Marcum: Group of owners still trying to suspend season

For now, the 2009 AFL season is on. By Sunday afternoon, who knows if that still will be the case.

Storm coach Tim Marcum said today that the league's board of directors, which voted Wednesday to not suspend the season, will re-convene Sunday and vote on the matter once again. And that, quite frankly, worries him.

"The guys that lost the first vote ... they're trying to postpone the season," Marcum said. "They've called another meeting for Sunday and they're trying to finagle things as much as they can until they get their way."

Marcum said a handful of franchise owners (those from Columbus, Dallas and Philadelphia) are trying to gain enough votes to postpone the season. But he said the Storm, Arizona, New York, Orlando and San Jose are committed to playing in 2009, and are doing all they can to make that happen.

"The USFL took a year off, too," Marcum said. "And look what happened."

Storm owner Dr. Bob Nucci "cares about the fans," Marcum said. "He cares about our players. He cares about the game. We don't want this thing to go away."

When the board, which consists of all franchise owners and a representative from Gridiron Enterprises, which holds the patent for the AFL, met via conference call Wednesday, the vote was 10-7 against playing in '09. A two-thirds vote was needed to shut things down.

Marcum said that since that first vote, the Chicago franchise has switched sides and is now against playing. If the other votes hold, that would make it 11 against playing and six for, inching the number closer toward what is needed to cancel the season.

"It looks like they're going to try to vote until they get their way," Marcum said. "The league is in debt. There's a lot of work that has to be done. We're willing to do it. We have a plan; they just won't listen. The 11 people (against playing) will not take any calls. They've got their minds made up."

In light of what is transpiring, Marcum remains hopeful of having a 2009 season. He did, however, concede that the AFL of '09 might not resemble that of '08.

"The odds are, there will be a season," Marcum said. "But this is ridiculous. It's Dec. 13. We've got guys out there, guys with kids and families. We're dealing with 500 families and lives here involved in Arena Football. To pull the plug out now is just not right."

Comments

[Mark Saw]

Thanks Jon Bon Jovi...What did oyu not make enough on tour to put a few bucks back into the league you obviously only joined to make more money?