BarbaraPatterson
07-26-2006, 08:44 AM
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/SPORTS/607260314
Originally published July 26, 2006
There's a new league in town
AIFL to field team in Tallahassee beginning in February
By Jack Corcoran
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Indoor football - red, white and blue style this time - is coming back to Tallahassee.
David Morris has purchased an expansion franchise in the American Indoor Football League. The team will begin play in February.
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"Any time that you want to put a team somewhere, you want to go with a rich football tradition," Morris said. "And what's richer than Tallahassee?"
A press conference is scheduled for Aug. 2 to make the formal announcement of the team's arrival. But Roger Englert, deputy director of the Civic Center, confirmed Tuesday that the deal was done and that the arena had already received a deposit of $75,000.
"We have dates on hold for them for next year," Englert said.
Morris said the franchise will hold a name-the-team contest.
This will be the Capital City's second crack at indoor football.
The Tallahassee Thunder were a charter member of af2 in 2000 but lasted only three seasons. The AIFL has smaller operating budgets with less expensive league dues, leading Morris to believe the sport can succeed in the football-crazy town.
Joshua Stagner, the team's vice president of operations, said the franchise struck a three-year deal with the Civic Center.
The AIFL will hold owners meetings Aug. 12-13 at the league's headquarters in Canton, Ohio. Sixteen teams played in the league last season, and expansion could add to its footprint in the South.
Teams play a 14-game regular season.
The AIFL has a different look, starting with the red, white and blue footballs that frequently sail into the stands for souvenirs. Unlike the af2, the AIFL doesn't have nets in the end zones to keep the ball in play. Each team is allowed to dress 18 players for the eight-on-eight competition.
A first-time sports owner, Morris is a 44-year-old former Marine who inspects nuclear reactors for a subsidiary of General Electric. He said the AIFL let him choose among Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C., and Tallahassee.
"I think the AIFL model is an outstanding model," said Morris, who lives in Baton Rouge, La. "They understand from the financial side that you don't need to ... have just outrageous budgets to run a football team. The product that they put together is very, very fan-friendly."
Contact Jack Corcoran at (850) 599-2172 or jcorcoran@tallahassee.com.
Originally published July 26, 2006
There's a new league in town
AIFL to field team in Tallahassee beginning in February
By Jack Corcoran
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Indoor football - red, white and blue style this time - is coming back to Tallahassee.
David Morris has purchased an expansion franchise in the American Indoor Football League. The team will begin play in February.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Any time that you want to put a team somewhere, you want to go with a rich football tradition," Morris said. "And what's richer than Tallahassee?"
A press conference is scheduled for Aug. 2 to make the formal announcement of the team's arrival. But Roger Englert, deputy director of the Civic Center, confirmed Tuesday that the deal was done and that the arena had already received a deposit of $75,000.
"We have dates on hold for them for next year," Englert said.
Morris said the franchise will hold a name-the-team contest.
This will be the Capital City's second crack at indoor football.
The Tallahassee Thunder were a charter member of af2 in 2000 but lasted only three seasons. The AIFL has smaller operating budgets with less expensive league dues, leading Morris to believe the sport can succeed in the football-crazy town.
Joshua Stagner, the team's vice president of operations, said the franchise struck a three-year deal with the Civic Center.
The AIFL will hold owners meetings Aug. 12-13 at the league's headquarters in Canton, Ohio. Sixteen teams played in the league last season, and expansion could add to its footprint in the South.
Teams play a 14-game regular season.
The AIFL has a different look, starting with the red, white and blue footballs that frequently sail into the stands for souvenirs. Unlike the af2, the AIFL doesn't have nets in the end zones to keep the ball in play. Each team is allowed to dress 18 players for the eight-on-eight competition.
A first-time sports owner, Morris is a 44-year-old former Marine who inspects nuclear reactors for a subsidiary of General Electric. He said the AIFL let him choose among Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C., and Tallahassee.
"I think the AIFL model is an outstanding model," said Morris, who lives in Baton Rouge, La. "They understand from the financial side that you don't need to ... have just outrageous budgets to run a football team. The product that they put together is very, very fan-friendly."
Contact Jack Corcoran at (850) 599-2172 or jcorcoran@tallahassee.com.