still hip when I the Utah Catzz of the old IPFL used it, but now it's rather dated and just silly.