Milwaukee Bonecrushers?

[Minor League Man]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=577852

Local group eyes team
By DON WALKER
dwalker@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 14, 2007
The Wisconsin Center District is in talks with an investor group that hopes to bring a professional indoor football team to the U.S. Cellular Arena for the 2008 season.

The new team would be called the Milwaukee Bonecrushers and would likely play in the United Indoor Football League, one of several small indoor leagues.

Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for the district, said the group "has a contract with us in their hands."

"The Wisconsin Center District would welcome indoor football," he said. "But this is not yet a done deal."

Shaun Totulis, who would be the group's chief financial officer, said he expected to sign a three-year contract with the district next week. Totulis, who lives in Waukegan, Ill., said A. Aron Williams of Wauwatosa would be the group's chief operating officer.

Totulis declined to identify the name of the league, but said "we're pretty much assured we'll have a deal."

Dakota Crow, the commissioner of the United Indoor Football League, did not return a phone call.

Totulis said his group would begin promotional efforts this weekend in Milwaukee but did not plan a formal announcement. The group hopes to play three to five exhibition games this year in Milwaukee and begin play in March 2008.

Milwaukee last had indoor football in 2001, when the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League played at the Bradley Center.

Ineteresting...I REALLY hope it goes through. (P.S. What do you think of the name "Milwaukee Bonecrushers"?)

[Sykotyk]

Glad the UIF is going there. As for the name, it's a bit 'rough'.

Sykotyk

[Minor League Man]

Here's the website:
http://www.mkebonecrushers.com/

Logo has a bulldog crunching a bone in its teeth.

Should be more active if the Crushers actually do play.

[tony-o]

The name makes them sound like an NIFL team.

[rams80]

Name's horrible, but if this actually comes to pass and I'm up there next summer, I may try to get to a game.

[cRUSHer]

I dig the name okay enough.

Just plain `Crushers' would be better though.:cool:
Especially if Milwaukee is involved.;)

Hope it happens. That'd be great .
Milwaukee was a good AFL town.
If United Indoor Football can place
a quality team there, they
might be on to something.

And it's only 90 miles away.

Keeping my fingers crossed for UIF Milwaukee.

[gostlouis]

If the Bonecrushers do indeed get a team and one or two more teams show up as well, I wonder if the UIF will become a three division league. The potential is there. Just wondering.

Go Rage!

[Sykotyk]

They were before. If the league gains too many central teams (WI and IL), I doubt the UIF could break them up into two divisions equally without some bass-ackward way of splitting them.

Sykotyk

[cRUSHer]

There is a thread on the lower portion of
the AFL message board that is allotted to
the af2 that rumors Milwaukee to be an
upcoming `deuche' team.

I haven't seen anything concrete that says
the Bonecrushers will be an UIF team , so let the
rumors fly I guess.

[NoBallinPDX]

Saw the website...hate the name and logo is a little lame...my opinion only!! The color scheme looks to be purple and teal?...Same colors as the defunked Milwaukee Mustangs of the AFL. They were popular locally and there has been rumors they would be back somehow. Wondering if there is any connection.

[cRUSHer]

So ... um ... uh ... er ... what happened to the
little link to this team on the OSC story page
under Newest teams ?:confused:

anyone ???

Bueller ???

anyone ???

[rams80]

So ... um ... uh ... er ... what happened to the
little link to this team on the OSC story page
under Newest teams ?:confused:

anyone ???

Bueller ???

anyone ???

Journal Sentinel removed the article from their archives?

[BMAN]

I like the name 'Crushers' personally. I have not heard anything on the Milwaukee team. Is there any new news?

[The Crusher]

Journal Sentinel removed the article from their archives?

The story is in the archives, but I think after a month after it's been released you have to pay for the article. As for an update on the Bonecrushers, the organization is planning a media day soon which will probably answer most if not all our questions about this team. I'll let you know when that announcement will be made.

[cRUSHer]

There is only one true crusher on the Indoor/Arena Football
message boards.

That would be ...me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F615b98x8To)

accept no substitute.:cool:

[The Abyss]

:lol: at crusher

[cRUSHer]

:lol: okay ... fine ... yuk it up Dear Abby. :-P

[The Crusher]

July 19th, they will be holding a media event to talk more in detail about the team, the league they will be joining, tryouts, etc. There will be a private press conference at 1pm that day for sponsors and TV/Radio media. I will also be attending so I'll give you the lowdown on what went on at the press conference.

[Aaronhere]

Arena football makes a comeback - By Don Walker
Tuesday, Jul 17 2007, 04:49 PM
Arena football is returning to Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Bonecrushers, a new entry in the Continental Indoor Football League, will play a brand of indoor football beginning in the spring of 2008 at the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The team will make its formal appearance on Thursday at a press conference at the arena.

The league is one of several minor-league indoor football leagues in the country. The league – there were 14 teams this year - play a 7-on-7 version of the indoor game.

Spokesmen for the Bonecrushers could not be reached for comment. Kevin J. Keller, a spokesman for the league, said the ownership group had a signed contract with the league and the Wisconsin Center District, which operates the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Milwaukee last had indoor football in 2001, when the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League played at the Bradley Center. Evan Zeppos, a spokesman for the Bradley Center, said officials there had had discussions with groups interested in bringing an Arena Football League franchise or an AF2 franchise to Milwaukee. Brian Noble, a former linebacker for the Green Bay Packers who is president of the Green Bay Blizzard AF2 team, has expressed interest in establishing an AFL or AF2 franchise in Milwaukee.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/businessofsports/default.aspx

[exit322]

Sheesh, they lost another one to the CIFL. And Chicago worked out pretty well after they got the ownership change finalized.

[lightning fan]

What a let down. Looks like no UIF roadtrips to Milwaukee for me next year.

Oh well at least they have indoor football. Maybe they will not notice one less player on the field.

What could have been. Chicago and Milwaukee could have been in UIF.

[cRUSHer]

What a let down............
What could have been.
Chicago and Milwaukee could have been in UIF.

Agreed.
The cheesers get the `70 to 3 = a close game' league . LMAO :lol:

Too bad Milwaukee won't have REAL Indoor Football.

oh well ...:roll:

Thank You , God in heaven , for the Rock River Raptors.:D

thank you , thank you , thank you , thank you ,
thank you ...(repeat ad infinitum)

[phydeaux72]

Pure speculation here. But, the simple fact that they went CIFL is most likely testimony to the fact that they don't have what it takes to get into the UIF. You'll be better off without them.

[cRUSHer]

A M E N to that.

[lightning fan]

You may be right, phydeaux72, especially considering how Chicago got off on such a shaky and shady foot, however, our dream of Milw. and Chi. being in UIF would have included them as strong, financially solvent, well attended, franchises.

Nice thing about dreaming, if you are going to dream you may as well dream for it all I guess.

Funny sidenote: I always get a kick out of people who tell me what they will do when they win the lottery and then start explaining in logical terms what they could or couldn't do with the money.

I tell them it is all a dream so go ahead and make it whatever you need....... no reason to revert back to logic now.

[cRUSHer]

You may be right, phydeaux72, especially considering how Chicago got off on such a shaky and shady foot, however, our dream of Milw. and Chi. being in UIF would have included them as strong, financially solvent, well attended, franchises.

Nice thing about dreaming, if you are going to dream you may as well dream for it all I guess.

Funny sidenote: I always get a kick out of people who tell me what they will do when they win the lottery and then start explaining in logical terms what they could or couldn't do with the money.

I tell them it is all a dream so go ahead and make it whatever you need....... no reason to revert back to logic now.

Yeah , I actually put money down on a pair of
UIF season seats to a team that didn't exist.
(I rec'd a full refund)

Man , what could have been.
But as an United Indoor Football fan I have
been able to appreciate the way things are
run in Omaha.

For instance , when no suitable investor was
apparently available , Dakota and co. had to
be stalwart and reluctantly allow the af2 to
hastily wheel their 3 ring circus into Ft Wayne.
As it turned out , it's the af2 front office that
ended up with `egg' on their faces. The Ft Wayne
af2 team was a fiasco and embarrassment
to the current af2 regime.

Now the af2 can afford to make such embarrassing
and costly blunders(Laredo?). If United Indoor Football
would have made a similar mistake , the result could
have been considerably troublesome to the leagues
image at the very least

Meanwhile ,United Indoor Football had a great season
which is about to be capped off with a rematch
of last years title game. Thats awesome. 8)

So if Chicago and Milwaukee have to go with
brand X , I know darn well there is a good reason.

ALSO>>>It should be noted...
Chicago could not have an af2 team as it's within'
the AFL RUSHs market space , Milwaukees Arena Football
rights are owned by the owner of the defunct AFL Mustangs.
So before some af2 apologist says diddly about can't
afford the af2 , the af2 is not an option to begin with.

But United Indoor Football is. 8)


What could've and may one day be.
I'm not opposed to dreaming big either.:)

[tony-o]

Agreed.
The cheesers get the `70 to 3 = a close game' league . LMAO :lol:


That sounds like a score from a Sioux Falls game. LMAO

The CIFL got rid of most of the teams that were getting blown out(Springfield, Summit County, Steubenville). And if the end of the season was a sign of the future for the Pirates, they aren't going to be the juggernauts they were this season. Outside of those games, the results were not that bad and weren't any worse than the UIF.

The UIF is one of the best organizations in indoor football, I will agree with you there. But they aren't completely problem free. Fort Wayne left thousands of dollars in debt behind them, Peoria had it's attendance woes after a successful af2 run, and teams have been for sale on eBay. People are constantly calling the UIF the "premier" league. Sorry, that's the AFL. The UIF is at the same level as the WIFL and IFL.

Was this a good move for Milwaukee? Probably. If they didn't have the cash to join the UIF, then this was their best choice. Chicago is a good geographic rival for them, but there are more teams in the area in the UIF with Bloomington, Rock River, and Evansville all being closer than CIFL's second closest team. Things will probably be better in the CIFL next year as long as the league takes out it's problems early(the Rumble moving twice should've been a signal that they weren't ready, and they shouldn't have allowed that same owner to buy another team).

[Carl]

The CIFL got rid of most of the teams that were getting blown out(Springfield, Summit County, Steubenville).

Maybe I am taking your comment in the wrong context, but I take exception to that statement. The CIFL did not "get rid" of us (Springfield) due to the blowout scores. The CIFL, at first, turned a blind eye on a bad situation and allowed it to snowball into a joke. Now, don't take my comment wrong, the CIFL has a lot of things going for it . . . but then it seems to work very hard against itself too.

[cRUSHer]

That sounds like a score from a Sioux Falls game. LMAO

The CIFL got rid of most of the teams that were getting blown out(Springfield, Summit County, Steubenville). And if the end of the season was a sign of the future for the Pirates, they aren't going to be the juggernauts they were this season. Outside of those games, the results were not that bad and weren't any worse than the UIF.

The UIF is one of the best organizations in indoor football, I will agree with you there. But they aren't completely problem free. Fort Wayne left thousands of dollars in debt behind them, Peoria had it's attendance woes after a successful af2 run, and teams have been for sale on eBay. People are constantly calling the UIF the "premier" league. Sorry, that's the AFL. The UIF is at the same level as the WIFL and IFL.

Was this a good move for Milwaukee? Probably. If they didn't have the cash to join the UIF, then this was their best choice. Chicago is a good geographic rival for them, but there are more teams in the area in the UIF with Bloomington, Rock River, and Evansville all being closer than CIFL's second closest team. Things will probably be better in the CIFL next year as long as the league takes out it's problems early(the Rumble moving twice should've been a signal that they weren't ready, and they shouldn't have allowed that same owner to buy another team).

I have been going to AFL games since July 1987.
I know all to well what the AFL was and currently is.
The Premier `Indoor Football' League isn't one of those things.
Thats United Indoor Football.

The AFL Firebirds were for sale on ebay in 2004.
So I guess that set a precedent.

I'm "sorry that's the AFL" too. :lol:

Also there was a thread for a long time that covered the
far too many CIFL blowouts. It was a joke to read .

Peorias attendance was on the decline every year
it was in the af2. And dropped from 10,000+ per IFL game
to 4,000 per by 2004. And yes , once the af2 screwed
the Pirates out of their identity , the attendance
plummeted further.

Whatever debt was left behind in Ft Wayne by the
former Freedom owner ,has been far exceeded by
the af2 FUsion ownership.

Was it good move for Milwaukee ? Time will tell.
I'd much rather have them go belly up somewhere
other than the Premier Indoor Football League, UIF.

[chardale]

Now that Peoria is back in A2, the Bonecrushers have signed a few players already. ONE of them cant even start on his Racine Raiders team, talk about a joke of quality players. They are better off in the CIFL, dont taint your league with owners who cant afford to join a real league. Also lex and louisville will be a great rivalry. And now with evansville shut down or for sale, going to be very interesting in that part of the country

[MBC]

Seriouly do you know anything. He plays for the Racine Raiders, and was in the running to start until he injured his back.

Taint the league, I heard that the then Port Huron Pirates challenged the SF Storm to a battle of undefeated. They declined, guess they were SCARRED.

[chardale]

And was in the running, are you kidding me. SO what u are saying, he wasnt named the starter yet. We will see what kind of numbers he puts up this weekend at the combine that is looking for area players.You see what happens when a team uses all semi pro players. They get beat by 50,,,70 points. Now there are some good undescoverd players out there playing semi but not useing the majority of them.

[chardale]

Oh bye the way, the storm would POUND the homeless Pirates into the ground. why do you ask? Maybe cause not all the players might not have been paid on time and that the CIFL allows it's team's to pay a min of $100.00 a game. Are you going to get guys like UIF or A2 quality there. NOPE so there's your answer om who would win that game. How many teams did the CIFL league office turn thier back on and let go under this yr and how many UIF teams went under or used Semi pro players to fill in games? Nuff said

[MBC]

Sounds as though the UIF is having some issues of their own.

[lightning fan]

Seriouly do you know anything. He plays for the Racine Raiders, and was in the running to start until he injured his back.

Taint the league, I heard that the then Port Huron Pirates challenged the SF Storm to a battle of undefeated. They declined, guess they were SCARRED.

It would be very hard for any CIFL team to beat a UIF team, considering CIFL would be playing with only 7 players and UIF plays with 8.