Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
January 12, 2009 - American Association (AA)
BASEBALL
American Association: The AA's Shreveport Sports franchise has been renamed the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. The name incorporates neighboring Bossier City and a previous nickname associated with Shreveport. The Shreveport Captains played as a Double-A affiliated team in the Texas League from 1971-2000, were renamed the Swamp Dragons for two seasons (2001-02), and then moved to Frisco (TX) for 2003 as the Frisco RoughRiders. The Shreveport Sports started play in 2003 as part of the Central Baseball League and switched to the AA when it was formed for the 2006 season. The AA is considering placing a team in Omaha when its new 24,000-seat downtown stadium, which will be home to the College World Series, opens for the 2011 season. The city's Omaha Royals team in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League is working on a deal in suburban Sarpy County for a smaller stadium that is more suitable for a Triple-A team. The Royals' current stadium is due to be torn down after the 2010 season.
United League Baseball: After the ULB filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month, the San Angelo Colts also filed for bankruptcy. The prospect of a proposed new ballpark for a potential ULB franchise called the Brownsville Charros is now in doubt. One of the components of the ULB's bankruptcy filing was for the league operators to sell its interests in the league and all of its teams, including the Brownsville market. Action on the ULB markets would have to happen quickly for them to be part of a 2009 season.
Continental Baseball League: The two-year-old Texas-based Continental Baseball League has a local ownership group in Alexandria (LA) that wants to place a CBL team in the city for the 2009 season. The Alexandria Aces have been part of United League Baseball for the past three seasons (2006-08), but it is uncertain if the ULB will play in 2009.
Eastern League: A group in Richmond (VA) is apparently ready to buy a Double-A Eastern League team and move it to Richmond, but wants to make sure construction of a new ballpark moves forward in Richmond. The relocated team is rumored to be the Connecticut Defenders based in Norwich. The Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League have also talked of a possible move to Richmond if they cannot get a new ballpark built in the Charlotte area. The independent Atlantic Baseball League is reportedly working on plans to play some of its league games in Richmond this season.
Canadian-American League: The Can-Am League plans to call its 2009 Ottawa team the Ottawa Rapids. The league will operate the club until suitable owners can be found, so the league will again have eight teams in 2009. The Ottawa team was called the Ottawa Rapidz in its inaugural 2008 season, but ceased operations after the season.
Hawaii Winter Baseball: After Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB) shut down last month, there has been talk of operating a new, junior circuit to the current Arizona Fall League. This would basically shift the HWB format to the Phoenix area next season. The Arizona Fall League is more for Triple-A and Double-A prospects, while the HWB helped less experienced players and first-round draft picks gain some playing time. The new junior Arizona league has not been announced officially and does not yet have a name.
BASKETBALL
Women's Blue Chip Basketball League: The semi-pro WBCBL reports that a new team called the Las Vegas Pride will be part of the 2009 season that starts in May 2009.
International Basketball League: The Elkhart (IN) Express of the IBL announced the team will not return for a fourth season in 2009. The IBL has confirmed that the Nippon Tornadoes of Japan will participate in the 2009 season. The Tornadoes will be based out of the United States Basketball Academy in Oregon and play in the northwest cluster of teams. The Tornadoes will also make one trip to the play some midwestern teams during the season. The former coach of the Chico Force, which dropped from the IBL after the 2007 season, has formed the Chico Rage. The Rage plan to play in the IBL and fill in for games in the American Basketball Associaton and the West Coast Pro Basketball League.
American Basketball Association: The Inland Empire Riverside (CA) Rage has been announced as a 2009-10 ABA expansion team, but will start playing some games this season. The ABA list of teams now has the Alexandria (VA) travel team as the Hope Trail Blazers. The list also includes a CBA (Continental Basketball Association) category for the Albany Patroons and East Kentucky Miners, who participated in the now-completed ABA-CBA Interleague Challenge. A few ABA fill-in teams like the Los Angeles Slam, Chico Rage, Inland Empire 5Linx and Oakland Showtime have appeared on the schedules of some western teams that have had to deal with several teams dropping from the 2008-09 season.
Pacific Coast Basketball Association: The PCBA was apparently proposed, but never started, by several western ABA teams and ABA fill-in teams that were considering the creation of their own league. The PCBA had a proposed January 2009 schedule with the Arizona Rhinos, Modesto Bearcats, San Francisco Rumble, Phoenix Fury, Salt Lake City Saints, Alaska Dream, Maywood Buzz, Oakland Showtime, IE (Inland Empire) Basketball, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Slam, Chico Rage, and the Inland Empire 5Linx.
Kentucky Developmental Basketball League: The KBDL is planning its fourth season this summer and has added two teams called the Cincinnati Stallions and the Harrodsburg (KY) Tankers. The Southern Indiana Generals have moved to Southern Ohio and the league's Express team will not play this season. The Appalachian Basketball Conference has teams called the Generals, Stallions and Thunder, while the Bluegrass Basketball Conference has the Gamblers, Lancers, Tankers and Thoroughbreds. The 2009 season will run from mid-April to mid-June.
Real Elite Basketball League: The Toronto-based REBL plans to return in the fall of 2009. The REBL started play in the summer of 2006 and last played a ten-game winter season in 2006-07 with teams called the Oxen, Eels, Shields, Cobras, Hooks and Swords.
FOOTBALL
United National Gridiron League: The UNGL, originally called the United National Football League, held a player draft for its inaugural season that is supposed to start in February 2009. Eight state-named teams were represented at the draft with proposed locations to include Alabama (Birmingham), Florida (Miami), Georgia (Columbus), Louisiana (Baton Rouge), North Carolina (Winston-Salem), Ohio (Akron), Texas (Dallas) and Viriginia (Norfolk). The UNGL was created to act as a developmental league for the National Football League and Canadian Football League.
United States Football League: A new version of the springtime United States Football League (USFL) plans to launch its inaugural season in February 2010 with each of 12 teams playing a 16-game schedule. The original USFL operated for three seasons (1983-85) as a springtime alternative to the fall-season National Football League, but folded in 1986. The new USFL has awarded 11 franchises in 12 states. The Western Division includes California (2), Louisiana, Nevada, Portland and Texas. An Eastern Division includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, New York and Ohio.
HOCKEY
Eastern Professional Hockey League: The EPHL has granted approval for a new team called the Hyannis (MA) Storm to begin play next season. The final details on a lease agreement still need to be worked out.
All American Hockey Association: The AAHA announced the Detroit Dragons franchise has ceased operations due to debts incurred in its first few months of existence. Since this would leave the league with only three teams, the AAHA added the Chicago Blaze expansion team that planned to start play in the 2009-10 season. Chicago will play only the remaining road games on Detroit's 2008-09 schedule. The Blaze team is based out of the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows (IL).
Central Hockey League: After meeting with local officials about its arena lease last month, the New Mexico Scorpions, based in the Rio Rancho area of Albuquerque, were again reported to be facing financial problems. The team lost its radio broadcast contract for failure to pay its bill and the team was reportedly late on some of its payroll over the holidays. The team was trying to restructure its operations to ensure completion of the season.
ECHL: The city of Sparks in the Reno area apparently plans to move forward with plans to build a new arena. The city had planned to use the land for a new Triple-A ballpark, but that project was moved to downtown Reno to become home for the new Reno Aces baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. The ECHL has had a proposed Reno Raiders franchise listed, but it has been on hold as the owner worked toward building a suitable arena. Reno last had the Reno Rage, which ceased operations after the 1997-98 season in the West Coast Hockey League. The dormant franchise was purchased in 2000 and renamed the Raiders. When the WCHL merged with the ECHL in 2003, the owner continued to pay membership fees for an inactive Reno ECHL franchise. The Central Hockey League has also expressed an interest in the Reno market.
Major League Roller Hockey: The MLRH is holding tryouts for women roller hockey players to participate in its made-for-TV Slamm Hockey TV series, which will feature alternating lines of male and female players in full-contact roller hockey. Four or six teams will play two to three games on weekends starting in February 2009. The games will be edited and released in one-hour shows. The six team names for Slamm Hockey are the Arizona Sol, LA Cru, Miami Mambo, New York Flash, Quebec Mistral and Washington Spin.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer: There has been some concern about the delay in issuing bonds to pay for a new soccer stadium in Philadelphia that will house an MLS expansion franchise. Those involved say that construction is on schedule for completion by the team's proposed start in April 2010.
United Soccer League First Division: The proposed Tampa Bay Rowdies franchise, which hopes to join the USL First Division as a 2010 expansion team, is seeking local support for a site on which it has chosen to build a new soccer stadium. There have been some objections to the proposed site and a public hearing will be held next week.
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.
American Association Stories from January 12, 2009
- Name the Mascot - Shreveport-Bossier Captains
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
- Pels Sign Power Hitting First Baseman - Pensacola Pelicans
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.
