Post by Banana Cat on Oct 5, 2010 4:58:47 GMT -5
www.scntx.com/articles/2010/10/04/sports/schools/allen/75.txt
City wrangles itself up new indoor football team
BY Matt Welch / acnpapers.com
September 29, 2010
The Allen Americans won’t be the only upstart sports franchise occupying the Allen Event Center in the coming years.
A process built from the ground up was made official Wednesday morning from the Absolute Club at the Allen Event Center, as Allen will house an indoor football team for the next decade.
“This is a great thing for Allen,” said Stephen Terrell, Allen mayor. “It just adds several good games to this venue … it makes it to where we may now hold up to 40 events here on a consistent basis. This is going to be a 10-year contract, so for 10 years we’re going to have arena football here.”
A motion passed by the Allen City Council on Tuesday night, the team was approved for a 10-year lease with the Allen Event Center. In just the latest addition to the budding, the Village at Allen and the Indoor Football League, team owner Jim Smith touched down on the city not too long ago and saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“[Smith] came down one afternoon and we toured the Event Center,” Terrell said. “He got real excited about the community and the way it is, plus when he reads about things like our new $59 million football stadium, that made him think we’re a real exciting football town.”
In addition to making the team’s presence in Allen official, Wednesday’s press conference also revealed the club’s mascot, a decision placed in the hands of the public in a contest held over the past week.
An endeavor that garnered over 500 e-mails and entries, the name “Wranglers” won out in the end.
“We wanted to find something that fit the community and something that fits Texas,” Smith said.
With roughly 16 accepted submissions for the Wranglers nickname, a drawing was held to determine the overall contest winner; an honor drawn from a cowboy hat and awarded to Robert Ferguson, who won a pair of Wranglers season tickets and an iPad. The other entries put up for the drawing will receive a Wranglers t-shirt for their contribution.
A team logo is still in the works, but Wranglers vice president of sales and marketing Miko Jennings did confirm the team will be sticking with the red, white and blue colors also donned by the Americans.
Other names that received consideration included Avengers, Armadillos and Outlaws; the latter of which is already occupied by the IFL’s Montana-based Billings Outlaws.
“We thought Avengers was a bit too much like the Americans,” Jennings said. “We thought the mascot might get a bit tricky, so we decided to bring a little country.”
With the team’s official announcement out of the way, the Wranglers’ staff now turns towards things like sponsorships and fielding a team. An operation created from scratch, the team is in the final stages of hiring a head coach, with an announcement expected in the next week.
Ticket sales are also in the final stages of taking form, as Jennings said fans will be able to purchase tickets for Wranglers games at either: gettix.com or by calling the team offices at: 972-912-3111 with prices ranging from $10-$50.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Jennings at: 214-906-9969 or: mjennings@allenwranglers.com.
“I’m thrilled that this day is finally here,” Jennings said. “It’s hard to keep quiet until the City Council voted on it and made it official, to the excitement from picking the name … The response we’ve received from the contest and putting fliers up in retail stores and restaurants, everyone sounds really excited about this.”
Fans will get their first look at the Wranglers when the 2011 IFL season kicks off in March. A team schedule and divisional opponents will be released Oct. 15, as the sentiments on seeing this operation finally come to fruition are shared by all.
“I’m very excited about being here,” Smith said. “Everyone from the city to the community, the event staff and everybody involved in this has been outstanding.
“This city seems like a natural fit.”
BY Matt Welch / acnpapers.com
September 29, 2010
The Allen Americans won’t be the only upstart sports franchise occupying the Allen Event Center in the coming years.
A process built from the ground up was made official Wednesday morning from the Absolute Club at the Allen Event Center, as Allen will house an indoor football team for the next decade.
“This is a great thing for Allen,” said Stephen Terrell, Allen mayor. “It just adds several good games to this venue … it makes it to where we may now hold up to 40 events here on a consistent basis. This is going to be a 10-year contract, so for 10 years we’re going to have arena football here.”
A motion passed by the Allen City Council on Tuesday night, the team was approved for a 10-year lease with the Allen Event Center. In just the latest addition to the budding, the Village at Allen and the Indoor Football League, team owner Jim Smith touched down on the city not too long ago and saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“[Smith] came down one afternoon and we toured the Event Center,” Terrell said. “He got real excited about the community and the way it is, plus when he reads about things like our new $59 million football stadium, that made him think we’re a real exciting football town.”
In addition to making the team’s presence in Allen official, Wednesday’s press conference also revealed the club’s mascot, a decision placed in the hands of the public in a contest held over the past week.
An endeavor that garnered over 500 e-mails and entries, the name “Wranglers” won out in the end.
“We wanted to find something that fit the community and something that fits Texas,” Smith said.
With roughly 16 accepted submissions for the Wranglers nickname, a drawing was held to determine the overall contest winner; an honor drawn from a cowboy hat and awarded to Robert Ferguson, who won a pair of Wranglers season tickets and an iPad. The other entries put up for the drawing will receive a Wranglers t-shirt for their contribution.
A team logo is still in the works, but Wranglers vice president of sales and marketing Miko Jennings did confirm the team will be sticking with the red, white and blue colors also donned by the Americans.
Other names that received consideration included Avengers, Armadillos and Outlaws; the latter of which is already occupied by the IFL’s Montana-based Billings Outlaws.
“We thought Avengers was a bit too much like the Americans,” Jennings said. “We thought the mascot might get a bit tricky, so we decided to bring a little country.”
With the team’s official announcement out of the way, the Wranglers’ staff now turns towards things like sponsorships and fielding a team. An operation created from scratch, the team is in the final stages of hiring a head coach, with an announcement expected in the next week.
Ticket sales are also in the final stages of taking form, as Jennings said fans will be able to purchase tickets for Wranglers games at either: gettix.com or by calling the team offices at: 972-912-3111 with prices ranging from $10-$50.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Jennings at: 214-906-9969 or: mjennings@allenwranglers.com.
“I’m thrilled that this day is finally here,” Jennings said. “It’s hard to keep quiet until the City Council voted on it and made it official, to the excitement from picking the name … The response we’ve received from the contest and putting fliers up in retail stores and restaurants, everyone sounds really excited about this.”
Fans will get their first look at the Wranglers when the 2011 IFL season kicks off in March. A team schedule and divisional opponents will be released Oct. 15, as the sentiments on seeing this operation finally come to fruition are shared by all.
“I’m very excited about being here,” Smith said. “Everyone from the city to the community, the event staff and everybody involved in this has been outstanding.
“This city seems like a natural fit.”