No Guarantees Arena Football League Will Resume Play In '10

AFL May Not Come Back From Restructuring Hiatus In '10

It has been nearly seven months since the AFL team owners cancelled the '09 season, and despite "intermittent announcements from the league office that a relaunch is imminent, there are no guarantees" it will resume in '10, according to Laurence Miedema of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. The AFL has employed three commissioners since last July, and a plan to resume play in '10 that had the "backing of the players apparently was scuttled in April because of infighting among owners." SaberCats VP Hank Stern said the league is "working hard" to return in '10. Stern: "That's why our ownership has kept myself and a couple of the coaches around." SaberCats QB Mark Grieb: "It was sad when the league folded, because all the momentum we had is gone. Anything they do is starting from ground zero." Miedema notes AFL officials this spring "posted messages on the AFL's Web site suggesting a new plan was about to be ratified, but they have been surprisingly silent for two months." AFL interim CEO Mark Lewis did not return messages and there has been "no acknowledgment of the recent hiring of Lewis" on the league's Web site. AFLPA President James Baron: "Everybody is out of the loop, which is the frustrating part. As players, we're angry because we did everything we could to rectify the situation" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/29).