NBL Canada National Basketball League of Canada

Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
August 15, 2011 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)


BASEBALL

Can-Am League: The Can-Am League is hoping a proposed 5,000-seat ballpark in Gatineau (Quebec), which is just across the Ottawa River from Ottawa (Ontario), can become home to a franchise by the 2013 season. The league is also considering new teams in the Quebec cities of Montreal and Trois-Rivieres, if ballparks can be built in those locations. The Can-Am League had an Ottawa-based team called the Ottawa Rapids/Rapidz for one season in 2008. The league considered operating a team called the Ottawa Voyageurs for the 2009 season, but pulled the plug prior to the start of the season.

American Association: The proposed 2012 Schaumburg (IL) AA franchise, which was rumored to be switching to the Frontier League, has apparently selected the Schaumburg Mallers as the winner of its name-the-team contest. The official team named has yet to be announced.

North American League: The NAL stated that the Lake County Fielders were eliminated from the league by failing to show for a series in Hawaii against the Na Koa Ikaika-Maui team. The league later recanted this statement and the Fielders are apparently still a member of the NAL and plan to finish its home schedule against NAL teams and teams from other leagues.

Pacific Coast League: The Tucson Padres of the Triple-A PCL have worked out a lease to remain at Kino Stadium in Tucson for the 2012 season. The team has been trying to find support for construction of a new ballpark in the Escondido (CA) area, just north of San Diego, where it could move to for the 2013 season.

Southern League: The long-term future of the Huntsville Stars of Double-A Southern League remaining in the city has been questioned, as the team plays in the league's oldest ballpark and has the league's worst attendance. The city does not appear ready to help with a new ballpark. A relocated Huntsville team has been part of rumors over the past few years for proposed new ballparks in locations like Baton Rouge (LA), Biloxi (MS), Tallahassee (FL), and D'lberville (MS).

Pecos League: The six-team Pecos League continues to search for new markets to add for its second season in 2012. The league is trying to develop new teams called the Trinidad (CO) Gold, Pueblo (CO) Wranglers, and Santa Fe Sangres. The Santa Fe team was originally listed as the Zozobras, but a local team currently owns that name. Other possible new teams include the Del Rio (TX) Grande, Clovis (NM) Pioneers, and Artesia (NM) Drillers. The main issue with these teams is finding suitable ballparks.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball League of Canada: The new NBL-Canada has officially announced the four new teams based in Moncton (New Brunswick), London (Ontario), Oshawa (Ontario), and Prince Edward Island that will join with the three charter teams-the Saint John Mill Rats (New Brunswick), Quebec Kebs, and Halifax Rainmen (Nova Scotia)-to form a seven-team league for the inaugural 2011-12 season. The Prince Edward Island team could play its home games in either Summerside or Charlottetown. The new London-based team announced it will be called the London Lightning.

Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League: The ACPBL has announced two new teams called the Buffalo Warriors and the Manhattan (NY) Pride will be part of the 2011-12 season. The Warriors will replace the Buffalo Stampede team that was part of the 2010-12 season. The league's Norfolk Tru Hope Trailblazers team is now listed as the Chesapeake (VA) Tru Hope Trailblazers.

Universal Basketball Association: The semi-pro UBA currently has a 20-team lineup for its second season of 2011-12. Each of four divisions called the Southern Conference, Eastern Conference North, Eastern Conference South, and Western Conference will have five teams. Some of the new teams for 2011-12 include the Nashville Musicians, Cleveland (TX) Havoc, Houston Xperience, Woodlands (TX) Express, Gulf Coast Warriors, Buckeye Blazers, Cleveland (OH) Rams, Midwest Magic, Ohio Racers, Cincinnati Slam, Northern Kentucky Swish, Queen City Gamblers, Seven Hills (KY) Fury, and Sharonville (OH) Flight. Last season the UBA had ten teams split into an Eastern and Western conference.

American Basketball Association: A new team called the Athens (GA) Hoop Dawgz is trying to organize so it can be part of the 2011-12 ABA season.

Women's United Basketball Association: The new WUSBA is supposed to start play at the end of this month, but one of the league's 20 teams-the Montgomery (AL) Spirit-will not be able to use the arena on the campus of Alabama State University, so the team will sit out the league's inaugural 2011 fall season.

FOOTBALL

Continental Indoor Football League: The CIFL is trying to recruit new teams for its 2012 season and will hold a league meeting next week. The league had six teams in 2011, but the Port Huron Predators folded during the season and the Cincinnati Commandos and Marion Blue Racers left for the Ultimate Indoor Football League after the 2011 season. The league is left with three teams-the Dayton Silverbacks, Chicago Knights, and Indianapolis Enforcers.

Stars Football League: The four-team professional SFL has shortened the schedule for its inaugural outdoor season, which ended this past week. The Fort Lauderdale Barracudas and Daytona Racers played four games and the New Orleans Jazz and Michigan Coyotes played only two games. The league has several other proposed teams that it hopes to add for its next season in 2012.

American Professional Football League: A team called the Cheyenne (WY) Warriors has announced it will be part of the semi-pro indoor APFL for its 2012 season. The owner of the Warriors also owns the Tampa-based Florida Scorpions, which was an APFL provisional team that played two games in 2011. The APFL had five full-schedule teams based in the Midwest for its 2011 season.

United Football League: The UFL has announced it will start its third season in mid-September 2011 with only four teams-the Sacramento Mountain Lions, Omaha Nighthawks, Las Vegas Locos (Locomotives), and Virginia Destroyers. The league has suspended operations of its Hartford (CT) Colonials franchise for this season. Hartford entered the UFL last season when the 2009 New York Sentinels franchise was relocated.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League: Although voters in Nassau County (NY) voted against a proposal that would have financed construction of a new arena for the NHL's New York Islanders, neighboring Suffolk County appears interested in trying to pursue a new arena to keep the team on Long Island.

Central Hockey League: With only about ten weeks until the start of the 2011-12 season, the CHL's Evansville IceMen franchise has been unable to reach an agreement on a lease of the city's new downtown arena.

SOCCER

Southern Premier Soccer League: The SPSL now lists the FC New Orleans as one of the teams for its upcoming 2011-12 fall-winter season. The league's new Motion SC team is now listed as the Montgomery County (TX) Motion.

Liga Mexican de Futbol Rapido: The eight-team professional Mexican indoor soccer league known as the LMFR has finished its 2011 season that ran from May to August with each team playing 14 games. Four teams called the Monterrey Flash, Sidekicks Mexico, Guerreros La Raza de Guadalajara, and Durango Diablo Rojos will participate in the playoffs. The LMFR will also play a 2011-12 season from November to March.

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 2010-11 edition is available at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/leagues-teams-nicknames-the-leagueology-almanac-2010-11/15228513. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.



National Basketball League of Canada Stories from August 15, 2011


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.


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