AFL’s demise won’t affect af2’s status

Thunder vs. Iron

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The Mahoning Valley Thunder finishes their 2009 season at the Covelli Center on Saturday, July 25, 2009 with a loss to the Milwaukee Iron.

The af2 commissioner says the Thunder has until Sept. 8 to inform the league of their status for 2010.

STAFF/WIRE REPORT

The Arena Football League is on the brink of folding and declaring bankruptcy, an inglorious end for the 22-year-old indoor league that has suffered through a year of turmoil.

James Guidry, the regional director of the AFL players association, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it “seems to be inevitable at this point” that the AFL will soon announce that it has ceased operations. Guidry, speaking by telephone, said the players association will accept the owners’ decision.

“We’re waiting to see if this decision has been finalized by the AFL,” Guidry said.

The AFL suspended play for the 2009 season, but some owners expressed hope that the league would return in some form in 2010.

David Baker abruptly resigned as league commissioner two days before the 2008 ArenaBowl championship game. Owners did not look for a replacement.

The Jon Bon Jovi-owned Philadelphia Soul, the last ArenaBowl champions, appear to have shut down. Their Web site only posts a simple message thanking fans for their support over the past five seasons. The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation has been renamed the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

ESPN, which owns a small equity share in the league, said it is not involved in management of the AFL.

“This is entirely an internal AFL matter,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said. “Our telecast agreement with the league has been terminated.”

The AFL’s offshoot, known as af2, played this season and is in the midst of the ArenaCup playoffs. The AFL owns 50.1 percent of the af2. If the AFL goes under, it won’t greatly affect the minor-league version because the af2 is solvent, self-funded and they pay its bills, Iowa Barnstormers co-owner Jeff Lamberti said.

The af2 executive committee has been working on contingency plans ever since the AFL announced it was suspending its season last year. Possible new plans range from combining af2 and defunct AFL teams to create a revamped league, or perhaps a new league with two tiers much like AFL/AF2 with a different economic model — or just leave the af2 as is with a new name.

When contacted by The Vindicator on Tuesday, af2 president Jerry Kurz said he’d like to see the AFL survive.

“We want them to come back,” Kurz said. “We want big brother [AFL] to come back. If not, we’ll still be playing arena next year,” he said, using the word “arena” to describe the game played by both leagues.

Kurz said his league doesn’t rely on the AFL for financing, staff or any support.

“We’re free-standing. We don’t have the same office nor the same staff. We play different seasons and have our own officiating. We’re part of the same family — arena — but we’re not dependent upon them for our existence.”

Kurz wouldn’t be specific as to the possibility of a revamped league.

But, af2’s status as a developmental body would be addressed.

“What I will say is that our owners are good business people and they’d be foolish if they didn’t explore the option on what’s available after this season.

“We’re now a developmental league. If the AFL is not back, should we remain developmental or should we be re-formatted? Those are questions that won’t be answered until after our season. The AFL still has to make a firm decision for af2 to make any decision. Right now, it would be speculation.”

Kurz said the Mahoning Valley Thunder’s initial three-year commitment to the league has been satisfied.

“They met their obligation, now it’s on a one-year cycle, like everybody else,” Kurz.

He said that Mahoning Valley has until Sept. 8 to declare their intention to continue or not for 2010.

“That’s normal function,” he said.

Kurz was complimentary of the Covelli Centre as an af2 venue.

“It’s one of the best buildings in the league,” he said.

The president said af2 will expand, starting with Toledo as an expansion team next year.

“We’ll be here with or without AFL. We’d prefer them come back. It would be sad if they don’t.”

XVindicator sports writer John Bassetti contributed to this story.