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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

A Look Around The Leagues

by Walter L. Johnson II
February 9, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)


As this article goes to press, the New England Patriots have won yet another world championship at the highest level of professional football. But even as the Patriots celebrate their third NFL title in the last four years, all of the indoor football leagues, including the Arena Football League, either have started their seasons, or will start very soon. Here's a quick look at each league, and its outlook for the 2005 season.

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE: The most well known of all the indoor leagues, the AFL has completed two weeks of its regular season. NBC has chosen to renew its national broadcast television contract with the league through 2006, with additional regional coverage on Fox Sports Net (FSN). The AFL has been boosted with the return of the Nashville Kats, who reached the Arena Bowl twice during their five-year run (1997-2001). But the league also suffered a huge blow during the off-season, with the departures of the Carolina Cobras, Detroit Fury, and Indiana Firebirds. Perhaps the biggest change this season will be this year's Arena Bowl being in Las Vegas on June 12. This marks the first time in AFL history the Arena Bowl will be played at a neutral site.

Arenafootball2: The official developmental league of the AFL will enter its sixth season with 20 franchises, down from 34 just three years ago. The af2 experienced huge changes during the off-season, as the Columbus (Ga.) Wardogs and Hawaiian Islanders closed their doors. If that weren't bad enough, the Peoria (Ill.) Pirates and Tennessee Valley Vipers (now Raptors) jumped over to the newly formed United Indoor Football Association, while the management of the Laredo (Tex.) Law also chose not to play in 2005. The af2 did get a newcomer in the Amarillo Dusters, who come over from the now-defunct Texas based Intense Football League, while the former Cape Fear Wildcats moved to Albany, Ga., thus becoming the South Georgia Wildcats.

Atlantic Indoor Football League: The AIFL is one of the newest kids on the indoor professional football block in 2005, as the fledgling league will field six franchises for its inaugural season. The AIFL will consist of franchises in Charlotte and Raleigh, both North Carolina, Richmond, Va., Erie and Johnstown, both Pennsylvania, and Canton, Ohio. Will the AIFL suffer the same fate as the now-defunct Intense Football League, or will have it staying power? Only time will tell.

National Indoor Football League: Entering its fifth season, the NIFL had the biggest growth spurt among all of the indoor leagues during the off-season. That came as a result of the league placing several expansion teams in Florida, as well as the merger between the IFL and NIFL. The NIFL also awarded expansion teams to two former af2 markets, Cincinnati, which played to the Swarm in 2003, and Fayetteville, N.C., which was the former home of the Cape Fear Wildcats. Additionally, the league also placed expansion teams in Rome, Ga., Montgomery, Ala., and St. Charles, Mo. Five teams, including the Utah Warriors, have announced they will not play this season. But the aforementioned Warriors will play in the AFL starting in 2006. In all, the NIFL will operate with 21 franchises in 2005, more than any other indoor league.

United Indoor Football Association: The other new "kid" on the block, the UIF has 12 of the strongest franchises in the nation, as well as three former league champions, and five former conference champions, according to its website. All of the franchises moved to the new league from the NIFL or af2. It will be interesting to see how the UIF will function against the other established leagues.

"RHYTHM REVIEW": In case you haven't been paying attention lately, the Nashville Rhythm of the American Basketball Association has been in the national news everywhere, with the recent firing, then re-hiring, of the first female head coach of men's professional basketball in Ashley McElhiney. On. Jan. 29, former Rhythm CEO Sally Anthony confronted McElhiney during Nashville's 110-109 win over Kansas City. The incident centered on McElhiney choosing not to bench Matt Freije, who signed a two-game deal to play for Nashville. The ex-Vanderbilt star was fired soon after the contest, only to be re-hired when the other two members of the Rhythm ownership group, Anthony's husband, Tony Bucher, and Justin Christian overruled Anthony, saying she didn't have the authority to fire McElhiney. Anthony has since resigned as CEO of the Rhythm. It's amazing that such a difficult situation can result in such a happy ending.

NETCASTS: The NHL may still be locked out, but the minor leagues are still open for business. With the "Netcasts" page available at OSC, you can get your hockey fix almost every night. Just remember to log on to //www.oursportscentral.com, and click on the "Netcasts" link, and go from there. From the AHL to the UHL, OSC has you covered. Oh, and arena football, basketball, indoor soccer, and even lacrosse broadcasts are available, too.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 9, 2005


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.


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