The return of the NIFL

The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) forum
coachingubigr
Site Admin
Posts: 824
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 4:16 am
Location: Charlotte NC

Post by coachingubigr » Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:15 pm

[quote=""preeths""]Some of the places the NIFL claimed as home arenas the final year would make Harrisburg's place look like the Staples Center. Also, I don't believe Harrisburg was using indoor/outdoor carpet as turf or inflatable mattresses as dasher pads.[/quote]

I went to the Richmond/Harrisburg game last season in Harrisburg. It was funny watching football in a rodeo arena. The venue is less than 10 years old so its not in bad shape. Also it was funny to see security gaurds ask fans for balls back that had been thrown out of bounds.

User avatar
BananaCat
Site Admin
Posts: 928
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:21 pm
Location: Worldwide
Contact:

Post by BananaCat » Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:58 pm

[quote=""jerry101jlh""]I am past creating fire maps, sorry lol[/quote]
Too bad, I loved your fire maps (your finest creation ever). I also loved the doom and gloom commentary that went along with them, and that wasn't even the NIFL's last season. Imagine the map of fire you could've made in their last season...lol.
.
Indoor Football Forum .com

Indoor Football Forum
on Facebook and Twitter

Live Scores
on Twitter and Facebook

jerry101jlh
Site Admin
Posts: 1474
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:37 pm

Post by jerry101jlh » Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:55 am

[quote=""BananaCat""]Too bad, I loved your fire maps (your finest creation ever). I also loved the doom and gloom commentary that went along with them, and that wasn't even the NIFL's last season. Imagine the map of fire you could've made in their last season...lol.[/quote]

Indoor football and me parted ways after that season. Even the most jaded of us sometimes get burnt out from all the drama and need to step away. Then I come back only to find out I haven't missed anything, same ol song and dance being played out.

The NIFL had its problems and no one can deny that, but when I look back on the NIFL I see where CS had a great idea for mid size cities to get into the game and that has proved to work. Without the NIFL I wonder if the sport would even be around today or if we'd just be stuck with the AFL?

Much more difficult to predict failure or problems today, at least for me. I had the advantage back then in knowing too well how CS operated and could more easily read between the lines. She was more a creature of habit than some today and with her I always knew there would be no surprises, so easy to predict and find problems.

User avatar
preeths
Site Admin
Posts: 8457
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:34 pm
Contact:

Post by preeths » Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:12 pm

One could also argue that many of the sport's current weaknesses had their genesis in the NIFL, especially allowing in weak ownership en masse. The idea for indoor football in midsize cities did not originate in the NIFL. I'm confident the indoor game would have survived had the NIFL never lived. It might have even been better off.

jerry101jlh
Site Admin
Posts: 1474
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:37 pm

Post by jerry101jlh » Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:06 pm

[quote=""preeths""]One could also argue that many of the sport's current weaknesses had their genesis in the NIFL, especially allowing in weak ownership en masse. The idea for indoor football in midsize cities did not originate in the NIFL. I'm confident the indoor game would have survived had the NIFL never lived. It might have even been better off.[/quote]

All just speculation at this point. I might doubt the survival aspect though. At the time I didn't get the impression that the IFL castaways had an interest in starting their own league, but were only interested in joining a league. Granted had CS not started the NIFL the original AIFL under Dick Suess might have landed those teams, but if he hadn't, the af2 the only others interested. At that time we also had the IPFL still going, but it was still pretty much trying to compete against the AFL and was dying even though they may not have seen it. Other option, the APFL. Possible they would have started up regardless of any other leagues starting or not. But as I said, pure speculation at this point

User avatar
BananaCat
Site Admin
Posts: 928
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:21 pm
Location: Worldwide
Contact:

Post by BananaCat » Fri Sep 30, 2011 1:33 am

[quote=""preeths""]One could also argue that many of the sport's current weaknesses had their genesis in the NIFL, especially allowing in weak ownership en masse. The idea for indoor football in midsize cities did not originate in the NIFL. I'm confident the indoor game would have survived had the NIFL never lived. It might have even been better off.[/quote]
Totally agree.
.
Indoor Football Forum .com

Indoor Football Forum
on Facebook and Twitter

Live Scores
on Twitter and Facebook

User avatar
preeths
Site Admin
Posts: 8457
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:34 pm
Contact:

Post by preeths » Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:15 pm

[quote=""jerry101jlh""]All just speculation at this point. I might doubt the survival aspect though. At the time I didn't get the impression that the IFL castaways had an interest in starting their own league, but were only interested in joining a league. Granted had CS not started the NIFL the original AIFL under Dick Suess might have landed those teams, but if he hadn't, the af2 the only others interested. At that time we also had the IPFL still going, but it was still pretty much trying to compete against the AFL and was dying even though they may not have seen it. Other option, the APFL. Possible they would have started up regardless of any other leagues starting or not. But as I said, pure speculation at this point[/quote]

I have no doubt the sport would have survived based on Keary Ecklund's mixed success alone. The NIFL filled a vacuum at one time. If it hadn't, someone else would have.

jerry101jlh
Site Admin
Posts: 1474
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:37 pm

Post by jerry101jlh » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:26 pm

[quote=""preeths""]I have no doubt the sport would have survived based on Keary Ecklund's mixed success alone. The NIFL filled a vacuum at one time. If it hadn't, someone else would have.[/quote]

Of course all speculation at this point, but if any good came out of the NIFL it was enlarging the footprint of the sport on a more national level. The IPFL although national was in only a few selected areas and did little to make the sport known outside of those areas.

My bet on keeping the sport up and going had CS not would be Ralph Adams, founder of the APFL.

Gusher
Site Admin
Posts: 719
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:09 am

Post by Gusher » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:56 pm

Wow where would we be now if that would have happen. Well one thing is for sure we would'nt even bother checking league websites for updates.

User avatar
preeths
Site Admin
Posts: 8457
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:34 pm
Contact:

Post by preeths » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:40 pm

[quote=""jerry101jlh""]Of course all speculation at this point, but if any good came out of the NIFL it was enlarging the footprint of the sport on a more national level. The IPFL although national was in only a few selected areas and did little to make the sport known outside of those areas.

My bet on keeping the sport up and going had CS not would be Ralph Adams, founder of the APFL.[/quote]

I think the footprint was going to enlarge regardless. Even outside the PIFL/IPFL, Ecklund had teams stretched through three timezones. I'm not saying the NIFL did nothing to further the sport, but I think all things considered, the progress was minimal, and some things the NIFL did have set the sport back.

Post Reply

Return to “NIFL”