Post by 50yardfan on Jan 2, 2011 12:37:21 GMT -5
by Jerry Hewitt - Another year has come and gone. Over the course of the 2010 indoor football season there were been many highs and lows, some memorable moments and some most of us would like to forget. I sat down this morning with my last cup of coffee for the year and thought about what were the biggest moments of the year. There were many to chose from, but I settled on this list of 12.
1. Biggest cop out: Billings Outlaws folding. In a business where operating budgets run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, it seems ridiculous to fold a team over $25,000 which is exactly the reason the Billings Outlaws ownership tabbed as the reason they closed their doors. But if the truth was to be told, most agree this was a case of a team burying themselves in debt with a practice facility, team motel, and more. Outlaws management may have fooled some, but the truth is what it is: they tried to be more than what they were, a pro minor league team.
2. Biggest tragedy: Billings MetraPark destroyed by tornado. The Outlaws were poised to make their playoff run for a third championship before thousands of screaming Outlaw fans when a rare tornado tore the roof off their home venue. Fortunately nobody was injured and the complex was empty at the time, but it forced the team to host its playoff games at their 1200 seat practice facility.
3. Biggest failure: AIFA demise. Many saw the AIFA model as one that was doomed from the start, but it took a few years for failure to finally happen. The writing was on the wall for several years, evidenced mostly by failing franchises and successful ones jumping ship. It finally caught up to the failing league this season and forced a split between the east and west with the west attempting to go it alone and the east trying to sell off what was left. Nobody likes to see leagues fail, but this one was doomed to fail from the start.
4. Biggest boondoggle: SIFL buying AIFA. The SIFL was touted as a regional league, something league founder Thom Hager pounded into our heads, so it is no surprise we may doubt Mr. Hager's resolve on the regional issue when they merged with a league that makes this new SIFL anything but regional. Add to that the rumor Mr. Hager has sold off the league and remains as a figure head only, along with the other rumor they are positioning themselves to be the next af2, we have this biggest boondoggle of not only the year, but maybe in the history of the sport.
5. Biggest question mark: United Indoor Football League. It is well documented that Andrew Haines has been anything but a success at starting minor league franchises, but here he is once again involved as co-founder of the UIFL. Almost anybody you talk to who has been around this sport for any length of time will tell you they doubt this league will be a success as long as Mr. Haines is involved.
6. Biggest win: Columbus Lions. Since the Louisiana Swashbucklers left the NIFL, they have dominated in every league in which they have played. 2010 saw their dominance end and finally somebody else wearing the crown. Congratulations to the Columbus Lions of the SIFL on the year's biggest win.
7. Biggest mistake: Houston... again. If memory serves me correctly the SIFL's Houston franchise will be the sixth team to make a go of it in the city. It all began with the ThunderBears of the AFL, then the Katy Copperheads of the NIFL, then an af2 team and finally two previous SIFL entries. All failed, but here we are again, another Houston team bound for failure. This has to be the biggest mistake by any league to allow another team to set up shop in the Houston area.
8. Biggest return: Cincinnati returning. It is rare that the CIFL has ever had their league champion return. Usually that team jumps ship to a competing league, so hats off to the CIFL for holding on this time around.
9. Biggest championship: Billings championship game. Winning a championship is never easy, but to win three in a row is something very few in any sport can claim. The Billings Outlaws join the few in obtaining that three in a row level.
10. Biggest news: af2 teams shunning new AFL for IFL. Soon after the new AFL was formed a number of ex-af2 teams saw they had no place, no future in the redesigned league and made major headlines when they made the move to the IFL.
11. Biggest loss: Sioux City jumping down to APFL. When a team has spent ten plus years at the top level of leagues decides to drop down to the semi-pro ranks, it has to be considered the biggest disappointment of the year. Granted the Bandits had little success on the field with more losing seasons than winning ones and no championships, but still this team was a major player and sign of stability in the unstable world of the game.
12. Biggest accomplishment: Baltimore Mariners. 16-0 is quite an accomplishment no matter the sport or the level of play. Coach Chris Simpson put together one of the best teams in indoor football history and he, along with his team, the Mariners organization, and their fans should be commended for their accomplishment.
1. Biggest cop out: Billings Outlaws folding. In a business where operating budgets run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, it seems ridiculous to fold a team over $25,000 which is exactly the reason the Billings Outlaws ownership tabbed as the reason they closed their doors. But if the truth was to be told, most agree this was a case of a team burying themselves in debt with a practice facility, team motel, and more. Outlaws management may have fooled some, but the truth is what it is: they tried to be more than what they were, a pro minor league team.
2. Biggest tragedy: Billings MetraPark destroyed by tornado. The Outlaws were poised to make their playoff run for a third championship before thousands of screaming Outlaw fans when a rare tornado tore the roof off their home venue. Fortunately nobody was injured and the complex was empty at the time, but it forced the team to host its playoff games at their 1200 seat practice facility.
3. Biggest failure: AIFA demise. Many saw the AIFA model as one that was doomed from the start, but it took a few years for failure to finally happen. The writing was on the wall for several years, evidenced mostly by failing franchises and successful ones jumping ship. It finally caught up to the failing league this season and forced a split between the east and west with the west attempting to go it alone and the east trying to sell off what was left. Nobody likes to see leagues fail, but this one was doomed to fail from the start.
4. Biggest boondoggle: SIFL buying AIFA. The SIFL was touted as a regional league, something league founder Thom Hager pounded into our heads, so it is no surprise we may doubt Mr. Hager's resolve on the regional issue when they merged with a league that makes this new SIFL anything but regional. Add to that the rumor Mr. Hager has sold off the league and remains as a figure head only, along with the other rumor they are positioning themselves to be the next af2, we have this biggest boondoggle of not only the year, but maybe in the history of the sport.
5. Biggest question mark: United Indoor Football League. It is well documented that Andrew Haines has been anything but a success at starting minor league franchises, but here he is once again involved as co-founder of the UIFL. Almost anybody you talk to who has been around this sport for any length of time will tell you they doubt this league will be a success as long as Mr. Haines is involved.
6. Biggest win: Columbus Lions. Since the Louisiana Swashbucklers left the NIFL, they have dominated in every league in which they have played. 2010 saw their dominance end and finally somebody else wearing the crown. Congratulations to the Columbus Lions of the SIFL on the year's biggest win.
7. Biggest mistake: Houston... again. If memory serves me correctly the SIFL's Houston franchise will be the sixth team to make a go of it in the city. It all began with the ThunderBears of the AFL, then the Katy Copperheads of the NIFL, then an af2 team and finally two previous SIFL entries. All failed, but here we are again, another Houston team bound for failure. This has to be the biggest mistake by any league to allow another team to set up shop in the Houston area.
8. Biggest return: Cincinnati returning. It is rare that the CIFL has ever had their league champion return. Usually that team jumps ship to a competing league, so hats off to the CIFL for holding on this time around.
9. Biggest championship: Billings championship game. Winning a championship is never easy, but to win three in a row is something very few in any sport can claim. The Billings Outlaws join the few in obtaining that three in a row level.
10. Biggest news: af2 teams shunning new AFL for IFL. Soon after the new AFL was formed a number of ex-af2 teams saw they had no place, no future in the redesigned league and made major headlines when they made the move to the IFL.
11. Biggest loss: Sioux City jumping down to APFL. When a team has spent ten plus years at the top level of leagues decides to drop down to the semi-pro ranks, it has to be considered the biggest disappointment of the year. Granted the Bandits had little success on the field with more losing seasons than winning ones and no championships, but still this team was a major player and sign of stability in the unstable world of the game.
12. Biggest accomplishment: Baltimore Mariners. 16-0 is quite an accomplishment no matter the sport or the level of play. Coach Chris Simpson put together one of the best teams in indoor football history and he, along with his team, the Mariners organization, and their fans should be commended for their accomplishment.