More AIFL from Canton Repository

[The Man, The Myth]

Printed in the Canton Repository July 30, 2006
by Todd Porter

AIFL INVESTORS

AIFL President Andrew Haines announced two new teams to the AIFL. One will be in Tupelo, Miss., and the other in Tallahassee, Fla. That leaves the AIFL with a net of minus-five teams for the week.
Four teams in the AIFL’s Southern Conference — Augusta, Daytona Beach, Raleigh and Rome — left to spin off a new league, the World Indoor Football League. Those teams will be joined by Huntington, of the AIFL’s Northern Conference, and two National Indoor Football League teams.
Also, Miami Valley and reportedly Steubenville are leaving the AIFL for the Great Lakes Indoor Football League.

What a fiasco.

That leaves the AIFL with the two new teams, Canton, Erie, Johnstown and Reading, and four teams in the South.

The AIFL has 10 teams, including Syracuse, which hemorrhaged money last year. The league will have an owners’ meeting in Canton in August. “We’re going to do some restructuring, so I am not involved in day-to-day of the league,” Haines said. “My strong points are in sales. I want to work on sponsorship and media deals. This (2007) is definitely our year. We’re going to turn into something great, or it’s going to be mediocre.”

[Geoff]

3 new teams. You forgot Danville.

[The Man, The Myth]

3 new teams. You forgot Danville.

Good call Geoff, he did forget Danville. We'll have to bust his chops over that one. :)

[Sykotyk]

Syracuse is done. No way can that team come back and get sponsorship or fan support. For all intents and purposes, they've folded when they stopped playing last year. Richmond is also out.

Returning teams (as of now):
Erie
Canton
Johnstown
Reading
Florence
Chattahoochee Valley

Then the expansion teams:
Danville
Pittsburgh
Tupelo
Tallahassee

So, now you have ten teams. Erie/Can/Jhn/Read/Dan/Pit in the north, Tup/Tal/CV/Flo in the south.

Still, 10 teams after having sixteen, including four expansion isn't good. That means the league lost ten teams.

Sykotyk

[Minor League Man]

Don't forget the Carolina Fuel. (scheduled to play in Cabarrus Arena)

[Tatonka]

You need to drop the Fuel, there is no team there, never was. Do you think the league just forgot to keep mentioning it with their press releases and all that? They are not mentioning it and not including it because it doesn't exist, they want us to all forget it was even mentioned.

[gonzo13]

Are the Legends going to stick around the AIFL to defend their title? Or are they looking for an out?

[The Man, The Myth]

Are the Legends going to stick around the AIFL to defend their title? Or are they looking for an out?

Official word from the Legends is that they are an AIFL member team.

They are aware that there is some franchise movement (especially in the south) and are monitoring the situation.

Do you really think they would openly tell anyone if they were jumping ship?

On another note, the Legends have scheduled a 1pm press conference Monday. I'm told it is to announce their head coach for 2007. Stay tuned.

[gonzo13]

Do you really think they would openly tell anyone if they were jumping ship?
. You must be joking...With so many teams making the same announcement in recent days, it would appear that there is no better time. And with the AIFL owners meetings coming up soon, why would they wait until after the meetings to announce they were leaving....unless they aren't leaving.
The press conference on Monday could be to announce more than their head coach....And why is Olive no longer the coach anyway? He did a great job this year.

[The Man, The Myth]

Gonzo, I've got to tell you. I agree. If it was my decision, I would have told Andrew goodbye right after he handed me the trophy. However, I don't call the shots.

No team ... including none in the south (except Richmond who at last report has not found a home yet) have come right out and said they're leaving until something was in the bank.

If they do that, then season ticket sales and sponsorships suffer due to the fact that they don't know where they will play.

Erie said essentially the same thing this week for the same reason.