Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on December 6, 2010 under North American Soccer League (NASL)

BASEBALL

Atlantic Baseball League: The new ABL franchise based in Sugar Land (TX) will be called the Sugar Land Skeeters when it starts play in 2012. Other nickname finalists were Lizard Kings and King Canes.

Frontier League: The Joliet JackHammers franchise of the Northern League has been sold and the Frontier League appears ready to accept the franchise for its 2011 season. The Joliet team will get a new name as part of the Frontier League. The JackHammers had been part of the Northern League since the 2001 season. The league's Oakland County Cruisers franchise is about to close on financing for a new ballpark in Waterford Township that could be ready for the 2011 season. The Cruisers played without a true home field in 2010.

American Association: The new independent AA team based in Amarillo (TX) will be called the Amarillo Gold Sox when it starts play in the 2011 season. Most recently, an affiliated team called the Amarillo Gold Sox was part of the Double-A Texas League from 1976 to 1982. Amarillo recently lost an independent team called the Amarillo Dillas, which had been part of United League Baseball for the past five seasons (2006-10).

Can-Am League: A group in Trois-Rivieres (Quebec) is trying to bring a Can-Am League team to the city's local baseball stadium. A feasibility study is expected to be completed early next year.

United League Baseball: The Coastal Bend Thunder, based in Robstown (TX) near Corpus Christi, is behind on rent to Nueces County and if not paid the ULB team could lose its ballpark lease for next season. The league had six teams in 2010, but has already lost the Amarillo Dillas. The Thunder joined the ULB for the 2009 season. Other previous Robstown-based teams were the Coastal Bend Aviators of the Central Baseball League (2003-05) and the American Association (2006-07), and the Corpus Christi BeachDawgs in the 2008 season of the Continental Baseball League.

Permian Basin League: The new PBL has announced plans to start as an independent professional baseball league with teams based in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Pecos League: The proposed Del Rio (TX) Aviators team in the new Pecos League has not been able to work out a deal for use of the city's ballpark for the start of the league's inaugural 2011 season.

BASKETBALL

American Basketball Association: The ABA has added a second San Diego-based team called the San Diego Sol for the current 2010-11 season. The Sol will join the league's San Diego Surf in the SoCal Division.

Texas Professional Basketball League: The TPBL plans to start its 11th season on January 8, 2011. At least six teams that plan to be part of the 2011 season include the Abilene Heat, Cypress Synergy, Dallas Hurricanes, Houston A-Z, San Angelo Chaparrals, and San Antonio Airmen.

National Basketball Association: The NBA's New Orleans Hornets need to average 14,213 fans for its next 13 home games to meet an attendance benchmark in its arena league. If the Hornets do not average 14,735 fans for two consecutive years in its current lease agreement, the franchise can opt out of its lease and consider relocation. The team would have to pay a $10 million penalty to the state.

Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League: The new ACPBL has started its inaugural 2010-11 season with eight teams-the Beltway Bombers (Dumfries, VA), Buffalo Stampede, Garden State Rebels (Newark), Hudson Valley Kingz (Travel Team), New York Lions, Norfolk True Hope Trailblazers, Washington (DC) Greenhawks, and Westchester (NY) Wildkatz. Each team will play a 12-game schedule that runs to March 19, 2011.

FOOTBALL

Southern Indoor Football League: A new SIFL franchise based in Fayetteville (NC) is trying to form and will apparently replace the city's Fayetteville Guard franchise, which was part of the American Indoor Football Association for three seasons (2008-10) and was one of the teams announced as part of the recent AIFA-SIFL merger. The SIFL franchise based in Erie (PA), which played as the Erie RiverRats in the AIFA and was part of the AIFA-SIFL merger, will be called the Erie Explosion. The Erie RiverRats had changed its name to the Erie Storm prior to the 2010 season, but the nickname conflicted with the "Storm" nickname used by Lake Erie College in Ohio..

Independent Indoor Football Alliance: The IIFA has an eight-team alignment listed for the 2011 season. The American Conference features new teams to the IIFA called the Conroe (TX) Jaguars, Texas Pirates (Houston), North Texas Broncos (Allen), and a yet-to-be-named team from Tyler (TX). The National Conference has the returning Southlake (TX) Pirates, North Texas Crunch (North Richland Hills), Texas Krush (Frisco), and the new San Antonio Lobos.

National Football League: An ownership group trying to bring an NFL football franchise to Los Angeles is moving forward with plans to build a football stadium near the downtown Staples Center. Since teams like the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers have uncertain stadium situations, they have been mentioned as possible relocation candidates. Los Angeles has not had an NFL team since the Los Angeles Rams left for St. Louis and the Los Angeles Raiders moved back to Oakland after the 1994 season.

HOCKEY

Global Canadian Hockey League: No new information has been heard about the proposed professional GCHL. The league has been in the planning stages since 2008 and wanted to start play in December 2010 with four teams in Atlantic Canada-the New Brunswick Bruins (Fredericton), Nova Scotia Fighting Scots (Halifax), Prince Edward Island Islanders (Summerside), and Newfoundland Republic (St. John's). Two other teams called the Ontario Canadians and Quebec Equipe Nationale were to start in the second season of operation. All teams were to be owned and operated by the league.

National Hockey League: The NHL's Edmonton Oilers have not been making much progress on a new arena and the team's recent meeting with officials in Quebec City started speculation the team was considering a move to Quebec. The Oilers denied any relocation efforts and stated the meeting was to find out how Quebec City plans to finance a proposed new arena.

ECHL: The Wheeling Nailers of the Double-A ECHL have signed an affiliation agreement with the Brooklyn-based New York Aviators in the new Single-A Federal Hockey League.

SOCCER

United Soccer Leagues W-League: The Victoria Highlanders FC (British Columbia) women's team, which is affiliated with the men's team in the USL Premier Development League, will be part of the USL W-League in 2011. The women's Highlanders club operated as the Victoria Stars in the women's division of the 2009 Pacific Coast Soccer League, but was taken over by the men's Victoria Highlanders PDL team and played as the Victoria Highlanders in the women's division of the 2010 PCSL.

United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League: The North Sound SeaWolves FC of Snohomish County (WA) will be part of the 2011 USL PDL. The team will play its home games in Everett (WA).

North American Soccer League: The Crystal Palace Baltimore will not be fielding a team in the 2011 season of the Division II NASL, but will restructure and re-launch in 2012 under a new name at a new downtown facility. Crystal Palace FC played three seasons (2007-09) in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division (Division III) before moving to the NASL. Crystal Palace Baltimore was one of 9 NASL teams that participated in the 12-team Division II pro league operated by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in 2010. The team ran into financial difficulties during the 2010 season and needed assistance to finish the season. The Baltimore team will also end its four-year relationship with the English club called Crystal Palace FC. The NASL plans to operate the NSC Minnesota Stars club in 2011 and the owners of the league's Miami FC Blues will be involved in some of the operations of the new Atlanta Silverbacks team.

Women's Professional Soccer: The WPS has officially announced the new Western New York Flash expansion franchise that will play in the 2011 season. The Flash evolved from the Buffalo Flash, which played two seasons (2009-10) in the United Soccer Leagues W-League. The Western New York Flash plan to play most of its home games in Rochester, which is one hour east of Buffalo, as it tries regional marketing to Buffalo, Rochester, and Canada. Some home games might be played at Niagara University in Lewiston (NY). The league's Washington (DC) Freedom, which almost folded after the 2010 season, has come under new ownership.

Premier Arena Soccer League: The PASL-Premier league has started its 2010-11 season that will run until February 20, 2011. The current league standings have 21 teams split into four regional divisions: a three-team Northwest Division, a five-team Rocky Mountain Division, a six-team South Central Division, and a seven-team Midwest Division. Some of the new teams for 2010-11 are the Evansville (IN) Crush, Paducah (KY) Wildcats, Louisville Lightning Reserves, Colorado Springs Blizzard, and Cincinnati Kings Reserves.

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 [email protected].

North American Soccer League Stories from December 6, 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.