Post by Banana Cat on Jun 8, 2011 10:28:31 GMT -5
fayobserver.com/articles/2011/06/08/1099934?sac=Sports
Fayetteville Force preps for final game, looks ahead
Jun 07, 2011
By Sammy Batten / Staff writer
The new owners of the city's professional arena football franchise hope to build a future in Fayetteville, but first have to deal with the past.
The Fayetteville Force (3-8) will play its final Southern Indoor Football League game of the 2011 season Saturday at the Crown Coliseum against the Richmond Raiders (5-6). The 7 p.m. contest will mercifully end a tumultuous year on and off the field that led franchise founder Andrew Bondarowicz to sell most of the team's assets in mid-May with four games left to play.
The corporation known as the American Indoor Football Association, headed by CEO John Morris, now owns the Force. The AIFA, until this year, was an actual indoor league in which Fayetteville had a franchise between 2008-2010.
Plans to revive the AIFA and for the Force to be among its members in 2012 may be part of the future.
"Right now we are under obligation to the SIFL through this weekend,'' AIFA National Director Jack Bowman said Tuesday. "After that, we'll wait and see what the future holds."
An open letter to fans posted on the team website at www.fayettevilleforce.net explained the AIFA's vision for the Force and details of the sale.
The letter concluded with a sentence stating the AIFA would welcome potential local investors, which is also an element Bondarowicz sought without success before selling the team.
"A local presence would be a great thing and beneficial,'' he said. "In the longterm, we'd like to see that. But we can't hold back and wait for local owners to come on board."
Bowman hopes fans who attend Saturday's game will see the commitment the AIFA is making to Fayetteville.
"There are always going to be some fans who will take a wait and see attitude,'' he said. "But we want them to come out and see we're committed to the city, we're committed to the Crown and committed to bringing them a good product in the future.
"Quite honestly, we know it's going to take some time to get back some relationships and some fans.''
Jun 07, 2011
By Sammy Batten / Staff writer
The new owners of the city's professional arena football franchise hope to build a future in Fayetteville, but first have to deal with the past.
The Fayetteville Force (3-8) will play its final Southern Indoor Football League game of the 2011 season Saturday at the Crown Coliseum against the Richmond Raiders (5-6). The 7 p.m. contest will mercifully end a tumultuous year on and off the field that led franchise founder Andrew Bondarowicz to sell most of the team's assets in mid-May with four games left to play.
The corporation known as the American Indoor Football Association, headed by CEO John Morris, now owns the Force. The AIFA, until this year, was an actual indoor league in which Fayetteville had a franchise between 2008-2010.
Plans to revive the AIFA and for the Force to be among its members in 2012 may be part of the future.
"Right now we are under obligation to the SIFL through this weekend,'' AIFA National Director Jack Bowman said Tuesday. "After that, we'll wait and see what the future holds."
An open letter to fans posted on the team website at www.fayettevilleforce.net explained the AIFA's vision for the Force and details of the sale.
The letter concluded with a sentence stating the AIFA would welcome potential local investors, which is also an element Bondarowicz sought without success before selling the team.
"A local presence would be a great thing and beneficial,'' he said. "In the longterm, we'd like to see that. But we can't hold back and wait for local owners to come on board."
Bowman hopes fans who attend Saturday's game will see the commitment the AIFA is making to Fayetteville.
"There are always going to be some fans who will take a wait and see attitude,'' he said. "But we want them to come out and see we're committed to the city, we're committed to the Crown and committed to bringing them a good product in the future.
"Quite honestly, we know it's going to take some time to get back some relationships and some fans.''