Crossed Signals from AFLPA; Vote in Discussion

Adam Markowitz
Tuesday December 16, 2008

Last night, ArenaFan spoke to an unnamed representative of the Arena Football League Players Association (AFLPA), who stated that the Executive Board members had convened and elected against suspending the 2009 season, as voted on by the AFL Board of Directors.

This evening, ArenaFan has spoken with Grand Rapids Rampage Player Representative Ahmad Hawkins, who refuted the report that there was a vote taken.  He said, “The [Executive] Board got together and more or less stated that they didn’t agree with the suspension.”  Hawkins assured ArenaFan that it was not a vote that had taken place.

The unnamed player rep described the communication between the branches of the PA to ArenaFan as, “out of whack.”  While the two player reps that ArenaFan has spoken to agree that the Executive Board has expressed its dismay about the suspension of the season in one form or another, the matter of the vote still seems to be up in the air.

Both representatives assured ArenaFan that the next step for the AFLPA is unclear.

An administrator with one team said it could mean that issue could go to litigation or court.  The League could also file for bankruptcy, which could throw the whole issue into a lengthy period of arbitration and turmoil.

ArenaFan has left messages with multiple members of the Executive Board but has not heard back from any of them at this time.

Keep tuned to ArenaFan for further developments in this story.