Butera Stepping Down Ends All Chances of Arena Football in San Antonio

This morning, after three years on the job, Arena Football League commissioner Scott Butera was replaced by Randall Boe, the executive vice president of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Butera’s administration was marred by only three expansion franchises against 11 teams that were either shut down or relocated to other leagues.

Perhaps no mark was blacker on his tenure then when he told the league-owned Las Vegas Outlaws that they would be allowed to play in the playoffs if they qualified, only to shut them down the day after clinching a playoff spot.

One other black mark on his tenure was his failure to bring the Arena League back to San Antonio, TX. He was nearly a month into his job when the league made official the news to shut down the team. He was quoted at the time as saying “San Antonio is a very desirable city for the AFL and efforts will continue to bring Arena Football back to the Alamo City; The AFL has the utmost appreciation for the passion and support Talons fans have shown their team and we look forward to returning to San Antonio.”

However, nothing ever came to fruition. In 2015, Butera and the Spurs were on the brink of bringing back the Talons, only for the Spurs to back out at the last moment due to instability in the league at the time.

Butera even managed to visit San Antonio and the Spurs in March 2016 and talk to them about bringing back a team, but not even that was enough to make it a reality. Along the way, the Cleveland Gladiators, a team that is owned by Dan Gilbert, owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, announced they would be taking two years off due to arena renovations. A month later, the Tampa Bay Storm announced they would suspend operations, becoming the second NBA/NHL owned team that would not play in 2018.

This news is a blow to the hopes of the AFL returning to San Antonio. Butera was the commissioner that emphasized NBA and NHL owners joining the AFL. While he was only able to bring in one, he had talks with Spurs Sports And Entertainment and had hope of restoring a team in the Alamo City.

Not much is known about Boe and what kinds of ownership groups he will try to attract to the AFL, but the [temporary] loss of the Gladiators and the permanent loss of the Storm has hurt the chances of this dream ever coming true, and with Butera gone, those chances get worse with every passing day.

Arena Football League to Stream Five Games on Twitter

The Arena Football League will begin streaming games on Twitter beginning this weekend, the league announced on Thursday morning. The first ever Arena Football League game streamed on Twitter will be the Tampa Bay Storm against the Baltimore Brigade.

Only five games will be streamed on Twitter in 2017. Next weekend’s game between the Philadelphia Soul and Cleveland Gladiators, the June 16 game between Baltimore and Cleveland, a July 8 game between Cleveland and Tampa and a July 29 game between Philadelphia and Baltimore will be the other four games streamed on Twitter.

“Entering into this relationship with Twitter is a significant development in expanding the Arena Football League’s digital platform,” AFL commissioner Scott Butera said in a statement. “With over 300 million Twitter users worldwide, we believe they will enjoy the nonstop, edge of your seat AFL action and have many opportunities to network with players, coaches and other fans in what is the nation’s most interactive sport.

“In addition to working with Twitter, the AFL has also grown its digital presence with a new website, an app available on iOS and Android platforms, streaming live games on AFLNow and a bi-weekly podcast.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Arena Football League to bring their exciting brand of live football to fans globally on Twitter,” Twitter chief operating officer Anthony Noto said. ” “AFL fans can now watch live games anywhere in the world on the same platform where the AFL conversation is already happening.”

In their 30th season, the league has five teams competing for the Foster Trophy. One game a week is broadcast on CBS Sports Network. The other game is usually broadcast on Facebook live. As of recently, however, fans could watch games live on Facebook for free. Now, they must have a subscription to watch the game.

The Soul are the defending ArenaBowl champions. They will be looking to hold off the other four teams and become the first repeat champion since the Arizona Rattlers won three straight from 2012-2014.

Washington Valor to Host Open Tryouts Oct. 8

The Washington Valor have announced that they will host their first ever tryouts for the 2017 season on Oct. 8. Head coach Dean Cokinos and his team will run the tryouts.

“Open tryouts give our staff a great look at many players who may not yet have the opportunity to break through the evolution process as well as give other players a second chance at the pro level,” Cokinos said.

Anyone interested in trying out can register online at http://www.washingtonvalor.com. Included in registration is a $75 fee. Those that attend the tryout without signing up online will have to pay a $100 entry fee. The time and location of the tryout has yet to be released.

Drills that will be held include the 40 yard dash, short shuttle and broad jumps. Both individual and group drills will take place. The recommended attire includes athletic shorts or sweatpants and a t-shirts. Since the field is astro turf, turf shoes or molded bottom cleats are required for the event.

The Valor will be the ninth team in the Arena Football League during the league’s 30th season in 2017. AFL commissioner Scott Butera has said the league is in talks for expansion with several other cities, so the possibility of more than nine teams is still up in the air.

Washington Valor Becomes Arena Football League’s Ninth Team

The newest Arena Football League team, set to begin play in 2017, officially has a name. They will be known as the Washington Valor. The team colors will be red, white and blue.

The press conference was held at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. on Thursday morning. In attendance to unveil the team name and colors were head coach Dean Cokinos and AFL commissioner Scott Butera.

“There’s been so much energy and excitement and enthusiasm with this team, without having played one game,” Butera said.

Butera and Cokinos, along with several others, pressed a red button to drop a curtain that unveiled the team’s name and logo. After the unveiling, coach Cokinos took the podium.

“Our team motto, our battle cry, is 21 for 60. 21 men fighting for 60 minutes,” Cokinos said about his team.

The Valor will play all of their home games at the Verizon Center, which is also home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NHL’s Washington Captials.