Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
Published on June 25, 2012 under Lone Star Football League (LSFL)
BASEBALL
Can-Am League: The Rockland Boulders (Ramapo, NY) of the Can-Am League plan to be renamed the Bergen Boulders for one game later this season as a marketing plan to get more fans from Bergen County (NJ) interested in the team. Back in 2001, an owner in the Atlantic Baseball League first attempted to build a ballpark for a proposed ABL team called the Bergen Cliff Hawks. The team was supposed to be part of the Xanadu entertainment and retail development in the New Jersey Meadowlands of Bergen County that was to include a 6,500-seat ballpark. Due to problems with the developer over the years, the proposed ballpark portion of the project was delayed and eventually scrapped last year.
Northwest League: The city of Hillsboro (OR) in the Portland area reports that it has received approval from the short-season Class-A Northwest League and its Yakima (WA) Bears franchise to move the Bears to a proposed new ballpark in Hillsboro, possibly by the 2013 season. The league's Boise (ID) Hawks team was reportedly considering a move to Hillsboro, as that city tries to build a new ballpark for the Hawks or possibly for a relocated Triple-A team like the Tucson Padres of the Pacific Coast League.
Pecos League: The six-team Pecos League wants to expand to eight teams for its 2013 season and is considering the towns of Durango (CO) and Farmington (NM). The league was trying to add the Carlsbad (NM) Bats for 2013, but it was recently dropped from consideration because the sale of alcohol sales would not be allowed at the ballpark. The league had a travel team called the Carlsbad Bats during the 2011 season. That team played one three-game series in Carlsbad.
International League: The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre (PA) Yankees of the Triple-A International League have officially announced a contest to rename the team when it returns home to its renovated stadium in 2013. The team has been playing a schedule of all road games in 2012 as the Empire State Yankees.
New York-Penn League: The short-season Class-A NY-Penn League received permission to explore placing a team in Morgantown (WV) where a new stadium is planned for the campus of West Virginia University. A current NY-Penn League team is eventually expected to relocate to Morgantown.
Pacific Coast League: The city of El Paso (TX) is moving forward on plans for a new 9,000-seat downtown ballpark that could become home to the Tucson Padres franchise of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Recently, a local ownership group has been working to acquire the Tucson Padres for a possible move to the proposed El Paso ballpark, possibly by the 2014 season. The city has had an independent pro baseball team called the El Paso Diablos since 2005 after its affiliated Double-A Texas League team by the same name moved to Springfield (MO). The arrival of a Triple-A team could jeopardize the Diablos team that currently plays in the independent American Association.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association Development League (D-League): The Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association have taken full control of basketball operations for the Portland-based Maine Red Claws in the NBA D-League. Under what is called a "hybrid affiliation", the Red Claws retain its current ownership and become a sole affiliate of the Celtics, but the Celtics will run only the basketball operations. The NBA's Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, New York Nets, and Portland Trail Blazers have similar affiliations with NBA D-League teams. Six other NBA franchises have direct affiliations with D-League teams through ownership interests.
National Basketball League of Canada: Of the five Ontario cities that applied for 2012-13 expansion franchises in the NBL-Canada, only the city of Windsor met all of the league's requirements by the deadline of June 15. The cities of St. Catharines, Ottawa, and Kitchener were rejected, while Mississauga was granted an extension until next week when final approval of the 2012-13 expansion teams will be announced. St. Catharines could join in the future once a new arena is completed in 2014.
Ligue Basketball Quebec: The new semi-pro elite level LBQ has started its inaugural 2012 season with five Quebec-based teams called the Laurentides Revolution, Laval Seigneurs, Longueuil Monteregie, Riviere des Prairies Jaguars, and Montreal Page-Dynamo. The season runs from mid-April to early July.
American Basketball Association: The ABA has announced a new team called the Pontiac (MI) Firebirds will be added to the league's North Central Division for the 2012-13 season.
Tobacco Road Basketball League: The TRBL recently completed is inaugural spring season and is planning expansion for 2013. All seven teams are expected back and its two travel teams, the Queen City Express and Big Texas, could become full members next season. The league is considering new franchises in the Carolinas and possibly Virginia for 2013.
FOOTBALL
Lingerie Football League-United States: The LFL-US has announced that its new St. Louis franchise to be added for the 2013 season will be called the St. Louis Saints. The team planned to play at the Family Arena in suburban St. Charles, but arena officials recently decided against hosting the team's two home games planned for the 2013 season.
Continental Indoor Football League: A Louisville-based indoor football team called the Kentucky Xtreme played a game last month against the CIFL's Indianapolis Enforcers. The team plans to submit an application to join the CIFL for the 2013 season. The Kentucy Xtreme plans to operate an outdoor football league that starts its schedule this month as part of the semi-pro Interstate Football League.
A-11 Football League: The new spring-summer professional A-11FL plans to start play in the spring of 2014 with at least ten teams. The league will feature a new patented A-11 Offense that features interchangeable players at every position.
Lone Star Football League: The Corpus Christi Hammerheads franchise of the indoor LSFL was having financial issues and a recent boycott by players caused the team to forfeit a game. The Hammerheads' owner also operates the league's Laredo Rattlesnakes and Rio Grande Valley Magic, but he is trying to sell those two franchises.
HOCKEY
Central Hockey League: After nine seasons in the CHL, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees franchise, based in Hidalgo (TX), has decided to suspend operations for the 2012-13 season. One of the reasons was the departure next season of its rival the Laredo Bucks, along with the departure of former CHL teams in Austin and Corpus Christi over the past two seasons. The city's arena management stated that a Tier II junior-level team in the North American Hockey League plans to move to Hidalgo for the 2012-13 season.
Midwest Junior Hockey League: The new MWJHL, which is affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), has announced the initial 14 teams in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio that will be part of the league's inaugural 2012-13 season. The league plans to announce its divisional alignment in a meeting next month and could increase to 18 teams for its first season.
North American 3 Hockey League: The Tier III junior-level NA3HL, which is affiliated with the Tier II North American Hockey League and was known as the Central States Hockey League prior to the 2010-11 season, has announced the league alignment for the 17 teams that will participate in the 2012-13 season. The alignment includes a six-team East Division, a six-team West Division, and a five-team Central Division.
Federal Hockey League: The FHL has its new Dayton-based expansion team listed as the Dayton Devils. The league has confirmed that its Brooklyn Aviators and Akwesasne Warriors franchises will not return for the 2012-13 season.
SOCCER
United Soccer Leagues - Major Indoor Soccer League: The USL's MISL has made an official announcement that a new team in Chicago will be part of the upcoming 2012-13 season. A team called the Chicago Kick was unable to join the league last season, but there has been no official word as to whether that will be the name of the new 2012-13 team.
Liga MX: Mexico's Primera Division (First Division) soccer league has been renamed Liga MX starting with its Apertura (Opening) session of the 2012-13 season that begins in July. Fourteen teams from both the Liga MX and its relegation league known as Liga de Ascenso will also participate in a Mexican domestic cup tournament called the Torneo de Copa during the Apertura.
OTHER
American Ultimate Disc League: The eight-team pro Frisbee league known as the AUDL plans to expand for its second season in 2013. The new Toronto Rush plans to join with new teams in Washington (DC), Boston, New York City and other East Coast cities as part of an eight-team expansion.
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.
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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.
