It has been seven months since the Arena Football League canceled their 2009 season. Despite occasional announcements that the league has a plan to relaunch, there are still no promises how it will happen. Or if it will happen at all.
Chicago Rush part-owner Mike Ditka has his doubts.
“I would love to see the AFL come back. But if you ain’t heard anything by now saying they will, I don’t see them coming back because there were too many weak sisters.”
Rush owner Alan Levin says time has already run out for the league to return next season because there are no players allocated. Most coaching staffs, although not all, have disbanded.
“It’s too late to commit to a 2010 season because we don’t have enough time to properly prepare.”
The AFL is not exactly presenting a picture of stability. The San Jose Mercury News reports the league recently hired their third commissioner since last summer, Mark Lewis, but have not announced the move.
The league has repeatedly suggested on their website that a new league plan was set to be ratified, but have not made a peep for more than two months.
AFL Players Association president James Baron, who says he’s out of the loop, blames a lack of leadership.
“We’re looking for leadership and integrity from the owners, and there’s not a lot of that coming out of there right now. I’d like to be as optimistic as possible that we’ll play next year. But there is nothing to this point that would indicate that’s going to happen.”
If the Arena League doesn’t return, Baron and other unemployed players could always give their local UFL franchise a call
.