The RHI Anaheim Bullfrogs said Monday that they "will
leave money-troubled" RHI to "play in a new, breakaway
league this season," but RHI President Larry King said that
he "might take the new league to court to stop it,"
according to Barbara Kingsley of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.
Dennis Murphy, Chair of the new National Professional In-
line League (NPIL), said that his league "intends to begin
play this June" with "approximately" 10 teams. Murphy and
Bullfrogs Owner Maury Silver met with reps from 13 cities
last weekend, and owners "were asked to send a check" for
$5,000, a portion of the $20,000 entry fee, by January 22.
Among the eight cities Murphy says the NPIL "has commitments
from" are L.A., N.Y. and Las Vegas, and "other franchises
are possible." King said that RHI "will go forward" with
eight teams in '98 after "netting new Southern California-
based backers he refuses to name" and added that he expects
a March IPO (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/13).
KICK START: Ten markets have "shown interest" in
joining the Premier Soccer Alliance, according to Joseph
Durate of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The new league "could
possibly begin to take shape within three weeks," and begin
play in late-summer/early-fall (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/14).
LAX IN OTTAWA? The newly formed National Lacrosse
League (NLL) "wants to see" a team in Ottawa next year and
the Corel Centre "wants to see it, too." Corel Centre Dir
Roger Newton said he was "hopeful we can put a team here in
1999." The NLL said frontrunners for expansion are
"probably Ottawa, Miami, and Montreal" (OTTAWA SUN, 1/13).
