Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
May 17, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)


BASEBALL

Golden Baseball League: The GBL held an exhibition game this past week in Kamloops (British Columbia) between two of its Canadian teams, the Calgary Vipers and the Victoria Seals. The league is considering Kamloops for possible expansion, although there is no current investor. The GBL also has the Edmonton Capitals team in Canada and would like to add a fourth Canadian team. The operator of the league's new Maui-based franchise called the Na Koa Ikaiki would like to add a team on the Hawaiian island of Oahu in 2011 or 2012 as a way of cutting travel costs.

American Association: The AA has started its 2010 season with the same ten markets as last season. The only change was the Sioux Falls (SD) Canaries switching its team name to the Sioux Falls Pheasants. The Canaries were an original member of the Northern League in 1993 and moved to the AA when it was formed for the 2006 season with several other Northern League teams.

Northern League: The Northern League commissioner wants to add two more teams to the league by the 2011 season. Topeka (KS) is at the top of the list, but there's competition with the American Association. It is unclear what other markets could host a Northern League franchise. Over the past two years, the Northern League has tried to get a new franchise started in Burnsville (MN) near the Twin Cities, but that project has stalled. That franchise was at times referred to as the Metro Millers. The league added the new Lake County Fielders and the Frontier League's Rockford RiverHawks for 2010 to increase to eight teams.

Northwoods League: The summer-collegiate Northwoods League has increased to 16 teams with the addition of the Willmar (MN) Stingers to the North Division and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters to the South Division.

Coastal Plain League: The Coastal Plain's new Morehead City (NC) Marlins team has been added to the South Division for the 2010 season. The league has 15 teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia playing in 3 regional divisions.

BASKETBALL

Continental Basketball League: The CBL's Birmingham Steel franchise has left the league after only two games and has joined the World Basketball Association Exposure League. The CBL added a new franchise called the Birmingham Sabers, originally listed as the Sabres, to replace the Steel.

World Basketball Association Exposure League: The WBA suspended its Tupelo (MS) Rock-N-Rollers franchise just prior to the start of the 2010 season. The WBA has accepted the application of the Birmingham Steel, which left the Continental Basketball League after two games. Birmingham will take over Tupelo's schedule and keep the league at seven teams. The WBA had the Birmingham-based Magic City Court Kings team in 2005 and the first half of the 2006 season.

American Basketball Association: The ABA has added a new team based in Williamsburg (VA) to its Mid-Atlantic Division for the upcoming 2010-11 season. The previously announced Savannah Storm has been added to the Southeast Division and the new Indianapolis Drive has been added to the North Central.

Women's National Basketball Association: The WNBA has started its 2010 season with 12 teams, 6 in the Eastern Conference and 6 in the Western Conference. The Sacramento Monarchs franchise did not return for 2010 and the Detroit Shock franchise was moved to Tulsa. To balance out the conferences, the Shock was moved from the Eastern to the Western Conference.

Global Professional Basketball League2: The Canton Airmen recently played a game against a team called the Ohio Generals. The Generals are now listed in the league standings and remaining schedule.

Women's Blue Chip Basketball League: The Lexington Lightning will be part of the 2010 WCBBL and is currently listed as part of the North East region.

Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional: Mexico's LNBP has announced some changes for its upcoming 2010-11 season that starts in early September. Three teams-Mayas de Yucatan Merida, Tecos de la Universidad Guadalajara, and Estrellas Indebasquet Districto Federal (Mexico City)-will return after a one-year absence. Three other teams will move to different cities: the Cosmos de Tijuana team is now the Navegantes de Ensenada, the Algodoneros de La Comarca-Torreon is now the Ola Verde de Poza Rica, and the Lobos de la UAC-Saltillo team is now the Jaguares de Puerto Vallarta.

FOOTBALL

Continental Indoor Football League: The CIFL's Fort Wayne FireHawks and Marion (OH) Mayhem franchises are facing financial issues. Fort Wayne plans to continue playing, although there have been delays in payments to its staff. The Marion ownership recently stepped down and a game for this weekend had to be rescheduled as the league and franchise try to reorganize.

Ultimate Indoor Football League: The proposed new UIFL has announced that Huntington (WV) will be home to the league's second expansion team for the 2011 season. The city has had previous indoor football teams called the River Cities Locomotives (2001 National Indoor Football League) and the Huntington Heroes (2006 American Indoor Football League, 2007-08 American Indoor Football Association).

Indoor Football League: The IFL has cancelled an upcoming game for the Anchorage-based Alaska Wild and the future of the franchise is in doubt. The league will announce its plans for the franchise next week. The IFL was forced to take over the franchise from its ownership early in the season.

Regional Indoor Football League: A team called the Fort Myers Bobcats has made a verbal agreement to join the RIFL for the 2011 season. The Palm Beach Waves have announced the team will not play league games in 2010, but will join the RIFL as a fulltime team in 2011.

Independent Alliance Football League: The new IAFL has organized a 2010 schedule with three teams-the Louisiana Conquerors (Houma), Florida Kings (Tampa), and Conroe (TX) Jaguars. The Houma Conquerors and Florida Kings were part of the 2009 Southern Indoor Football League and a team called the Conroe Storm was part of the 2008 indoor American Professional Football League.

HOCKEY

North American Hockey League: The new Tier II Junior-A NAHL team based in Rio Rancho (NM) for the 2010-11 season will be called the New Mexico Mustangs. The status of the Albert Lea (MN) Thunder and Mason City Outlaws teams for next season is still uncertain.

International Hockey League: The owner of the Evansville IceMen in the All-American Hockey League is part of a group interested in taking over the IHL's Flint Generals franchise for next season. The group also has tentative plans to place an IHL team in Evansville in 2011-12, if a new arena opens as planned.

Southern Professional Hockey League: The SPHL recently held an expansion draft for the Augusta (GA) RiverHawks franchise that will start play in the 2010-11 season. With the league's current seven teams expected to return, the SPHL plans to have eight teams next season.

National Hockey League: With speculation that the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes might eventually move back to Winnipeg, one report states the league has a realignment plan that would place Winnipeg in the Northwest Division and move the Colorado Avalanche to the Pacific Division. If the NHL returns to Winnipeg, consideration would also have to be given to relocating Winnipeg's current Manitoba Moose franchise in the American Hockey League. The AHL team is an affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.

SOCCER

Canadian Soccer League: The CSL has started its 2010 season with 13 teams listed in one table. These include the Brampton Lions, Brantford Galaxy FC, FC Hamilton Croatia, London City, Milltown FC (Milton), Montreal Impact Academy, North York Astros, Portugal FC (Toronto), St. Catharines Wolves, Serbian White Eagles (Toronto), Toronto Croatia (Mississauga), Toronto FC Academy and the York Region Shooters.

Pacific Coast Soccer League: The PCSL has started its Premier and Reserve divisional play for 2010. The men's PCSL includes seven teams in both its Premier Division and Reserve Division. The women's PCSL consists of a 9-team Premier Division and a 12-team Reserve Division.

OTHER

Major League Lacrosse: The six-team outdoor MLL has started its 2010 season with a couple of changes from last season. The Annapolis-based Washington (DC) Bayhawks franchise has been renamed the Chesapeake Bayhawks and the Chicago Machine has become a "travel team". The Machine will play its six home games at neutral sites that are under consideration for possible MLL expansion. These include Cary (NC), Virginia Beach (VA), Columbus (OH), Pittsburgh, Rochester (NY), and Albany (NY).

National Pro Fastpitch: The four-team NPF has moved its new Tennessee Diamonds franchise from Knoxville to Nashville with less than a month to go before the start of the 2010 season. The league had granted a franchise to a group in Blount County that planned to operate the team in Maryville, near Knoxville. Apparently, the group was unable to fund the team as planned.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the Leagueology™ almanac known as "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest 2009-10 edition is available at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/leagues-teams-nicknames-2009-10/6534940. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.



Golden Baseball League Stories from May 17, 2010


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