Outlaws Getting the Respect they Deserve

June 8, 2006 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Billings Outlaws News Release


When the 2006 NIFL season kicked off, no one thought much about Billings Montana. After a confusing start in 2005 and finishing the season a 5-9 team, why should "they".

However what "they" did not know was that the owners worked tirelessly to get the team on the right track for the 2006 season. Behind the scenes every effort was being made to create a championship program, on and off the field.

What's in a name? As one of the founding teams in the NIFL, The Outlaws have been around for 6 years. A change of ownership in 2005 and some confusion or concerns about the rights to the name caused the team to play as "The Mavericks" in 05. The owners of the team never lost sight of the history and the strength of the name and were determined to return to the field as The Outlaws for the 2006 season and beyond.

Securing the official trademark was step one. Once this was done, the team was ready and The Outlaws would ride again. So they thought. Again, confusion took the spotlight off the team. Now, some many months later, The Outlaws will officially ride again. After months of court hearings, stacks of legal briefs, testimony from dozens of related parties, research on trademark law, etc... the court system has prevailed and Billings can now safely state they are The Outlaws, and are the only Outlaws and will always be The Only Outlaws.

The NIFL has reestablished links from the league website to www.billingsoutlaws.com as a step in good faith to acknowledge the team and ownership.

With the proper name in place, now how do you turn a team around? It starts with coaching. Team ownership went on a nationwide search to find what they believe to be the best group of coaches in the NIFL. All led by head coach Heron O'Neal. Former All American QB Bob Bees heads up his offense and Assistant Coaches, Anthony Bonner, Joey Longoria, Fontez Jefferson and Montra Edwards bring dozens of years of indoor experience to the team and provide position coaching like no others.

Now, name in place, coaches in place, you need players. Start a coast to coach search. Bring in a combination of veterans and quality rookies. Just look at the league statistic pages and you will see who is leading what category, so many Outlaws; it is hard to name them all. A few must be acknowledged: On Offense, look for Robert Reed's name to come up as a league leader in the passing game, Chris Dixon is making sure he gets the ball often. On Defense, Travis Salter and Eugene Philips are sharing the tackling spotlight; Joey Longoria is right up there with interceptions and how about Rod Kelley's sacks.

As a team Billings is the only team that has yet to give us a sack, what does that say about your offensive line? Leading the league with the best passing offense speaks to the depth of the team's receivers. Don't forget Special teams, top of the league honors for kick off coverage and the constant threat of a run back by Anthony "Candy man" Chandler make for a long game for those not prepared.

Review of all the individual and team statistics will put The Outlaws in the top 5 in the majority of the categories, demonstrating a well rounded team.

So what does all this add up to? A 10 and 1 record going into week 12. Clinching a guaranteed first place finish in the Pacific North Division and a good shot at going all the way.

Respect? It must be earned and The Billings Outlaws have done everything right to have earned the respect they are starting to get and deserve every bit of it!

For more information on the Outlaws, visit our Website at www.billingsoutlaws.com or call 1-406-254-6287



National Indoor Football League Stories from June 8, 2006


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