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Freedom returns to Fort Wayne

October 24, 2007 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Fort Wayne Freedom News Release


The Fort Wayne, IN-based company Fort Wayne Sports Partners is announcing that they will be "Bringing the Freedom Back to the fans of Fort Wayne". The Fort Wayne Freedom indoor football team will begin play in March 2008 as a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The company has presented a lease to the Memorial Coliseum Board of Directors and is awaiting final approval.

Fort Wayne Sports Partners was founded in 2007 by Todd Ellis, an Atlanta, GA businessman who is currently relocating to Fort Wayne, John Christener, who currently owns businesses in South Bend, and Mike McCaffrey, an eight-year veteran of indoor/arena football who has lived in Fort Wayne since January 2007. Since the company's inception, three local businessmen and longtime residents have become partners of the company and are committed to providing the fans the best product possible for many years to come. The company has reached agreements to have 40% of the franchise be controlled by local investors. Investors request to remain anonymous at this point in time. Once arrangements have been finalized they will be released.

"This will be Fort Wayne's team", stated Ellis. "We have been working on this for close to two months, but wanted to make sure everything was done right from the start. I think that the fans are looking for a group of smart businessmen that are committed to keeping football here for a long time. The good news is that none of these local owners are going anywhere and they certainly don't want to hurt their outstanding reputations in this community".

The Freedom is also very pleased to announce the hiring of "Touchdown" Eddie Brown as the first head coach in team history. Brown is known as the "Greatest Player in the History of Arena Football" and served as the head coach of the Fort Wayne Fusion in 2007. The expansion Fusion finished with a 5-11 record despite losing several key players to injuries throughout the season. Brown will get his first chance to coach the 7-on-7 style of play in the CIFL after spending the past 14 years involved with arena football in one capacity or another.

The CIFL will be entering its third year of operation and hopes to capitalize on the regional rivalries created by midwest teams such as Kalamazoo, MI, Rock River, IL, Marion, OH, Muskeegon, MI, Saginaw Valley, MI, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI, to build on for the future success of their owners and teams.

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Continental Indoor Football League Stories from October 24, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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