Starting to hear the rumors milling around about the new indoor football team in Allen-- they are called the Wranglers-- the Indoor Football League placed a team there with their owner Jim Smith who once owned an indoor team in Arkansas... now the rumor is that he is looking to dump this team before this Friday night's game against the Brawlers (3-25-11) or they will fold completely.
The story goes that Smith could not make payroll for the team after they returned from Fairbanks, Alaska (yes you saw that right) last week, and there is an underlying current that there might be a munity of players walking out on the team.
They have had money troubles since the inception of this team, and with that, they are close to losing this franchise, there is a source that is close to the team that said that Smith is asking for either an out and out purchase of the team or at least a partner to help with the operational cost.
A week before their first game at the Allen Event Center, the team had no merchandise to sell, and what they had made for a team that is playing spring football and into the summer months, was all winter sweat shirts as well as hoodies! The pricing for tickets is higher than the Arena Football League's Dallas Vigilantes (a second year team after the Dallas Desperados and the league halted competition for one year). The other rumor is that the Vigilantes are looking to move to the Allen Event Center for their games most likely next season.
Makes sense when you consider that the AEC is smaller (6,000 or so seats vs. 17,000 seats for the AAC). The rent would have to be cheaper and the concession would be more of a split, there is free parking at the AEC so no one controls that, unlike the AAC where the team makes absolutely nothing on the parking and has no merchandise in the "Team Store" at the AAC-- everything is a booth for the Vigilantes.
Makes sense when you consider that the AEC is smaller (6,000 or so seats vs. 17,000 seats for the AAC). The rent would have to be cheaper and the concession would be more of a split, there is free parking at the AEC so no one controls that, unlike the AAC where the team makes absolutely nothing on the parking and has no merchandise in the "Team Store" at the AAC-- everything is a booth for the Vigilantes.
Sources also say that General Manager of the Allen Wranglers, former Dallas Cowboy Wide Receiver Drew Pearson put up personal money in the beginning, however that cash flow is all tapped out. No word if Pearson is going to stick with the team after this Friday if no new money is brought in, and what the future would be for Pearson.
The Wranglers are 0-2 on the season after losing their opening game at home and losing on the road in Alaska.
Just a thought
Just a thought
-30-
Sounds like many other teams from the various other indoor football leagues. Been there. It's not that unusual for something like this to happen.
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