Post by Banana Cat on Jul 23, 2010 1:20:47 GMT -5
www.rgj.com/article/20100721/SPORTS/100721049/1018/sports
Indoor football team owner says Barons will start play in Reno in 2011
Scott Oxarart / rgj.com
July 21, 2010
A professional football team is on its way to Reno, the team’s owner says.
The Reno Barons will make their indoor football debut at the Reno Events Center in 2011, team owner and CEO Cesare “Chez” Jennings said Wednesday.
“We’ve been planing this for the last couple years,” said Jennings, a former professional wrestler and current president of World Supreme Cage Fighting. “We’ve had a couple little hiccups. But the city of Reno has welcomed us with open arms.”
Jennings has the franchise, a place to play and a coach. But he doesn’t yet have a league to play in.
The owner said the Barons will announce which conference they will play in next week.
The Barons would join the Triple-A Aces baseball team and the NBA Development League Bighorns basketball team, becoming the third minor-league franchise to begin play here in the last three years, should they come to Reno.
The team’s inaugural season is scheduled to start in March 2011 and go through July. Teams play roughly 14 to 16 games, half at home and half on the road.
Major Harris, a recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee who led West Virginia to a national championship in 1988, will be the coach. The team plans to sign local players and hire a defensive coordinator and special teams coach from the area.
The Barons are also looking for a mascot and dancers.
Jennings said fans can expect fast-paced, high-scoring games with plenty of entertainment.
“I believe in putting on a show,” said Jennings, who wrestled in Japan and South America. “I know what people want to see. If we lose 99-0, you’re still going to have a good time.”
However, he was quick to add that “winning is definitely important.”
Reno will be Jennings’ second venture in arena football.
He said tickets prices will start at $15, which go on sale in September, and most games will take place on Fridays and Saturdays.
“We don’t want to be here for just a year, we want to be here for the next 20,” Jennings said.
The Arena Football League went bankrupt in 2008. But a different league, with the same name, began play in 2010 and was comprised of teams from the original AFL and af2. Jennings confirmed the team will not play in the AFL.
Scott Oxarart / rgj.com
July 21, 2010
A professional football team is on its way to Reno, the team’s owner says.
The Reno Barons will make their indoor football debut at the Reno Events Center in 2011, team owner and CEO Cesare “Chez” Jennings said Wednesday.
“We’ve been planing this for the last couple years,” said Jennings, a former professional wrestler and current president of World Supreme Cage Fighting. “We’ve had a couple little hiccups. But the city of Reno has welcomed us with open arms.”
Jennings has the franchise, a place to play and a coach. But he doesn’t yet have a league to play in.
The owner said the Barons will announce which conference they will play in next week.
The Barons would join the Triple-A Aces baseball team and the NBA Development League Bighorns basketball team, becoming the third minor-league franchise to begin play here in the last three years, should they come to Reno.
The team’s inaugural season is scheduled to start in March 2011 and go through July. Teams play roughly 14 to 16 games, half at home and half on the road.
Major Harris, a recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee who led West Virginia to a national championship in 1988, will be the coach. The team plans to sign local players and hire a defensive coordinator and special teams coach from the area.
The Barons are also looking for a mascot and dancers.
Jennings said fans can expect fast-paced, high-scoring games with plenty of entertainment.
“I believe in putting on a show,” said Jennings, who wrestled in Japan and South America. “I know what people want to see. If we lose 99-0, you’re still going to have a good time.”
However, he was quick to add that “winning is definitely important.”
Reno will be Jennings’ second venture in arena football.
He said tickets prices will start at $15, which go on sale in September, and most games will take place on Fridays and Saturdays.
“We don’t want to be here for just a year, we want to be here for the next 20,” Jennings said.
The Arena Football League went bankrupt in 2008. But a different league, with the same name, began play in 2010 and was comprised of teams from the original AFL and af2. Jennings confirmed the team will not play in the AFL.