Blackbirds try to get more home dates

[Tatonka]

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Blackbirds, the new American Indoor Football Association team, met with 1st Mariner Arena officials Monday to add more home games to the team’s schedule.


A spokesperson for the arena could not confirm exactly how many game dates were added, but it should be more than the two that were originally listed on the Blackbirds’ Web site.

The spokesperson confirmed that there are tentatively scheduled dates in March, April, May and June for the new team. The team originally was scheduled to close the season May 25 against the Tallahassee Titans.

The 11,000-seat arena is currently home to the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Baltimore Blast and serves as the city’s chief entertainment venue.

“We’re thrilled to have arena football coming to Baltimore,” the spokesperson said.

The Blackbirds open their season March 10 on the road against the Reading (Pa.) Express and are scheduled for their first home game March 31 against the Carolina Speed.

Attempts to reach Blackbirds general manager John Wolfe to confirm the home dates were unsuccessful, but Wolfe has said in the past that he wanted to expand the home schedule.

Other AIFA teams have begun their seasons, while the Blackbirds will likely announce their final roster tomorrow. The team has been in training camp for the last two weeks. During the season, the team will carry 20 active players and 10 on the practice squad, as well. Indoor football features eight players on the field, as opposed to the NFL’s 11.

In other team news, ESPN 1300 radio personality Damon “The Bulldog” Yaffe said Monday on the “Mark Viviano Show” that he was named the Blackbirds’ director of player personnel. Yaffe, who is also serving as an assistant coach for the Blackbirds and has been an assistant coach for the Boys’ Latin football team in recent years, did not return phone calls for comment.

Yaffe said on the air Monday that contracts would be week-to-week for players. He also noted that he would offer weekly tryouts for anyone who wanted to be on the team.

[exit322]

Yes, it does appear Baltimore's doing things well.

[Un-Frozen Rich]

How exactly does one add games to a schedule once the season starts? Isn't the league's schedule set for the rest of the season? Or is there more going on here? Perhaps the Blackbirds will be taking the place of a team that's going to go away?

[Late Boarder]

Or maybe they're filling in for more teams that lost games from their schedule because of Springfield's transfer to the CIFL.

[exit322]

Or both.

[Un-Frozen Rich]

I think the Springfield games had already been accounted for with the addition of Baltimore and Gulf Coast.

[Late Boarder]

No, Danville still doesn't have a replacement for that slot where they were going to play Springfield.

[Sykotyk]

1. Gulf Coast and Baltimore were basically setup to play the 7 road games missed by Springfield. That still leaves the 7 'home' games unaccounted for. Baltimore was then going to host two of those 7 contests, so that leaves 5 games unplayed.

We already know that the south is already swiss cheese for a schedule because the 'need' for 7 teams, that I don't feel was warranted. They very easily could've worked a schedule out with six teams in the south:

The 7 north teams would play home-and-away against everyone in their division (12 games). Then, host one of the north teams once more, and play a different team from the north on the road).

The south would play home-and-away against the other 5 south teams (10 games). Then, take the division and split 3 and 3. Mississippi, Montgomery, and Tallahassee in one and Florence, Carolina, and Lakeland in the other. Those two 'groups' would play an extra home-and-away against the two teams in their 'group'. 10+4=14.

At least then you cut down on a lot of the travel with the north/south trips, you still get 14 games. And guess what, no half-baked teams in the league.

Sykotyk

[johnw]

All,

We have added three more dates at the Arena to increase our total games to 13. We are in the process now of filling those dates with AIFA opponents. Hope to have that finalized by the end of the week. Everything has to be approved by the league before we can add anything to our schedule, so it may take a few days to do that also.

Thanks,

John Wolfe
General Manager
Baltimore Blackbirds

[Tatonka]

Trying hard to see how this as a good thing for the AIFA...

Travel plans should be finalized far in advance to guarantee the best rates, I forsee problems for teams getting to Baltimore efficiently because of these last minute shananigans.

Call me a pessimist... but if you have the three dates secured, how do you not know who the three opponents will be? There can't be that many open dates on the schedule.

[123yathatsme]

i say bring in gulf coast one time... that would open up a spot

[Un-Frozen Rich]

sykotyk said:

1. Gulf Coast and Baltimore were basically setup to play the 7 road games missed by Springfield. That still leaves the 7 'home' games unaccounted for. Baltimore was then going to host two of those 7 contests, so that leaves 5 games unplayed.

I missed that about the 5 games being unplayed. Frankly, if they can get some more of those games covered by the Blackbirds, I'd see it as a good thing. Sure it's kind of last minute, but at least it's not a forfeit, and it seems like the Blackbirds are trying hard NOT to just be a punching bag team ala the Cardinals, Scorpions, and Ghostchasers. Their accessibility on these boards is a definite good sign about their intentions to run a real team. Heck, they've put out more press than some teams that are playing a full schedule.

[1stDownStorm]

I figured out who needs games. Every team should play 14 games. However, there are 3 teams playing 13 games as of now (Lakeland, Florence, and Danville). Also, there are 3 teams playing 15 games (Reading, Carolina, Huntington). However, Carolina and Huntington are playing a "charity game", whatever that is, so I suppose they are really only playing 14.

You said 5 games, Sykotyk. That is sorta right, but sorta wrong. If you noticed, the GC/Balt has 10 road contests. That means that Reading gains that extra 15th game, and 2 teams get to play the GC/Balt at home twice. Since two teams have those road games made up in the form of home games, there are only the 3 teams that need that extra road game. Florence, Lakeland, and Danville are the likely opponents, but anything is possible.

Teams that are set (5)- Erie, Canton, Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Montgomery
Set except 1 extra game each for "charity game" type thing (3)- Carolina, Huntington, Reading
Set, but 1 home game replaces 1 road game (2)- Tallahassee, Mississippi
Need 1 more road game (3)- Florence, Lakeland, Danville
Currently scheduled for 12 games (2 home), possibly 5 home, would play 15 because of extra game w/ Reading (2)- Baltimore, Gulf Coast

[Tatonka]

Now, you just need to know the extra dates that the Blackbirds got from 1st Mariner, and cross-reference that with teams' availability to find out who can possibly go to Baltimore.

[Sykotyk]

Ouch, the last I heard, it was 2 home games for Baltimore, 7 road games for GC/Balt. I must've missed Reading getting an extra game and some teams in the south hosting GC/Balt twice.

That's messed up. Made more sense when they first publicized this. Now, it's looking like a crap shoot. There goes fairness for the playoffs. Good thing the championship is at a neutral site, else people would be bitching about filler teams.

Sykotyk