Owners for the Continental Indoor Football League will gather Sept. 27 in Canton, Ohio, for an "informal" league meeting, league co-founder Jeff Spitaleri said.
Spitaleri expects Fort Wayne to be represented at the meeting and said he fully intends for the city to have a team in the league in 2009.
He's just not sure which other cities will have teams.
Spitaleri said Saginaw and Muskegon still have contracts with the CIFL. Those teams have been "extended offers" to join the Indoor Football League, according to a statement from that league. So it's hard to say what will happen with those teams. Saginaw is the defending champion.
For now, Spitaleri said the league could have 10-12 teams in 2009. Part of next weekend will be spent discussing expansion possibilities, among other things.
"We're going to present the structural changes we're making with the league," Spitaleri said. "We're also going to be collecting our arena dates, setting some deadlines for some things to take us through the next few months and into the next owners' meeting (in January)."
-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette
I'd expect eight teams in the CIFL next year based on current information. Could be less, could be more.
That doesn't really matter (number of teams) - if the CIFL has fixed some of its internal issues (and they just might have, but that needs to be proven before anyone anywhere believes it), a six-team league will still have success.
Something tells me Fort Wayne fans don't mind being a part of a six-team league in a different sport. Good management will do that for a fan base.
Posted by: Josh Stein | September 21, 2008 at 12:45 AM
I know this is a really dumb question but, I thought the league meetings were being held in Ft. Wayne??? Or did I not get the joke.
Posted by: freeodm '08 | September 22, 2008 at 10:07 PM
The league never made such an announcement of ownership meetings anywhere but their offices in Canton.
Posted by: Josh Stein | September 22, 2008 at 11:33 PM
League meetings should have been held here, it's the central most city out of the remaining teams . . . but anyway, there was no joke. FW had set something up here, but it was desided to keep them in Canton.
Congrats to Brad Harris and Matt Land. Looking forward to great 2009 Freedom football season.
http://www.fortwayne.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/JG/20080923/SPORTS/809230346
Posted by: Freedom | September 23, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Welcome back Brad! Good luck to you and cousin Mark at the CIFL meetings. Keep us in the loop my friend.
Peace out!
Posted by: Happy Dog | September 23, 2008 at 11:12 AM
WHAT THE......A coach AND a general manager this far ahead of the start of the season? Wow buying season tickets just passed through my mind for the first time in a few years!!!!
Posted by: timraiders | September 23, 2008 at 02:23 PM
Welcome back Brad
You were a BIG part of the Freedoms winning ways!!!!!!
Posted by: Smitty | September 23, 2008 at 04:18 PM
This team will win Football games no doubt about it. Buy your tickets now or atleast before the start of the season and enjoy the ride to the CIFL championship.
Posted by: freedomfan4life | September 24, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Where is the money coming from to put THIS team on the field?
Posted by: Atomic | September 25, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Who cares where it is coming from? Apparently it is coming from someplace or Matt Land would not have committed to come back. Maybe its the same guys as last Chappiuss and Fallsing and the guy from Huntington and South Bend.
Posted by: Scott | September 26, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Looks like the money is coming from local ownership which is exactly what many have been begging for. Embrace it, as I see more investors being included as the team moves forward.
League meetings are set for Saturday, hopefully we get a report . . . or at least a list of participating teams for 2009.
I'm ready to start planning road trips. :)
Posted by: Freedom | September 26, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Scott,
I DO!
Posted by: Atomic | September 28, 2008 at 05:56 PM
Maybe the money is coming from a guy who once ran a team last year and wants to....Oh wait, that was last year's guy. Hmmm, maybe that's why people want to know where the money is coming- so the same soap opera doesn't happen this year. And by the way, I always love when people say
"Looks like" (have no idea but want to give the impression they are in the know), "Heard from a friend", or "Rumor has it". Love the good hard facts.
Posted by: Reggie Hammond (the new SHERIFF) | September 28, 2008 at 08:07 PM
Good point, Reggie. That was kind of what I was getting at.
Posted by: Atomic | September 29, 2008 at 03:53 PM
I "heard a rumor" that the Freedom was included in the Federal bailout plan, and ultimately that is why it was defeated. "Sources" now indicate that this is to blame for the stock market's historic plunge. "Looks like" the "league" is now appointing a blue-chip committe of whatever teams might still remain in the CI-IF-MW-UF-AF2-L to study the issue as we speak. And finally, I "heard it from a friend" who said "the more things change, the more they stay the same". Where's the big news coming out of the "league" meetings that were scheduled for this past weekend? I'm fresh out of "sources", and it looks like everyone else is too.
Posted by: Bob | September 30, 2008 at 05:45 AM
More like, same 'ole same ole. This kind of thing has gone on for a few years now.
ANd the thing that NEVER changes and will ultimately decide whether this team lives or dies, is the fans. They aren't coming. We have our small core, but that obviously doesn't pay the bills.
I mean it was so sad last year that we actually were having discussions on the Freedom making the playoffs whether they would have the money to travel to the playoff game if they made the playoffs.
Then you have the CIFL itself. Whoever heard of the best team LEAVING and joining another league right before the playoffs? It happened.
Things are bad and I don't see them improving, yet this issue refuses to die as the few of us diehards hang on despite many of our issues with cost, quality of the product, and various other issues. I am actually amazed this thing still has life at all when the number one generator of revenue (fans) isn't a part of the equation.
Posted by: Atomic | September 30, 2008 at 04:29 PM
More like same 'ole same ole.
Look no matter what happens, as long as the number generator of revenue (fans) is not part of the equation, things are never going to improve.
Do we really want another year of answering this question- "If the Freedom make the playoffs, are they going to have the money to make the trip?"
I am amazed that this thing still has life when year after year the fans just aren't coming, minus a few diehards, who despite our differences in which incarnation of indoor football in FTW we preferred, still want this thing to work. The rest of FTW just doesn't care.
Sad. Sad. Sad.
Posted by: Atomic | September 30, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Okay it didn't take my first post, so I tried to remember what I wrote the first time,wrote a second one, and then it finally took the first one. My apologies.
Posted by: Atomic | September 30, 2008 at 04:38 PM
Maybe if people see the truth twice Atomic they will be more likely to read and believe it. Most of the writers walk around with blinders on.
Posted by: Reggie Hammond (the new SHERIFF) | October 01, 2008 at 08:04 AM
Atomic-
I value your opinion and I agree with a lot of things that you have said, but what really do you expect? This is one of the biggest problems with Fort Wayne and indoor football, we expect too much. Players are getting paid anywhere from $200 on up to play a game that they love, and in reality a game they would play for free if the crowd and excitement was there. Fort Wayne and the league both have had problems. Just about every indoor team and league around the nation have had problems at one time or another. Now I understand that Fort Wayne has had issues for a few years in a row now, but in my humble opinion I think this upcomming year is going to be one of Fort Wayne's finest. Lets keep in mind that I played in Kalamazoo for the past couple seasons because, I thought I had someone up there that I could trust, and a person that wasnt going to try to sneak one over on me. In meeting with the past owners and coaches of Fort Wayne I knew what kind of people they were. Again in my opinion the ownership group that is in place now is trust worthy as well.
The truth is the league is going to be suspect this year with teams leaving, but Fort Wayne just might have its best team yet? Fort Wayne will win more games than it has in the past couple years, and with winning comes more fans, and more positive attitudes. Everyone wants to talk about all of the bad things that the indoor teams and league's do but forget all of the great positive things. Like things around the community and for charities. Lets remember this is a family friendly game, and look at all those thrilled kids after every game win or lose that are on the field wanting autographs and to converse with the players, even if the autograph isnt worth the paper its printed on. There are so many things that are positive in indoor football so lets not forget those. I believe that indoor football will be back in Fort Wayne and just as strong as ever. I look forward to being a part of it, and I look forward to helping prove the critics wrong.
Posted by: randyhutch | October 01, 2008 at 02:22 PM
RH - well said.
Looking forward to watching the team this sesaon.
Peace out!
Posted by: Happy Dog | October 01, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Nice post Randy.
One of those community/charity events Hutch mentioned will be happening this weekend when Kaylee's Wolf Pack takes part in JDRF's "Walk to Cure Diabetes."
Kaylee's Wolf Pack is the vehicle in which monies raised through jersey sales, merchandise sales and raffles are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. (JDRF)
I'd personally like to thank all those who have supported this with their purchases throughout the 2008 season, and a special thanks to the Fort Wayne Freedom, Freedom Force Fan Club, Vera Bradley and Good Sports Athletic for your continued support. We're looking forward to a very successful 2008 walk.
Posted by: Freedom | October 01, 2008 at 05:08 PM
The issue has never been about the players. It has always been obvious that the players cared and lived-up to their ends of the bargain. But winning alone won't fix anything. Professional sports is a business and has to be run like a business. All the wins in the world won't help if the sales mechanisms are not in place, if the promotional and advertising plans are not in place, and if the general operational structure necessary to take care of fans and customers is not in place. The bottom line is that Fort Wayne is faced with another season of "okay, we're really playing now, so let's try to throw it all together and hope some fans show-up". If this doesn't become a stable year-round operation, it will fail and fail again. If the answer is just knocking the budget down so far that it continues to "survive", then the product will ultimately suffer. The players will still play hard and perform. How they've managed to continue to do that through all this is beyond me. But ultimately, the players' efforts deserve the front office support that they have yet to receive. And with the relative silence now in a very very critical time for business development -- it appears that the support system is still not there. You can bring back a coach and GM, but if you don't have the support staff, resources, and financial wherewithall to give them a chance --- you might win every game, but you still won't win fans. Whether players want to believe it or not, it takes more than them just winning to keep a fan base alive and growing. You can keep a fan base without winning if the rest is there, but without "the rest", even winning is not enough. So, to the players who post here, Fort Wayne owes you a debt of gratitude for your service, but the "Freedom Organization" owes Fort Wayne much much more than they've been willing and able to give. That's the bottom line.
Posted by: Bob | October 02, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Well-said Bob, now if people would only give the team a chance to do "the rest" before throwing them under the bus.
Most I talk with are cautious but optimistic about the future. It's just a couple posters on here that want to judge and label this team before they even kick off their first full season.
It's almost like some expected the sky to open up and rain down all the money, fans and fixes this team needed to be successful. Wish it worked that way . . . *rolling eyes*
Posted by: Freedom | October 02, 2008 at 10:52 AM
I totally agree with just about everything you said. But also remember there were problems back in Fort Wayne's hay day when we were considered a great indoor power and had that 14-2 season, but no one really heard as much about those issues because the team was so successful on the field.
Posted by: randyhutch | October 02, 2008 at 03:27 PM