Commentary: NIFL daily buzz

by Chris Simpson
Published on May 23, 2006 under National Indoor Football League (NIFL)


I thought I'd fill in some time on the Daily Buzz until we can talk Mr. Hewitt into coming back and inspiring us once again.

This will be a two part series looking at the indoor game today and speculating on its future. These are simply my thoughts

When it comes to indoor football, I grew up on the AFL/AF2. I will always be an Arena fan. But, I also like the format of the indoor game. Mix in a little of the Arena game and a little of the outdoor game and you have another exciting product that is somewhat unique in itself.

The Leadership

Leadership is the key to the success of any business and indoor football is a business. Integrity and character must be the cornerstone and foundation for that success. A company can have all the appearances of success but, with out integrity and character, it is destine to failure without change in that leadership.

The AFL/AF2, in all appearances, has rock solid leadership. Although the AF2 has struggled with their leadership in previous years, Jerry Kurz (AF2 Director) has taken the bulls by the horn and is willing to wheel and deal to make the AF2 successful.

I do not know much about the Great Lakes Indoor Football League or the American Professional Football League. Both have found their unique niche in the game. The GLIFL has the 7 on 7 format, and APFL has focused on staying small in the Midwest markets. However, it has been rumored that the APFL may be looking to expand its horizon.

United Indoor Football has had its issues and there are rumors that there will be a change of leadership at season's end. Whether this will be for the good, or not, is anyone's guess.

The Intense Football League is back again. This game is very similar to the Arena game, without the rebound nets. Probably a smart move when they re-formed but, not a smart move to retain the leadership. They have already had a change in ownership in Laredo and there have been questions about the financial stability of the Central Texas franchise. I believe that it is a conflict of interest for the president of the league to own one or more teams. But, I understand the necessity.

The American Indoor Football League is built on the theory of placing teams in markets in hopes of finding local ownership. I don't prescribe to this theory. It is very costly both financially and from a stability standpoint. I believe there is evidence of that this season. Many changes in ownership, venues lost, payrolls not being met and teams not playing their scheduled games. The AIFL is being sold to Greens Worldwide who also owns the rights to the North American Football League and predominately has interests in the golfing world. There are questions concerning this company's financial stability. We'll soon find out whether that is true or not.

Then there is the National Indoor Football League...I believe things have been well documented concerning their leadership - a perfect example of what not to do. This league had a great opportunity to set itself apart from the rest. Instead of embracing these opportunities, I believe that the NIFL leadership has turned the league into a circus. The premise of its business decisions is deception and I believe its leader thrives on instability. The league office can't even be honest with its member teams. I once had a fondness for the league, but that has unfortunately changed. And then, there is the lawsuit.

The Lawsuit

It's not bad enough that the NIFL has been in the spotlight with the many fiascos that have taken place over the course of the season. Now, they want to drag a majority of the indoor leagues into the mix.

On May 11, 2006, the NIFL filed a lawsuit against the UIF, AIFL, IFL and the APFL on the premise that each league is infringing on their patent and their copyrights. In simple terms, a patent is a unique product that is registered by its inventor. A copyright is something that originates from its author and is the intellectual property of that author. The patent in question is not used by any league including the NIFL itself. Reasonable doubt can be created in the NIFL's claim that it's the original author of the rules of the indoor game. This is nothing more than a scare tactic and a way to drain finances from the other leagues. It is also an attempt to drag the other leagues into the muddy waters of the NIFL.

A few years back, the AFL filed a similar lawsuit against the first indoor league, the Professional Indoor Football League. The result of the suit is the disclaimer you see at the bottom of the other indoor leagues web sites and the web sites of their member teams. In addition, no indoor league can use the term "Arena" when describing its game.

What are the consequences of this lawsuit? If the NIFL wins, it may shut down the other indoor leagues and open the door for the AFL to regain complete control of the indoor game, including the NIFL's rights. If the NIFL loses, it will destroy the league. Tomorrow I'll look at the promise of a new league.

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National Indoor Football League Stories from May 23, 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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