Post by Gene on Aug 18, 2010 5:08:16 GMT -5
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
The Reading Express will leave the American Indoor Football Association to join the Indoor Football League, the Reading Eagle has learned.
The Express is expected to make that announcement today during a press conference that starts at 2 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Reading, Wyomissing.
Express team owner Ted Lavender would not confirm or deny the rumored move.
"We'll find out tomorrow (today) what's going to happen," Lavender said Tuesday morning.
John Morris, chief executive officer/owner of the AIFA, told the Reading Eagle he received a message on his voicemail from Lavender informing the league of the Express' intentions to leave.
"He said he wanted to try something else for a year and see what happens," Morris told the Reading Eagle. "We're very sorry to see them go."
The Express was a member of the AIFA since its inception in 2007 and won the league championship in 2009. The Express also played in the AIFA's first championship game in 2007, losing to the Lakeland Thunderbolts in Florence, S.C.
Reading played its inaugural season in the American Indoor Football League in 2006 before the league changed its name under new ownership.
"We've had great football in Reading for the last four years," Morris said. "We certainly are disappointed."
The Express called the press conference to formally introduce new general manager Tim Glase and head coach Chris Thompson. Those introductions were secondary in the press release the team sent out announcing the press conference.
"The Reading Express will announce a major shift in direction for the six-year-old professional indoor football franchise," according to the release from Brenda Mitchell, director of public relations/marketing. "With this major announcement, the Express will continue to strengthen its position in professional indoor football and in the Reading market."
The release states Express owners Ted and Lisa Lavender, Glase, Thompson and special guests will attend the press conference.
IFL commissioner Tommy Benizio was scheduled to check into the Crowne Plaza Tuesday.
The IFL will be in its third season in 2011 after being formed by a merger of the United Indoor Football League and Intense Football League.
In addition to the Express, a still unnamed team from the Lehigh Valley that will play its home games at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem will join the league for 2011.
Twenty-five teams played in the IFL last season with the Billings (Mont.) Outlaws winning the championship.
The league is divided into the United and Intense conferences with three divisions in each conference.
Last year the Atlantic East Division was made up of teams from Richmond, Va.; Rochester, N.Y.; College Park, Md.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Express is coming off an 8-6 season, the first time it failed to qualify for the playoffs in its five-year history.
The team is in a transition period after Bernie Nowotarski, the general manager for nearly four seasons and the head coach for nearly three, parted ways with the Express late last season in what was termed a mutual agreement.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=242350
Reading Eagle
The Reading Express will leave the American Indoor Football Association to join the Indoor Football League, the Reading Eagle has learned.
The Express is expected to make that announcement today during a press conference that starts at 2 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Reading, Wyomissing.
Express team owner Ted Lavender would not confirm or deny the rumored move.
"We'll find out tomorrow (today) what's going to happen," Lavender said Tuesday morning.
John Morris, chief executive officer/owner of the AIFA, told the Reading Eagle he received a message on his voicemail from Lavender informing the league of the Express' intentions to leave.
"He said he wanted to try something else for a year and see what happens," Morris told the Reading Eagle. "We're very sorry to see them go."
The Express was a member of the AIFA since its inception in 2007 and won the league championship in 2009. The Express also played in the AIFA's first championship game in 2007, losing to the Lakeland Thunderbolts in Florence, S.C.
Reading played its inaugural season in the American Indoor Football League in 2006 before the league changed its name under new ownership.
"We've had great football in Reading for the last four years," Morris said. "We certainly are disappointed."
The Express called the press conference to formally introduce new general manager Tim Glase and head coach Chris Thompson. Those introductions were secondary in the press release the team sent out announcing the press conference.
"The Reading Express will announce a major shift in direction for the six-year-old professional indoor football franchise," according to the release from Brenda Mitchell, director of public relations/marketing. "With this major announcement, the Express will continue to strengthen its position in professional indoor football and in the Reading market."
The release states Express owners Ted and Lisa Lavender, Glase, Thompson and special guests will attend the press conference.
IFL commissioner Tommy Benizio was scheduled to check into the Crowne Plaza Tuesday.
The IFL will be in its third season in 2011 after being formed by a merger of the United Indoor Football League and Intense Football League.
In addition to the Express, a still unnamed team from the Lehigh Valley that will play its home games at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem will join the league for 2011.
Twenty-five teams played in the IFL last season with the Billings (Mont.) Outlaws winning the championship.
The league is divided into the United and Intense conferences with three divisions in each conference.
Last year the Atlantic East Division was made up of teams from Richmond, Va.; Rochester, N.Y.; College Park, Md.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Express is coming off an 8-6 season, the first time it failed to qualify for the playoffs in its five-year history.
The team is in a transition period after Bernie Nowotarski, the general manager for nearly four seasons and the head coach for nearly three, parted ways with the Express late last season in what was termed a mutual agreement.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=242350
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