Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
August 9, 2010 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)

BASEBALL

American Association: The owner of the Pensacola Pelicans in the independent AA has expressed interest in bring an affiliated minor league team to the city's new ballpark that is under construction and should be ready in 2012. There are possibilities for affiliated teams in the Class-A South Atlantic League and the Double-A Southern League.

California League: The city of Windsor in Sonoma County (CA) has given approval for a feasibility study on a new minor league ballpark. A group of investors is interested in placing an affiliated Class-A California League team in Windsor. The league's Bakersfield Blaze and High Desert Mavericks have been unsuccessful in building new ballparks over the past few years and could be relocation candidates.

Golden Baseball League: The GBL has taken over the St. George (UT) Roadrunners franchise, which will play as a road team for the remainder of the season. The GBL reportedly has an investor interested in buying the Yuma (AZ) Scorpions franchise, which was also recently taken over by the league.

Pacific Coast League: The Triple-A PCL will reportedly allow the Portland Beavers to play next season at the home of the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Class-A California League. The city of Escondido (CA) is trying to work out details for a new ballpark to house the franchise, possibly by the 2012 season.

Can-Am League: The nicknames of "Flash" and "Fireflys" have been dropped from the list of ten possible names for the Can-Am franchise to be based in Ramapo (NY). The league is still interested returning to the Ottawa market, possibly in 2011. The Quebec Capitales and Pittsfield Colonials held a four-game series in Ottawa in mid-July. An Ottawa franchise called the Ottawa Rapidz was part of the league in 2008.

New York-Penn League: A committee in Burlington (VT) plans to fund an engineering study for improvements to the home of the New York-Penn League's Vermont Lake Monsters to try to keep the team from moving to another location.

BASKETBALL

Premier Basketball League: The Barre-based Vermont Frost Heaves have apparently raised enough money to return to the PBL for the 2011 season.

American Basketball Association: The Houston Takers of the ABA have been renamed the Houston Red Storm. The ABA plans to add a Toronto-based team in 2011 and reports that this will be the first of a group of Canadian teams in a proposed Canadian Division next season. A Toronto area team, first called the Mississauga Red Wolves and then the Ontario Red Wolves, had been proposed for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, but never started play. Two teams from last season called the Riverside Rainmakers and the Mississippi Blues, along with the proposed Orlando Kings, no longer appear in the ABA team list.

Universal Basketball Association: The UBA has announced a new Eastern Division with teams called the Cleveland Vipers, Colonial Falcons, Northeast Air Souls, Southeast Hoopstars, and Columbus Claws. The league is in the process of organizing teams for its inaugural season this fall.

United Basketball League: The UBL plans to add four new teams for its fourth season in 2011. As of now, two of those new teams will be located in Crockett (TX) and Monroe (LA).

Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League: The Buffalo Stampede, which played two seasons (2009-10) as part of the Premier Basketball League, reports that the team is preparing to play its third season as part of the 2010-11 season in the ACPBL. A previously announced team called the Hudson Valley Generals is no longer listed as a current ACPBL team.

Continental Basketball Association: The CBA has apparently come under new ownership and is making plans to return for a 2011-12 season with 8 to 12 teams. One possible new CBA team is the Cleveland Rockers from the American Basketball Association. The CBA shut down in February 2009 after an early end to its 2008-09 season.

Eastern Basketball Alliance: The EBA has announced the Winchester (VA) Storm as the league's newest team for the upcoming 2010-11 season. The EBA also plans to expand into Ohio and the Carolinas for the upcoming season. A new Southern Division will include teams from the lower half of Virginia, along with new teams from North and South Carolina. The league is close to agreements with teams in the Ohio cities of Columbus, Cambridge, and Youngstown to go with its current Cincinnati team.

National Basketball Association Development League: The owner of the Rockford Foresters in baseball's summer-collegiate Great Plains Baseball League has expressed interest in trying to bring an NBA D-League franchise to Rockford (IL), possibly in time for the 2011-12 season.

Americas Basketball International: The Birmingham-based ABI plans to hold a tryout camp this month as it prepares for its inaugural season in 2010. The league plans to have ABI-operated teams from the United States compete against basketball teams from Central and South America.

Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional: The LNBP, Mexico's top professional basketball league, is preparing for its tenth season that will run from early September to late December. The league plans to have 18 teams this season, down from the 20 teams that played last season.

FOOTBALL

American Indoor Football Association: The owner of the AIFA's Fayetteville (NC) Guard has not received any interest from local buyers, so a sale to potential out-of-town buyers is being considered. Groups from St. Louis (MO), Raleigh (NC), and Greenville(NC) have expressed interest and would relocate the franchise. The Guard played three seasons (2005-07) as part of the National Indoor Football League and three seasons (2008-10) in the AIFA.

Continental Indoor Football League: The CIFL's Fort Wayne FireHawks franchise is for sale and a new owner could keep the team in the CIFL or move it to another league.

Spring Football League: A new professional football league called the Spring Football League is trying to create a developmental training system for collegiate players trying to play in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.

National Developmental Football League: It looks as though the proposed NDFL, a professional spring football league, is trying to develop after the demise of the failed United National Gridiron League this past spring. The eight states that will have teams when the NDFL starts in 2011 are the same states as those from the proposed UNGL.

HOCKEY

Central Hockey League: The CHL has renamed its Northern Conference the Turner Conference and renamed the Southern Conference the Berry Conference for the 2010-11 season.

All American Hockey League: The AAHL has announced that the expansion Madison (WI) Ice Muskies will be the league's fourth team for the 2010-11 season. An AAHL team by the same name ceased operations during the 2009-10 season. Other teams for the upcoming season include the Battle Creek (MI) Revolution, Chi-Town Shooters (Dyer, IN), and the West Michigan Blizzard (Muskegon).

Professional Inline Hockey Association: The Detroit Revolution, which recently won the Major League Roller Hockey2 championship in 2010, has left the MLRH to join the PIHA for the upcoming 2010-11 season.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer: A group that plans to use the New York Cosmos as its team name is trying to make New York City the location for the 20th MLS team, possibly in time for the 2013 season. The New York Cosmos name was used by a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League that operated in the 1970s and 1980s.

OTHER

National Dodgeball League: The NDL has added six new teams called the Las Vegas Vipers, Missouri Explosion, Houston Bounty Hunters, Boston Undertakers, Dallas Dobermen, and Pittsburgh Punishers to the eight other teams that have been part of the league since 2007. All NDL professional games are played and taped during the annual Dodgeball World Championship event that will be held in Las Vegas next weekend. Replays of these matches are made available for viewing throughout the year on the NDL web site.

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.

Premier Basketball League Stories from August 9, 2010

• Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger

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.