Over a Cup of Coffee
by Jerry Hewitt
November 8, 2010 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
One source is reporting this morning that the Southern Indoor Football League's deal to acquire the American Indoor Football Association East Division may be at a standstill. AIFA owner John Morris is reportedly holding up finalization of the agreement until some AIFA teams pay him dues. The Trenton Steel, formerly owned by Morris, is free and clear of the mess with the sale to new ownership and has already been announced as a part of the SIFL. At least one AIFA team has stated it has no intention of paying Morris.
It is possible the remaining AIFA teams could easily just join the SIFL independently of any AIFA/SIFL deal, and a court would be hard-pressed to side with Morris on any non-compete agreements if he isn't able to field a league. With Trenton gone, the AIFA East has almost no legitimate chance to take the field for the 2011 season. All the drama aside, these teams in both the SIFL and AIFA have to get on with the business of 2011 and that means they need a schedule. Any more stalling to get things concluded will only make it more difficult for the SIFL to start its first successful, drama-free season.
I tend to look at the "what ifs" when these things pop up and here is this mornings "what if." Trenton has already gone the SIFL way, but lets just say for a moment that the rest of the AIFA teams don't play in the SIFL in 2011. I can easily see teams like Columbus and Albany not being happy with a travel-heavy budget and although they may have to suck it up for 2011, it might mean a rocky relationship wtih the SIFL thereafter.
In the extremely unlikely event the remaining AIFA teams are forced to endure another Morris-led AIFA season, I can see the majority of them looking at the IFL for 2012. There may not be much for the IFL in the mix, but maybe getting Fayetteville and the rumored new team Carolina would be enough to get some SIFL teams to think heavily about joining the IFL where they'd have more of a say in their destiny.
I still hear heavy rumors that it is Corpus Christi owner Chad Dittman's intention to bolt from the SIFL after 2011 and restart the Intense League. I see this as a very real possibility if he can get the remaining Indoor Football League Texas teams to join him.
If the Intense League did re-form and if a handful of AIFA teams joined the IFL and if say Columbia and just Albany joined the IFL, the SIFL would not be in good shape. Yes, it's an unlikely scenario, but the longer the current uncertainty lasts, the more teams are going to look at their options.
I'm not promoting the IFL as any kind of solution to the ongoing AIFA/SIFL drama, but when two leagues are totally up in the air this close to the season, it most likely will not have a good outcome.
• Discuss this story on the American Indoor Football Association message board...
American Indoor Football Association Stories from November 8, 2010
- Over a Cup of Coffee - OSC Original by Jerry Hewitt
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.
