Following a release yesterday stating the AFL Pittsburgh Power will cease operations, minority owners said that they were "willing to work with league commissioner Scott C. Butera in an attempt to save the franchise," according to Jerry DiPaola of the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW. Butera said, "Clearly being in Pittsburgh is important to us. We are trying to affect a transaction that will allow the Power to continue to play (2015) in Pittsburgh." He added that he and other AFL owners and officials "want to improve the league's regional presence in the Northeast, and Pittsburgh remains a big part of those plans." Trib Total Media President & CEO and Power BOD member Ralph Martin said the ownership group's intent is to “right-size the organization.” DiPaola noted the Power "struggled to build a local fan base" after entering the AFL as an expansion franchise in '11 with the backing of Owner & Chair Matt Shaner and Pro Football HOFer Lynn Swann. Attendance "averaged more than 6,000 for the first three years, triggering a clause in the Power's contract with the Penguins to allow the team to use Consol Energy Center" through the '16 season. Butera said, “They have a lot of positives. Everything is in front of them" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 11/17). At presstime, the Power's website made no mention of the team ceasing operations and was still advertising season-ticket sales for the '15 season (THE DAILY).
