Post by Free Agent Fan on Aug 16, 2007 18:19:37 GMT -5
www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/SPORTS/70815084
Another football league to play here
By Carl Bleich
cbleich@news-press.com
Originally posted on August 16, 2007
There’s a new football team in town.
Again.
The American Indoor Football Association announced Wednesday that the Florida Stingrays will be its newest member and will play home games at the Lee County Civic Center in North Fort Myers.
The Fort Myers Tarpons entered the Southwest Florida football landscape last season and played one home game at the Civic Center. The National Indoor Football League team suspended operations after two games.
The Stingrays are set to begin play in March 2008 and will release their schedule in mid-September. The Lakeland Thunderbolts, the defending league champions, are the only other AIFA team in Florida.
Gary Vaughn, Sean Harrell and Jarrod Williams make up the ownership group. It is their first venture into sports ownership. Vaughn is based in Sanford, just outside of Orlando, while Harrell and Williams are in Dallas.
“I knew how big football was in Florida,” said Vaughn, who is also the team’s general manager. “Members of the community had expressed their openness of bringing a team here. This is something we are very excited about.”
Southwest Florida has one established football team which plays indoors.
The arenafootball2 Florida Firecats, based out of Germain Arena in Estero, recently completed their seventh season.
With the addition of the Stingrays, the AIFA is a 12-team league. The Tallahassee Titans had been the league’s 12th team but they moved to the World Indoor Football League earlier this week.
“We know football will work in this building,” said Alta Mosley, the Civic Center manager. “From what I have seen, this league is well organized and their performance record has been very good.”
According to a news release by NIFL commissioner Cleveland Gary in June, the league and all 16 expansion teams, including the Fort Myers franchise, will be back for the 2008 season. Gary could not be reached for comment.
“They will not be back in this building,” Mosley said of the Tarpons. “We are hosting the Stingrays. I’m not sure what the Tarpons are going to do.”
Tarpons coach Bernard Edwards said he does not believe that the NIFL will return to this area unless something changes and has already spoken with Stingray ownership.
Vaughn is accepting coaching resumes and hopes to have an open tryout for players prior to the season.
The Stingrays will wear the same garnet and gold colors of the Florida State Seminoles.
The 2007 season was the AIFA’s first. It is eight-on-eight football on a 50-yard field.
The league has 12 teams in 10 different states.
Vaughn plans on talking with players that played for the Tarpons.
“If I can field a team with all local talent I will,” Vaughn said. “I want fans to walk in the stadium and see someone that they know, somebody they have a relationship with."
Another football league to play here
By Carl Bleich
cbleich@news-press.com
Originally posted on August 16, 2007
There’s a new football team in town.
Again.
The American Indoor Football Association announced Wednesday that the Florida Stingrays will be its newest member and will play home games at the Lee County Civic Center in North Fort Myers.
The Fort Myers Tarpons entered the Southwest Florida football landscape last season and played one home game at the Civic Center. The National Indoor Football League team suspended operations after two games.
The Stingrays are set to begin play in March 2008 and will release their schedule in mid-September. The Lakeland Thunderbolts, the defending league champions, are the only other AIFA team in Florida.
Gary Vaughn, Sean Harrell and Jarrod Williams make up the ownership group. It is their first venture into sports ownership. Vaughn is based in Sanford, just outside of Orlando, while Harrell and Williams are in Dallas.
“I knew how big football was in Florida,” said Vaughn, who is also the team’s general manager. “Members of the community had expressed their openness of bringing a team here. This is something we are very excited about.”
Southwest Florida has one established football team which plays indoors.
The arenafootball2 Florida Firecats, based out of Germain Arena in Estero, recently completed their seventh season.
With the addition of the Stingrays, the AIFA is a 12-team league. The Tallahassee Titans had been the league’s 12th team but they moved to the World Indoor Football League earlier this week.
“We know football will work in this building,” said Alta Mosley, the Civic Center manager. “From what I have seen, this league is well organized and their performance record has been very good.”
According to a news release by NIFL commissioner Cleveland Gary in June, the league and all 16 expansion teams, including the Fort Myers franchise, will be back for the 2008 season. Gary could not be reached for comment.
“They will not be back in this building,” Mosley said of the Tarpons. “We are hosting the Stingrays. I’m not sure what the Tarpons are going to do.”
Tarpons coach Bernard Edwards said he does not believe that the NIFL will return to this area unless something changes and has already spoken with Stingray ownership.
Vaughn is accepting coaching resumes and hopes to have an open tryout for players prior to the season.
The Stingrays will wear the same garnet and gold colors of the Florida State Seminoles.
The 2007 season was the AIFA’s first. It is eight-on-eight football on a 50-yard field.
The league has 12 teams in 10 different states.
Vaughn plans on talking with players that played for the Tarpons.
“If I can field a team with all local talent I will,” Vaughn said. “I want fans to walk in the stadium and see someone that they know, somebody they have a relationship with."
welcome aboard stingrays! :smileymudcats: 
