Post by Banana Cat on Jul 8, 2011 18:46:42 GMT -5
www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/08/1559800/fever-sets-stellar-example-of.html
Fever sets stellar example of stability for IFL teams
By Jeff Morrow, TRI-CITY HERALD
Jul. 08, 2011
KENNEWICK -- The commissioner of the Indoor Football League sees the final four teams in the playoffs like this: three no-brainers and one big surprise.
"Tri-Cities has been great since the first week of the season; there's no surprise there," Tommy Benizio said. "Sioux Falls has been everybody's pick. And Green Bay is like Tri-Cities in that they've been a tough team to beat in our league."
And how about the Allen Wranglers, the Fever's opponent in Saturday's Intense Conference championship (4:35 p.m. kickoff)?
"I'll say Allen's been a surprise," Benizio admitted. "I take a little extra pride in Allen. That team, that had some real struggles with a change of ownership (in midseason). That team, I had to lay awake at night thinking about them. And that it emerged from such a dark situation has been a pleasant surprise."
Allen was one of a few headaches this season for Benizio, who rates this IFL season as slightly above average.
"I'd probably give us a C-plus rating," he said. "Things were terrific in that we set out with a goal of starting and finishing the season with 22 teams. Our primary objectives were achieved. It wasn't always done with the class and professionalism we'd have liked it to. We had some struggles."
Those struggles included a midseason ownership change for the Kent Predators, who changed their name to the Seattle Timberwolves.
Then there were the Bricktown Brawlers and Arizona Adrenaline, whose owners finished the season by releasing their players and bringing in semipro players.
There have been very few minor professional sports leagues without problems. Benizio admits he and the league's owners are learning from their mistakes.
"Our goals aren't to be mediocre," he said. "We want the league to stand out. We want to achieve stability, even if we have to prune some weak links."
Entering the league meetings in September for the 2012 season, Benizio wants the team owners to think about unity, stability and profitability.
"If all of the teams in general are trying to push in the same direction, we'll have success," Benizio said. "We want to be part of a league that is stable. And people forget that while we have a lot of fun doing what we do, this is still a business, and teams are trying to make more money than they spend."
Benizio knows the IFL will lose some teams, including Bricktown and Arizona. Wenatchee Valley's owners announced last month that their team would sit out the 2012 season to reorganize.
But new teams are on the way.
"We are neck-deep in expansion," Benizio said. "We've already got one team in. We haven't announced it yet. And we're getting close to others getting in. It's exciting. I am pleased with where we are."
Until those meetings, though, Benizio wants to see the 2011 season played out.
He likes what he has seen with Tri-Cities.
"(Fever owner) Teri Carr won the executive of the year award," Benizio said. "She has been such a pillar of sanity and strength in a league that has had some insanity and struggled at times. I'm very proud of her."
By Jeff Morrow, TRI-CITY HERALD
Jul. 08, 2011
KENNEWICK -- The commissioner of the Indoor Football League sees the final four teams in the playoffs like this: three no-brainers and one big surprise.
"Tri-Cities has been great since the first week of the season; there's no surprise there," Tommy Benizio said. "Sioux Falls has been everybody's pick. And Green Bay is like Tri-Cities in that they've been a tough team to beat in our league."
And how about the Allen Wranglers, the Fever's opponent in Saturday's Intense Conference championship (4:35 p.m. kickoff)?
"I'll say Allen's been a surprise," Benizio admitted. "I take a little extra pride in Allen. That team, that had some real struggles with a change of ownership (in midseason). That team, I had to lay awake at night thinking about them. And that it emerged from such a dark situation has been a pleasant surprise."
Allen was one of a few headaches this season for Benizio, who rates this IFL season as slightly above average.
"I'd probably give us a C-plus rating," he said. "Things were terrific in that we set out with a goal of starting and finishing the season with 22 teams. Our primary objectives were achieved. It wasn't always done with the class and professionalism we'd have liked it to. We had some struggles."
Those struggles included a midseason ownership change for the Kent Predators, who changed their name to the Seattle Timberwolves.
Then there were the Bricktown Brawlers and Arizona Adrenaline, whose owners finished the season by releasing their players and bringing in semipro players.
There have been very few minor professional sports leagues without problems. Benizio admits he and the league's owners are learning from their mistakes.
"Our goals aren't to be mediocre," he said. "We want the league to stand out. We want to achieve stability, even if we have to prune some weak links."
Entering the league meetings in September for the 2012 season, Benizio wants the team owners to think about unity, stability and profitability.
"If all of the teams in general are trying to push in the same direction, we'll have success," Benizio said. "We want to be part of a league that is stable. And people forget that while we have a lot of fun doing what we do, this is still a business, and teams are trying to make more money than they spend."
Benizio knows the IFL will lose some teams, including Bricktown and Arizona. Wenatchee Valley's owners announced last month that their team would sit out the 2012 season to reorganize.
But new teams are on the way.
"We are neck-deep in expansion," Benizio said. "We've already got one team in. We haven't announced it yet. And we're getting close to others getting in. It's exciting. I am pleased with where we are."
Until those meetings, though, Benizio wants to see the 2011 season played out.
He likes what he has seen with Tri-Cities.
"(Fever owner) Teri Carr won the executive of the year award," Benizio said. "She has been such a pillar of sanity and strength in a league that has had some insanity and struggled at times. I'm very proud of her."