Indoor football team plans for 2009

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Indoor football team plans for 2009

Sources say club’s new owner is from Laurel

by Kevin Hilgers | Staff Writer

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The Chesapeake Tide will unveil its new owner along with a new name and logo later this month as the struggling Continental Indoor Football League team seeks to revamp its image for its third season in Upper Marlboro.

Team officials have declined to disclose the names of potential new owners, but one of the leading candidates is a Laurel businessman and University of Maryland graduate, according to several team sources.

‘‘The deal is pretty much done,” said coach Matthew Steeple. ‘‘We’re pretty much going to be starting fresh.”

Tide general manager John Wolfe and CIFL officials did not return messages seeking comment.

The league assumed control of the team mid-season from founding owner Martin Johnson due to health problems, said CIFL co-founder Jeff Spitaleri at the time. CIFL officials have not disclosed financial terms of that transfer or the sale to a new owner.

After making the playoffs in their inaugural season, the Tide went 2-10 this season and attendance crashed to sometimes no more than 200 fans after they drew nearly 1,000 to their season opener.

Players, fans and coaches lamented the lack of advertising and publicity. The team ceased advertising after the first game. The Tide felt the tight purse strings on the field, too, as players, coaches and even players’ parents had to help with gameday setup at Show Place Arena. And for road games, the Tide made bus trips away and back in one day.

But Steeple said he is optimistic about the team’s future based on his meetings with potential owners.

‘‘Some owners need to learn that owning a team is not a hobby,” Steeple said. ‘‘If your money is not right, you shouldn’t be here.”

In addition to new ownership, the franchise will be getting what Steeple said is a much-needed facelift of its image. The new name and logo is part of a rebranding of the team.

‘‘The name kind of burned a couple people,” Steeple said. ‘‘Some people didn’t want to be affiliated with the Chesapeake Tide because of how they were treated.”

The league has had its own share of problems this season, too. The defending champion Rochester Raiders, who were undefeated and a favorite to repeat this season, were suspended on the eve of the playoffs for announcing their intention to leave the CIFL and join the American Indoor Football Association.

Rochester played two exhibitions against AIFA teams to end the season while the Saginaw Sting went on to win the CIFL title with a 41-37 victory over the Kalamazoo Xplosion on Sunday.

E-mail Kevin Hilgers at khilgers@gazette.net.