JH42XCC Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Apparently, the Austin Wranglers are still in the Arena Football League..... for now. So technically, there are currently still 18 teams in the AFL, but I'm sure it won't be long until the Wranglers officially move down to af2, reducing the AFL to 17 teams. That means the AFL will have to pick out 3 cities (possibly Washington, D.C., Boston, and Pittsburgh) to get the league up to 20 teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agentrygraphics Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Apparently, the Austin Wranglers are still in the Arena Football League..... for now. So technically, there are currently still 18 teams in the AFL, but I'm sure it won't be long until the Wranglers officially move down to af2, reducing the AFL to 17 teams. That means the AFL will have to pick out 3 cities (possibly Washington, D.C., Boston, and Pittsburgh) to get the league up to 20 teams.Get the naming rights and resurrect the Pittsburgh Gladiators! "This isn't just the Oregon Ducks, it's Football's Future Turf Soldier War Hero Steel Robot Tech Flex Machine Army." -CS85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwtrailtrekker Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 i wish seattle had an AFL team. we could support it, too.a damn shame nashville gets one to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewp80 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Bernie Kosar was trying to get the Las Vegas Gladiators moved to Cleveland, might be a little while to see if he was successful or not.The AFL had their owner's meeting on Tuesday, so any news about expansion/relocation should be coming out sometime soon hopefully. There have been a lot of rumors about Washington getting off their asses finally, but I'm not taking any word from their until an official press release is put out.So If everything goes to plan then we should see probably one less team this year, but with the AFL you never know. Cardinals -- Rams -- Blues -- Tigers -- Liverpool Check out my music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmaker17 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Austin's officially AFL2 bound. I see the franchise disolving completely over the next couple of years. No one in this town cares about football unless it's UT or high school (not me on the latter). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewp80 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Well there have been some questions raised concerning Austin as well.It seems like they haven't updated the website at all. Wrangler fans report on the Arena Fan boards that the front office is in shamble, and they've ordered their season tickets, but haven't been charged for them yet.It could just be nothing, but you never know. I wouldn't take anything the AFL says with a grain of salt until it actually happens. Same thing goes for the whole Austin situation. Cardinals -- Rams -- Blues -- Tigers -- Liverpool Check out my music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 i wish seattle had an AFL team. we could support it, too.a damn shame nashville gets one to begin with.1) Until Seattle builds an arena that is NHL compatible, the AFL will NEVER set up shop there. It's not an ownership issue, it's a facilities issue.2) The 1st Kats were among the most successful AFL franchises of the time. This edition failed simply because Bud Adams didn't market the dang team. Marketing is a necessity for minor league sports, unfortunately Bud Adams didn't grasp this concept. On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said: You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now. On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said: Today, we are all otaku. "The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010 The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz615 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 1) Until Seattle builds an arena that is NHL compatible, the AFL will NEVER set up shop there. It's not an ownership issue, it's a facilities issue.2) The 1st Kats were among the most successful AFL franchises of the time. This edition failed simply because Bud Adams didn't market the dang team. Marketing is a necessity for minor league sports, unfortunately Bud Adams didn't grasp this concept.QFT Brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JH42XCC Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Apparently, the Austin Wranglers are still in the Arena Football League..... for now. So technically, there are currently still 18 teams in the AFL, but I'm sure it won't be long until the Wranglers officially move down to af2, reducing the AFL to 17 teams. That means the AFL will have to pick out 3 cities (possibly Washington, D.C., Boston, and Pittsburgh) to get the league up to 20 teams.Get the naming rights and resurrect the Pittsburgh Gladiators!That would be good. Unfortunately, it would also lead to confusion with the Las Vegas team, which currently holds the rights to the name 'Gladiators', so I would rather suggest going with a different name to avoid that confusion. (i.e.: Ironmen, Vulcans, Rivermen, Machine, etc.)Bernie Kosar was trying to get the Las Vegas Gladiators moved to Cleveland, might be a little while to see if he was successful or not.The AFL had their owner's meeting on Tuesday, so any news about expansion/relocation should be coming out sometime soon hopefully. There have been a lot of rumors about Washington getting off their asses finally, but I'm not taking any word from their until an official press release is put out.So If everything goes to plan then we should see probably one less team this year, but with the AFL you never know.Obivously, the "Las Vegas Gladiators moving to Cleveland" story is, as of now, a rumor (but you never know, it could happen). Anyway, if the Gladiators DO move into Cleveland, they might move from the American Conference Western Division to either the National Conference Eastern Division. (and rumor has it that if Washington joins the AFL for 2008, they would also be in the National Conference Eastern Division with Cleveland, Columbus, New York, and Philadelphia, therefore, moving Dallas to the National Conference Southern Division with Georgia, New Orleans, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JH42XCC Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 (deleted: triple post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JH42XCC Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 (deleted: triple post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB61 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Looks like the Las Vegas to Cleveland move is just about a done deal (source) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Shame Ferraro can't fleece Vegas fans out of their season ticket revenue to fund the move to Cleveland, like he did back when he took the team from Jersey. This guy is low-rent slime, and I don't understand why the league is so intent on holding onto his ownership, when they could get some sucker on the hook for expansion money instead. For crying out loud, the last season in Vegas ended in front of a few dozen spectators on a non-holiday Monday afternoon, on a field patched with duct tape, after the team had practiced in the parking lot, under the desert sun next to fetid circus tents.Beware, Cleveland. On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewp80 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Looks like the Las Vegas to Cleveland move is just about a done deal (source)I wouldn't take the word of that blog either, when I see an official announcement, then I'll believe it.Much like this one officially announcing the Wranglers move to af2:From Austin-American Statesman:AUSTIN WRANGLERSWranglers get official AFL nodBy Mark SwansonAMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENTFriday, October 12, 2007The Arena Football League's board of directors approved the Austin Wranglers' request to drop down to arenafootball2, clearing the way for the franchise to move to the AFL's minor league with its name and logo intact. The Wranglers will begin play in af2 in 2008 and will continue to call the Erwin Center home.The team has planned a news conference for Oct. 22 to announce a new head coach.In the af2, the Wranglers will face teams from much smaller cities — such as the Rio Grande Valley Dorados and Corpus Christi Sharks — not AFL clubs they're used to, like the New Orleans Voodoo, above."It worked out as we had hoped," Wranglers team president Doug MacGregor said Thursday. "We're very pleased that the league and board of directors decided to continue to support us and this market."We're looking forward to putting a great product on the field. The players may be a little different, but the game will stay the same."Thursday's decision put an end to a long process that started months ago for the Wranglers. In June, the franchise announced that it was exploring making the move, which was approved by the af2's board of directors in August.MacGregor said team officials thought it was "very, very likely" the AFL would approve the move, "but we couldn't be completely sure. We had a lot of employees being offered jobs by other organizations, but wanted to stay in Austin."Had the AFL's board of directors voted against the change, the Wranglers could have folded. The franchise has struggled to find financial security, teams officials have said, and it was questionable whether it could survive another AFL season. The move to af2, which has far fewer expenses for its teams, should help the Wranglers.Teams traditionally travel by bus in af2, and players earn $200 a game — $250 if their team win. The salary cap in the AFL was $1.82 million last season. Teams in each league typically list about 25 players on their rosters.The two leagues operate under the same rule book, although there's a difference in the quality of players.While the AFL is able to attract former NFL players or college stars, af2 is filled with more marginal talents. Wranglers fans who had become accustomed to seeing players from Big 12 schools or other major college programs will have to become used to watching players from NCAA Division II teams or junior colleges.Austin also will play opponents from much smaller cities after facing AFL clubs from Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Dallas among other large metropolitans areas.The divisions have not been set for the af2's 2008 season, but the Wranglers figure to be aligned with teams such as the Rio Grande Valley Dorados (Hidalgo), Texas Copperheads (Katy) and Corpus Christi Sharks. The Wranglers hope to announce a playing schedule by the end of October.The af2 begins its season about one month after the AFL season opens, so Austin should play in its new league in April 2008. Cardinals -- Rams -- Blues -- Tigers -- Liverpool Check out my music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sec19Row53 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Shame Ferraro can't fleece Vegas fans out of their season ticket revenue to fund the move to Cleveland, like he did back when he took the team from Jersey. This guy is low-rent slime, and I don't understand why the league is so intent on holding onto his ownership, when they could get some sucker on the hook for expansion money instead. For crying out loud, the last season in Vegas ended in front of a few dozen spectators on a non-holiday Monday afternoon, on a field patched with duct tape, after the team had practiced in the parking lot, under the desert sun next to fetid circus tents.Beware, Cleveland.Your question is in bold, your answer is underlined, if you put a 'not' in there. It just doesn't look like there are willing owners at those expansion prices, so they have to appease the owners willing to stay in the league, even if it means moving. There was supposed to be a one-move limit on franchises (which was why the Firebirds had to fold). It's where I sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rams80 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Your question is in bold, your answer is underlined, if you put a 'not' in there. It just doesn't look like there are willing owners at those expansion prices, so they have to appease the owners willing to stay in the league, even if it means moving. There was supposed to be a one-move limit on franchises (which was why the Firebirds had to fold).The Firebirds folded because the agreed sale price, which established the actual market value of the team, was around $4 million. In other words, $16 million less than what the AFL charged at the time for an expansion franchise. The AFL chose to let the Firebirds fold and not approve the sale because 1) Owners might start asking unpleasant questions, 2) There's more money to be made by letting the existing team fold and then setting up an expansion team there. On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said: You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now. On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said: Today, we are all otaku. "The city of Peoria was once the site of the largest distillery in the world and later became the site for mass production of penicillin. So it is safe to assume that present-day Peorians are descended from syphilitic boozehounds."-Stephen Colbert POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010 The Glorious Bloom State Penguins (NCFAF) 2014: 2-9, 2015: 7-5 (L Pineapple Bowl), 2016: 1-0 (NCFAB) 2014-15: 10-8, 2015-16: 14-5 (SMC Champs, L 1st Round February Frenzy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illwauk Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 The AFL has done an absolutely perfect job of losing all credibility in its most loyal markets. It started with Detroit... the drive were drawing over 14,000 fans to the Joe Louis Arena. But instead of mandating that they team MUST remain in Metro Detroit after Illich sold them, they allowed the new owners to move them, and eventually kill them in Massachusetts. Those same fans had absolutely no interest in supporting the Fury when they'd been told that no matter how loyal they were to they team, if someone wanted to buy them and move them, the league would do nothing to stop it.Same deal with Nashville. The Kats had one of the most loyal fanbases in their first go-round only to see the league allow them to move to Georgia for no other reason than it was a bigger market. Again, why would those fans support another team knowing the same thing could happen again.And don't get me started on Milwaukee... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez Street Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 2) The 1st Kats were among the most successful AFL franchises of the time. This edition failed simply because Bud Adams didn't market the dang team. Marketing is a necessity for minor league sports, unfortunately Bud Adams didn't grasp this concept.Yep. I was in Nashville last month, and saw no Kats Merchandise. Except a few "clearance" items at LP Field.Same with the Predators though...... @DavidStreeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodboy13 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 And don't get me started on Milwaukee... Speaking of which, did anything ever happen with the Asshat Brothers and whatever legal limbo was transpiring there? On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said: For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA. PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewp80 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Don't the old Mustangs owners still have rights to a team in Milwaukee? I thought I heard that somewhere, I may be mistaken though. Cardinals -- Rams -- Blues -- Tigers -- Liverpool Check out my music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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