Results tagged “arenafootball”

Fans of the Chicago Rush, mourning the folding of the original Arena Football League, can now rejoice. Arena Football is coming back to Chicago, though it won't be the Rush, exactly. A new league - Arena Football 1 - will start play in 2010, featuring teams from the original AFL, new teams in old AFL cities, and teams from the AFL's offshoot afl2 league. But! This is a completely new league. According to a report by the Associated Press (via Deadspin):

While league officials have not publicly made the announcement, sources are reporting that the Arena Football League - including the Chicago Rush - is folding up shop after 22 years. The league suspended operations for the 2009 season in order to save money and attempt a comeback in 2010, but it looks like that comeback will never happen. Brett Bouchy, majority owner of the Arizona Rattlers, told the Orlando Sentinel about the news, adding, "I am as shocked as anyone. If you had asked me 90 days ago, I would have told you there was a 98 percent chance that the league would be back and playing in 2010. I am so upset. I have dedicated 12 years of my life to arena football and it's a shame to see it slip away." The league's website hasn't been updated since a late-April story claiming the 2010 season would be a-go. Sources said the league is expected to make the announcement sometime this week. [Tribune]

When Steve "Mongo" McMichael won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears, they couldn't go undefeated. But the Chicago Slaughter, the team he coaches in the Continental Indoor Football League, did just that on the way to winning the CIFL Championship on Saturday.

The Chicago Rush will kick off their eighth season in the Arena Football League with a primetime Monday Night Football match-up with the San Jose Sabercats. The League picked a great match-up for the first Monday Night Football game of the year. The game features the last two Arena Bowl Champions as the Sabercats took the title in 2007 and the Rush earned the title in 2006. The AFL "pre-season power poll" ranks San Jose first and the Rush second out of 17 teams. That same poll predicts that the Rush will take back the Arena Bowl title in 2008.

In what was billed as a possible preview of Arena Bowl XXI and lived up to the hype. Two of the Arena Football League's best teams faced off in an exciting affair that wasn't decided until the final seconds. Unfortunately for the Rush it did not go their way.

Two Allstate Arena-based franchises are finding success. The Chicago Wolves kicked off their playoff campaign this weekend against their rival to the north, the Milwaukee Admirals. The Wolves took advantage of home ice, winning the first two games in the best of seven series. They won the first game 3-2 and skated to an easier victory in the second game, 4-1.

The defending Arena Football League champion Chicago Rush travel to Kansas City this weekend to kick off their 2007 campaign. The Kansas City Brigade went 3-11 last season. The Rush must be happy to start their season off against a team that is generally not expected to be a contender for the title.

The Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates is quickly becoming the home of any team that wants to play there. Since its recent opening, the Sears Centre has been the home of the Major Indoor Soccer League Chicago Storm, National Lacrosse League Chicago Shamrox and even the Chicago Hounds of the United Hockey League.

ESPN saw its NFL ratings jump with their move from Sunday night football last year to the "Monday Night Football" slot this season. ESPN will look to keep up the momentum and offer football fans almost year-round "Monday Night Football" action. The Arena Football League and ESPN entered into a five-year agreement for television rights earlier this week. The course of the Arena Football League season runs from March, just a month after the Super Bowl, right up to the start of NFL training camp in July.

Last week, we brought you the great news that Chicago was named the #1 Sports City by The Sporting News. TSN is holding a ceremony prior to Wednesday's White Sox - Yankees game at U.S. Cellular Field to honor our fair city.

The Chicago Rush defeated the Orlando Predators 69-61 to win ArenaBowl XX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Rush tamed the Predators in front of a crowd of over 13,000 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Chicago Rush have earned a playoff berth in each of their five years in the Arena Football League. After suffering their worst loss of the season, 55-20 in Atlanta this weekend, the Rush need to find some success in the remaining two weeks of the season if they hope to continue their playoff streak.

The Chicago Rush trailed the San Jose Sabercats most of the day but played well when it counted most and mounted a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback to force an overtime victory.

The Bears have been on the golf course for almost three weeks now and the Pittsburgh Steelers are off to Disneyland. Football fans fresh off their Super Bowl feast are prepared to hibernate until the 2006 season. That is unless you choose to become a Chicago Rush Arena Football fan. Chicagoist had put little credence in the Arena Football League (AFL) until recently. We first took notice of the sport when the Arena Football League...

Legendary Bears coach Mike Ditka -- now part owner of the Chicago Rush Arena League Football team -- introduced Grabowski, the team's new mascot yesterday.

Due only to a flu outbreak in the Chicagoist sports bureau this weekend, the season opener of the Chicago Rush Arena League Football team was slightly overlooked. Facing the Dallas Desperados, the Rush suffered a 66-65 defeat in OT. The Rush took the risky move of going for a 2-point conversion following a touchdown, but couldn't convert. They could have kicked the extra point and sent the game into 2OT.

Looks like the Chicago area will be getting a new arena to host concerts and sporting events. The city of Hoffman Estates, former home to Poplar Creek until 1994, will partner with retailer Sears and developer Ryan Cos. U.S. Inc. to build the $60 million, 11,000 seat arena.