Playing Catch-Up

If you're one of the three people who regularly read this page, you may have noticed that it hasn't been updated in quite a while. Unfortunately, I'll have to resort to the usual excuse for things of this nature- I've simply been too busy. Part of why I've been so busy, though, is that Mighty Mahoning has moved its headquarters from Cleveland to Youngstown. Obviously, this is a good thing- why would you want to be anywhere else?

Anyhow, there are a few Youngstown-related things to catch up on.

Chris Barzak World Domination Day

August 28 was unofficially designated "Chris Barzak World Domination Day" by our good friends over at the Oakland. The reason for this, of course, was that his first novel, One for Sorrow, was released on that day. If you've been keeping up with the other Youngstown blogs (and of course you have), you've probably already heard about this. There are lots of interesting and exciting things to say about this, and presumably, many of them have already been said. In simplest terms, though, it's something for us all to be proud of and it's another great example of what a great scene we have when it comes to the arts here. I urge you to read the book (I hear it's great, although I haven't read it yet myself) and check out Barzak's blog over at http://christopherbarzak.wordpress.com.

Something to Crow About

"County fair, county fair
Everybody in town'll be there
So come on, hey, we're goin' down there
Hey, little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby, down at the county fair."

-Bruce Springsteen, County Fair

This weekend, as you know, is the Canfield Fair, one of the supremely important items on the Youngstown area calendar every year. It's hard to articulate just why I love the fair. As a city kid, I know very little about what qualifies a pig as a blue ribbon winner or just how one can grow a pumpkin the size of a Geo. The smell of several tons of horse and cow manure is a pretty foreign and pretty awful scent for me, too. It's not that I dislike the country life, it's just that I can't relate. Regardless, I love the fair.

Of course, everyone loves the fair. It's a great tradition and one that has been more or less preserved in its proper state even though everything else around it has changed. One imagines that, when the fair first started, Canfield was a pretty remote place, made up almost entirely of farmland. Obviously, things have changed around town- but the fair really hasn't. That's reassuring for a lot of people. The fact that things are almost always the same there- sights, sounds, smells- brings back lots of memories.

YSU vs. OSU

The Penguins take on the Buckeyes this weekend in the Tressel Bowl. I'll be there, proudly clad in my Defend Youngstown t-shirt. Go Penguins.

The Ghost and the Tribe

I'm a little late on this, but in case you missed it, Kelly Pavlik was invited up to the SportsTime Ohio booth during an Indians game over the weekend for an interview with Tribe broadcasters Rick Manning and Matt Underwood. He spent the better part of a half-inning in the booth and, as always, represented himself well. Of course, the fact that Pavlik is a Youngstown guy did come up, and Pavlik reiterated the pride he has in the city.

STO has been good to Pavlik, promoting him through this interview as well as through their recent documentary that aired shortly before his last fight. More importantly, though, Pavlik has been great for Youngstown. Others have already explored this topic better than I can, so I won't beat a dead horse here except to say that it's great to see someone represent the true spirit of the city and do so in a positive way. I've written a lot about Maurice Clarett in this space- and, unfortunately, Clarett is only one of many "coulda been" athletes that's come out of Youngstown over the years. Pavlik has emerged as a counterbalancing force, an athlete that people can root for without guilt or serious doubts about his background or his integrity.

Pavlik's image is being controlled well. As people like Kobe Bryant and Ken Caminiti have shown us in recent years, the fans can never really know an athlete, and an image can be wholly different from reality- so, as someone who doesn't know Pavlik personally, I can't say for sure that he's as great as he comes across in the press. At the risk of being proved wrong in the future, though, Pavlik does seem like one of the good guys and sounds like he really "gets it." He and those in his camp know what matters to the people in this area and know how important it is to represent us in a positive way. Although I don't want to sound too sentimental about this, I'm proud of Pavlik and thrilled about what he's doing for this area.

Friday Night Downtown

If you were hoping to spend tonight in downtown Youngstown (and frankly, why wouldn't you be?), then, well, you picked a good night.

Tonight, Friday the 13th, the Mahoning Valley Thunder take on the Albany Conquest down at the Chevy Center (excuse me, the Chevy Centre). The Albany Conquest, oddly enough, have Youngstown native and former Ursuline standout Chris Curd on their roster. Prior to the game, there will be a tailgate party downtown as well.

Later in the evening, the downtown Buffalo Wild Wings will be hosting another "Party on the Plaza," which is always a good time.

So, if you're looking for something fun to do tonight, come downtown.

By the way, there's a new t-shirt design over at Defend Youngstown, with two more to come in the near future. Show your support and order one (or one of each of the new designs, and also the existing design in all available colors. Also, there's a limited edition St. Patrick's Day version done up in green and gold too- if you can find one of those, grab one for me, too.)

The Curse of Youngstown Sports

With the Cavaliers having been swept in the Finals last night, a lot of the talk up here has been about the so-called "Cleveland Curse" that has plagued the different franchises in the city. The Drive, the Fumble, Jose Mesa, MJ over Ehlo, and now, the Sweep, are all familiar phrases to Cleveland sports fans.

There are, of course, a lot of Cleveland fans in Youngstown, and they have suffered through these same events. Life has been a little rosier for the Pittsburgh fans in town, which has certainly added some fuel to the rivalry. Youngstown is pretty much on a "fault line" when it comes to Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh sports, and that always keeps it interesting.

Anyway, this whole Cleveland Curse thing got me thinking about our own teams in Youngstown and the existence of a possible "Youngstown Curse" on our own teams. Granted, Youngstown doesn't have any major professional franchises and nor have we struggled as a unified fanbase with the heartbreak and the near-misses that the Clevelanders have. Our curse is not with losing per se, but with losing our teams.

The whole thing starts with the Youngstown Patricians, a semi-pro team in the early 1900s that competed against more well-known teams like the Canton Bulldogs. The Patricians took their name from St. Patrick's Church on the South Side, which had a big part in the founding of the organization. The Patricians, although apparently a good team, eventually disbanded. That, of course, is not unusual, given how many of the teams back then were organized and run. However, the success of the Patricians may have played an important role in the granting of an NFL franchise to Youngstown in 1922. For whatever reason, though, the team never actually saw the field- thus beginning the Youngstown Sports Curse.

Most of what I've found on the Patricians, by the way, comes from here.

The failure of Youngstown's NFL franchise set the stage for more heartbreak. The Youngstown Hardhats, a semi-professional football team, played a few successful seasons in the 70s before eventually disbanding. Of course, the most representative instance is that of the Youngstown Pride, the basketball powerhouse and WBL member that was the brainchild of Mickey Monus and the Phar-Mor company. That, of course, did not end well. In typical Youngstown fashion, corruption reared its head and doomed both the franchise and the league (and Phar-Mor, too).

Since then, there have been a number of failed sports ventures in town, including the Youngstown Hawks basketball team, which played their games at the old South High field house. Although it was hard enough to draw a crowd to that location because of safety concerns, the Hawks also scheduled the majority of their games on Friday nights, up against the local high school games. With high school sports being king in the Yo, it was a recipe for disaster.

Shortly afterward, the Mahoning Valley/Youngstown Wildcats were formed and played a season or two in Struthers before abruptly disappearing from the face of the earth. In similar fashion, the Mahoning Valley Panthers (aka "MVPs") of the Ohio Valley Football League were formed in 2005- and haven't updated their website since.

One can make the argument that professional sports in Youngstown are, right now, at their apex. There are three legitimate franchises in the area right now- the af2 Mahoning Valley Thunder, the Youngstown SteelHounds, and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. In addition, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the NAHL are a thriving organization. The Thunder are in their inaugural season, the SteelHounds are coming off their second year (and a playoff season), and the Scrappers are only a couple of years removed from an NYPL championship and boast both C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez as alumni.

Still, though, there's pessimism about each team. A lot of people are worried that the Thunder will be a hard sell, given the high ticket prices and relatively small size of the market. The SteelHounds' future is a big question mark at this point (see below) and hockey has yet to really catch on in the area. The Scrappers, although a good team, haven't been attracting the crowds that they used to. It's hard to say if these concerns are valid- just how much of it is based on natural Youngstown pessimism and the fallout from the Youngstown Pride disaster is hard to quantify.

Obviously, I'm hoping for continued success from all of these teams. It's important for the area, as a united entity, to have teams to root for and identify with. Obviously, YSU will always fill that role, especially during football season. However, having organized, professional teams helps give the area that added sense of legitimacy and value- we're big enough, important enough, etc., to have pro sports. Maybe these teams will stick it out, survive, and bring some more pride to the area. It's possible that the "curse" is over, and that our ability to have sports teams will experience the same type of revival that much of the rest of the area is starting to experience. Unfortunately, we can only wait.

Update: Canfield Wins

The Canfield Cardinals beat Springfield Kenton Ridge yesterday afternoon to earn the State Championship in Division II. Although their title run was not without controversy, the Cardinals put together an impressive run and Mighty Mahoning congratulates them on their success.

Ursuline, the area's other state semifinalist and the only city team to advance that far, was eliminated on Friday.

Ursuline and Canfield Advance to State Baseball Semis

Two local teams remain in the OHSAA baseball tournament in Columbus- Canfield in Division II, and Ursuline in Division III.

The Canfield Cardinals play this morning and, should they win, will advance to the State Championship game to be played tomorrow, June 2, at 2pm at Cooper Stadium. The Ursuline Fighting Irish take the field today as well, and a victory will put them into the State Championship at 5pm tomorrow.

A win tomorrow would earn the Irish baseball program its third State Championship.

Pavlik Wins

If you hadn't already heard, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik defeated Edison Miranda in a 7th round TKO this past Saturday night in Memphis, TN. In honor of Pavlik's win, I've posted a few videos from his website. A much more comprehensive look at the Pavlik fight and its importance to the Valley is available over at the Defend Youngstown site.

The STO documentary trailer:



Youngstown band Tilt 360's Pavlik tribute video:

Pavlik on STO

Tonight at 10pm, Sportstime Ohio (STO) will be airing a documentary on Youngstown boxer Kelly Pavlik entitled "The Ghost of Youngstown." If you watched the Tribe over the weekend at all, you may have seen some previews for the show which featured Pavlik in his now-signature "Defend Youngstown" t-shirt.

The list of STO affiliates is available here.

"Defend Youngstown" shirts are available, of course, here.

Stambaugh Stadium's 25th Anniversary

This fall, Youngstown State University will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Stambaugh Stadium. The stadium, opened in 1982, has been home to many significant memories for YSU football fans, and many of the significant moments and players from the last quarter-century will be honored this year. More detailed information on the anniversary and related promotions is available at YSUSports.com.

In addition to being the home of the Penguins for the last 26 seasons, Stambaugh has also been a city icon. Originally built as a one-sided stadium, the resulting enormity of what is now the home stands immediately made the stadium a unique and recognizable part of Youngstown's skyline. The bright lights of high school football (Stambaugh has been home to Ursuline, Mooney, and the City Series teams for several years) illuminate the city every Friday night, and the fanfare and tailgating around Penguin home games has brought people and fans into the city during even the lowest points of the last twenty-five years in Youngstown.

Over time, the stadium has been improved and modified while still retaining its identity. The renovations and changes, especially in recent years, have allowed the stadium to remain a point of pride for the university and the Mahoning Valley. A new visitor stand, new turf, a glass-walled event room, and a trophy room are just some of the major upgrades the university has made in the last few years. A far cry from old Rayen Stadium, Stambaugh is a worthy home to one of the most outstanding I-AA programs in the country.

The commemorative events and promotions planned for this year should excite a lot of local fans and encourage them to come down to campus and catch a few home games. Of course, YSU is also coming off quite an impressive season, and the excitement that creates (the kind of excitement that's been missing since the Tressel years) will do even more. Youngstown State's football program is one of the few things that unites the local area, and its success can do a lot of good for the Mahoning Valley and its residents.

Big Week in Youngstown

There are two big "debuts" this week in the city (although one is admittedly much bigger than the other). The first, and more important of the two, is the installation of the new bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown, George Murry, SJ. The second is the home opener of the city's newest professional sports team, the af2's Mahoning Valley Thunder, this weekend.

Much has already been written about both events, especially in the case of Bishop Murry. As many others have already pointed out, the new bishop has a challenging road ahead. A lot of talk has also been about the dramatic differences between his old diocese and his new one. What hasn't been discussed much, though, is his background as a Jesuit and what that might mean for the Mahoning Valley.

The Jesuits have a long history of service to the poor and of a preoccupation with issues of social justice. Finding good in even the worst of situations and building on it (especially in an urban setting) is a key aspect of the Jesuit tradition. Youngstown is almost the perfect place for the Jesuit mission to take hold and thrive- its somewhat small size being the only thing that makes it atypical.

Oddly enough, but perhaps for that reason, there has never been a strong Jesuit presence in Youngstown. Regionally, the opposite is true- in fact, just by looking at the roster of Jesuit schools in the region, one can see their influence.* Yet Youngstown, for all of its poverty and social ills, has been essentially off the Jesuit radar (save for the annual St. Ignatius vs. Boardman game). If anywhere can benefit from the Jesuits, though, it's Youngstown.

What's perhaps more interesting about Bishop Murry is his hometown- Camden, NJ- the city consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous in the country. Youngstown, of course, is usually only a few spots behind Camden on that list. Although I can't say with any certainty whether or not Bishop Murry has spent much time there in recent years, he is undoubtedly aware of the situation in Camden and can see the parallels between that city and our own.

All in all, I think that Bishop Murry's installation is a wholly positive thing for the city and the diocese (and not just for Catholics, either). Keeping in mind the huge challenges ahead, it's unfair to expect huge results in the short term. Over the next few years, though, I think there will be some exciting and positive things coming out of his office.

A few blocks away from the diocesan offices, over at the Chevy Centre, the Mahoning Valley Thunder are preparing to kick off their inaugural season. The Thunder now gives the area three legitimate professional sports teams (including the SteelHounds and the Scrappers) along with the Phantoms junior hockey program and the D-I teams at YSU. It's too early to tell whether or not the Thunder experiment will be a successful one, of course. What works in the team's favor is the area's passion for football, people's apparent willingness to come downtown again (as evidenced by the relative success of other events at the arena), and the fairly solid reputation of the af2 league. On the other side, though, are doubts about the strength of the market (due primarily to size- Youngstown is, I believe, the smallest metro area for any team in the league), the timing of the season, and the strength of the actual product on the field once the novelty wears off.

It's understandable to be a little pessimistic, given how things have gone with our sports teams over the years. Murphy's Law reigns supreme- just look at the Youngstown Pride. Even so, though, I think there's more reason to be positive than there is to be negative about the whole thing. All we can do is wait and see. Regardless of where the team may be 5 or 10 years down the road, though, this weekend will be an historic one for the city and another thing to get excited about downtown.


*At the college level, there is John Carroll University in Cleveland, Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, Cansius College in Buffalo, and Xavier University in Cincy, among others. There are two Jesuit high schools in Northeast Ohio alone, those being St. Ignatius in Cleveland and Walsh Jesuit outside of Akron. These schools typically have Jesuit residences tied to them, and the priests that live there typically teach at the schools and/or oversee service and social justice programs in the nearby communities and beyond.

"Yo-hio State" or "Local Boy Makes Good"

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

"Ohio State football fans still probably want to press charges against the Buckeyes for not bothering to show up for the BCS Championship Game.
Meanwhile, the university may be disciplining two students who did everything they could to show up - including sneaking into the game without tickets.
Will Manzeo of Cleveland and Anthony Florig of Youngstown, both 21, sneaked into the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8 - a 41-14 trouncing by the Florida Gators. "

More at the link below:


http://www.cleveland.com/osufootball/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1169805015140120.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

The Crusaders' Big Day

Over the last several decades, the City of Youngstown has seen a number of its Catholic grade schools close. Even within the last few years, St. Edward, St. Anthony, Immaculate Conception, and St. Brendan have all ceased operations. Once a point of civic and religious pride, these parish school buildings are now just another reminder of the decline of the city's economy and population.

The one exception, however, is St. Christine, on the city's west side. Helped along by a passionate and generous group of parishioners and parents (as well as a key location near the city's borders with Boardman and Canfield), St. Christine School is alive and well. This Saturday, in fact, the school held the inaugural game in its new gym, which was just recently completed. The Crusaders' 8th grade boys' team, the first squad to tip off in the new venue, celebrated with a win over Warren's Notre Dame.

Sure, it's just junior high basketball. But the game (and more importantly, the gym) is a symbol of the vitality of the parish and the commitment of the community to keep the city's last Catholic school open and attractive to local families.

It's somewhat embarassing for the Diocese to have allowed so many schools within its home city to close in recent years. It is true that many of the issues that led to these closings are complex and not easily solved- some of the closings most likely could not have been avoided or prevented. However, the Diocese has responded with no clear strategy or plan to slow or stop the problem. Schools could have been combined, facilities could have been reassigned, or partnerships could have been formed between city schools and their sister schools in nearby suburbs. Instead, nothing was done, and the Diocese of Youngstown is left with only one Catholic grade school within the city limits.

St. Christine is not without its problems. However, it's a great example of what could have been- and what needs to continue to be done to keep Catholic education alive in the city.

Another Football Season in the Books

The Penguins, Cardinals, Irish, Falcons, Cowboys, Eagles, Raiders, Spartans, and a slew of other creatures have all packed it in for the year.

With Youngstown State's loss tonight in the I-AA Semifinals, another season of Youngstown-area football has come to a close. All in all, it was a successful year. This was undoubtedly YSU's best season since the Tressel Era, and, as always, several local high school teams went deep into the playoffs. Cardinal Mooney brought home yet another state title, and Warren JFK nearly did the same, falling short in the title game. South Range put together a strong playoff run as well, until they met up with JFK in the later rounds.

This was also the final football season for both Wilson and the Rayen School. Next year, with the opening of the new East High, the Redmen and Tiger football teams will both cease to exist. Rayen memorialized their final season by holding their last homecoming game at the old Rayen Stadium, rather than at their usual home venue, YSU's Stambaugh Stadium. (Somewhat ironically, Rayen Stadium, which hasn't been used for high school ball in years, was the longtime home of the YSU Penguin program, before Stambaugh was built in the early '80s.) The demise of these two programs really symbolizes the end of the old days of football glory in the Youngstown city school system. When Rayen closes its doors for the final time, the remaining half of the old Rayen-South rivalry will be gone. There are lots of people around town who still remember the old Rayen-South games, which usually took place on Thanksgiving Day and pitted some of the area's top players against each other in an extremely well-attended and well-publicized gridiron battle.

Of course, there still exists a strong rivalry within the city limits. I'm referring, of course, to the annual Ursuline-Mooney game, Youngstown's Holy War. Although the games have been somewhat uninteresting over the last couple of years, its still an important game that draws a strong crowd- and one that will likely swing back and forth from north to south for as long as the two schools stay open. And, with the opening of the new East High, a new rivalry will likely develop between the two public schools, both strengthened in talent from the absorption of Rayen and Wilson athletes.

Ultimately, it's only football, and few people outside of the Mahoning Valley truly care about what happens on the fields in and around the city. But, for many residents of the city, Friday nights are very important. School pride, civic pride, and bragging rights for the year are on the line week in and week out until the final games of the state playoffs and the YSU season. Few finish on a happy note. But, as with sports everywhere, there's always next year.

Mo' on Mo Clarett

According to a couple of sources, Maurice Clarett has signed with the Mahoning Valley HitMen of the semi-fictitious EIFL, the new indoor football league mentioned previously on this site. Clarett is the second of two players to sign with the team who, at this stage, has only two opponents in its league. The last time I mentioned the HitMen, they were struggling to put a deal together with the Ice Zone in Boardman. Things have apparently fallen through since then, and the team has instead inked a deal with the Thunderdome in Vienna (on State Route 193). I've never been to the 'Dome in question, but I've driven by it- I'm not sure it's ready for a Little League home run derby, let alone indoor football.

But the larger story is, of course, how fall Clarett has truly fallen. From the star running back and Heisman candidate for the national champion Buckeyes to a role player on a team that may or may not ever take the field at a local community rec plex in semi-rural Trumbull County, he's certainly gone down hard. There's a well-known saying about being kind to those you meet on the way up, as you will likely meet them again on the way down. Had Clarett followed that advice, he would probably be in a much better position right now- everyone makes a mistake or two, and some even make big mistakes. That's one of the great things about America, or so they say- almost anyone can get a second chance, if they play their cards right and learn from their mistakes. But with his reputation and his attitude, hardly anyone is willing to give Clarett another shot.

Although there has been a lot written about Clarett since the fall of 2002, not much has been made of the link between him and that other local sports legend, LeBron James. At one point, the two were at least acquaintances, and possibly friends (and maybe they still are, who knows). But where LeBron did almost everything right, Clarett did almost everything wrong. It's almost a fable or a fairy tale- two young men from similar backgrounds, blessed with similar talents and abilities, both choosing different paths. Much is made in the media about how our society is too soft on athletes and celebrities, how we forgive them too easily, and foster an environment where they are able to repeatedly make the kind of mistakes that would cause a normal person to be ostracized, lose their job, or even end up in jail for a long period of time. We slap them on the wrist, make excuses for them, and let them take the field once more. But in Clarett's case, no one is willing to do that any more. He's run out of chances. he's the cautionary tale. He needs only to look at LeBron to see what could have been- the fame, the money, and the respect. No one wears the OSU #13 jerseys anymore, but there are enough Cleveland #23 jerseys out there to dress a small nation.

Maybe it's not too late for him to turn things around, at least at the personal level. I sincerely doubt he'll ever see a professional football field again, but at least he has the chance to put his life back together and live like an ordinary person (which itself must be painful for such an extraordinary athlete). But until then, he's just another iconic symbol of Youngstown.

Scrappers Gear Up for '06

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have announced their promotional schedule for this upcoming season. Highlights include Napoleon Dynamite Night (featuring an appearance by Efren Ramirez, aka "Pedro"), Pittsburgh Pirates Night, Cleveland Indians night, and various community nights for many of the cities and townships throughout the Youngstown area. More information is available at the team's website, www.mvscrappers.com.

SteelHounds and AHL Affiliation

A few months ago, the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League announced that they were leaving Cleveland for Worcester, MA, where they would take the name of their parent club and become the Worcester Sharks. At the time, I was concerned about how the move might affect the Steelhounds, who are technically the Barons' CHL affiliate. In my opinion, at least, having a higher-level affiliate gives the team some stability, as the larger, wealthier parent club has a vested interest in the success of its lower-level affiliate.

The Barons have been and still are listed as the Steelhounds' AHL affiliate. However, clicking on the link to their website no longer brings you to the teams' home page- it no longer exists. All that's left are the remnants of the online store, carrying deeply-discounted surplus Barons t-shirts and jerseys.

A team in Worcester, MA likely has little interest in a fledgling team in a suspect hockey market in the far-distant land of Youngstown, Ohio. The Steelhounds could then find themselves without an AHL parent club, which would be a problem.

Good news, though- according to several sources, including www.clevelandprohockey.com, a group headed by Dan Gilbert (the owner of the Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena) has purchased the AHL's currently inactive Utah Grizzlies, and will move the franchise to Cleveland for the '07-'08 season. I imagine there's a good chance that the Steelhounds will switch their affiliation to the new Cleveland franchise, maintaining their relationship with the American Hockey League and once again having a parent club within a short distance from the Chevy Center.

ESPN Youngstown

So I get back to apartment and flip on the TV just in time to catch a story on Maurice Clarett on SportsCenter. The story included footage, courtesy of WKBN, of the aftermath of the car crash that Mo was recently involved in. They even included a shot of the Midlothian and Erie street signs. A few shots of an unnamed YPD officer were also included in the footage.

The story then moved to an interview with Harding coach Thom McDaniels, the camera framing him nicely against the background of Mollenkopf Stadium.

ESPN, for once, declined to include the seemingly obligatory reference to "growing up on the mean streets" that usually comes with any national story involving anyone who grew up in the Youngstown area. Even so, there it was, the City of Youngstown, on ESPN.

Maurice, meanwhile, is pretty much toast. Then again, there may be a spot for him on the HitMen roster come next winter.

Thunder Update

There's an article up on the af2 website, finally, about the Thunder. The picture's not the best quality, but from what I can see, the logo looks pretty terrible. The link: http://http://www.af2.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3525&ATCLID=280884&SPID=1590&ISWIDE=1

More on Local Indoor Football

First off, the af2 press conference apparently did take place today, where the new team was announced. As the rumors had intimated, the new team will be the Mahoning Valley Thunder. In typical fashion, none of the news outlets in Youngstown have put anything of substance on their websites yet regarding the press conference (even though they've been gearing the public up for the team for weeks now). The most information I could find up to now comes from an apparenly semi-literate poster on the af2 message boards who was at the press conference and describes the logo as having a Thor-like character, with hammer raised, combined with the team's initials. Hopefully, there will be some more news on this soon. The af2 website, oddly enough, makes no mention of any expansion whatsoever.

Also, it appears that my earlier announcement of the demise of the Mahoning Valley HitMen was a little premature. Their website has actually been updated, with logos, uniforms, and even sponsors, and it looks like it's still a go. According to Warren's Tribune Chronicle, the team's owner has decided to press on, despite early setbacks in negotiations with the Ice Zone.

It's still up for debate whether or not Youngstown can support one indoor team, let alone two. I think that the af2 team, as I've stated previously, has by far the better chance of survival. What's particularly unusual is that the HitMen club is meant to be the first team in a brand new league- so it's got that added pressure on top of it, as well. No word yet on where those other teams will be from.

af2 Press Conference

There will be a press conference this afternoon to announce the new Arena Football 2 team coming to the Chevy Centre. The word is that they'll be named the "Mahoning Valley Thunder." Sources say they've already signed some players and coaches.

More to come...