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Can-Am Canadian American League

Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
July 21, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)


BASEBALL

Canadian-American League: Plans for a ballpark in Plymouth (MA) for a proposed Can-Am League franchise called the Plymouth River Eels are apparently still in the works, but the purchase of land for the ballpark has stalled. The team and ballpark plans were originally announced back in 2005 with a team to start play in 2007. A Plymouth team would be a rival for the league's Brockton Rox.

Global Baseball: A proposed baseball league called Global Baseball, which was to consist of international teams representing various countries and playing games in the Pontiac Silverdome in the Detroit area, has apparently lost its home. The arena was sold and the new owner has other plans for the facility. The league was to be a replacement for Olympic baseball games that have been eliminated as an Olympic sport. The league was to start in April 2009 with teams from 10 to 12 participating countries playing over 800 games. Some of the targeted countries were the Dominican Republic, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, Africa, Australia, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia.

International League: Although the Richmond (VA) Braves announced a move to a new ballpark in Gwinnett (GA) for 2009, the team still holds a lease on the ballpark in Richmond through the 2009 season and probably will not release the territory until it is certain the new ballpark is ready for 2009. The city of Richmond wants to move forward on ballpark redevelopment to attract a new team to the city and could be running out of time to have a team in the 2009 season. Teams from the Double-A Eastern League and possibly one from the Class-A Carolina League are apparently interested in the Richmond market.

BASKETBALL

American Basketball Association: The ABA announced it has added new teams in Bluefield (WV), Texas City (TX) and Savannah (GA) for the upcoming 2008-09 season. The Bluefield team will be called the West Virginia Blazers and the Texas team will be the Texas City Rangers. The league also announced it will return with a team in Charlotte (NC) in 2009. The ABA had a Charlotte area team called the Carolina Thunder in 2004-05 and that team became the Charlotte Krunk for part of the 2005-06 season. The Krunk then moved to Atlanta in the Continental Basketball Association. The league's San Antonio Showboats team has returned to being listed as the South Texas Showboats, the team's name when it was affiliated with the United Basketball League in 2008. The owner of the Bowling Green-based Kentucky Mavericks plans to add a rival ABA franchise in Owensboro (KY), possibly in time for the 2008-09 season.

Atlantic International Basketball Association: The AIBA, a proposed basketball development system that plans to have teams located on Bermuda and other Caribbean Islands, now states that it will have eight Caribbean teams by 2009. The AIBA plans to operate a Pro League, a Player Development League (PDL) summer league, a Super-Y youth league and a women's league.

Texas Professional Basketball League: The TPBL announced that a team called the Cypress (TX) Synergy will be part of the 2009 season. The Synergy played four games as a "floater team" based out of Houston in the 2008 season.

Americas Basketball International: The ABI held its inaugural 2008 Freewill Games in the end of May in Birmingham (AL). The league's charter team called the Birmingham Gladiators competed with the Zhejiang Lions of the China Basketball Association. The ABI is a subsidiary league under the FIBA Americas governing body and plans to establish clubs in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.

United Basketball League: The UBL will be holding its 2008 championship tournament starting July 26 with all eight teams. The Southern Division has the Central Texas Stars (Temple), San Antonio Soul, San Marcos Knights and Texas Wranglers (Dallas). The Northern Division has the Arkansas Warriors (Little Rock), Dallas Outlaws, North Missouri Hawks (Tarkio) and Oklahoma OnPoint Hoops (Oklahoma City).

Women's National Basketball Association: Now that the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association have left town, the city of Seattle must work to keep the WNBA's Seattle Storm franchise. A new group purchased the Storm from the SuperSonics in January 2008. The loss of the NBA team hurt the Storm because the teams shared operating costs.

FOOTBALL

United Indoor Football: The eight-team UIF and the nine-team Intense Football League are reportedly close to a merger for the 2009 season. The UIF 2008 champion will face the 2008 IFL champion in the National Indoor Championship on August 2.

Intense Football League: The IFL's Katy (TX) Ruff Riders apparently are considering a move to Abilene (TX) for next season.

HOCKEY

International Hockey League: The IHL will move forward without the Youngstown (OH) SteelHounds after it got tired of waiting for the Youngstown owner to enter formal discussions about joining the league for the 2008-09 season. The SteelHounds had been part of the Central Hockey League for the past three seasons (2005-08), but were dropped from that league in a financial dispute. The IHL could reconsider the Youngstown team for the 2009-10 season. Youngstown has also talked about possibly joining the ECHL. The IHL will include the same six teams as last season.

ECHL: The owner of the terminated Pensacola Ice Pilots franchise has released the arena dates set aside for the upcoming 2008-09 season. A Pensacola hockey team for the 2008-09 season might not be possible, but this allows a new hockey team to consider moving into the market. Pensacola has heard from two groups interested in the market, one for another ECHL franchise and another looking to relocate an established team in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

American Hockey League: It has been confirmed that the home of the Philadelphia Phantoms will be torn down after the 2008-09 season, so the franchise will have to find a new home. A proposed new arena in Allentown (PA) has been mentioned as the team's eventual new home and it could play in Atlantic City temporarily. There is also talk of the Phantoms possibly moving to the home of the ECHL's Trenton Devils, whose lease expires after the 2008-09 season.

Major League Roller Hockey: The pro-level teams in the MLRH 2008 Euro Cup that started this week included the Boston Storm, Chicago RollerSnakes, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic), Leicester Dragons (England), Michigan Thunder and Washington (DC) Power.

SOCCER

Mexican Soccer League: The Mexican Soccer League's Primera Division (First Division) has rearranged its 18 teams among its 3 groups as it prepares for the start of the 2008-09 Apertura (Opening)/Clausura (Closing) season. Last season's Veracruz Tiburones Rojos team was relegated to the Primera-A Division (Second Division) and the Indios Juarez team was promoted to the Primera Division. The Second Division Primera-A has expanded from 24 teams, which had been split into two groups, to 27 teams split into three 9-team groups for its 2008-09 Apertura/Clausura season.

Major Indoor Soccer League: Although the MISL plans to reorganize for the 2008-09 season, a return of the Baltimore Blast might be doubtful if the city moves forward with plans to demolish the current 1st Mariner Arena and build a new arena in its place.

OTHER

World Combat League: The WCL completed its 2007-08 season last month with each of the eight clubs participating in three regular-season events. The Eastern Conference included the Miami Force, New Jersey Tigers, New York Clash and St. Louis Enforcers, while the Western Conference included the Denver Fury, Oklahoma Destroyers (Tulsa), Texas Dragons (Dallas) and the champion Los Angles Stars.

Dan Krieger is the creator of "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest version can be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/2533047. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

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Canadian American League Stories from July 21, 2008


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