Ez Street Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 no logo found yet but here is the story.Coyote chosen as mascot The majority owner is the tribe that runs the Lemoore casino. By Jeff DavisThe Fresno BeeIt is no coincidence that the coyote is the symbol of both Fresno's newest professional sports franchise and of the Tachi Yokut Tribe.Without one, there wouldn't be the other.The Central Valley Coyotes, arenafootball2's latest entry, introduced themselves to the public Thursday at Selland Arena.Sitting prominently in attendance were members of the Santa Rosa Rancheria tribe that operates the Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore and holds majority interest in the Coyotes.But the choice of the Coyotes nickname for the team, tribal chairman Clarence Atwell pointed out, goes beyond marketing and promotional reasons."The Coyote [Ki-yu in Tachi Yokut] has been around longer than man has walked the Earth," he said. "He is one of cunning, strength and perseverance. Now we honor him in a good way. He is a survivor, and that's what we want for this team."Whether Central Valley can avoid folding after one year like its af2 predecessor, the Fresno Frenzy, is yet to be determined. Since 1978, seven pro franchises in five different sports have come and gone here, leaving Falcons hockey, Grizzlies baseball, HeatWave basketball and now football's Coyotes.Boxing promoter George Chung, who owns 49% of the Coyotes, put together the deal to buy the team from Bakersfield Blitz owner Casey Wasserman and move it to Fresno. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.Chung has worked closely with the Palace Indian Gaming Center to bring high-profile boxing events to the central San Joaquin Valley. Their partnership, he said, was a natural progression in their relationship.Now it's up to Chung, the tribe and Selland Arena, where the Coyotes will play, to find a formula for longevity in this apparent graveyard of pro franchises."People of the Valley are passionate about football," Chung said, "and we hope they'll be as passionate with the Central Valley Coyotes."The tribe got involved, Palace general manger Alex Gonzales said, to extend its gaming involvement in the community. There also are plans to build a 6,500-seat events center at the Palace that could accommodate arena football."We already have the casino, put on boxing and concerts," he said. "The Palace is trying to go beyond to a full entertainment package."We look at the Coyotes, not just as another business, but building relationships, bringing football back to the community and providing role models for the kids."Gonzales said the tribe sees the team as a good investment."We have to be realistic, though," he said. "Not many af2 teams make money. If we make some, great. If we don't, at least we want to provide access to another pro sports team."Chung stressed that the Coyotes, first and foremost, are "committed to winning football." To that end, he plans to hire coaches from his long-time connections as a training consultant with the San Francisco 49ers and other NFL teams.Chung also said the Coyotes will provide a family atmosphere, make tickets affordable and go after local talent from Fresno State, and Fresno City and Reedley colleges, so fans can identify with the team."We don't want this to be an elitist experience," he said."Our goal is for people to walk in and say, 'I saw a great night of professional football with some great kids from the area who could potentially be AFL, CFL and NFL stars of the tomorrow.' And, 'it was at a good value.' That's something we're committed to doing." @DavidStreeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroseed Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 In addition to Central Valley, I notice (via af2.com) that there are three others coming into the league: Rio Grande Valley (playing in Hidalgo, Texas), the Laredo Law (whose logo I believe we saw on this very board not too long ago), and Oklahoma City. OKC will apparently not be going back to their Wrangler moniker, since they state on af2.com that they are holding a name-the-team contest soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterhabs Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 They can't go back to the "Wranglers" name as a new AFL team -- the Austin Wranglers -- is using it. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroseed Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Well, that's true, and I believe that alone would keep them from doing it, but the new OKC team isn't in the AFL with the Austin Wranglers; they're in the AF2, which might permit them to do so if they were so inclined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrentyN3 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Well the inside story to this new Fresno team is that it really is just a transfer of the Bakersfield Blitz team. The majority owner of the LA Avengers owned the Blitz and is moving them to Fresno. What is REALLY strange is that Bakersfield will have another team which will be managed and run by the good folks who manage the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL. Crazy things, I know, but I know all this from our local newspaper. Oh yeah, did I mention I live in Bakersfield? NASCAR. Done. | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-O Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Completely O/T. Brent are you by any chance a member of the Hell's Satans from Bakersfield? Homer got his name for his biker gang from there! Your Bakersfield boys weren't too pleased, poor Homer. I love Simpsons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMac Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Completely O/T. Brent are you by any chance a member of the Hell's Satans from Bakersfield? Homer got his name for his biker gang from there! Your Bakersfield boys weren't too pleased, poor Homer. I love Simpsons.Marge can you get this patch on my jacket. I tried spitting on it, beating it up, and yelling at it but it wont stay on.....lol... wow the AFL and the AF2 are incestuous arent they... jeeesh... OKC just lost a team so now they are getting a new one... and teams switching cities and ownership groups like musical chairs... what is this the MLB... GDB... Brothers from other Mothers www.pifflespodcast.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrentyN3 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Completely O/T. Brent are you by any chance a member of the Hell's Satans from Bakersfield? Homer got his name for his biker gang from there! Your Bakersfield boys weren't too pleased, poor Homer. I love Simpsons.Not yet. :cool: NASCAR. Done. | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoStater Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Okay, so:*Current Blitz team relocates to Fresno.*New Blitz team in Bakersfield in its place.On the bright side, now you can get Wichita out of the Western Division... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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