Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
March 21, 2011 - North American League (NAmL)
BASEBALL
American Association: The ownership group planning to bring an independent AA franchise to a new Laredo (TX) ballpark in 2012 has announced six nickname finalists for a name-the-team contest. These include the Generals, Javelinas, Lemurs, Lobos, Lynx, and WhipTails. The city had been home to the Laredo Broncos of United League Baseball for the past five seasons (2006-10).
North American League: With the loss of the Schaumburg (IL) market for its upcoming inaugural 2011 season, the NAL has removed the Schaumburg Flyers from its Eastern Division, which now consists of the Edinburg (TX) Roadrunners, Lake County (IL) Fielders, Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings (Harlingen, TX), Rockford (IL) Riverhawks, and San Angelo (TX) Colts. The six-team Western Division includes the Calgary Vipers, Chico (CA) Outlaws, Edmonton Capitals, Henderson (NV) Roadrunners, Maui Na Koa Ikaika, and Yuma (AZ) Scorpions. The NAL lists four other teams-the Long Beach Armada, Omaha Flame, Orange County Flyers, and Tucson Toros-that have been approved to start in 2012. There has been speculation the NAL could still add a 12th team, possibly based in McAllen (TX), or drop one of its teams and go with a ten-team lineup for 2011.
Ultimate Baseball League: The city of Johnstown (PA), which was to be the home of a team in the new UBL for its inaugural 2011 season, has not been able to work out a satisfactory ballpark deal and the team may not start as planned. The UBL team has been named the Johnstown Flood. The UBL had publicly announced only one other team location in Canton (OH).
New York-Penn League: A possible NY-Penn League team had been mentioned for a proposed new ballpark in the West Chester (PA) area of Philadelphia, but those ballpark plans have apparently fallen through. The city of Phoenixville (PA), just northwest of Philadelphia, now plans to study the possibility of building a new ballpark in the area.
BASKETBALL
Baloncesto Superior National: The Puerto Rican basketball league known as the BSN has announced its 2011 schedule that will run from March 31 to June 23, 2011. The BSN will again feature ten teams: the Athleticos de San German, Caciques de Humacao, Cangrejeros de Santurce, Capitanes de Arecibo, Gallitos de Isabela, Indios de Mayaguez, Maratonistas de Coamo, Mets de Guaynabo, Piratas de Quebradillas, and Vaqueros de Bayamon. The Leones de Ponce team did not return in 2011 and was replaced by the Maratonistas de Coamo team, which was last played in the BSN for the 2007 season.
Premier Basketball League: The owner of the PBL's Halifax (Nova Scotia) Rainmen would like to see a future PBL franchise based in Moncton (New Brunswick). The league moved its Manchester (NH) Millrats team to St. John (New Brunswick) for the 2011 season and a third team in Atlantic Canada would help with travel costs and rivalries.
West Coast Professional Basketball League: The WCPBL, which will start its fourth season later this month, held a pre-season tournament featuring the Santa Barbara Breakers, the Los Angeles Loop, and the West Los Angeles Advantage. The Advantage was called the Marina Del Ray Advantage last season.
American Basketball Association: The ABA has announced a new team based in northeast Arkansas will join previously announced Arkansas-based expansion teams called the Little Rock Lightning and Conway Cyclones for the 2011-12 season.
FOOTBALL
Southern Indoor Football League: After operating with 5 five teams in 2010, the SIFL has started its third season in 2011 with 16 teams. The Albany (GA) Panthers, Columbus (GA), Lafayette (LA) Wildcatters, and Louisiana Swashbucklers (Lake Charles) returned for 2010, but the Greenville (SC) Force did not. The league added the Carolina Speed (Charlotte), Fayetteville (NC) Force, Richmond (VA) Raiders, Erie (PA) Explosion, Harrisburg (PA) Stampede, and Trenton (NJ) Steel after a merger with six markets from last year's American Indoor Football Association. The Abilene (TX) Ruff Riders and Corpus Christi (TX) Hammerheads joined the SIFL from the Indoor Football League. The SIFL added four other new franchises called the Alabama Hammers (Huntsville), Mobile Bay (AL) Tarpons, Houston Stallions, and Rio Grande Valley Magic (Hidalgo, TX).
Indoor Football League: The Fairbanks Grizzlies of the IFL announced that the team will play out the remaining games in its 2011 schedule. Last week the franchise announced that its third game on March 12 would be the team's last game due to increases in compensation insurance cost. The Grizzlies have worked out a plan to address the insurance issue.
Lingerie Football League: Both the Miami Caliente and San Diego Seduction franchises in the LFL have reportedly suspended operations due to lack of suitable arenas in those markets. Both the Caliente and Seduction started play in the league's first full season of 2009-10. The league could return to these markets in 2012 if suitable venues are found.
American Indoor Football Association - West: The San Jose Wolves of the AIFA-West have officially announced the team's move to Stockton as the Stockton Wolves. Since the AIFA-West is not playing a 2011 season, the Wolves will play an independent schedule in 2011 against fellow league member the Reno Barons, along with games against other teams called the Las Vegas Cobras, Tucson Trojans, Utah Stealth, Sioux City Bandits, and San Diego ThunderCats. The Utah Stealth is part of the semi-pro Utah Indoor Football League and the Sioux City Bandits are part of the semi-pro indoor American Professional Football League. The Las Vegas Cobras semi-pro team is apparently trying to turn professional for the 2012 indoor season. The San Diego ThunderCats international travel team is a member of Mexico's American-style football league called the OMFA Pro.
HOCKEY
North American Hockey League: The owner of the Traverse City (MI) North Stars in the Tier II Junior-A NAHL is currently assessing whether or not the team will return for the 2011-12 season. One rumor had the North Stars moving to Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) and the NAHL team replacing the Soo Eagles in the Junior-A Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. Speculation has the Traverse City team relocating to Texas for next season, possibly replacing the Laredo Bucks in the professional Central Hockey League. The NAHL's Owatonna (MN) Express team was previously linked to Odessa (TX), as the Express owner stated over a week ago that he was in negotiations to sell his team to the owner of the Odessa Jackalopes in the CHL. There have been no official announcements about these moves from the CHL or NAHL.
National Hockey League: A proposed sale of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise by the NHL could face a lawsuit by a local group that wants to block the city of Glendale's fronting of $100 million to the buyer to complete the deal. If the sale falls apart, the league could sell the franchise to the owner of the Winnipeg-based Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League. If an NHL team does return to Winnipeg it will reportedly take the Manitoba Moose name and not the Winnipeg Jets, which was the city's former NHL team that moved Phoenix as the Coyotes for the 1996-97 season.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer: The MLS has started its 2011 season with 18 teams. The expansion Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers teams were added to the Western Conference, while the Houston Dynamo was moved to the Eastern Conference to give each conference nine teams. The only other change was the Kansas City Wizards being renamed Sporting Kansas City for the 2011 season.
OTHER
National Lacrosse League: The owner of the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks stated that corporate support has been lacking for the financially troubled franchise and a new owner is still being sought. The owner stated that most of the interested buyers are from the United States with plans to relocate the franchise.
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.
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North American League Stories from March 21, 2011
- 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.
