Team owner suggests 2009 shutdown

NEW YORK (AP) – The Arena Football League is poised to call off its 2009 season, the owner of its Los Angeles franchise told a newspaper.

Avengers owner Casey Wasserman said in a story posted on the Los Angeles Times’ Web site Wednesday that the AFL needs to take the time to become more efficient because of the poor economy. Wasserman is a former league chairman and one of the AFL’s major power brokers.

Avengers spokesman John Tamanaha confirmed to The Associated Press that the team expects the 2009 season to be canceled. Wasserman told the newspaper the decision was not official, but he expected owners to vote to approve it this week.

The AFL issued a statement that did not directly address canceling the season, but said the league “continues to work on long-term structural improvement options.”

Union spokesman Carl Francis declined to discuss specifics. “We definitely are in discussions with the Arena Football League on these issues,” he said.

The 16-team league has repeatedly delayed the start of free agency and the release of its 2009 schedule after an offseason of uncertainty. No replacement has been named for longtime commissioner David Baker, who abruptly resigned in July two days before the ArenaBowl game.

“It’s important for the Arena Football League to think about the next 20 years,” Wasserman told the paper. “And the economic model, combined with the economic environment we’re in currently doesn’t allow us to take that perspective.”

The NFL said Tuesday it is cutting 150 jobs. The NBA and NASCAR also have laid off dozens of workers. The NHL is in a hiring freeze while the Internet operation for Major League Baseball also has trimmed positions.

Philadelphia Soul wide receiver Chris Jackson told The AP that players were informed Tuesday that the season would likely be canceled.

“No one knows what’s really going on,” he said. “It’s all out of our hands. We agreed to take pay cuts and I guess that wasn’t enough to convince them to play.”

Officials from several teams said they were proceeding with business as usual for the time being.

“We’re readying contracts right now for when we’re ready to move forward with free agency,” said Luke Stahmer, vice president of operations for the Colorado Crush. “We’re buying helmets and jerseys as if it’s a regular season. We don’t want to get caught with our pants down, so to speak.”

AP-ES-12-10-08 1940EST