Arena Football League has Officially Folded
After cancelling their 2009 season, it wasn’t looking like the Arena Football Leauge was going to be returning. The Dispatch just confirmed it this morning: the owners of the league are suspending operations until further notice. The Destroyers were the Columbus team in the league with five years under their belt in Nationwide Arena, and a run up to the championship game in 2007.
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Related Tags: arena football • destroyers • football • nationwide arena • Sports
August 4th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
It’s too bad we had to lose a pro team, but if we had to lose one I’d rather it be Arena Football over Hockey or Soccer. I do wonder what — if any — impact it will have on Nationwide Arena.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Sad news…
August 4th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Maybe we could attract a WNBA team to fill their spot?
August 4th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
The Arena District took a hard blow to the left cheek during the hockey strike, so I’m sad to see any loss of business.
I’m up for a WNBA sanctioned team to fill that void because the games are exciting, but I’m doubtful it would have the same draw as the Destroyers. OSU women’s games barely fill the Schott, and they’re a really competitive team.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Since arena football was a spring/summer sport with a relatively few home games, I think the Clippers will do just fine in cushioning any impact on the area bars/restaurants.
Attendance wasn’t great during the season after they made it to the Arena Bowl - tickets were distributed like crazy but that didn’t mean souls actually showed up - so it’s not like the Arena District is losing anything huge. And if your business plan depended heavily on a successful arena football team, your business deserves to fail.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
@ turbo ninja: You’re right about a business plan failing if it depended on Arena football. There seems to be more hype over Huntington Park, and it’s visitors would likely frequent the Arena District for pre and post game fun.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
turbo ninja Says: And if your business plan depended heavily on a successful arena football team, your business deserves to fail.
There go my plans to open an official Destroyers-themed Nightclub on Park Street. ;)
August 6th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Walker, I said a successful arena football team. Your Destroyers concept lies outside my parameter.
(I kid because it’s easy to kick a third-tier sport while it’s down.)