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Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
November 24, 2008 - Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL)


BASEBALL

Frontier League: A group of investors is making another attempt to build a new ballpark at a different location in McHenry County near Woodstock (IL) that could become home to a Frontier League team by 2010. Previous plans to build a shared ballpark on the campus of McHenry County Community College were voted down. Woodstock is about 60 miles east of Rockford, home to the league's Rockford Riverhawks.

Canadian-American League: The Can-Am League is moving forward with plans to operate a 2009 team in Ottawa to replace the bankrupt Ottawa Rapidz. The league would like to keep a similar team name by simply changing it to the Ottawa Rapids, but that will have to be decided by a bankruptcy trustee.

Northern League: The Northern League has released its 2009 schedule with the same six teams as last season. The status of a proposed expansion team in the Burnsville (MN) area of Minneapolis is uncertain. The Metro Millers had been mentioned as a possible name for this team.

United League Baseball: The Harlingen WhiteWings have been locked out of its offices until it pays certain bills owed to the city. The team's lease has ended and the team reportedly owes back rent. Financial troubles facing some of the ULB teams came to light after the 2008 season when the league operator planned to sell off two teams to another league and close down four other teams, one of which was Harlingen.

BASKETBALL

American Basketball Association: The ABA has added the Youngstown (OH) Swish as an expansion team for the 2009-10 season. A proposed ABA team called the Savannah (GA) Pride has apparently changed its name to the Savannah Kings. After announcing it would be sitting out the 2008-09 ABA season due to issues from hurricane damage in the area, the Texas City Rangers team announced it now plans to play in the 2008-09 season. Apparently, the new Westchester (NY) Phantoms team will not play in the 2008-09 season and no longer appear on the ABA team list. The South Chicago Ball Stars are no longer on the ABA team list, but apparently have become the new Chicago Steam for the 2008-09 season.

International Basketball League: The Gary (IN) Steelheads announced the team will not play in the upcoming 2009 IBL season. The Las Vegas Stars team, a two-year league member, is no longer listed by the IBL. The league also lost the Battle Creek Knights to the Premier Basketball League. A new team called the Edmonton Graduates is expected to replace the Edmonton Chill in 2009. The Salem (OR) Stampede and Seattle Mountaineers are expected to return in 2009 after sitting out the 2008 season. The league also plans to add the new Vancouver (British Columbia) Titans and the Nippon (Japan) Tornadoes for the 2009 season. A new team called the Olympia (WA) Reign is also under development.

Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacifico (CIBACOPA): The Mexican Pacific Coast league called CIBACOPA is preparing for the February start of its 2009 season and has confirmed ten teams. The Northern Division includes the returning Fuerza Guinda Nogales, Mineros de Cananea, Trigueros de Ciudad Obregon, along with the new Ostioneros de Guaymas and a team from Hermosillo. The Southern Division includes the returning Pioneros Los Mochis, Frayles de Guasave, Caballeros de Culiacan and Lobos UAD Mazatlan, along with the new Coras de Nayarit. FOOTBALL

Arenafootball2: The new Toledo af2 franchise that will start play at a new downtown arena in 2010 will be called the Toledo Bullfrogs. The nickname was selected due to the role of frogs throughout the history of Toledo. The Lexington Horsemen franchise has come under new management and has changed its name to the Kentucky Horsemen.

Southern Indoor Football League: The new SIFL, headed by the owner of the Lake Charles-based Louisiana Swashbucklers that had been part of the new Indoor Football League, has announced some of its proposed markets for its inaugural season in 2009. Along with Lake Charles, the league has commitments from owners in Austin (TX), Houma (LA), Houston (TX), Lafayette (LA) and Pasadena (TX). Some possible team names include the Lafayette Mudbugs, Austin Turfcats and Texas Titans (Pasadena). The SIFL has received additional commitments for the 2010 season from groups in the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Waco; the Florida cities of Lakeland, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Tampa; and Birmingham (AL). Teams will play a 12-game schedule starting in April 2009.

Continental Indoor Football League: The CIFL has added the Madison-based Wisconsin Wolfpack as an expansion team for the upcoming 2009 season. Madison had a previous indoor football franchise called the Madison Mad Dogs in the defunct Professional Indoor Football League (1999) and the defunct earlier version of the Indoor Football League (2000). The Kalamazoo Xplosion could be questionable for the 2009 season due to potential issues with the franchise owner, who either plans to sell the team or shut down operations.

Canadian Football League: Expansion to Ottawa is still a priority for the CFL and it hopes to have Ottawa return to the league by 2011. A potential franchise ownership group in Ottawa is trying to create a commercial and recreational development that includes a refurbished stadium for a CFL team.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League: With the New York Islanders failing to obtain local assistance for a new arena, there has been talk that the team's owner could consider a move to either Kansas City or Seattle in the future.

American Hockey League: The management for the Texas Stars organization is being developed as it prepares to begin its first season in the Cedar Park area of Austin. When a new arena is completed for the 2009-10 season, the Texas Stars will become the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars.

Mid-Atlantic Hockey League: The disbanding of the MAHL after its first season of 2007-08 has left the league's first-season champion, the Indiana (PA) Ice Miners, without a league. The team's owner was unable to work out a deal to play in either the new Eastern Professional Hockey League or the new All-American Hockey Association. None of the other four teams from the 2007-08 MAHL are playing this season, although the owner of the Valley Forge Freedom did start the new Danbury (CT) Mad Hatters in the 2008-09 EPHL.

Western Hockey League: The WHL has stepped in to assist the Regina Pats in settling certain disputes with the local arena so the league can keep the franchise in Regina.

SOCCER

Women's Professional Soccer: The WPS Bay Area franchise has announced it will be called the FC Gold Pride when the team starts play in the inaugural 2009 season. The team will play its home games in the San Jose area at Santa Clara University.

United Soccer Leagues First Division: The Atlanta Silverbacks franchise announced it will sit out the 2009 USL First Division season. The team cited the state of the economy and the possibility of a Major League Soccer franchise coming to Atlanta. The Silverbacks started play in 1999 and evolved from a team called the Atlanta Ruckus. The Silverbacks Women team will continue to play in the 2009 USL W-League. The First Division also lost the Seattle market to Major League Soccer, but will add a new Austin Aztex team and the Cleveland City Stars from the USL Second Division for 2009 to remain at 11 teams.

Major League Soccer: The MLS announced it will operate with 15 teams for the 2009 season with the expansion Seattle Sounders FC club as the 15th team. Seattle will be added to create an eight-team Western Conference, while the Eastern Conference will remain the same with seven teams. Philadelphia will be added as a 16th team in 2010. The league also announced that it would not retain Montreal's bid for an expansion franchise. This leaves Atlanta, Miami, Ottawa, Portland, St. Louis and Vancouver in competition for the league's 17th and 18th franchises. The next two expansion markets are expected to be announced in early 2009. The Kansas City Wizards received final approval on a new development that will feature an 18,500-seat soccer stadium possibly in time for the 2010 season. The San Jose Earthquakes have scaled back on their proposed soccer stadium project and are waiting for city approval.

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.



Southern Indoor Football League Stories from November 24, 2008


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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