Looks like Arena Football is a dead duck...permanently...

After announcing a suspension of operations for the 2009 season, it appears the suspension is now indefinite, and a move to liquidation seems to be inevitable. Some teams have already been advised that the league is ceasing operations...

Report: Arena Football League may fold - Denver Business Journal: (http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/08/03/daily33.html)

so do we still have AFL2?

The af2 played this year when the AFL didn't. If af2 is all that is left, maybe it will be re-branded as AFL. Just a guess.

That's what I was wondering, or some other acryonm such as IFL, Indoor Football League.

I'm wondering what they are going to do with the players. AF2 was supposed to be the lower ranks, but now the upper ranks are gone. But if you want the AFL players to come down to the AF2 teams, you're just going to bankrupt AF2. AFL players cost more, so the teams didn't make as much money. They were in larger cities that SHOULD have been able to handle it. AF2 is mostly smaller cities, so where are they going to pull the money from. Look at how few people go to our games? You think we could afford the AFL players....no way.

There are several different minor leagues of arena football and most are independent leagues. Austin plays in SIFL (http://www.southernifl.com/).

Most AFL players play for either a chance at the NFL or just because they want to play, no one makes "huge" money in the AFL. The base salaries are set by the league in most of the minors, I think it would be much the same if the AFL players want to move to an AF2 or other league, you play for what the league tells you their going to pay or you don't play.

Exactly. bombermwc, they aren't making a ton of money AND it will be better for some of them to play then to not play at all. I imagine if no resolution comes soon, we'll see a few AFL players come to AFL2.

Exactly. bombermwc, they aren't making a ton of money AND it will be better for some of them to play then to not play at all. I imagine if no resolution comes soon, we'll see a few AFL players come to AFL2.

Atleast the one that can't get a regular job.

Atleast the one that can't get a regular job.
...or just really want to play the game. I have known a few minor leaguers who went onto very successful careers outside of sports after they decided they were done playing and some worked during the off season. I worked with a Blazers player who was a structural engineer, he made more working for us during the off season than he did playing hockey. He played until he no longer had the desire to play. A few have had family backing that helped them live with the low pay of the minors, most stayed until they were tired of playing as well.

...or just really want to play the game. I have known a few minor leaguers who went onto very successful careers outside of sports after they decided they were done playing and some worked during the off season. I worked with a Blazers player who was a structural engineer, he made more working for us during the off season than he did playing hockey. He played until he no longer had the desire to play. A few have had family backing that helped them live with the low pay of the minors, most stayed until they were tired of playing as well.

I was just being sterotypical. If they have a desire to play and have a support structure in place that allows them to do it then by all means - they should keep playing.

I am actually sorry to see the league fold. It was good inexpensive family entertainment. That is hard to come by these days.

...or just really want to play the game. I have known a few minor leaguers who went onto very successful careers outside of sports after they decided they were done playing and some worked during the off season. I worked with a Blazers player who was a structural engineer, he made more working for us during the off season than he did playing hockey. He played until he no longer had the desire to play. A few have had family backing that helped them live with the low pay of the minors, most stayed until they were tired of playing as well.

Simoni?

Bring back the xfl!!!

Simoni?
Yep.

I think that they should merge AF1 and AF2 teams and make it the new Arena Football, that will be great, but I doubt that they do that.......

What the Arena Football League should do is let the Women play the indoor game.

Many of the women play for little or nothing anyway!

I can envision a new WAFL with Oklahoma City (Dolls) and our favorites the Toledo (Troopers) revisited all over again.

I wonder if the Af2 league might not opt to rebrand itself in some way, because I'm sure there are going to be folks who only pay casual attention to either variety of the sport and think what happens to one happens to the other...

There was a women's footbal team called the OKC Lightning. I was told by a player the team folded this year. I saw them play a couple of times last year and had fun watching them.

Bigray in Ok

Regarding my previous post, I just noticed a tryout announcement for the OKC Lightning that was to take place on July 11th. This must have occured after I was told the team folded in May. It seems kind of late since the season ended last year in July.

Bigray in Ok

I watch sports last night and a press conference is set for monday about bringing back Arena Football 1, I heard that the Yard Dawgs are going to be a part of Arena Football 1 and Tulsa will be the HQ of the new Arena football or something like that, anyways I really excited about it.

Some news stories on this:

Tulsa World: Report: New Arena Football league to move headquarters to Tulsa (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=407&articleid=20090925_11_0_hrimgs600642)

New arena football league in the works - Sports- nbcsports.msnbc.com (http://www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33011463/ns/sports/)

For any league outside of the major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) they really need to look at regional divisions and schedule within those division to help control costs. The AFL had 17 teams for the 2008 season, they really need to look at expansion AND holding to regional divisions with a limited number of "fly away" games much along the lines of the focus of af2. This would allow for scheduling closer to home and out of division games within the conference and no travel cross country until the playoffs. The NBA and NHL follow this type of alignment for the most part except for one game against the other conference, with 82/64 games that allows such an arrangement, with the limited number of football games and trying to reduce travel costs the AFL doesn't need to worry about it. It's not a "major league" and they need to look at minor league examples for how to locate.