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Commentary: NIFL daily buzz, afternoon edition

by Jerry Hewitt
May 13, 2006 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)


I mistakenly put Palm Beach at Florida today before I had enough coffee, it's Palm Beach at Osceola. I also got notice of the Arkansas cancellation too late to include it this morning, and then the NIFL leadership puts out a state of the NIFL press release. All in all, I should have waited, but because of all that, you get to listen to me twice today.

at Osceola Football

not Florida. So what, I'm human and don't get paid for this, so I'm allowed screw ups. I think Osceola still has enough players on their roster to play this game and if not, I'm sure the NIFL has supplied replacements. We reported earlier that some Osceola players were looking to move to other teams where they were guaranteed playing time or guess I should say play ALL games that are scheduled. I'm not at all sure Palm Beach has a quality team left or ever really had one. Football ought to be able to win easily here, even if they have to fill some roster spots at the last minute.

Cancelled

Almost the expected now that one or more games are cancelled, postponed or whatever in the NIFL this season. The latest being Twin City at Arkansas. Better to reschedule than play was the message I got from an article out of Fayetteville, Arkansas this morning, those words from the NIFL leadership. I'm sorry I fail to see the logic here. So we actually have a date here, in June, wow! We'll see if that actually happens. There have been so many "postponed" games this season that even my little brain can see that none, if any, will actually be rescheduled and played. So now the Twin City players get a taste of what Osceola players have been going through: practice all week, just to have the game cancelled at the last minute and lose a paycheck. I fail to understand the thinking of the NIFL leadership at all anymore.

OK, we have new owners for the Stars. The NIFL leadership is calling them "owners," so we can assume a reasonable background check was done. Not done on investors, owners only according to other reports quoting the NIFL. So we can expect Arkansas to be trouble free for the remainder of it's existence. Uh huh, yeah, right.

State of the NIFL

I would guess that mounting pressure from the continuing problems in the NIFL prompted the press release this morning from the NIFL trying to calm the masses. All in all, I think that was a wise move, although I think truth plays better than fiction in most cases. Just an opinion, not calling anyone a liar. But let's take a look at what was said.

It opened with this, "Recent issues have been circulating regarding the current state of the NIFL, its teams, ownership groups and future of the league. Despite these rumors, the NIFL continues to grow - in all aspects."

Recent issues circulating. I'd say we are past issues and talking major problems at this point. Continuing to grow, I agree - growing in number of new mid-season investors because the original ones have failed to live up to the commitments they made to the NIFL, the communities they are in, and their fans. If that constitutes growth, well ok, I'll buy it then.

Next paragraph "Yes, the NIFL has obtained new ownership for a couple of its current teams, due to the negligence of its previous investors or ownership groups. There have been acquisitions regarding individuals who were thought to be owners of teams, but are nothing more than investors. An unfortunate part of growth in any business is struggling through oversight, while finding path to success. The NIFL has made mistakes in the past, but is resolving all current situations, and will ensure that all teams complete the 2006 season; while preparing for an even more successful 2007."

Thought to be owners? I wonder what constitutes an owner in the NIFL. Is it whoever some should decide owns a team on any given day or who is listed on the LLC? For example, let's take Rapid City. Several stories there with HP Patterson, con man, listed with Paul Brennan as owners in a legal document filed with the state of South Dakota as the owners of the Rapid City Flying Aces, but in a recent article, the NIFL leadership claimed they were nothing but investors, reason given for no background check and the real owner Bruce Bailey. So what does constitute ownership of a team in the NIFL? So, later in this paragraph is the NIFL has made mistakes. Well there's actually a true statement, but the NIFL seems to make these mistakes each and every year, more of the same mistakes each year in my opinion. I like the word, "resolving." My opinion again, but patching would be a better term. Let's resolve the issues once and for all thank you. Sure teams will complete the 2006 season, some will just be playing less than the full 14.

Next "In comparison, another premiere football league has had more than fifty teams come and go over its eighty plus years of existence and although the NIFL is relatively young [seven years], the league is in its strongest state it has been in."

I won't touch the comparison with the NFL. That is commonly used by the NIFL and fails to hold water any more. Sad that's the only comparison to the NFL the NIFL can make, too. We're in season number six NIFL, quit adding years to things, although I'm sure the seven year comment was just a typo.

And we move on, "Of the current twenty two teams in the NIFL, there are more solid franchises than there are weak, and the NIFL will continue to grow. The NIFL has received numerous applications for expansion teams in 2007, and will look to add several teams throughout the US - ensuring that professional, responsible and efficient ownership is in place."

Not sure what constitutes a solid franchise. In my mind it's one that finishes a season as advertised, pays all its bills as agreed and shows up the next season under the same ownership. By my count, that's seven teams out of twenty-two. Even if I add in Katy, Charleston and Twin City, none of which have shown up on the problem radar, the total is 10, less than half of the total number of teams. Received numerous requests for expansion? Probably true, unfortunate, but true. Maybe those that have applied will do their homework so they can be prepared better than some who joined this season. Furster, "ensuring that professional, responsible and efficient ownership is in place." Not touching it, I think readers can take that for what it is.

Last paragraph "As the NIFL moves forward, we ask that anyone with questions or concerns, please contact us so we can accurately address them. Please contact the NIFL at 337.896.4456, 314.809.9716, or via email at web@niflfootball.com."

How about everyone call and then we can all compare stories, see if what we were told is the same?

Fans contribute

Received this from a fan shortly after the state of the league press release went public. It does say a lot and even though I could have said it, copy and paste is easier.

Her version of reality is so far from the truth that even the most loyal devotee is starting to see through the charade.

I wonder if she counts as "rumors" these reported facts:
Fight with Billings over nickname
Loss of Charlotte and Hammond
Dayton being kicked out of its arena
Arkansas postponing game, players and arena not being paid
The Lincoln-St. Joe debacle
The Montgomery mess
The Rapid City ownership embarrassment
The Tennessee player payment and ownership issues
The lack of home for Palm Beach
The inability of Big Sky to travel

Those are all confirmed facts, not "rumors," CS. Now if you want to talk rumors, then we can move on to a host of other issues, and there are plenty more, but the facts themselves are what have led to the doubts about NIFL leadership.

Fire watch

We should add every market that potential ownership has applied for in the NIFL for 2007, but we don't have those names. Just a little joke, but hopefully this will be the last season a fire watch is needed for the NIFL.

Parting notes

Time for a change folks, no question about it, but I wonder if anybody capable of making change is listening. And to maybe call out those who have the power to make a difference, to make the changes needed, I wonder, do you have what it takes to make the right decisions or cower as in years past. Blunt I know, politically correct, maybe not, but exactly as I see it.



National Indoor Football League Stories from May 13, 2006


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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