Post by David on Sept 1, 2015 11:29:45 GMT -8
(image credit: Indoor Football League)
9.1.15 -
After nearly a month of speculation, the Spokane Shock have officially announced they are leaving the Arena Football League.
In a press conference Tuesday morning at Spokane Arena, majority owner Nader Naini and IFL league office staff, including Commissioner Michael Allshouse, announced that the Shock will join the Indoor Football League for the upcoming 2016 season.
"The Spokane Shock is pleased to be joining the IFL as its newest member," Naini said. "With a rich tradition of quality football, great regional rivalries and sound economic model, the IFL presents a terrific opportunity for the Shock and its rabid fan base. Commissioner Allshouse and his team have done a fantastic job of augmenting the league with other high quality and well-run franchises including the Iowa Barnstormers and Tri Cities Fever. We look forward to adding to that momentum."
Commissioner Allshouse also addressed the media. "Today is great day in the history of the IFL," he said. "The Spokane Shock are one of the most recognizable and well-regarded organizations in all of indoor football. Their passionate fan base and professional organization represent the key elements the IFL strives for in its members. We are very proud to welcome the Shock and the Spokane community into the IFL family."
The addition of the Shock to the IFL will rekindle several former af2 and AFL rivalries, specifically the historic sports rivalry between Spokane and Tri-Cities. The two were Western Division rivals in the af2 from 2007-2009, with Spokane holding a 7-1 advantage over the Fever. Old rivalries with the Green Bay Blizzard and Iowa Barnstormers will also be re-established.
In addition to the announcement of joining a new league, the Shock announced the hiring of Adam Shackleford as head coach. Shackleford rejoins the Shock after spending the past 6 seasons as head coach of the Tri-Cities Fever. He's considered as one of the most accomplished coaches in IFL history by guiding the Fever to a 56-37 overall record, including four playoff appearances, two Intense Conference Championships and two United Bowl appearances.
Shackleford returns to the team he coached for in the af2 from 2007-2009. In his three seasons as head coach, the Shock were 49-8 overall with three Western Division championships, two National Conference Titles, and an Arena Cup Championship.
"It feels good to be home,” said Shackleford. “I had great memories as a member of the Shock during our years in the af2. After spending the past six seasons in Tri-Cities, I’m looking forward to bringing that knowledge and experience back to Spokane and continuing the winning ways that our fans and community deserve."
The Indoor Football League will begin its eighth season of play in the spring 2016, and was created in 2008 from a merger between the Intense Football League and the United Indoor Football Association. The addition of the Shock to the IFL puts the team at 11 total teams. In addition to the Barnstormers, Fever and Blizzard, the league consists of the Billings Wolves, Colorado Crush (formerly Colorado Ice), Nebraska Danger, Wichita Falls Nighthawks, Cedar Rapids Titans, Minnesota Axemen (formerly Bemidji Axemen), and Sioux Falls Storm.
The IFL recently expanded its regular season schedule from 14 games to 16 games. In their press release regarding the addition of the Shock, the league announced additional expansion and league news to be revealed in the coming weeks.
"We are looking forward to continuing the tradition of Shock football in Spokane and providing our fans with the exciting entertainment experience they have helped us create over the years,” said Ryan Eucker, Director of Operations. “The IFL offers style of football with strong ties to the traditional outdoor game that we believe the 9th Man will embrace and continue to enjoy."
Meanwhile, the departure of the Shock leaves the AFL with a total of 9 teams. Spokane becomes the third team since the conclusion of the 2015 regular season to depart the AFL, as the New Orleans VooDoo and Las Vegas Outlaws folded after being taken under league control in July. The absence of Spokane in the AFL leaves the Portland Thunder will be the lone representative of the Pacific Northwest.
While many assume that the Shock's move to the IFL is an indication that the team couldn't compete in the AFL, others might argue that the team is jumping ship at the right time due to the financial instability of the league. Since the AFL re-launched in 2010, the league has seen numerous teams join or leave. The league expanded to a high of 18 teams in 2011, the most since 2007 and up from 15 when Spokane won the ArenaBowl in 2010. Of the seven teams in the National Conference that season, only Spokane, Arizona and Cleveland remained (the Gladiators moved to the American Conference). According to the Spokesman-Review, five of the eight American Conference teams in 2010 relocated or are no longer in business.
The move comes a month after rumors surfaced about a possible move to the IFL by Naini, who was heavily involved with bringing Scott Butera in as AFL Commissioner. He accused the AFL and some of its teams of cheating, favoring the more established franchises and not fulfilling obligations to improve the product with national sponsorship partners. According to Naini, he felt that there was "little to no progress" made.
Although the teams were not specifically named in the in the initial report, its likely Naini was referring to the Rattlers and the SaberCats, both longtime members of the AFL who have scooped up several Shock players and other top talent in the league. Evidence against these teams paying players under the table is reflective within the team's records: Arizona went a whopping 85-19 between 2011 and 2015, appearing in four straight ArenaBowl titles and winning three. Meanwhile, San Jose's historic 2015 season dominated the competition with a 20-1 overall record en route to an ArenaBowl Championship.
The SaberCats and the Rattlers aren't the only ones believed to be cheating; many fans and personnel within other AFL franchises believe the Jacksonville Sharks and Philadelphia Soul are also paying players under the table.
At least one team has been busted for paying players under the table, and that was the Pittsburgh Power. The Power, who went 18-36 from 2011-2013, made a remarkable 15-3 turnaround in 2014. In October 2014, ArenaFan's Adam Markowitz reported that the AFL fined the Power $100,000 for three separate incidents in violating the salary structure for coaches and players. A month after the story was reported, the Power ceased operations.
Although the AFL released no official statement to the public, Markowitz confirmed via sources that a memo was sent to the other 12 teams regarding a crackdown on salary cap violators. The dominance of the Rattlers and SaberCats indicate the league has been lenient on their "crackdown' and nothing has supported any possibility of change.
The AFL has not commented on the Shock's announcement, but the league faces the reality that it has fewer teams than the IFL. With rumors that the Los Angeles KISS might fold and that the Portland Thunder might drop to the IFL, the Shock might turn out better in the long-run.
Regardless, no matter how things turn out in the AFL, the Shock will begin a new chapter with their third league in 11 seasons with one goal in mind: bringing a championship to Spokane.
"Our move to the IFL is based on our ownership group’s commitment that we made when we purchased the team in 2014 to ensure that Shock football stays in Spokane,” said Naini. “We can assure you that our commitment to our loyal fans is paramount. This is the right move for the team, the community, and the fans. We could not be more excited about the opportunity to be a part of the IFL next season.”
- DKH
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