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Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
June 3, 2013 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)


BASEBALL

Atlantic Baseball League: After several years of trying, ground is to be broken next week for the new ballpark near Ashburn (VA) that will become home to the ABL's Loudoun County Hounds expansion team. The new team is expected to start play in the 2014 season. The facility will also be used by the new Virginia Cavalry soccer team in the Division-II North American Soccer League.

Southern League: The state of Mississippi has agreed to provide some funding for a proposed new ballpark in Biloxi that could become home to a Double-A Southern League team. The Huntsville (AL) Stars have been mentioned as a potential relocation candidate. A potential ballpark site has been selected and a push is being made to have it ready for the 2014 season. An ownership group is apparently in the process of purchasing a team for relocation to Biloxi.

Eastern League: Officials in Ottawa are reworking a ballpark renovation financing plan to try to lure a relocated Double-A Eastern League team. The city's previous share of renovation costs was apparently not enough as negotiations with potential ownership groups broke down over the past year.

Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs: The new independent Pacific Association, which formed its own league after playing as the North Division of the North American League last season, has started its inaugural 2013 season. Teams include the returning Hawaii Stars (Hilo), Na Koa Ikaika Maui, San Rafael (CA) Pacifics and the new Vallejo (CA) Admirals, which replaced the 2012 Sonoma County Grapes travel team. The Pacific Association is playing an interlocking schedule with the Freedom Professional Baseball League in 2013. The two Hawaii-based teams will also play 2013 games against teams from Japan's independent Baseball Challenge League. The two California teams have exhibition games scheduled in 2013 against regional semi-pro teams called the East Bay Lumberjacks and Santa Rosa Rose Buds.

Freedom Professional Baseball League: The four-team independent FPBL has started its second season that will also feature regular-season games against teams from the independent Pacific Association. The FPBL teams from 2012 have new names for 2013. The Arizona Centennials are now the Goodyear Centennials, the Copper State Prospectors are the Phoenix Prospectors, the Montezuma Federals are the Prescott Montezuma Federals, and the Sonoran Explorers are the Peoria Explorers.

Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League: The PGCBL announced plans for a new team in 2014 to be based in Saugerties (NY), which was home to a previous summer-collegiate team called the Saugerties Dutchmen.

BASKETBALL

Central Basketball League: The Dayton Air Strikers were dropped from the CBL last month, so the league is completing its inaugural spring season with four teams-the Bowling Green Hornets, Middle Tennessee Storm (Nashville), River City Panthers (Peoria) and St. Louis Hawks. As the league plans for its fall 2013 and spring 2014 seasons, it is scheduling "audition" games during the 2013 spring season with potential new franchises. One such franchise is the Galesburg (IL) Pride, which has played a couple of games against current CBL teams. The league is also looking to place a team in Knightstown (IN).

Beautiful Ballers League: The new women's semi-pro BBL started its inaugural season this weekend that will feature seven teams called the Atlanta Peaches, Brooklyn Diamondz, Los Angeles Dolls, Miami Storm, Minnesota Mist, New Orleans Spirit and Orlando Lady Cats.

FOOTBALL

Professional Indoor Football League: Although the owner of the Lake Charles-based Louisiana Swashbucklers announced the team folded last week, the PIFL plans to operate the team under the same name and complete the four games remaining on the Swashbucklers' 2013 schedule.

Developmental Indoor Football League: The Cheyenne (WY) Warriors of the semi-pro DIFL have ceased operations. The team was part of the 2012 American Professional Football League, but played the final two games of the season as an independent team. The Warriors planned to join the Indoor Football League for its 2013 season, but the team's majority owner passed away in late December 2012 forcing the team to drop out of the IFL. The team's coach and others associated with the Warriors formed the DIFL with two Colorado-based teams called the Northern Colorado Wolfpack (Greeley) and the Rocky Mountain Thunder (Denver) to try to keep a 2013 season alive.

Canadian Football League: The CFL recently announced the Touchdown Atlantic regular-season CFL game will be played in Moncton (New Brunswick) in September 2013. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, whose home stadium is being replaced this season, will host the Montreal Alouettes. The CFL has hosted only two other regular-season games in a non-CFL market with previous 2010 and 2011 Touchdown Atlantic games in Moncton. Touchdown Atlantic was created so the league can determine the draw of CFL games for a possible future franchise located in the Atlantic region of the county. The CFL plans to add an Ottawa team to the East Division in 2014 and move Winnipeg to the West Division creating a four-team East Division and a five-team West Division. Eventually, the league wants to add a fifth team in the East Division and Moncton, Quebec City and Halifax (Nova Scotia) have been under consideration. The new Ottawa team is expected to be called the Ottawa RedBlacks with an official announcement next weekend.

HOCKEY

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League: The QMJHL's Prince Edward Island Rocket, which was sold after the 2012-13 season, has officially announced the team's new name as the Charlottetown Islanders. Near the start of the 2012-13 season, the Rocket announced plans to rename the team the PEI Islanders for the 2013-14 season, but the new ownership decided to change that to the Charlottetown Islanders.

North American 3 Hockey League: The Tier-III junior-level NA3HL, which is affiliated with the Tier-II North American Hockey League, announced the league alignment for the 2013-14 season. With the addition of the Chicago Junior Bulldogs team from the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, the league will have 18 teams aligned into six-team Central, East and West divisions. The league's Quad City Junior Flames moved from Davenport (IA) to Madison (WI) to become the Wisconsin Whalers, while the Queen City Steam was renamed the Cincinnati Swords.

Western States Hockey League: The junior-level WSHL has announced its 2013-14 league alignment that will feature four six-team divisions. The league increases by two teams with the addition of a yet-to-be-named Fort Collins (CO) team and the Missoula (MT) Maulers from the America West Hockey League.

SOCCER

Professional Arena Soccer League: The PASL will have a new yet-to-be-named team based in Ontario (CA) for the 2013-14 season. The league operated with 19 teams in 2012-13 that included California-based teams in Anaheim, Sacramento, San Diego and Turlock. Another 2013-14 expansion team based in Laredo (TX) was announced in April.

Major League Soccer: Former MLS star David Beckham is interested in purchasing an MLS expansion franchise and recently visited the Miami area, which is considered to be one of the possible franchise locations. The league previously had a team called the Miami Fusion for four seasons (1998-2001).

North American Soccer League: An official formerly associated with the Edmonton FC of the Division-II NASL is trying to develop an NASL franchise based in Calgary as a rival for the Edmonton club.

OTHER

USA Rugby League: The USARL started its 2013 season this weekend with six returning teams-the Baltimore Blues, Boston Thirteens, Jacksonville Axemen, Philadelphia Fight, Rhode Island Rebellion (Providence) and Washington DC Slayers. Two other 2012 teams called the New Haven (CT) Warriors and Oneida FC (Boston) did not return for the 2013 season.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the "The Leagueology Almanac 2011-12", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The publication is currently available at www.amazon.com.

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Professional Indoor Football League Stories from June 3, 2013


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