Post by Banana Cat on Sept 1, 2010 12:16:22 GMT -5
You don't usually see Paul go off on a league like this, especially by putting out a news release. It just shows how strongly us long time followers of the sport feel about how badly the AIFA has been messing up.
From Oursportscentral:
From Oursportscentral:
The AIFA: How Bad Can You Hurt?
by Paul Reeths
September 1, 2010
The Wyoming Cavalry announced early Wednesday that it would leave the American Indoor Football Association and join the burgeoning Indoor Football League in time for the 2011 season. The move was the latest blow to the AIFA as it attempts to bounce back from a rocky 2010 campaign.
The AIFA stumbled particularly in the West, where teams in Wasilla, Alaska and Ogden, Utah were unable to complete their schedules. The future of both teams remains in question. In addition, the ownership of the Wenatchee Valley (Wash.) Venom has been talking with the IFL.
Wyoming's departure and the potential loss of the Venom leave the San Jose Wolves and Yakima Valley (Wash.) Warriors as the only two relatively stable returning teams in the West; though the Wolves have yet to decide on where they'll play next season once the Arena Football League's San Jose SaberCats take the field again. The AIFA recently announced the addition of the Reno (Nev.) Barons to help bolster the ranks in the region.
While the AIFA considers itself a national league, the teetering Ogden franchise is now the circuit's lone representative in the Central and Mountain time zones.
Last month the league lost its flagship Reading (Pa.) Express franchise to the IFL, costing the AIFA its most stable team in the East. Fayetteville (N.C.) Guard owner Richard King announced he would not be back as the team's owner after he was unable to find a buyer for the squad, leaving the future of the Guard murky. The New Jersey Revolution and league-owned Harrisburg Stampede have struggled with attendance. The Erie (Pa.) Storm, Baltimore Mariners and Richmond Raiders are the other returning teams in the East, and the league-owned Trenton (N.J.) Steel will be added to the mix next season.
Attrition and departures to the IFL have effectively split the AIFA into two widely divided divisions, one in the West and one in the East, making inter-division travel a costly option to fill the 2011 schedule. Unless the AIFA adds more teams, it may not have a choice. Options are few in the West where widespread population bases and suitable arenas make the challenge of finding new markets with stable ownership even greater.
Perhaps more troubling than the logistical problems is what the loss of Reading and Wyoming, two of the league's strongest members, says about confidence in the AIFA's plan moving forward. In particular, Wyoming's ownership took a leadership role in the AIFA's expansion efforts in the West.
The AIFA is now fighting a battle for survival on two fronts.
by Paul Reeths
September 1, 2010
The Wyoming Cavalry announced early Wednesday that it would leave the American Indoor Football Association and join the burgeoning Indoor Football League in time for the 2011 season. The move was the latest blow to the AIFA as it attempts to bounce back from a rocky 2010 campaign.
The AIFA stumbled particularly in the West, where teams in Wasilla, Alaska and Ogden, Utah were unable to complete their schedules. The future of both teams remains in question. In addition, the ownership of the Wenatchee Valley (Wash.) Venom has been talking with the IFL.
Wyoming's departure and the potential loss of the Venom leave the San Jose Wolves and Yakima Valley (Wash.) Warriors as the only two relatively stable returning teams in the West; though the Wolves have yet to decide on where they'll play next season once the Arena Football League's San Jose SaberCats take the field again. The AIFA recently announced the addition of the Reno (Nev.) Barons to help bolster the ranks in the region.
While the AIFA considers itself a national league, the teetering Ogden franchise is now the circuit's lone representative in the Central and Mountain time zones.
Last month the league lost its flagship Reading (Pa.) Express franchise to the IFL, costing the AIFA its most stable team in the East. Fayetteville (N.C.) Guard owner Richard King announced he would not be back as the team's owner after he was unable to find a buyer for the squad, leaving the future of the Guard murky. The New Jersey Revolution and league-owned Harrisburg Stampede have struggled with attendance. The Erie (Pa.) Storm, Baltimore Mariners and Richmond Raiders are the other returning teams in the East, and the league-owned Trenton (N.J.) Steel will be added to the mix next season.
Attrition and departures to the IFL have effectively split the AIFA into two widely divided divisions, one in the West and one in the East, making inter-division travel a costly option to fill the 2011 schedule. Unless the AIFA adds more teams, it may not have a choice. Options are few in the West where widespread population bases and suitable arenas make the challenge of finding new markets with stable ownership even greater.
Perhaps more troubling than the logistical problems is what the loss of Reading and Wyoming, two of the league's strongest members, says about confidence in the AIFA's plan moving forward. In particular, Wyoming's ownership took a leadership role in the AIFA's expansion efforts in the West.
The AIFA is now fighting a battle for survival on two fronts.