Big News at State of League Address
Kevin Sheller
Saturday August 19, 2000
Jerry Jones was awarded an AFL franchise for 2001 or 2002. The AFL Board of Directors entertained a presentation the Commissioner of the CFL. Toronto, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Atlanta are being considered for franchises by non-NFL ownership groups. Four other NFL owners have inquired about additional franchises. According to the AFL, reports that the players` union was formed illegally are false. Seven European exhibition games are being scheduled for Europe, including three more in Canada. Ford Trucks is sponsoring ArenaBowl XIV.
Whew. Did you get all that?
"We`ve got some exciting developments because as great as the past has been in our 14th season of Arena Football, and as great as "The Season that Almost Never Was" has become, we think that the future is even brighter."
 Commissioner David Baker at the State of the League Address Image courtesy of Mike Wright |
Probably the biggest news at this year`s State of the League Address was the announcement that Dallas Cowboys owners Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Jerry Jones Jr. have been awarded the 23rd Arena Football League franchise that will begin play in either 2001 or 2002. A great effort will be made to start the franchise for 2001, but the decision will be dependent upon their Arena lease.
"Our new Arena Football team will provide the opportunity for sports fans in Dallas to enjoy the game of football year-round," Said Stephen Jones, "The Arena Football League is legitimate big-time football."
Well, thanks to Stephen and the rest of the Joneses, it was made even more legitimate by their involvement.
Oh, and not only that, but Arena Football historians and purists will be happy to note that the name "Dallas Texans" is being considered as the name of the team. The board of directors of the Arena Football League has already approved the name if the Joneses choose to use it.
Oh, and by the way, isn`t it great that the AFL has been around long enough to boast that they have historians and purists?
The Dallas franchise becomes the fourth to be granted to an NFL ownership group. Others include Tom Benson in New Orleans, to begin play in 2002; Daniel Snyder and Fred Drasner in Washington D.C. to begin play in 2003; and William Ford Jr. and the Palace Sports Entertainment Group in Detroit, to begin play in 2001.
Who says NFL involvement in the Arena Football League is bad? Detroit`s William Ford Jr. has successfully earned the league an additional sponsor for ArenaBowl XIV: Ford Trucks. Commissioner Baker and the rest of the league are looking forward to a long partnership with the auto manufacturer.
And although Commissioner Baker could say little about it, he mentioned the League had talks with Jeff Giles, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League, and there is an ownership group in Toronto interested in acquiring a franchise for the AFL (not the af2, as some have conjectured.)
Baker was tight-lipped when prodded about additional NFL-owned franchises, but he did remind us that Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Jeff Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles have been involved in the expansion process -- plus two other NFL owners who could not be disclosed. The Eagles are currently considering a franchise and will make a decision within six to eight months. Meanwhile, the ownership group of Jim Drucker and Ron Jaworksi are also interested in the Philadelphia market, but have stepped aside to wait for that decision. If the Eagles choose to put an AFL team in Philadelpha, then Drucker and company will relocate to a different city.
Oh and let`s not forget, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Atlanta are three other non-NFL ownership groups who have applied for franchises. `Tis the season for expansion.
And finally, good news on the labor-front. The recent reports that the players` union was formed illegally and is to be disbanded are allegedly false.
According to Ronald J. Kurpiers II, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel of the Arena Football League, no ruling has actually been made on the formation of the player union. The player union has not been found illegal, "Our opposition, the Arena Football League Players Association, released a press release that was just not factual," said Kurpiers. "So we`re just trying to sort everything out."
Baker believes that all of the issues are on the table between the league and the players` union. These other issues are lawyer fights. "The players have spoken and the owners responded. At this point, it`s between lawyers. It`s not between the players, owners, [or] the league."
Baker was not afraid to remind us that the focus is on the fans. And although "The Season that Almost Never Was" is coming to a close, there are a large number of AFL fans out there who have been a big part of the success of the 2000 season, and hopefully an even larger part of the future of the AFL.
"I`m here to tell you," said Baker as he closed his address to the league, "that I think that the fourteenth year of Arena Football was our most challenging, but our greatest ever."
Kevin Sheller ia founder of Arenafan Online and was the principal owner until 2004. Kevin graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in technical writing, and has been a member of the Arena Football Internet community since 1993. He has worked as a professional web programmer and is also the executive producer for a computer/video game company. The most recent Xbox title to his credit is called Hunter: The Reckoning.
