- Professional Indoor Football League
Infobox Sports league
title =Professional Indoor Football League
current_season =
logo =Pifllogo98.jpg
pixels =200
caption =Infobox Sports league
Formerly =
sport =indoor football
founded =1997
fame =2nd professionalindoor football league
motto =
inaugural =1998
teams =8
country =USA
champion =Louisiana Bayou Beast
most_champs =
qualification =
folded =1998
website =
singles =
ceo =
Director =
TV =
related_comps =
Founder =Richard "Dick" Suess The Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully playindoor football as a paid pro-leaguesport , after theArena Football League . Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" (mainly the endzone nets), the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the endzone nets. The PIFL only lasted one season (1998) under that name. The PIFL was started byRichard "Dick" Suess . Suess was deeply involved in football on the semi-pro/minor league level, and was editior/publisher of the Minor League Football News. In 1996, he began shopping around the idea of the PIFL, an indoor league created from the top minor league programs around the country. The league was finally formed in late 1997 and began its first season in 1998. The league offices were located inLas Vegas, Nevada .The PIFL was rife with problems from the start. The
Colorado Wildcats changed coaches during the preseason. By the third game, many teams were in serious financial trouble and started forfeiting games. TheMinnesota Monsters folded after Week # 5. Many other teams missed payrolls and this resulted in many players, including some of the best players, quitting.In 1999, the PIFL would essentially "split" into two leagues.
Keary Ecklund , owner of theGreen Bay Bombers andMadison Mad Dogs teams, and an owner/operator of Ecklund Carriers ofNeenah, Wisconsin (a trucking company), would take his two teams and form the Indoor Football League (IFL). On January 4, 1999, the remaining teams of the PIFL renamed the league to theIndoor Professional Football League (IPFL ).1998 PIFL Teams
*
Colorado Wildcats - based inDenver, Colorado
*Green Bay Bombers
*Honolulu Hurricanes
*Louisiana Bayou Beast - based inBaton Rouge, Louisiana
*Madison Mad Dogs
*Minnesota Monsters - based inMinneapolis-St. Paul ,Minnesota
*Texas Bullets - based inBelton, Texas
*Utah Catzz - based inOrem, Utah 1998 PIFL Final Regular Season Standings
Teams Wins Losses PF PA PPG PPA Louisiana Bayou Beast 13 1 565 400 47.1 33.3 Madison Mad Dogs 10 4 450 371 40.9 33.7 Green Bay Bombers 10 4 585 458 45.0 35.2 Colorado Wildcats 9 5 340 360 34.0 36.0 Honolulu Hurricanes 6 8 449 537 37.4 44.8 Utah Catzz 5 9 343 462 31.2 42.0 Texas Bullets 2 12 322 479 Minnesota Monsters 0 14 122 199 * Minnesota folded after starting 1-4 on the season. PF/PA are for four official games played—the other game which was Minnesota's lone victory, was ruled a forfeit awarded to Honolulu and the points were not counted in standings.
* Texas folded after starting 2-8 on the season. PF/PA are for nine games played.
* Utah forfeited their last game of the season to Madison. PF/PA are for 13 games played.
* Win totals for other teams include seven forfeited games by Minnesota and three forfeited games by Texas.
* Standings do not include exhibition games played by any of the teams.The Lawsuit: Arena Football League v. PIFL
In February 1998, the
Arena Football League sued the PIFL for allegedly infringing its trademarks, copyrights and patent. The PIFL answered and denied the Arena Football League's allegations. Late in June 1998, the Arena Football League filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction before Judge Harry Leinenweber in Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois. The Motion was set for hearing on July 21, 1998. On July 20, 1998, the PIFL and its league members filed their response, which included video tapes and other evidence refuting the Arena Football League's allegations. On July 22, 1998, the day after receiving the PIFL's legal papers, the Arena Football League withdrew its Motion for Preliminary Injunction in a lawsuit in Federal Court in Chicago. This ended the Arena Football League's efforts to challenge the practices of any competing professional "indoor" football league and clarified that its patent essentially applied to its end zone rebound nets, not any and all efforts to play American football indoors.On November 12, 1998, The Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) and the Arena Football League reached a settlement agreement in the lawsuit brought by the Arena Football League against the PIFL for patent infringement. As part of the settlement, all present and future PIFL teams have agreed to honor the patents, trademarks, copyrights and net structure of the Arena Football League, and in return the Arena Football League has withdrawn its motion to seek a restraining order to prevent the PIFL from playing its games. Additionally, the PIFL has agreed to use the following disclaimer, "PIFL and its teams are not affiliated, sponsored or associated with the Arena Football League or any of its member teams," on all official publications. Professional Indoor Football League Commissioner
Mike Storen stated, "The Professional Indoor Football League is happy to acknowledge the uniqueness of the Arena Football League's patented net system and method of play on the basis that this settlement will allow the Professional Indoor Football League to expand in an orderly fashion."PIFL Playoffs
August 7, 1998 - # 3
Green Bay Bombers 19 @ # 2Madison Mad Dogs 46August 9, 1998 - # 4
Colorado Wildcats * 51 @ # 1Louisiana Bayou Beast 67 (at Riverside Centroplex)
* Colorado's trip to Louisiana was paid for by the owners of the Bayou Beast.1998 PIFL Championship Game
Sat. August 15, 1998
#2
Madison Mad Dogs 41 at #1Louisiana Bayou Beast 42 Fat
Pete Maravich Assembly Center -Baton Rouge, Louisiana .Award Winners
Following the championship game, the Professional Indoor Football League (
PIFL ) saluted its best with an on-the-field awards ceremony. Those honored were as follows:Most Valuable Player -
Melvin Hill , QB,Louisiana Bayou Beast Offensive Player of the Year -
Jay McDonagh , QB,Green Bay Bombers Defensive Player of the Year -
Derric Coakley , DE,Green Bay Bombers Coach of the Year -
Buford Jordan ,Louisiana Bayou Beast Executive of the Year -
James Shiver, Sr. ,Louisiana Bayou Beast The Professional Indoor Football League earlier announced its 1998 All-Star teams as chosen by the
PIFL coaches. TheGreen Bay Bombers lead the list with five first team selections, including top vote getter quarterback Jay McDonagh. He is joined on the offensive first team by teammates Chris Perry and Heath Garland (both receivers), Louisiana's Michael Lewis (WR), Chris Cloud (center) and Matt Huerkamp (kicker), Colorado's Rob Satterly (offensive line) and Utah's Matt Meservy (OL). Green Bay, Colorado and Madison each placed a pair of players on the defensive first team.1998 Professional Indoor Football League All-Stars
*First Team
**Offense
***QBJay McDonagh , Green Bay
***RBDarnell Brooks , Colorado
***WRHeath Garland , Green Bay
***WR Michael Lewis, Louisiana
***WRChris Perry , Green Bay
***OLMatt Meservey , Utah
***OLRob Satterly , Colorado
***CChris Cloud , Louisiana
***KMatt Huerkamp , Louisiana
**Defense
***LBJames Gillyard , Louisiana
***LBJeff Veronie , Colorado
***SNick Galbreath , Colorado
***DBRyan Buchanon , Madison
***DBDerf Reese , Green Bay
***DEDerric Coakley , Green Bay
***DETawain Temple , Madison
***NTJunior Fonoti , Utah*Second Team
**Offense
***QBMike Tillis , Honolulu
***RBByron Allen , Louisiana
***WRAntonio Chandler , Colorado
***WRGreg Hooks , Utah
***WRKahn Powell , Madison
***OLJim Hobbins , Green Bay
***CAndy Ramos , Honolulu
***KBryan Mader , Green Bay
**Defense
***LBJoshua Jardine , Honolulu
***LBPat Rogers , Louisiana
***SJack Phillips , Louisiana
***DBKeith Ballard , Louisiana
***DBFalinko Vitale , Honolulu
***NTKale Cockett , Honolulu
***DECharles Johnson , Louisiana
***DEFranklin Thomas , Louisiana*Honorable Mention
**Offense
***QBMelvin Hill , Louisiana
***RBWillie High , Green Bay
***RBDarnell Jones , Honolulu
***WRLee McCormick , Texas
***OLBrandon Bergstresser , Madison
***OLCurtis Jones , Utah
***CCarl Silva , Utah
***KDoug Beach , Utah
**Defense
***LBJunior Tagaloa , Utah
***LBJose Salcido , Madison
***SNick McDaniel , Utah
***DBDamon Jackson , Colorado
***DBJesse Tann , Colorado
***NTDavid Cunningham , Madison
***DEJeff Warner , Madison
***DENorm Barnett , ColoradoPIFL European Division
The
PIFL proposed European Division was set to kick off in November 1998 with teams inEngland andIreland . A six-team tournament was planned for August 22, 1998 inManchester , England. Terry Smith was the PIFL European League Director and was the head coach of theGreat Britain Spartans . The Spartans were a very successfulEurope an minor American football club, trying to move up to the pro level. The Spartans played two exhibition games in the US on April 27, 1998 at theMadison Mad Dogs and on April 29, 1998 at theGreen Bay Bombers . They lost both games, 12-29 to Madison and 34-55 to Green Bay. The proposed European Division, however, never actually started play.
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