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IFL Indoor Football League

Over a Cup of Coffee

by Jerry Hewitt
September 20, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL)


The list of teams which will not return to the indoor football field for 2011 isn't as long as it might've been, but unfortunately it's nearly as long as it has been in most years.

I'll start with the AIFA and first on the list is the Baltimore Mariners, actually a question mark. We may see an AIFA team in Baltimore for 2011, but most likely it will not be the league champion Mariners. The reason we won't see the real Mariners is that part of their ownership faces charges of fraud. Next we have Wasilla, Alaska. This team should never have been allowed to play in 2010, and the AIFA could have saved another black eye by denying them a place in the league. They simply did not have the money to compete at this level. Ogden is number three on the list and again it's all about money. The AIFA historically has let in too many ownership groups regardless of whether they have the finances to field a team or not and Ogden is just another example. Also in the East we won't be seeing the New Jersey Revolution. I'm speculating some, but I don't think the ownership there really has the resources to continue, although this team, no matter their league affiliation, always took their obligations seriously and made all game commitments despite a lack of success on the field. The Fayetteville ownership also decided enough was enough and called it quits, but rumor is the AIFA may try to stick another team in the city or keep the Guard alive with league ownership. This team never did really catch on and regardless of what some say, never really marketed in a way that would bring success. My feelings are that owner Richard King was just a bad judge when it came to who he trusted to make the team work. To recap the AIFA, Baltimore, Fayetteville, New Jersey, Wasilla and Ogden will not return in 2011.

Next we have the CIFL which will probably have only two not return: Fort Wayne and Marion. Marion called it off part of the way through the 2010 season citing they were broke. The Fort Wayne club will probably not return due to the same reason: not enough money. The one comment I'll make on Fort Wayne is they never endeared themselves to the community and took too much of a build it and they will come attitude. Off topic some, but I believe Fort Wayne could reach old Freedom acceptance there is someone in the market who wanted to make a real attempt at success.

The IFL loses Alaska, Maryland and I think West Michigan. Alaska was put in the wrong hands before the start of the 2010 season and those hands held up an empty pocketbook shortly after the season got underway. Instead of trying to keep this franchise going, the IFL wrote them off and no new ownership has stepped up to revive the Wild. Maryland never took to the idea of marketing or looking to be a success on or off the field. Ownership had too big of an ego to turn the reigns of this team over to anyone who might actually make it successful. I am speculating that West Michigan will not return, although there's been no official announcement. I am also not ruling out the possibility they return to the CIFL for 2011. The reason the ThunderHawks may not return is mostly financial, but helped by ownership that struggles with team operations.

Last we have the SIFL whose losses are fewer than the others. I am going to say Houston, who folded before the 2010 season as their only loss. I can't say Greenville, not yet anyway, but this team showed no signs of financial stability and also showed extremely poor leadership. If new ownership is found, this team may return, but if not the lights will go dark.

To summarize, the AIFA loses five, the CIFL two, the IFL two, maybe three, and the SIFL one, maybe two. Bottom line is that fans and communities as a whole lose as many as ten teams and for the most part all because they were undercapitalized from the start. Leagues across the board could have saved themselves a black eye or two with better due diligence and also saved losing the trust of a few fans and communities.



Indoor Football League Stories from September 20, 2010


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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