Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
November 18, 2013 - X-League (X-League)
BASEBALL
Pecos League: The head of the independent Pecos League is moving forward with plans to establish a team called the Bisbee (AZ) Blue for the 2014 season. After briefly considering Safford (AZ) for another 2014 expansion team, the league is now looking at Douglas (AZ), which is about 20 miles from Bisbee, for a possible tenth team. All eight of the Pecos League teams throughout Texas, New Mexico and Colorado plan on returning for the 2014 season. An independent pro team called the Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings was part of the Arizona-Mexico League, which lasted only three weeks of its inaugural 2003 season.
American Association: The owners of the El Paso Diablos team, which will sit out the 2014 season in the AA due to the arrival of the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas of the Pacific Coast League, are now proposing a move of the team to Joplin (MO) if the city will agree to stadium renovations and a lease.
Atlantic Baseball League: A developer announced plans for the Grand Texas entertainment complex in the New Caney area of Montgomery County (North Houston) that will include a 6,000-seat ballpark for an independent baseball team, possibly in the ABL or American Association. The ABL is looking to place a second Texas-based team in the Houston area, while a developer with ties to the AA had been working to develop a ballpark in Montgomery County.
Great Plains League: The new summer-collegiate Great Plains League plans to start play in 2014 with six teams. Four Kansas-based teams called the Junction City Rattlers, Rossville Rattlers, Topeka Golden Giants and Topeka Senators have been announced so far.
Northwoods League: The new Kalamazoo (MI) expansion team in the summer-collegiate Northwoods League announced it will be called the Kalamazoo Growlers when it starts play in 2014. The city last hosted the Kalamazoo Kings independent pro team in the 2010 season of the Frontier League.
BASKETBALL
American Basketball Association: The South Carolina Warriors (Myrtle Beach) of the ABA announced the team has suspended operations. The Warriors started play in the ABA's 2011-12 season. The ABA also announced it will add a team in Indianapolis for the 2014-15 season.
Florida Basketball Association: The FBA officially announced it will expand to five teams for its 2014 spring-summer season with the addition of a team in Miami.
Central Basketball League: The organizer of the CBL has decided to step down and has sold the league to Next Level Elite Basketball Training and Development, whose owner was starting two previously announced CBL teams called the Orlando Heroes and South Florida Spartans.
Premier Basketball League: The PBL announced new teams called the Pee Dee Vipers, based in Florence (SC), and the Lafayette (LA) Legends have been added for the upcoming 2014 season that will start in January. Florence had a former team called the Florence Flyers that was part of the 2004 season in the defunct United States Basketball League. Lafayette had team called the Louisiana United Pelicans in the 2010-11 American Basketball Association. The league also announced its Lake Michigan Admirals team will return under new ownership and will be based in St. Joseph (MI). The league's Columbus-based Indiana Diesels team is set to play in Indianapolis in 2014 and is now listed as the Indianapolis Diesels.
FOOTBALL
Arena Football League: The AFL's new Portland (OR) franchise announced it will be called the Portland Thunder when its starts play in the 2014 season. Enforcers, Sasquatch, Growlers and Stomp were the other names being considered. The league officially announced its 2014 schedule that will feature an eight-team American Conference with two four-team divisions and a six-team National Conference with two three-team divisions. The Portland Thunder will be part of the National Conference Pacific Division with the San Jose SabreCats and Spokane Shock.
Professional Indoor Football League: The eight-team PIFL announced its 2014 season schedule and league alignment that will now feature two conferences. The American Conference includes the returning Alabama Hammers (Huntsville), Albany (GA) Panthers, Columbus (GA) Lions and the expansion Nashville Venom. The National Conference has the returning Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (Bethlehem, PA), and Richmond (VA) Raiders, along with the expansion Trenton (NJ) Freedom and the Harrisburg (PA) Stampede from last season's American Indoor Football.
X-League Indoor Football: A new X-League announced a Birmingham-based team called the Alabama Outlawz will be the league's sixth team when it starts its inaugural season in 2014. Other teams include the Florida Marine Raiders (Lakeland), Georgia Rampage (Dalton), Georgia Stealth (Atlanta), Pennsylvania Storm (Reading) and St. Louis Attack..
American Indoor Football: The AIF officially announced the Rochester (NY) Raiders will be part of the 2014 season. A previously announced team called the Moorestown (NJ) Saints is no longer listed and will not be part of the 2014 AIF season.
HOCKEY
American Hockey League: The owner of the AHL's Portland (ME) Pirates team, which is playing its 2013-14 home schedule in Lewiston (ME), stated that a potential move of the team about 55 miles south to Glens Falls (NY) would be a last resort. The Pirates are looking at options near Portland after it moved out of its previous home arena in Portland due to ongoing renovations and a failed lease agreement. Glens Falls will be vacated next season when the AHL's current Adirondack Phantoms team will move to a new arena in Allentown (PA) where the team will be renamed the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
SOCCER
United Soccer Leagues - Major Indoor Soccer League: The MISL started its 2013-14 season this weekend and again has seven teams grouped into one table. The Chicago Soul and Wichita Wings did not return from last season, but the league added two new teams called the St. Louis Ambush and the Reading-based Pennsylvania Roar.
United Soccer Leagues - PRO: The new Oklahoma City-based team in the 2014 USL PRO league announced it will be called the Oklahoma City Energy. Oklahoma City will join next season along with the new Sacramento Republic FC. The league's Antigua Barracuda FC and VSI Tampa Bay FC team are not expected to return next season, but the league could add two new teams that act as reserve clubs for the FC Dallas and Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Four USL PRO league teams were affiliated with and acted as reserve clubs for four MLS teams in 2013.
National Premier Soccer League: The Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League announced it will again operate a team called the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves in the NPSL for the 2014 season. A team called Atlanta FC played three seasons (2008-10) in the NPSL before becoming the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves for two seasons (2011-12). The team sat out the 2013 NPSL season.
OTHER
World Series of Boxing: The team-based international boxing league called the World Series of Boxing (WSB) has started its 2013-14 season and again has 12 teams split into a two groups. Of the 12 teams from last season, the British Lionhearts did not return, but a team called the Cuba Domadores was added. Group A includes the Algeria Desert Hawks, Argentine Condors, Italia Thunder, Team Germany Eagles, Ukraine Otamans and the USA Knockouts. Group B has the Azerbaijan Baku Fires, Astana Arlans Kazakhstan, Cuba Domadores, Hussars Poland, Mexico Guerreros, and Russia Boxing Team.
Dan Krieger is the creator of the "The Leagueology Almanac 2012-13", 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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X-League Stories from November 18, 2013
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
