Bartram said:
dang. i thought it was Arena League II. I wonder what the impact will be on the biscuits?
The Vipers just left the AF2... from reports here the AF2 isnt on solid ground right now and more teams are leaving in the future. Here is the article...
Vipers leave af2 for new league
Details are few, but Clarkson says Tennessee Valley will play in 2005
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff
reggieb@htimes.com
The Tennessee Valley Vipers, one of the premier franchises in arenafootball2, have left the league and are expected to join a newly formed indoor league, owner Art Clarkson said Monday night.
Clarkson said he was unable to provide further details of the new venture, but said indoor football would be in Huntsville in 2005.
"We are playing football next year," Clarkson said. He wouldn't disclose the other parties involved in the new business venture.
Tennessee Valley isn't the only team leaving af2. According to The Journal Star News, the Peoria Pirates have also left the league.
Jerry Kurz, af2's interim executive director, suggested in a story in The Journal Star News that Clarkson had something to do with Peoria leaving.
"I think Art Clarkson wanted to be king of af2, and influenced Peoria to go along with him," Kurz said.
Said Clarkson: "We want to part on amicable terms. I wish all of my partners in af2 well."
Kurz told The Journal Star News that Tennessee Valley had been behind on its bills and was not a good member in standing for years. Clarkson scoffed at that, reiterating that he had been named Executive of the Year in 2001 and 2003 and was voted Chairman of the Board for 2004.
"How could that have happened if we were not in good standing?" Clarkson asked.
Meanwhile, Hawaii, Laredo and Columbus, Ga., will be dormant in af2 until 2006. Cape Fear will move to Albany, Ga. As a result, af2 will field 20 teams in 2005, down from 25 last season. The 20 teams will be the fewest af2 has fielded since the league opened in 2000.
"I'm more interested in the long range future of Tennessee Valley indoor football than af2," Clarkson said.
One of the problems Clarkson had with af2 was its ownership groups.
"My issues are the type of ownership has changed from operators, in my opinion, to ownership groups of wealthy people who don't mind losing six-figure incomes," Clarkson said. "I do not fit into that group of people. I don't begrudge them for that, but I should begrudge the fact this is my livelihood and it's time for us to move on to a different league, which is made up of operators, people who are in this business because it is their business."
