Post by 50yardfan on Nov 19, 2010 10:46:06 GMT -5
by Jerry Hewitt - Trouble is generally pretty easy to find in minor league sports if one wants to look for it, and this morning I thought I might just take a peek at trouble areas in the various indoor football leagues.
Right now the Indoor Football League is widely considered to be the most stable of the major leagues, but it is far from trouble free. Right now rumors are circulating about the Allen Wranglers. Rumor has it that no marketing is being done, which doesn't surprise any familiar with the team while it resided in Arkansas. Now it's in a bigger market and more marketing is needed, yet it appears efforts there are still near zero. I'm told this team is up to date on all league dues and in compliance with the IFL.
Fairbanks is another team I question as to being trouble free throughout the 2011 season. They seem to be okay with the high travel costs associated with the league's northern most team, but this will be the first year all travel falls on their shoulders. In seasons past they shared the travel budget with the Alaska Wild. With the Wild out of the picture it falls 100 percent on them. They may fulfill their 2011 obligation to the IFL, but I question if this team can survive beyond 2011.
Last on my IFL watch list is Arizona. Outside of being on an island, I just don't like how this team is set up. Part of the ownership is also running the show and coaching and that can't lead to anything but trouble unless the team is posting a winning season. I do see them marketing, which is a good thing, and financially they're very solid according to my sources, but can't help but feel they are an area to watch for in-season trouble.
The IFL is composed of 22 teams and overall could enjoy a mostly drama-free season. All three areas I point to as possible problems have little to do with the teams being financially solid heading into the new season.
The AIFA West has already beat me to the punch on trouble spots with the announcement yesterday that the Tucson ThunderKats have suspended operations. I think many saw this coming and had they continued, Tucson would have been an ongoing concern for the new AIFA West. Other than Tucson I don't see much to be concerned with at this time as the remaining four teams look to be okay. Mike Mink still needs to find independent ownership for Yakima, so he can be more impartial, but he's admitted that and all teams seem to be okay financially.
The SIFL has a few areas of concern, the first being Houston. I may be looking too hard at the past when I examine this new Houston team, but history tells us there is no reason to be optimistic about success. I have no reason to doubt the stability of this latest Houston entry other than history.
One might consider Harrisburg a trouble spot based on its history of low attendance and zero to poor marketing. The team still is under the control of John Morris, co-founder of the AIFA, but what's different now is he doesn't have any team or league responsibilities other than the Stampede, so maybe he'll actually try marketing to improve attendance.
It was rumored that Mobile was 50/50 on making it to kick off, but I've seen nothing to suggest that to be a reality although more times than not these rumors do seem to have some fact hidden in them.
The major problem I see for the SIFL and Commissioner Gary Tufford is managing the extra large growth due to the merger between the SIFL and AIFA. The blending of two leagues is never as trouble free as most would like and here we have two leagues with a history of problems. Only time will tell if Commissioner Tufford is up to the task.
The CIFL has been very quiet, almost too quiet, but so quiet that if there are problem areas, they are well hidden at this point. I did some digging and one who follows the CIFL closely when I asked if any problem teams he answered, "only the ones that kick off." Okay, he was joking, or at least I think he was, so I'm going with he was and letting the CIFL just remain way too quiet for the moment.
One trouble spot in the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) has already showed up in the form of the Saginaw Sting. From the coach clear up to the ownership was removed or removed themselves, depending upon whom you believe, and the team is now in control of the league. The good news is the venue is controlling all the money coming in and is charged with paying the bills, no question paying themselves first. But if money's short, who doesn't get paid is the big question. In the past no league I'm aware of has stepped in and paid all of a teams bills after taking control and I'm doubtful the UIFL will, either. The best case scenario here might be finding qualified ownership with the funds to maintain the team before the season gets under way. Otherwise, the situation in Saginaw could get very bad, very fast. One also has to question why an alleged team owner found it so easy to just walk away instead of selling the team himself.
The other five teams in the UIFL seem to be doing fine, at least at this juncture, and with this being a relatively travel friendly league won't have travel expenses breaking their banks. Management of the league seems to be a big area of concern. I believe this league is going to kick off, so let's just wish the teams well.
There is one last trouble area, and it involves two teams in two leagues, the turf war between Richmond and Richmond, now entering its second year. Last season IFL Richmond got the better of AIFA Richmond on the field and in the stands. The AIFA club got a boost late in the year when it was sold to independent ownership and out of league hands. During the off season AIFA Richmond hired 16-0 Mariners head coach Chris Simpson to turn the team around. They also hired away from their in-city neighbor the coach who led IFL Richmond to a 13-2 season. Those moves combined may have prompted many IFL Richmond players to jump ship and join the now SIFL Richmond. Honestly this is a battle that should never have been, one of the two leagues being smart enough to say no to being one of two teams in one market. But here we have it, two competing teams in two competing leagues, and unlike last season it appears SIFL Richmond is winning the battle. Why do I call this a trouble area? My reason is I don't feel both of these teams can survive in the Richmond market and one will fall, but I hope both complete the 2011 season before that happens.
Wouldn't it be nice to have 2011 be a season where all who start the season finish it and as a bonus, all dues are paid as agreed?
Right now the Indoor Football League is widely considered to be the most stable of the major leagues, but it is far from trouble free. Right now rumors are circulating about the Allen Wranglers. Rumor has it that no marketing is being done, which doesn't surprise any familiar with the team while it resided in Arkansas. Now it's in a bigger market and more marketing is needed, yet it appears efforts there are still near zero. I'm told this team is up to date on all league dues and in compliance with the IFL.
Fairbanks is another team I question as to being trouble free throughout the 2011 season. They seem to be okay with the high travel costs associated with the league's northern most team, but this will be the first year all travel falls on their shoulders. In seasons past they shared the travel budget with the Alaska Wild. With the Wild out of the picture it falls 100 percent on them. They may fulfill their 2011 obligation to the IFL, but I question if this team can survive beyond 2011.
Last on my IFL watch list is Arizona. Outside of being on an island, I just don't like how this team is set up. Part of the ownership is also running the show and coaching and that can't lead to anything but trouble unless the team is posting a winning season. I do see them marketing, which is a good thing, and financially they're very solid according to my sources, but can't help but feel they are an area to watch for in-season trouble.
The IFL is composed of 22 teams and overall could enjoy a mostly drama-free season. All three areas I point to as possible problems have little to do with the teams being financially solid heading into the new season.
The AIFA West has already beat me to the punch on trouble spots with the announcement yesterday that the Tucson ThunderKats have suspended operations. I think many saw this coming and had they continued, Tucson would have been an ongoing concern for the new AIFA West. Other than Tucson I don't see much to be concerned with at this time as the remaining four teams look to be okay. Mike Mink still needs to find independent ownership for Yakima, so he can be more impartial, but he's admitted that and all teams seem to be okay financially.
The SIFL has a few areas of concern, the first being Houston. I may be looking too hard at the past when I examine this new Houston team, but history tells us there is no reason to be optimistic about success. I have no reason to doubt the stability of this latest Houston entry other than history.
One might consider Harrisburg a trouble spot based on its history of low attendance and zero to poor marketing. The team still is under the control of John Morris, co-founder of the AIFA, but what's different now is he doesn't have any team or league responsibilities other than the Stampede, so maybe he'll actually try marketing to improve attendance.
It was rumored that Mobile was 50/50 on making it to kick off, but I've seen nothing to suggest that to be a reality although more times than not these rumors do seem to have some fact hidden in them.
The major problem I see for the SIFL and Commissioner Gary Tufford is managing the extra large growth due to the merger between the SIFL and AIFA. The blending of two leagues is never as trouble free as most would like and here we have two leagues with a history of problems. Only time will tell if Commissioner Tufford is up to the task.
The CIFL has been very quiet, almost too quiet, but so quiet that if there are problem areas, they are well hidden at this point. I did some digging and one who follows the CIFL closely when I asked if any problem teams he answered, "only the ones that kick off." Okay, he was joking, or at least I think he was, so I'm going with he was and letting the CIFL just remain way too quiet for the moment.
One trouble spot in the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) has already showed up in the form of the Saginaw Sting. From the coach clear up to the ownership was removed or removed themselves, depending upon whom you believe, and the team is now in control of the league. The good news is the venue is controlling all the money coming in and is charged with paying the bills, no question paying themselves first. But if money's short, who doesn't get paid is the big question. In the past no league I'm aware of has stepped in and paid all of a teams bills after taking control and I'm doubtful the UIFL will, either. The best case scenario here might be finding qualified ownership with the funds to maintain the team before the season gets under way. Otherwise, the situation in Saginaw could get very bad, very fast. One also has to question why an alleged team owner found it so easy to just walk away instead of selling the team himself.
The other five teams in the UIFL seem to be doing fine, at least at this juncture, and with this being a relatively travel friendly league won't have travel expenses breaking their banks. Management of the league seems to be a big area of concern. I believe this league is going to kick off, so let's just wish the teams well.
There is one last trouble area, and it involves two teams in two leagues, the turf war between Richmond and Richmond, now entering its second year. Last season IFL Richmond got the better of AIFA Richmond on the field and in the stands. The AIFA club got a boost late in the year when it was sold to independent ownership and out of league hands. During the off season AIFA Richmond hired 16-0 Mariners head coach Chris Simpson to turn the team around. They also hired away from their in-city neighbor the coach who led IFL Richmond to a 13-2 season. Those moves combined may have prompted many IFL Richmond players to jump ship and join the now SIFL Richmond. Honestly this is a battle that should never have been, one of the two leagues being smart enough to say no to being one of two teams in one market. But here we have it, two competing teams in two competing leagues, and unlike last season it appears SIFL Richmond is winning the battle. Why do I call this a trouble area? My reason is I don't feel both of these teams can survive in the Richmond market and one will fall, but I hope both complete the 2011 season before that happens.
Wouldn't it be nice to have 2011 be a season where all who start the season finish it and as a bonus, all dues are paid as agreed?