SYRACUSE SOLDIERS

[Syracuse Fan]

I Really think They should bring Back the Syracuse soldiers... Although their season fell through last year it was a very positive thing for the community...They had many fans who came to watch them each and every game...if they would have won a couple games their support in Syracuse would of been much stronger...it was taking kids off the street, it was giving family's a place to take the fam and be together, it just needed one Person to come who could really help one owner who would advertise for them. get The name out there and also take better care of the players.i believe that if they could get that it would be a success..It also gave a select few players from Syracuse the opportunity of a lifetime...Ity also gave Exposure to alot of young talent who played. I Went to every home game with my kids and brother and loved the energy it had and the excitement just wish all the games were like the first one.The Soldiers also had great potential despite all the drama....but i would like to hear what people think about bringing back the Syracuse Soldiers......Please Reply...Thanks

[Late Boarder]

Another casualty of Haines' ineptitude....

But you're right, I do think indoorball should come back to Syracuse.

[cantonfan]

It would be nice to see them back, with new owners, the team had potential, I hope that someone starts a team in Syrause

[Sykotyk]

1. The league is not going to just 'create a team'. Someone in Syracuse would have to want to start it. So pleaded for it to 'just happen' is far from possible.

2. Were you on the AIFL forums last year as a fan of Syracuse?

3. Please break up long strings of sentences into paragraphs, it hurts the eyes to stare through blocks of text.

Sykotyk

[Un-Frozen Rich]

Welcome to the boards Syracuse Fan.

The AIFL and other leagues have planted teams in towns without ownership before and THEN found owners -- it's not the best scenario, but seems to have worked out OK in Canton and Erie to name just two. And trust me if there was any great big outpouring of public interest in having a team there, more leagues than just the AIFA would be talking to the nice folks in Syracuse. It would definitely taking more than just asking around on a message board though, but I would think it could happen.

I think the bigger problem in Syracuse, or any of the other towns where the league had teams flop or fold before, is going to be convincing the public, the media, and the arena management, that the team will last. A lot of the arena management is going to be hesitant to hand out leases to teams that are going to go POOF in the night and disappear. It's something any new team in Syracuse would have to face.

Anyone remember the deal with why Syracuse folded after last season? Poor attendance? Inept management? Outright Shenanigans? I can't remember the particulars.

[Tatonka]

League owned and decided to cease operations because it was bleeding money. Big arena, big rent = no fans, no ticket revenue, no pay for players.

The Soldiers folding is what caused the clusterf*ck to end the season with replacement semi-pro teams and other teams making up their own schedule.

According to sources...

[aifloffice]

The solders had a good crowd at the first game (about 1900), on a Monday night and within 45 days of when the team was announced.

We did have an owner for the team by their first home game, but he just left one day and didn't come back. The league then came in and tried to help the team finish the season. The league ran out of money, other teams that owed money to the league were not paying, so the league couldn't afford to continue the team.

The arena rent was over $8K a game.

I rushed it when everything fell apart in Binghamton.

I WOULD DO A LOT DIFFERENT, IF I COULD GO BACK!