Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
January 3, 2011 - North American League (NAmL)
BASEBALL
North American League: The new independent NAL, which is comprised of teams from the Northern League, Golden Baseball League, and United League Baseball, states it will have 16 to 20 teams in the United States and Canada for its inaugural 2011 season. Currently, the NAL has 12 teams listed. The Western Division includes the Calgary Vipers (GBL), Chico Outlaws (GBL), Edmonton Capitals (GBL), Na Koa Ikaika Maui (GBL), Yuma Scorpions (GBL), and the new Tijuana Embajadores (GBL). The Eastern Division has the Edinburg Roadrunners (ULB), Lake County Fielders (NL), Rockford Riverhawks (NL), San Angelo Colts (ULB), Schaumburg Flyers (NL), and Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (ULB).
Frontier League: Although the Frontier League announced its 2011 team lineup that included the Kalamazoo Kings, the owner of the franchise is still uncertain about its participation in the 2011 season. A decision is expected by January 8, 2011.
Southwestern States League: The proposed SSL, formerly called the Permian Basin League, now has a third team called the Dragons listed as a possible member, along with the Abilene (TX) Blue Sox and the Steel City Wardogs (Pueblo, CO). The Dragons' logo is similar to that of a team called the Odessa Dragons that was once listed as a team associated with the proposed new Pecos League.
Arizona Winter League: The developmental AWL, which is operated by the Golden Baseball League, plans to play its fifth season from January 31 to February 27, 2011. The league currently lists ten participating teams: the Arizona Roadrunner, Blythe (CA) Heat, Long Beach Armada, San Diego Surf Dawgs, and Yuma Scorpions in the American Division, and the Saskatchewan Silver Sox, Sonora Pilots, Team Canada, Team Mexico, and Western Canada Miners in the International Division.
California Winter League: The developmental CWL is planning its second season that will run from January 22 to February 16, 2011. The league plans to have the same four teams as last season: the Canada A's, Coachella Valley Snowbirds, Palm Desert Coyotes, and Palm Springs Chill. All league games are played in Palm Springs (CA).
Florida Collegiate League: The summer collegiate Florida League plans to add a sixth team called the Winter Haven Loggerheads for its 2011 season. The league had a team called the Winter Haven Wart Hogs in the 2005 season.
BASKETBALL
Premier Basketball League: The eight-team PBL has started its fourth season. The league is split into an East division with the Halifax (Nova Scotia) Rainmen, St. John (New Brunswick) Mill Rats, Quebec Kebs, and Vermont Frost Heaves, while the West division has the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, Rochester RazorSharks, Kentucky's Bluegrass Stallions, and Dayton Air Strikers. The season runs from December 31, 2010 to March 29, 2011 with each team playing 20 games. The league had nine teams last season, but lost the Maryland GreenHawks, Puerto Rico Capitanes, and Buffalo Stampede. The new Dayton Air Strikers and the Georgetown-based Kentucky's Bluegrass Stallions were added this season, while the Manchester (NH) Millrats relocated to become the St. John (New Brunswick) Mill Rats.
United Basketball League: The UBL team list no longer includes the Irving (TX) Mustangs, Longview (TX) Roadrunners, and an unnamed Monroe (LA) team in its Southern Division. The DeSoto Lightning is now listed as the Metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth) Lightning.
FOOTBALL
Continental Indoor Football League: The Fort Wayne FireHawks have confirmed the team will not play in the 2011 CIFL, but hope to start up again in 2012. The FireHawks joined the CIFL for the 2010 season after a transfer of assets from the league's Fort Wayne Freedom franchise, which played two seasons (2008-09) in the CIFL. The Madison-based Wisconsin Wolfpack announced the team has ceased operations after two seasons (2009-10) in the league. The team's outdoor football operations will merge with the Racine (WI) Raiders of the semi-pro Mid-Continental Football League.
Indoor Football League: A proposed sale of the IFL's Kent (WA) Predators has fallen through and the team is looking for a new owner. An announcement about the team's future is expected next week. The Kent Predators joined the IFL for the 2010 season.
American Professional Football League: The semi-pro indoor APFL plans to have six teams in 2011 with each team playing a ten-game schedule. The league has added the Sioux City (IA) Bandits, which has been around since 2001 and played as part of the Indoor Football League for the past two seasons (2009-10). The Iowa Blackhawks (Council Bluffs), Kansas Koyotes (Topeka), Mid-Missouri Outlaws (Sedalia), and Springfield (MO) WolfPack are expected to return from last season. The Junction City (KS) Force of the Central Plains Football League played road games as part of the 2010 APFL, but it is uncertain if the Force will be the sixth APFL team in 2011.
Stars Football League: The new Stars Football League, which plans to start play with six teams in the spring of 2011, has announced it is in negotiations to place a team in Los Angeles for the 2012 season.
Canadian Football League: A proposed new Hamilton (Ontario) stadium, which is to be built as a soccer venue for the 2015 Pan-Am Games, is also planned to become home to the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A stadium site has to be picked by February 1. Locations in Hamilton are being considered, but more recently a site in the city of Burlington was proposed. The Tiger-Cats' owner says the team may have to move if a stadium is not built in a few years. Mississauga, Brampton, and Markham are all interested in the building the stadium if other sites fall through.
HOCKEY
Federal Hockey League: The Broome County Barons, based in the Binghamton (NY) area, have relocated to Cape Cod (MA) for the remainder of its inaugural 2010-11 season in the FHL. A new owner has taken over the franchise and its has been renamed the Cape Cod Barons. Before Cape Cod, the league had been considering a move of the franchise to the Stowe (VT) area. Low attendance was the main factor for the change.
All American Hockey League: The AAHL announced that its Dyer-based Indiana Blizzard franchise has ceased operations and will be replaced by the Chi-Town Shooters team for the remainder of the 2010-11 season. The Chi-Town Shooters played in Dyer as part of the AAHL in 2009-10, but decided to sit out this season and look for another league in 2011-12. The Muskegon-based West Michigan Blizzard moved to Dyer for the 2010-11 season as the Indiana Blizzard after plans to build a new home venue fell through. The Shooters will again be based in Dyer and take over the Blizzard's roster and record. There are also rumors that the league's Queen City Storm and Lapeer Loggers franchises are also having problems.
Global United Hockey: The GUH is a new developmental hockey league that will use the 4-on-4 format of play and plans to start in the summer of 2011 with six teams. Each team will consist of three forwards, one defenseman, and one goaltender. The league's first teams will most likely come from the Northeast, as groups from New York City, Central New York, and Buffalo have expressed interest. Eventually, the league wants to expand with divisions in Canada and Europe.
SOCCER
Premier Arena Soccer League: The PASL-Premier league has 32 teams split into 6 regional divisions (Northwest, Southwest, Pacific, Rocky Mountain, South Central, and Midwest) for its 2010-11 season. Some of the new teams this season include the Evansville Crush, Paducah Wildcats, Louisville Lightning Reserves, Colorado Springs Blizzard, and the Sacramento-based South Natomas All-Stars.
Dan Krieger is the creator of the Leagueology almanac known as "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest 2009-10 edition is available at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/leagues-teams-nicknames-2009-10/6534940. Dan can be contacted at [email protected].
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North American League Stories from January 3, 2011
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
