Arena Football League: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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Line 75: ===Decline (2008–2009)=== After 12 years as commissioner of the AFL, [[C. David Baker|David Baker]] retired unexpectedly on July 25, 2008, just two days before [[ArenaBowl XXII]]; deputy commissioner Ed Policy was named interim commissioner until Baker's replacement was found. Baker explained, "When I took over as commissioner, I thought it would be for one year. It turned into 12. But now it's time."<ref>{{cite news | title = Baker resigns as AFL commissioner after successful 12 years | publisher = ESPN | date = July 26, 2008 | url = In October 2008, [[Tom Benson]] announced that the New Orleans VooDoo were ceasing operations and folding "based on circumstances currently affecting the league and the team".<ref>{{cite news | title = VooDoo terminates operations | newspaper = New Orleans Times-Picayune | date = October 14, 2008 | url = http://www.nola.com/voodoo/t-p/?/base/sports-0/1223961679147170.xml&coll=1 | access-date = August 8, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081019024141/http://www.nola.com/voodoo/t-p/?%2Fbase%2Fsports-0%2F1223961679147170.xml&coll=1 | archive-date = October 19, 2008 | url-status = live }}</ref> Shortly thereafter, an article in ''[[Sports Business Journal]]'' announced that the AFL had a tentative agreement to sell a $100 million stake in the league to [[Platinum Equity]]; in exchange, Platinum Equity would create a centralized, single-entity business model that would streamline league and team operations and allow the league to be more profitable. Benson's move to shut down the VooDoo came during the Platinum Equity conference call, leading to speculation that he had folded because of the deal.<ref>{{cite news | title = AFL owners OK sale of $100 million stake | publisher = Sports Business Journal | date = October 22, 2008 | url = http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60311 | access-date = August 8, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090106175021/http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60311 | archive-date = January 6, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> Line 89: ===Relaunch and rock star owners (2010–2014)=== Following the suspension of the AFL's 2009 season, league officials and owners of af2 (which had played its season as scheduled) began discussing the future of arena football and the two leagues. With its 50.1 percent ownership of af2, the AFL's bankruptcy and dissolution prompted the dissolution of af2 as well.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} That league was formally considered disbanded on September 8, 2009, when no owner committed his or her team to the league's eleventh season by that deadline.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} For legal reasons, af2 league officials and owners agreed to form a new legal entity, Arena Football 1 (AF1), with former AFL teams the [[Arizona Rattlers]] and [[Orlando Predators]] joining the former af2.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=407&articleid=20090930_223_B8_Cmltnh762219 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121008060423/http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=407&articleid=20090930_223_B8_Cmltnh762219 | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 8, 2012 | title = League targets 24 teams | newspaper = Tulsa World | date = September 30, 2009 | access-date = August 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = All assets of the Arena Football League were put up for auction.<ref name=USATodayAuction/> On November 11, 2009, the new league announced its intention to purchase the entire assets of the former AFL; the assets included the team names and logos of all but one of the former AFL and af2 teams.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3927683 | title = Arena Football One Announces AFL Asset Bid | date = November 11, 2009 | access-date = September 1, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110604150645/http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3927683 | archive-date = June 4, 2011 | url-status = live }}</ref> The lone exception was that of the [[Dallas Desperados]]; Desperados owner [[Jerry Jones]] had purposely designed the Desperados' properties around those of the [[Dallas Cowboys]], making the two inseparable. The auction occurred on November 25, 2009.<ref name=USATodayAuction>{{cite news | url = http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2009/11/arena-football-league-assets-even-trophy-set-to-hit-the-auction-block/1 | work = USA Today | title = Arena Football League assets (even trophy) set to hit the auction block | date = November 3, 2009 | access-date = November 17, 2009 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130209043206/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2009/11/arena-football-league-assets-even-trophy-set-to-hit-the-auction-block/1 | archive-date = February 9, 2013 | url-status = live }}</ref> The assets were awarded to Arena Football 1 on December 7, 2009, with a winning bid of $6.1 million.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=9540 | title = Court approves sale of AFL assets to AF1 | work = ArenaFan.com | date = December 8, 2009 | access-date = December 8, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606124511/http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=9540 | archive-date = June 6, 2011 | url-status = live }}</ref> Line 265: * [[Jim Drucker]] – 1994–1996 * [[C. David Baker]] – 1997–2008 * [[Ed Policy]] (interim)<ref>{{cite web | url = * [[Jerry Kurz]] – 2010–2015 * [[Scott Butera]] – 2015–2017 | |||