High Tide in the GLIFL
Published on May 25, 2006 under Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Chesapeake Tide News Release
Throughout its first season, the Great Lakes Indoor Football League has been committed to providing quality fan-friendly indoor football at a family-friendly price. That commitment to the 43,418 fans that have gone through GLIFL turnstiles so far leads to the league's announcement of its second expansion team for the 2007 season. The Chesapeake Tide will kick off in April 2007 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and will play six home games of a 12-game schedule as the eighth member franchise in the GLIFL. Chesapeake joins the Muskegon (MI) Thunder as the league's second 2007 expansion franchise.
Owner Martin Johnson and General Manager Jeff Golas both have extensive experience on the football field. Johnson played for Salisbury University for two years, while Golas founded the Anne Arundel Admirals of the DFL in 2002. Both also have extensive semi-professional playing experience. Marty currently serves as a running back for the Admirals, while running a successful IT company in the Washington D.C. area. Jeff, who is also an assistant coach with the Admirals, has served for 11 years as a Law Enforcement Officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
While compiling a 13-5 record the past two years is impressive, even more impressive is the Admirals' commitment to the Anne Arundel community. The Admirals are actively involved in raising money for families of fallen and injured police officers, raising over $20,000 to date. Several players and coaches on the staff volunteer also every fall as youth football coaches throughout Anne Arundel County. These programs will be extended to the professional level through a non-profit organization. Plans for this organization will be released throughout the late summer and the months leading up to Chesapeake's first GLIFL season in April 2007.
Jeff and Marty are both excited to be involved with the GLIFL. "The GLIFL is committed to bringing excellence to its teams and the communities they are in," said Johnson. "Their system completely supports the needs of the franchise teams, and they are always willing to listen or lend a hand."
Golas agreed, adding "we feel the GLIFL offers the Tide the best chance to immediately succeed on and off the field. We felt the long-term league goals are a better fit to what we are looking to accomplish in indoor football. The GLIFL commitment to its teams was the selling point."
The league is equally excited to have Chesapeake on board. "This is a great day for the GLIFL," says league co-founder Jeff Spitaleri. "Marty and Jeff are guys that love the game of football and will provide a high quality product on and off the field for the entire Chesapeake area. They will make their fans proud to be GLIFL and Chesapeake Tide fans."
The Tide will be formally announced at a June 21 press conference at the Show Place Arena.
The Great Lakes Indoor Football League is currently in Week Eight of a 12-week regular season. The inaugural Great Lakes Bowl is scheduled for July 22, 2006, at the home of the highest remaining seed. For more information about the Chesapeake Tide, please visit the team's website (currently under construction) at www.chesapeaketide.com, or contact co-owner Jeff Golas at jgolas@chesapeaketide.com. For more information about the GLIFL, please visit our website at www.glifl.com, or contact GLIFL Director of Media Relations Josh Stein at jstein@glifl.com.
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from May 25, 2006
- High Tide in the GLIFL - Chesapeake Tide
- GLIFL Week Eight Preview - CIFL
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.
