Post by DiamondThief on Feb 24, 2016 12:03:51 GMT -8
BREAKING:
Feb. 24, 2016 -- Say hello to the Portland Steel. A name in the Rose City smells just as sweet as the old one, does it not?
The brand of Portland's Arena Football League team, formerly known as the Thunder, was unveiled today by the league. The franchise will retain all of the history of the Thunder.
The Steel will open the season on April 1 at home against the Arizona Rattlers.
On Jan. announced that the league would take over operations of the then-Thunder. Four weeks later, Arena Football League commissioner Scott C. Butera announced that the team would be re-branded. Operations of the team were taken over by the league four weeks ago, leaving previous owner Terry Emmert out in no man's land.
At the time of the takeover, the team Butera said the move was made to "stabilize the team in the Portland market." In an article in The Portland Tribune today, Butera said he wanted to improve marketing of the team and produce a quality AFL team in the Portland.
Under the AFL's single-entity model, each team owner and investors' financial contributions are pooled to contribute to the league's overall operations. This means financially unstable teams are aided by contributions from teams which are on more stable footing.
The color scheme of the team has been altered to a steel gray and steel blue mix. The logos were released with the announcement. One features a jousting knight with forward-pointing sword in hand. The secondary logo is a pair of swords crossed to form an "X." The helmet has also been unveiled, featuring the steel gray background with the jousting knight logo on the side.
Steel general manager and head coach Ron James said the Steel name is intended to display toughness.
"The name `Steel' implies the strength needed to withstand the tough, action-packed game of Arena Football," James stated in a release on the AFL's website. "I am excited as the team's coach and GM to be a part of this new chapter for the Portland organization."
The press release also cites the history of steel in the Portland area, including the appearance of the cities dozen bridges.
Butera announced on Jan. 29 that the league had fired the entire Thunder coaching staff of head coach . Butera said today the move was made because the coaches, head coach Andy Olson and line coach Clay Harrell, had been part of Emmert's Thunder team. Olson, former head coach of the Spokane Shock, had been on the job for just four months. Harrell had been with the Thunder though its first two years and had been retained by Olson.
On the same day, he announced former Pittsburgh Power and Utah Blaze head coach Ron James had been tabbed to assume head coaching and general manager duties. James had spent the 2015 season as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Gladiators. he joins former Gladiators quarterback Shane Austin, who signed with Portland in November.
James has extensive coaching experience and seems to be looking forward to his next stop in the Rose City.
"(I am) in Portland and getting ready for training camp to open" James told me via Twitter.
Butera said the AFL is looking for new ownership to give Portland some stability, but it would have to be the right kind of ownership. He has not commented on whether the team has contacted Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen, who also owns the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.
After Emmert and the Arena Football League announced the granting of a Portland franchise, the team had a naming contest on facebook. The eventual winning name -- Growlers -- was nixed and the team went with the Thunder.
"Steel" was not among the options at the time of the naming contest.
The season opener against the Rattlers will be at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
The AFL also announced new twitter, facebook and instagram pages. The league also announced new website to replace the previous Thunder website, and that content on the site will be forethcoming.
- ANM
Photo Credit: Logo photos courtesy of the Portland Steel via twitter.
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