Leaving Las Vegas: AFL Gladiators Officially Moving To Cleveland

The AFL has formally announced that the league's BOD has approved Las Vegas Gladiators Owner Jim Ferraro’s relocation of the team to Cleveland. Ferraro has named former NFLer Bernie Kosar as part-Owner, President & CEO of the franchise, which will play at Quicken Loans Arena in ’08 (AFL). In Cleveland, Tony Grossi writes team officials "intend to localize the AFL franchise," and fans "will be asked to vote on whether to keep the Gladiators or to use another name, perhaps Bulldogs." Ferraro said that he "would like to form some kind of affiliation with the Browns." Tickets will range from $8-150, and Ferraro "intends to negotiate local television and radio deals soon" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/17). In Akron, Marla Ridenour reports becoming involved with the team is "part of Kosar's plan to spend more time" in Cleveland. Kosar: "I'm not doing this to sell a few tickets and show up at these football games. I'm not doing this to get my name in the paper and fulfill my ego. I want to do this to be proud of it." Meanwhile, Ridenour notes ESPN is planning a promo around AFL Crush co-Owner John Elway's Broncos "defeating Kosar's Browns in three AFC Championship Games." Kosar said, "We are friends. He likes (the ad) more than me" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 10/17).

WHITHER LAS VEGAS: AFL Commissioner David Baker said that he hopes "to bring the league back to Las Vegas in time for the projected 2010 opening of a 20,000-seat arena just off the Strip." Baker: "(The league is) working to get a good ownership group there in Las Vegas so that as the new arena comes on board, we could really launch this thing in the right way and build a product everybody could be proud of." In Las Vegas, Mark Anderson noted the ArenaBowl is scheduled to return to Las Vegas next year, but Baker said the game "might not return until later" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/16). 

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