Longest running, most successful indoor football team?

[Jamie]

All this talk about teams failing makes me wonder if the minor league indoor/arena football model is even truly workable?

Of all the existing leagues, excluding AFL, what team (or market, if the team has changed names/leagues) has been functioning the longest and most successfully? By successfull, I mean solid fan base, and paying their bills.

Possible candidates:

Quad Cities
Peoria
Omaha
Birmingham

Who am I overlooking?

If they are successful, why?

[rams80]

Of your choices I'd probably rank them as

1) Omaha-historically pretty good, well supported and long-running. Poor playoff success though.
2) Peoria-4 league title games, 1 arena cup, 1 gold cup, 1 undefeated season. Only problem is this is most likely their last year (the fan support crashed finally for a variety of reasons last season)
3) Quad City-0 league titles (cheaters), continued survival due to Jim Foster, the inventor of Arena Football.
4) Birmingham-0 league titles, great fan support-even in the face of devastating mediocrity.

[Vortex]

I'm kind of curious being an old-timer from the IFL days when Lincoln and Peoria were the two model franchises....what exactly happened in Peoria that caused fans to lose interest?

[Jamie]

Not sure exactly... they have gone through several changes in ownership and leagues... IFL, AF2, UIF... the grumbling I've seen from fans has to do with the quality of the product on the field, promotion, customer service to season ticket holders...

[rams80]

I'm kind of curious being an old-timer from the IFL days when Lincoln and Peoria were the two model franchises....what exactly happened in Peoria that caused fans to lose interest?

Attendance was in slow decline throughout af2.
OPE was incompetent and hurt the team for its tenure.
My theories as to the recent failure of the team was an incompetent GM last year, poor performance on the field, being trashed constantly in the local rag, and the name change (without properly educating the fanbase the team was around with a new name.) The economy has taken a downturn as well. It also didn't help when the local baseball team became a Cubs affiliate.

[nksports]

Most successful? Indoor?
Indianapolis Colts

followed by Minnesota Vikings

[exit322]

Peoria and Ohio Valley have won two more titles than either of those teams. The Vikings are a decent team that plays above its talent, and the Colts have Mr. Overrated taking snaps.

[nksports]

Peoria and Ohio Valley have won two more titles than either of those teams. The Vikings are a decent team that plays above its talent, and the Colts have Mr. Overrated taking snaps.

HEY, HEY NOW!!! Mr. Overrated has gotten me into the fantasy playoffs three of the last four years (I had to trade him last season because I was over salary cap and needed receivers, but I did get his little bro from the Giants for one third the cost).

[exit322]

Oh yeah, I'd love to have Mr. Overrated on my fantasy team.

Just not my real one.

[NBA D MAN]

What about Tri-Cities!

[rams80]

What about Tri-Cities!

They are on year TWO. The teams we're talking about have played in one form or another for 7-8 years.

[centurionhater]

The most successful indoor team in history...How bout them Daytona Beach Hawgs!!!!!

Once the new Arena in Daytona is complete the Hawgs will be back and show everyone how it is done RITE!!!!

[LewInDenver]

I think the most sucessful indoor team is one you NEVER hear anything about, they just go about business, pay their players and have NEVER missed a scheduled game. The Wyoming Cavalry is my vote. 2 leagues later they are the most stable team in any league. Proving that a Private/Public ownership can and does work. They fit the test of time frame, all games played, and have never missed a payroll. Try and beat that! I would like to see them in the af2 or UIF, they are way to professional to be in the NIFL.

LewInDenver (back again)

Visit my sites
www.electricarenafootball.com

www.clubcrush.org

[TalonFan7]

the tulsa talons need to be mentioned.

we have 1 league title and are the only team to qualify for the af2 playoffs in all 6 years.we are way before birmingham

[Stormfootball]

Sioux Falls Storm of the UIF is currently the Model in all of indoor football that teams would like to be like.