Everett Hawks rookie season NIFL

[Aquajox]

After 4 weeks, the Everett Hawks are 4-0!! We are the #1 team in the league as reported in the weekly Power Rankings!! We have probably the best QB in the League, and he has the best arsenal of recievers to throw to!! This is an exciting team to watch!![/b]

[MrBIGGS32]

Just to let some of you fans know that if the hawks keep winning and go to the championship. They will not be in the NIFL next year, they will be apart of the AFL. Just a Little rumor

[Pounder]

Do you not mean af2?

If you don't, Everett's arena is too small. Key can't handle it, frankly. Ready for Tacoma? (Same metro area, 60 miles away)

If you do, and Bakersfield continues their slide towards folding, the travel is going to be wretched. Is that what you want?

[Aquajox]

I find it hard to imagine our team going to the AFL next year. The arena is only about half full now (attendence average about 3200 so far). It only gets covered by the local Everett Herald newspaper (the Seattle Times and P-I ignore them), and they have not gained enough popularity in our region. But if Sam want's to put up the money to go to the AFL without a solid fan base, be my guest, as long as I get to keep my seats.

[Jamie]

A team/market with a perfect record, but empty seats, will never advance to the next level.

A team/market with a lousy record, with sell-out crowds, might catch the attention of the AFL.

[MrBIGGS32]

They would not go AF2, just a little rumor I heard. That Sam is looking for investors and if they do well this season. He wants a AFL team. If you haven't read the article about the Tacoma dome doing millions in renovation and seeking an AFL team it was on arenafan.com. Believe me Seattle is ready for a AFL team and it would do very well. I am from Nebraska and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest and played football. The is so much talent, they could proably start there own NFL team and beat the seahawks.

[Aquajox]

What is the average size of an AFL arena? The Everett Events Center seats up to 8300 according to their website. If Tacoma is the closest venue for an AFL team, I would not travel the 40 heavy traffic miles for their games. So in that case, I'd prefer they stayed in the NIFL.

[Pounder]

Now that I think about it, Billings had to be rescued by the NIFL this year, or something close to that. That's called "one year of life support" with the intent of keeping Everett and Tri-Cities in the league. After this year, you can kiss Billings goodbye in all likelihood... then the travel for Everett and Tri-Cities in the NIFL is even worse than it would be in a theoretical af2 west division that includes an Oklahoma team or two.

I don't envy Everett and Tri-Cities, whatever happens. I really strongly suggest, no matter which league they stick in, the owners of the two teams bringing in a couple more Northwest teams, up to and including owning them. Frankly, since Boise is probably VERY wary of the NIFL, it might be better to go af2 to do this.

Oh, BTW, AFL arenas are almost always bigger arenas. Grand Rapids is an exception, and they seem to be counting down the days until that team leaves for greener pastures. I've been told that the average AFL budget tends to require (give or take the lease conditions, etc) a break-even of 12,000 average attendance. Utah will have a problem coming in, because the truly suitable arena is the E Center (2K too small), while the Delta Center may as well seat 11,000 given all the limited view areas that arena has for the hockey/football alignment.

[Rocky]

Billings isn't going away, that is poor information. They are not run by the league, have owners with local ties and a multi-year contract with the Metra.

[Houston Caldwell]

Is that Sam Adams is the former NAFL Commissioner, and I believe, built this franchise out of the core of a top-of-the line NAFL program that he also owned.
I regard NAFL ball as an equivalent of "A" ball and the indoor leagues and af2 as "AA", but the bottom line is that the athletic quality in the best semi-pro outdoor football programs (of which the Nashville Storm is one) is pretty equal to the athletic quality of Indoor Football, and the fact that Mr.Adams turned his top-of-the-line semi-pro program into a top-of-the-line indoor program is an indication of that fact.
Indoor teams, with smaller rosters, can pay a small stipend semi-pros can't pay, but the bottom line in either is don't quit your day job till you can make Arena1.
Not that Nashville will make a similar conversion, as we already have an AF1 team.

[Aquajox]

Last nights game was great!! I tip my hat to the Tri-Cities for giving us the most trouble this season!! They have a very good team, so watch out for them. It was back and forth all game long with the Hawks winning it 64-62. With about 14 seconds left, the Fever scored, but could not run in the 2 point conversion. THE CROWD WENT WILD!! Many people started to leave not knowing that there was still hope for the Fever with an onside kick. Luckily the ball fell safely into the hands of the Hawks. Nice game Fever, you've got our respect. GO HAWKS!!