AFL Teams To Hold Conference Call To Determine Fate Of '09 Season
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AFL Owners Nearly Passed Motion
Wednesday To Cancel '09 Season |
The 16 AFL teams are "scheduled to have a conference call next week to decide whether to play" the '09 season, according to Irv Moss of the DENVER POST. A motion to suspend the upcoming season was made during a Wednesday night conference call among owners, and AFL Colorado Crush Exec VP Michael Young said that it "came close to passing, leaving the future of the league in doubt in what officials throughout the AFL describe as a fluid situation." Young: "We need to formulate a direction, and that well could be to revisit a motion to suspend the season." Young indicated that the Crush's future would be "tied to the merits of any league plan to continue play." Young: "It would take some major changes in the operation of the league for the Crush to play in the 2009 season" (DENVER POST, 12/12). AFL Cleveland Gladiators President Bernie Kosar Thursday intimated that, "as it stands, the 2009 season would unfold with fewer than 16 teams." Kosar: "We want to play, but we want to play smart. There's a lot of moving parts right now. We're one of those teams that actively wants to play. But I want to do it with basically the same amount of teams." Kosar said that the AFL's "financial crisis is 'a combination of things,' highlighted by the slumping national economy" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 12/12). AFL N.Y. Dragons Managing Partner Steven Silva: "We are on the side of playing football." Dragons President Shanna Silva: "All the owners want to see the league made stronger and move forward. There may be differing ideas on how." The Silva family in July bought the Dragons, and Shanna Silva said, "I don't think we regret for one second our purchase" (NEWSDAY, 12/12).
ACCEPT YOUR PLACE: In Orlando, Jerry Greene wrote the AFL "must [accept] a fact of life [if] it wants to continue to have a life." The AFL is a "niche sport," and there is "nothing wrong with that but it does mean one important thing -- Nobody is getting rich." Greene wrote for the league to survive, it must "find a strong commissioner," break the AFLPA and "embrace your niche" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 12/11). In Salt Lake City, Martin Renzhofer writes the track record of leagues "taking such drastic action" as suspending a season is "not encouraging." The NHL stands as the "only league that has returned after temporarily pulling the plug, and it is still struggling." Sports Business Group President David Carter: "The AFL spent two decades gradually growing to the present. They've done a very good job of growing to the present. Taking a year off may not be nearly as devastating as it could be, although it would create a lot of work to rehabilitate the relationship with corporate America" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 12/12).
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