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Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
December 30, 2013 - X-League (X-League)


BASEBALL

California Winter League: The month-long developmental CWL plans to operate its fifth season with ten teams playing from January 23 to February 11, 2014. The leagues lists the eight teams returning from last season, plus new teams called the Midwest Haymakers and Bay Area Bootleggers. The CWL provides an opportunity for potential prospects to showcase their talent and possibly find a roster spot on teams from several independent leagues for the upcoming summer baseball season.

Texas Winter League: The month-long TWL will return in 2014 with all games being played at the Nelson Wolff Stadium and surrounding complex in San Antonio, home of the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Texas League. For its season in February 2013, the league had four teams playing a 16-game schedule in Harlingen (TX), home of the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings of United League Baseball.

Independent Baseball League: The proposed IBL is trying to get off the ground in June 2014 with four Midwestern Division teams each playing a 36-game schedule. Teams include the Tiffin (OH) Saints, Shovel City Crawlers (Marion, OH), a yet-to-be-named team in Adrian (MI) and an IBL travel team based out of Marion. The league is considering having the travel team play three weekends in Indiana to test markets for a possible 2015 team. The league is working on an Eastern Division and a Southern Division for 2015 and reports it has secured a franchise in the Atlanta area for 2015.

BASKETBALL

American Professional Basketball League: The Alexandria Avengers, Maryland Bayraiders and Portsmouth Cavaliers have disappeared from the APBL standings, but The Destroyers team has been added.

Eastern Basketball Alliance: The Maryland Bayraiders team, which left the EBA to join the American Professional Basketball League for its 2013-14 season, is now listed as a travel team in the standings for the 2014 EBA season. The EBA's new Southern Division lists two Atlanta area teams called the Atlantic Crowns and Atlanta Purple Lightning. The Atlantic Crowns have also been mentioned as a possible addition for the 2014 Central Basketball League.

Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional - Femenil: The LNBP, the top men's professional basketball league in Mexico, plans to start a women's league called the LNBP-Femenil in March 2014. Potential teams include Las Aguilas de Tabasco, Mieleras de Guanajuato, Petroleras de Minatitlan, Cafetaleras de Cordoba, Choras de Aguascalientes and Felinas de Leon. The final number of teams will be decided by February 2014

FOOTBALL

X-League Indoor Football: The X-League announced its inaugural season schedule will feature five teams-the Alabama Outlawz (Birmingham), Florida Marine Raiders (Lakeland), Georgia Rampage (Dalton), Pennsylvania Steam (Reading) and St. Louis Attack. Each team will play an eight-game schedule consisting of a home and away game against the other teams, along with the option of playing up to two non-league games during the season. The 2014 season will run from early March through May. A previously announced sixth team called the Georgia Stealth from the Atlanta area was not in compliance with league guidelines and was suspended for the 2014 season.

A-11 Football League: The proposed outdoor spring-summer professional A-11 Football League, which will feature a new patented A-11 Offense featuring interchangeable players at every position, has announced 12 cities as finalists for the 8 charter teams that will be part of the inaugural season starting in March 2015. The cities include Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa. The A11FL plans to hold two showcase games in May 2014.

HOCKEY

ECHL: There has been speculation a new 6,500-seat arena planned for the Grand Texas Sports and Entertainment District to be built north of Houston in Montgomery County (TX) could become home to a minor league hockey team in the ECHL or Central Hockey League. The arena is projected for completion by October 2015.

SOCCER

National Premier Soccer League: The men's NPSL announced the addition of a Seattle-based team to the new Northwest Conference for the 2014 season. Two Oregon-based Northwest Conference teams were previously announced. In addition, a team called the ASA Charge, operated by the Arundel Soccer Association and based in Gambrills (MD), has been added as a 2014 expansion team. An ASA women's team called the ASA Chesapeake Charge has been part of the Women's Premier Soccer League since the 2010 season.

OTHER

National Lacrosse League: The indoor NLL started its 2014 season this weekend with a five-team Eastern Division and a four-team Western Division. In the league alignment, the Minnesota Swarm was moved from the Western Division to the Eastern Division. The Everett-based Washington Stealth franchise moved to Langley (British Columbia) and the team was renamed the Vancouver Stealth for the 2014 season.

Canadian Lacrosse League (CLAX): The CLAX has posted its 2014 schedule that will feature five teams each playing four home games and five road games, with one road game per team to be played against the Tuscarora Tomahawks in Cattaraugus (NY). The Tomahawks are part of the Can-Am Senior B Lacrosse League. The new SouthWest Cyclops team for 2014 is a relocation of the Brampton Inferno and will play all of its home games at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagersville (Ontario) with the hope of finding a home arena in 2015. The Iroquois Lacrosse Arena is also home to the league's Ohsweken Demons.

Professional Bowlers Association League: The PBA League will return with the same eight teams for a second season in 2014. All matches will be played on two weekends-quarterfinals and semi-finals on January 25-27 and finals on February 23. All matches will then be televised by ESPN on Sundays from early February through mid-April. Teams will include the New York City KingPins, Motown Muscle, Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits, Silver Lake Atom Splitters, L.A. X, Philadelphia Hitmen, BROOKLYN STyLES and Dallas Strikers.

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 December 30, 2013


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