Post by lionsroar on Jun 15, 2008 6:49:50 GMT -5
AIFA appears stable
Owners confident league has future
BY CHRISTA TURNER - turnerc@ledger-enquirer.com --
When the Huntington Heroes face the Columbus Lions today, it will be with a revamped team that is featuring many new players and its third head coach.
Near the end of April, Heroes players refused to board a bus to play the Florence Phantoms, saying they hadn't been paid. The financial instability surrounding the Heroes, as well as rumors that other teams in the American Indoor Football Association could fold, wouldn't seem to lend itself any credibility for the league.
However, owners in the AIFA say they have confidence in the league, as well as the financial model necessary to be successful fielding a team. Columbus Lions co-owner John Hargrove said the problems aren't because of the league.
"It's not the league so much as the model," Hargrove said. "The model requires a combination of local sponsorships, season ticket base and attendance at the game."
AIFA co-founder John Morris chose not to address how strong the league is right now. Instead, he let an incoming owner say it for him. Bob Bartosiewicz will bring his Continental Indoor Football League championship team to the AIFA in 2009, it was announced on Friday.
"Bob said the reason he made the move is because (the AIFA) is the strongest league out there at this time," Morris said.
There will likely be attrition following the season, but the league is still situated for growth, Morris said. The league will welcome Rochester, N.Y., into the fold, along with a team from Harrisburg, Penn. New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston is part of that ownership group.
There is also talk that 2007 league champ Lakeland, Fla., will rejoin the league. Morris also said he hopes to add a couple of teams to the West Division, which has just four teams now.
"We're adding strong leaders to the league," Morris said. "I'd rather have 12 strong teams than 20 teams with five weak teams. I'd rather have strong owners like John Hargrove.
Morris compared running an AIFA team to running any other business.
"We basically have 16 companies," Morris said. "When was the last time you saw a McDonald's go out of business? They're branded. Still, some McDonald's are more successful than others. It's about who you have in place to run the company. We have strong leaders in place leading the company. I like where we are right now."
Hargrove said he anticipates changes in the league.
"Given the economic model needed to sustain it, there will be a couple of casualties," Hargrove said. "If I was estimating, there's a good chance, two to three to four teams would not be there next year, or if they are, with different ownership."
Morris basically echoed that sentiment and said there would be some difficult decisions to make when the season finishes.
Huntington, despite its problems, remains in the playoff picture with its 8-4 record and second-place East Division standing. The Heroes have put a successful team on the field every year, but attendance has waned from more than 1,500 to barely 1,000 per game.
Attendance figures for the entire league are not available. They're reported on a team-by-team basis. Not all teams report attendance, but Morris said teams in Arizona, New Mexico, Fayetteville, N.C., and Reading, Penn., are all drawing well.
www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/347814.html
Owners confident league has future
BY CHRISTA TURNER - turnerc@ledger-enquirer.com --
When the Huntington Heroes face the Columbus Lions today, it will be with a revamped team that is featuring many new players and its third head coach.
Near the end of April, Heroes players refused to board a bus to play the Florence Phantoms, saying they hadn't been paid. The financial instability surrounding the Heroes, as well as rumors that other teams in the American Indoor Football Association could fold, wouldn't seem to lend itself any credibility for the league.
However, owners in the AIFA say they have confidence in the league, as well as the financial model necessary to be successful fielding a team. Columbus Lions co-owner John Hargrove said the problems aren't because of the league.
"It's not the league so much as the model," Hargrove said. "The model requires a combination of local sponsorships, season ticket base and attendance at the game."
AIFA co-founder John Morris chose not to address how strong the league is right now. Instead, he let an incoming owner say it for him. Bob Bartosiewicz will bring his Continental Indoor Football League championship team to the AIFA in 2009, it was announced on Friday.
"Bob said the reason he made the move is because (the AIFA) is the strongest league out there at this time," Morris said.
There will likely be attrition following the season, but the league is still situated for growth, Morris said. The league will welcome Rochester, N.Y., into the fold, along with a team from Harrisburg, Penn. New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston is part of that ownership group.
There is also talk that 2007 league champ Lakeland, Fla., will rejoin the league. Morris also said he hopes to add a couple of teams to the West Division, which has just four teams now.
"We're adding strong leaders to the league," Morris said. "I'd rather have 12 strong teams than 20 teams with five weak teams. I'd rather have strong owners like John Hargrove.
Morris compared running an AIFA team to running any other business.
"We basically have 16 companies," Morris said. "When was the last time you saw a McDonald's go out of business? They're branded. Still, some McDonald's are more successful than others. It's about who you have in place to run the company. We have strong leaders in place leading the company. I like where we are right now."
Hargrove said he anticipates changes in the league.
"Given the economic model needed to sustain it, there will be a couple of casualties," Hargrove said. "If I was estimating, there's a good chance, two to three to four teams would not be there next year, or if they are, with different ownership."
Morris basically echoed that sentiment and said there would be some difficult decisions to make when the season finishes.
Huntington, despite its problems, remains in the playoff picture with its 8-4 record and second-place East Division standing. The Heroes have put a successful team on the field every year, but attendance has waned from more than 1,500 to barely 1,000 per game.
Attendance figures for the entire league are not available. They're reported on a team-by-team basis. Not all teams report attendance, but Morris said teams in Arizona, New Mexico, Fayetteville, N.C., and Reading, Penn., are all drawing well.
www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/347814.html
