Morays name general manager
January 26, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Miami Morays News Release
Miami, FL - The National Indoor Football League's Miami Morays, one of four newly created franchises in the Sunshine State, today announced that they have hired Denny Petro, a sports industry executive with vast experience to be the team's General Manager. He will begin his post immediately. "We're extremely pleased that we now have Denny with us," said Orande Gadsden, the former Miami Dolphin who heads the team's ownership interests.
Petro, a native of Pottstown, PA, attended the University of Houston before launching his career with the hometown Firebirds of the Atlantic Coast Football League. As the team's publicist and promotional genius, he lured NFL Films to shoot a five-minute feature on the team's QB, the flamboyant James " King" Corcoran. The character of the team drew the film crew to stick around for the entire season. The final result was 191 hours of film in the can and a one-hour special entitled " Pro Football, Pottstown, PA " which served as the only pre-game show offering on CBS prior to the 1972 Super Bowl between Miami and Minnesota. A book that has become a favorite on Amazon.com, "The Forgettables ", was also penned.
When the Firebirds merged with ACFL rival â the Norfolk Neptunes- Petro followed the team south and in addition to his football duties, he became the radio and TV voice for the Detroit Red Wings American Hockey League affiliate that was based in Norfolk's Scope. Petro's other ventures into hockey include stints with teams in the Eastern, Southern and National Hockey League (Pittsburgh Penguins).
The versatile administrator also carries notches on his belt for experience earned in baseball, stadium football, arena football, basketball, soccer and indoor pro lacrosse.
"One of Denny's biggest assets is his considerable experience that he notched working as a top-level executive in the Arena Football League," added Gadsden. Petro, was one of the very early hires of the League in its infancy when AFL Founder James Foster hired him to run one of their original four franchises âthe Pittsburgh Gladiators. After a three-year run in the Steel City, Petro was charged with launching the Orlando Predators franchise which was then owned by a group led by former MLB manager Davey Johnson. His efforts helped build the foundation for one of the perennial powers of the AFL.
From Orlando, he was invited by a former Predators limited partner to launch yet another new AFL franchise, this time in Charlotte, NC. The Rage, as they were known, became the "rage" in local sports circles. With the Rage, Petro established an AFL record Opening Night crowd of 17,290. Included in that total was a game day walk-up of better than 11,000 fans.
Following Charlotte, the gregarious Petro joined the front-office ranks of the Tampa Bay Storm. While in St. Petersburg, FL, the Storm captured two AFL World Championships in three seasons; averaged better than 20,000 fans per game at Thunderdome; and established an AFL best of 28,336 for their ArenaBowl victory over Orlando in 1995.
Petro then went onto to a consultant's position within the AFL before he was asked to establish another new team, this time in Nashville, TN...Music City, USA. The Kats, named for the guitar pickers that used to jam together after a night of playing for the public, averaged a paid attendance of 13,900 and won the Eastern Division with a 10-4 record. The team's on and off-field successes continued as the Kats were among the AFL league leaders in attendance as well as a top-flight football unit. In their first-five years, the Kats made the playoffs each season, went to two ArenaBowls, and created an excitement level that far exceeded expectations in a city where the NFL and NHL were finding their niche.
The owner of numerous league awards and honors, Petro accepted a new challenge in 2000 when he was hired to administrate the former AFL team based in Broward County âthe Florida Bobcats. The Bobcats flourished until 2002 when the ownership disbanded the team.
With the demise of the Bobcats, Petro used his vast array of talents to assist small businesses and sports organizations in a variety of areas as a consultant for Old School Enterprises. Old School's expertise deals with group travel, sports specialty tours, small business solutions, special event creation and management and sports marketing and development.
The Broward resident also owns extensive credentials as a broadcaster and public address announcer. On the radio, TV and cable side, he has broadcast more than 1,600 games. As a stadium and arena voice, Petro has 1,013 games under his belt.
"I welcome the opportunity that Oronde and the Morays organization has presented me, "said Petro. " We have a lot of the puzzle pieces together on the team side, which in itself is exciting. What I and my Morays associates need to do is bring the community, business partners and fans together to create an unparalleled level of excitement; to give the sports fan and general public another viable option for their entertainment dollar. To that end, our season theme will be "Hometown Football. Hometown Fun!
The amiable 54-year old executive will be responsible for overseeing all team operations including sales, marketing, promotions, special events, game operations, travel, fan development, tickets and community programs. "We want to bring the fun and affordability back to all fans so that whether you're nine or 99, the Miami Morays will be the thing to do in the South Florida region."
The Miami Morays will play in the National Indoor Football League, entering its fifth season with 21 teams located across the United States. The NIFL provides players with an opportunity to develop their skills and continue their careers in professional football.
The Miami Morays kick off a 14 game schedule in March with seven home games at the Miami Arena. For additional information about the Miami Morays, please call Mark Fischel at 305-349-4466 or visit us at our new website at www.miamimoraysfootball.com.
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- Morays name general manager - Miami Morays
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