Knoxville

[VinnyTheViper]

The sixth and final team in the PIFL has now revealed its team logo and team colors:

http://knoxvillenighthawks.com/


PIFL
Alabama Hammers
Albany Panthers
Columbus Lions
Knoxville Nighthawks
Louisiana Swashbucklers
Richmond Raiders

[exit322]

Travel's pretty good for four teams...the two outliers will have some longer trips (though in Richmond's case, this really isn't any different than for them anywhere woulda been).

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

PIFL
Alabama Hammers
Albany Panthers
Columbus Lions
Knoxville Nighthawks
Louisiana Swashbucklers
Richmond RaidersLook for this league to try and add another 2-3 teams. I guess adding a team from Mississippi would definitely make sense......right?

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

The sixth and final team in the PIFL has now revealed its team logo and team colors:

http://knoxvillenighthawks.com/


PIFL
Alabama Hammers
Albany Panthers
Columbus Lions
Knoxville Nighthawks
Louisiana Swashbucklers
Richmond RaidersKnoxville Nighthawks? Personally, I like the KNoxville KNighthawks better...

[coachingubigr]

it might sound dumb, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

Do you guys feel comfortable being in this league? I just knew the Raiders were gonna' head to the UIFL...

[BananaCat]

it might sound dumb, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve
Give it a few years, you'll be as jaded as the rest of us.

[jerry101jlh]

Give it a few years, you'll be as jaded as the rest of us.

That's JADED in caps

[VinnyTheViper]

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4293855

To clear up any confusion on the list of PIFL teams that was reported in the Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report, the Knoxville team is not named the Tennessee Gamblers as was reported in the paragraph below, The Knoxville Nighthawks is the correct name for the Knoxville franchise. I saw the mock up of their jersey several days ago and it definitely was a Nighthawks and not a Gamblers jersey.

"Professional Indoor Football League: A new league called the PIFL plans to start play in 2012 and is expected to be comprised of some southeastern teams that were part of the 2011 Southern Indoor Football League. These include the Alabama Hammers (Huntsville), Albany (GA) Panthers, Columbus (GA) Lions, Louisiana Swashbucklers (Lake Charles), Richmond Raiders, and the new Tennessee Gamblers (Knoxville)."

[preeths]

Yes, Knoxville is now official:
http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4295103

[ronniern]

Okay, here's hoping the PIFL will be stable, as I gather from the posts the PIFL and the LSFL will play for a championship?

[coachingubigr]

Okay, here's hoping the PIFL will be stable, as I gather from the posts the PIFL and the LSFL will play for a championship?

Two separate leagues that both send one team to the "Superbowl" in June where the winner takes all.

Think old school NFL vs AFL

[VinnyTheViper]

A good promotion/contest might be to let the fans suggest names for the title game between the leagues, there is no way Super Bowl, United Bowl or Arena Bowl can be used because of infringement rights, the winner gets a pair of tickets to the game or some other prize.

[preeths]

And if it doesn't happen, one team from each league will save a lot of money.

[Hockey]

I have said this before and I will say it again. Instead of the champions going to an unscheduled game. They should simply have a series of Bowl games with the home team decided in advance based on which team can afford to assist with the travel. The PIFL Champ goes to the LSFL Host team and the reverse. If the host teams win then you simply swap with the second seed of the other league.

In fact, under this system they could allow up to 4 bowl games per season. 2 per league decided in advanced. Advertising, group tickets, sponsors in advance.

The LSFL keeps its champion, the PIFL keeps its champion. The Bowl games are simply for bragging rights.

[exit322]

Great, so you want to introduce the Mentos Carquest Pepsi Bowl Classic Presented by Chick-Fil-A to indoor football.

[BananaCat]

Great, so you want to introduce the Mentos Carquest Pepsi Bowl Classic Presented by Chick-Fil-A to indoor football.
I can see 100 people in attendance for that.

[exit322]

I can see 100 people in attendance for that.

Totally agree. While I like the idea of sponsoring games (if someone wants to give you money...let them!), you have 7 regular season home games.

[Micro67]

I can see 100 people in attendance for that.I would be one. I love this kind of stuff. If they make it through a complete season, great. If not, I really don't care (as long as I get to see a game or two).

I wish the AFL had maintained its committment to small and medium sized markets, but the draw of the bigger markets is just too strong for them.

[ronniern]

Look for this league to try and add another 2-3 teams. I guess adding a team from Mississippi would definitely make sense......right?

too bad the Mississippi Mudcats aren't still around

[ronniern]

Travel's pretty good for four teams...the two outliers will have some longer trips (though in Richmond's case, this really isn't any different than for them anywhere woulda been).

Although I am glad to see the Swashbucklers in the PIFL, wouldn't the LSFL
make more sense travel wise?

[IndoorExpert]

So who is the Tennessee Gamblers?

[VinnyTheViper]

So who is the Tennessee Gamblers?

http://tngamblers.com/

According to the website, it is a presumed IFL effort going into the University of Tennessee basketball arena, a 24,000 seat complex.

[IndoorExpert]

So just a fantasy team.

[VinnyTheViper]

I would never say never, I agree that this effort appears to by a fantasy team at this point, the arena better suited for an indoor football crowd would be the Knoxville Civic Colisuem which holds just over 7,000 seats, the arena in which the PIFL's Knoxville Nighthawks will play their games in next season. Who knows whether the Gamblers could afford the lease on a 24,000 seat arena and is an arena that large really conducive to an entertaining environment based upon what the team could draw? Even closing off the upper deck would be of little help, the crowd would still not come close to filling the lower deck. I also doubt that Knoxville needs two teams for this size market.

[IndoorExpert]

Knoxville cannot support two franchises. Being in a 24,000 seat arena is not a brilliant idea and I cannot imagine the arena lease.

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

^^^^my bet is that the Tennessee NIGHTHAWKS fold first. i'm also bettin' that the Nighthawks don't make it throught he season...

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

^^^^^^Ok, i have to EDIT my post above:

I don't see both teams starting the season, MUCH LESS having one of 'em fold. Knoxville is a college town. There's no way in the world that a market this small can support two not one, but TWO professional indoor football teams. It's just not theoretically possible...

[coachingubigr]

^^^^^^Ok, i have to EDIT my post above:

I don't see both teams starting the season, MUCH LESS having one of 'em fold. Knoxville is a college town. There's no way in the world that a market this small can support two not one, but TWO professional indoor football teams. It's just not theoretically possible...

I can tell you about having two pro indoor football teams in one city. Its a bad idea.

[bus36]

I don't think it will get to that point they both will make it beyond the planning stages. one team will fold before the actual start of the season and honestly I think the team in the smaller venue has the better chance to make it.

[jerry101jlh]

I can tell you about having two pro indoor football teams in one city. Its a bad idea.

If you are going to have two teams with in striking distance of each other those two teams, even if in different leagues, need to cooperate, work together and forget competition of the field. First thing they would need to do is insure they had no home games on the same weekend. If you don't make fans choose, likely possibility they will attend both teams games.

If the teams don't cooperate a good possibility they might both fail.

[bus36]

IT would be nice but teams and league are fightin for position as to who will either be second to the AFL or who can take on the AFL and so as long as they competition exists don't see cooperation happening between leagues. Too much bad blood.

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

If you are going to have two teams with in striking distance of each other those two teams, even if in different leagues, need to cooperate, work together and forget competition of the field. First thing they would need to do is insure they had no home games on the same weekend. If you don't make fans choose, likely possibility they will attend both teams games.

If the teams don't cooperate a good possibility they might both fail.Jerry, in all due respect, we have to be honest here......lol

The Richmond Raiders/Richmond Revolution NEVER thought to look at the situation and say "Hey, we can both survive in this city TOGETHER!!!!!"

The minute it was announced that TWO teams would be in Richmond, it instantly turned into a grudge match to see who can snatch the most fans!

Is it possible for YOUR method to EVER work???? In a perfect world, yes. With the right level of cooperation, maybe.

However, you're forgettin' a few important factors here, Jerry. It's all about who can make the most $$$$$$$$$$$$$. If you have two corporations that are constantly competing for dollars, ratings, revenue, sponsorship, and overall exposure, my bet would be that it's never gonna' work. There aren't enough sponsors to go around.



Remember, $$$$$$$$$$ is the ruler of all evil. Sad, but true.

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

Now if they were in the same league it could work.....Exactly!!! Over in the UIFL, Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati doesn't realize how good they have it! Two teams directly across the Ohio River from one another.......in the SAME league?????

I hope these two teams use each other's resources well. Otherwise, one of these teams will not only go down, but go down HARD!!

[bus36]

or the rivalry between huntington and pikeville

[daytonadan]

[QUOTE=Trish_lvs_Baltimore;157988] In a perfect world, yes. QUOTE]

But as Michael Keaton told Kim Bassinger in the first Batman (1989) movie, "It's not a perfect world...."

Now, in a Chicago situation, it could if the teams focused on a specific area of the Windy City, hence the Cubs and White Sox.

I know in Dallas, both a Frisco team and an Allen team could do well because they target their respective suburbs, which have enough of a population base to support a team even with the AFL's Vigilantes playing downtown and Jerry Jones' team playing in Jerryworld.

And BTW, happy Monday to all.

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

I know in Dallas, both a Frisco team and an Allen team could do well because they target their respective suburbs, which have enough of a population base to support a team even with the AFL's Vigilantes playing downtown and Jerry Jones' team playing in Jerryworld.Yeah, Allen has 84,000 people and Frisco has 116,000 people, so you're probably right....

[BananaCat]

teams and league are fightin for position as to who will either be second to the AFL or who can take on the AFL
There's no taking on the AFL, they've been around way longer and have built up their product better. Even with them folding a few years back and the AF2 taking it's place, it was still able to use the AFL brand name to it's advantage. They also throw more money at their product so it looks way slicker (but to me it's still an inferior style of play, but that's not the point). The indoor leagues, even the IFL, can't compete with that. It would take someone like Mark Cuban, or other billionaires, to come in and build up an indoor league to be able to take on the AFL at this point.

[Caballo Diablo]

Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati doesn't realize how good they have it! Two teams directly across the Ohio River from one another.......

I thought Cincitucky was in Northern Kentucky.

[King Of The Jungle]

The only thing I have to add is...my understanding is that the PIFL and the LSFL are completely separate and a championship game between the 2 has not been decided upon yet and at this point is still only an option that is on the table.


GO LIONS!

[VinnyTheViper]

The only thing I have to add is...my understanding is that the PIFL and the LSFL are completely separate and a championship game between the 2 has not been decided upon yet and at this point is still only an option that is on the table.

Correct, the PIFL and LSFL are indeed separate legal entities. Conceptually, the two leagues have agreed that a championship game shall be played between the champions of the two leagues but as to the details of how, when, and where that happens, not convinced that all of that has been worked out. Looking ahead, this is one of the first things that I could see going by the wayside. Since the leagues are separate, they will be free to develop their own rule sets if they wish, the moment the rules sets between leagues differs, then it presents potential problems with a championship game. What happens if the PIFL goes to using rebound nets in 2013 but the LSFL decides not to use nets. At that point, the rule sets would be different enough that the championship game would be more awkward than the World Series with its designated hitter/pitcher batting based upon American or National League stadium.

[exit322]

I thought Cincitucky was in Northern Kentucky.

Yeah, it's not...and it's the rare place where the southern side of the river is nicer than the northern side.

[Alhammer]

Knoxville Nighthawks are the only real team in Knoxville. the Tennessee Gamblers have had more stories over the last 3 years than a childrens book.

First they were going to apply to the IFL and play in the Civic Coliseum.

then last year they started saying they were playing in the SIFL in CC.

THEN after Nighthawks were announced they are told by the city to cease and desist there web site saying they were negotiating with the city.

So the latest was they were going to IFL and Thompson Boiling arena. TB can not sell beer and I was told the gamblers did not have the money to come close to getting a deal there.

A lot of smoke and no substance.

PIFL will be a good league playing Arena style rules. Cost are affordable but time will tell. All of the PIFL teams were recruited even up until last week to join IFL and UIFL.

[Houston Caldwell]

Went on the Nighthawks website and noticed they have signed former Vanderbilt RB Cassen Jackson-Garrison (who played High School ball in Knoxville and was a State of Tennessee Mr. Football). Good start because he's a good player.

[Trish_lvs_Baltimore]

Great pickup for Nashville!! I loved watching him play in college...