Post by Banana Cat on Jun 25, 2011 6:15:46 GMT -5
A good article on the league.
www.nationalfootballauthority.com/2011/06/indoor-football-league-is-as-blue.html
www.nationalfootballauthority.com/2011/06/indoor-football-league-is-as-blue.html
Indoor Football League is as Blue Collar as They Come
June 24, 2011
By Bear Heiser / Senior Writer
If you are a depressed football fanatic who is clamoring for action, let me suggest the Indoor Football League (IFL). The IFL starts its second round of playoff action this weekend in Green Bay, Sioux Falls, Fairbanks and Colorado.
For those of you unfamiliar with the indoor game, just know that it's played at a faster pace, on a smaller field, features the same kinds of bone-crushing hits you see every Sunday in the NFL, and an abundance of scoring. Twenty-two teams make up the IFL, in cities ranging from Leigh Valley, Pa. all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Even though the rosters may not be as recognizable as the ones you see taking the field in the NFL, the IFL is stocked full of talent. You will find that some have had cups of coffee with NFL teams while others went right from college ball to the IFL.
Defensive tackle Jervonte Jackson has spent time with the Eagles and Jaguars, safety Travonti Johnson has played with the Giants, and reigning IFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Arkeith Brown made it to the final cut in Saints camp last season. Former Colorado cornerback and special teams threat Terry Washington has been a mainstay in the league for years. Former Illinois quarterback Juice Williams spent time in the IFL this season after going undrafted in 2010.
So, as you can see, the players that encompass IFL rosters are hardly Average Joes—on the field or away from it.
For a large number of professional athletes, playing for the love of the game sometimes isn't enough. This isn't the case in the IFL. Players are paid only a few hundred dollars a game, having to work second and sometimes third jobs just to make ends meet. Some moonlight as restaurant servers, retail workers, school teachers, or even guidance counselors.
While the NFL's Players and Owners continue to argue over inordinate sums of money, Colorado Ice running back Terry Washington plays for next to nothing—hoping the IFL will catapult his football playing career to the next level.
Back in April, I spent some time getting to know Washington—a finalist for the IFL's Adam Pringle award, given to the player or coach who exemplified outstanding service and dedication to their surrounding community—learning about what life is like in the IFL.
Washington starts every day the same way with early morning gym workouts followed by practice at eight, which can last anywhere from two to three hours. After his football duties are through, he moves onto his second love: mentoring troubled teens at Reflections for Youth.
"The kids respond to me. They can relate to me more than older guys. The kids willingness to open their arms and respect me and want to listen to what I have to say means a lot," on why he chooses to spend his afternoons working at Reflections.
At Reflections, Washington, the resident running back, wears multiple hats. Not only does he mentor, he also substitute teaches math, english and history. His interactions with the kids doesn't stop there though, he regularly gives the kids game tickets to sit in the endzone so he can toss up the game ball after scoring a touchdown. Oh, for the record, Washington reached the endzone 19 times in only eight games this season. That is a lot of game balls.
Stories like Washington's aren't uncommon in the IFL either. Since the majority of IFL franchises are located in cities that do not feature an NFL team, the players are seen as local celebrities. The league has done a great job encouraging fan interaction by allowing fans to be close to the game. Giving back to the community is expected around the IFL. Smaller communities equal a bigger opportunity for players to reach the fans that frequent games every weekend.
IFL teams average around 4500 fans per game with quite a few seeing an increase in support this past season.
"This has easily been our most competitive season to-date, both on the field and away from it," IFL Director of Football Operations Mike Allshouse told me Friday.
After speaking with a few players around the league, it seems the NFL's labor mess has motivated many to put the best possible product on the field in hopes of garnering more support around the country.
The second round of playoff action is set to commence Friday night when the Wranglers from Allen, Texas travel to Alaska to battle the Fairbanks Grizzlies. The final game of the second round will be played Monday night in Colorado when the Tri-Cities Fever meet the Ice.
If you are one of the many that have been turned off by the NFL's labor dispute and are in need of seeing touchdowns being scored, you won't find many pro sports leagues as blue-collar as the IFL. And if you can't make it to see the games first hand, OneSportsPlus.com will be live-steaming all the action until a champion is crowned.
June 24, 2011
By Bear Heiser / Senior Writer
If you are a depressed football fanatic who is clamoring for action, let me suggest the Indoor Football League (IFL). The IFL starts its second round of playoff action this weekend in Green Bay, Sioux Falls, Fairbanks and Colorado.
For those of you unfamiliar with the indoor game, just know that it's played at a faster pace, on a smaller field, features the same kinds of bone-crushing hits you see every Sunday in the NFL, and an abundance of scoring. Twenty-two teams make up the IFL, in cities ranging from Leigh Valley, Pa. all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Even though the rosters may not be as recognizable as the ones you see taking the field in the NFL, the IFL is stocked full of talent. You will find that some have had cups of coffee with NFL teams while others went right from college ball to the IFL.
Defensive tackle Jervonte Jackson has spent time with the Eagles and Jaguars, safety Travonti Johnson has played with the Giants, and reigning IFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Arkeith Brown made it to the final cut in Saints camp last season. Former Colorado cornerback and special teams threat Terry Washington has been a mainstay in the league for years. Former Illinois quarterback Juice Williams spent time in the IFL this season after going undrafted in 2010.
So, as you can see, the players that encompass IFL rosters are hardly Average Joes—on the field or away from it.
For a large number of professional athletes, playing for the love of the game sometimes isn't enough. This isn't the case in the IFL. Players are paid only a few hundred dollars a game, having to work second and sometimes third jobs just to make ends meet. Some moonlight as restaurant servers, retail workers, school teachers, or even guidance counselors.
While the NFL's Players and Owners continue to argue over inordinate sums of money, Colorado Ice running back Terry Washington plays for next to nothing—hoping the IFL will catapult his football playing career to the next level.
Back in April, I spent some time getting to know Washington—a finalist for the IFL's Adam Pringle award, given to the player or coach who exemplified outstanding service and dedication to their surrounding community—learning about what life is like in the IFL.
Washington starts every day the same way with early morning gym workouts followed by practice at eight, which can last anywhere from two to three hours. After his football duties are through, he moves onto his second love: mentoring troubled teens at Reflections for Youth.
"The kids respond to me. They can relate to me more than older guys. The kids willingness to open their arms and respect me and want to listen to what I have to say means a lot," on why he chooses to spend his afternoons working at Reflections.
At Reflections, Washington, the resident running back, wears multiple hats. Not only does he mentor, he also substitute teaches math, english and history. His interactions with the kids doesn't stop there though, he regularly gives the kids game tickets to sit in the endzone so he can toss up the game ball after scoring a touchdown. Oh, for the record, Washington reached the endzone 19 times in only eight games this season. That is a lot of game balls.
Stories like Washington's aren't uncommon in the IFL either. Since the majority of IFL franchises are located in cities that do not feature an NFL team, the players are seen as local celebrities. The league has done a great job encouraging fan interaction by allowing fans to be close to the game. Giving back to the community is expected around the IFL. Smaller communities equal a bigger opportunity for players to reach the fans that frequent games every weekend.
IFL teams average around 4500 fans per game with quite a few seeing an increase in support this past season.
"This has easily been our most competitive season to-date, both on the field and away from it," IFL Director of Football Operations Mike Allshouse told me Friday.
After speaking with a few players around the league, it seems the NFL's labor mess has motivated many to put the best possible product on the field in hopes of garnering more support around the country.
The second round of playoff action is set to commence Friday night when the Wranglers from Allen, Texas travel to Alaska to battle the Fairbanks Grizzlies. The final game of the second round will be played Monday night in Colorado when the Tri-Cities Fever meet the Ice.
If you are one of the many that have been turned off by the NFL's labor dispute and are in need of seeing touchdowns being scored, you won't find many pro sports leagues as blue-collar as the IFL. And if you can't make it to see the games first hand, OneSportsPlus.com will be live-steaming all the action until a champion is crowned.