Is tha CRFL, goin to be around next season? Shopping around i heard tha crusaders are crfl champs are tha crusaders going to defend thier title if so allen county Lions would like to get a shot (taste) at it
Where's your team located...try the ifl as well.
Ft. Wayne
Do not go into the crfl thats all have to say 
Why not go to the CRFL?? At least that league only had one team folded and they didn't have 2 teams only play 4 games. Yes do your homework, the IFL is in a decline and the MSFL is too expensive for new teams to get into.
The MSFL is not that expensive. If you have a 50 man roster it only averages out to around $19.00 a person. For an entire year of football, $19 is not that much. The MSFL is full of super talented teams and is based on a solid foundation. Is the league perfect - no, but you dont have team after teams folding, fighting, playing in fields. The standards to be in the MSFL is high and the league expects a lot out of us, as we do the league. I have played on some of the nicest fields and against some of the best teams in the MSFL. They are hashing out a contract for games to be on t.v. next season. The league is fair and unbiased and they have rules and follow them. Nothing against the CRFL or the IFL, but players pay to play. If you use the money wisely, the $19 a person to play in the MSFL is worth the investment.
I will agree, the IFL did take a step back the past few years, but not for lack of talent, how many people could honestly say they saw the Mustangs not fielding a team this year? Not I that is for sure. I like what the MSFL does, personally I do not know too much about the CRFL but what I do hear more often than not is about the fighting which to me damages the product that you are trying to put out even worse than teams folding, dont get me wrong, they are both bad acts but when a kid or an adult, that does not know anything about the way semi-pro ball works, comes to a game they do not know that 4 teams folded this year or that team is in danger of folding, what they see is what happens on the field. Teams arguing, cursing and fighting will never be a good look. NOW, AGAIN, let me say I do not know all of the things that go on out there in that league, I am simply going by what travels through the wire. WE, the IFL, must do a better job of selecting and screening the teams that we allow in, WE, SEMI-PRO, must do a better job of communicating with one another ACROSS LEAGUE LINES, if we know that a certain person or persons have been involved with SEVERAL TEAMS that are known for folding, fighting or cheating we need to inform our league heads and make them aware of what is going on because PASSING THE BUCK from one league to another is why we have the issues we have now, letting teams in that have consistently folded from year to year only to be reborn under a different name is another reason we are here. We need to begin working together more often than not, not every team can afford to travel like the Nados, however that doesnt mean that they can not compete like they do, that should not be a knock on that team because they cant MOVE UP when that would only cause them to be like the other teams that play 3 games and are done. Truth is the most localized game schedule is probably the IFL just based on the way things are set up, then the CRFL, then the MSFL and so on and so forth....I only say that because the MSFL has those Illinois trips, which are not that bad to be honest, especially when you get to play on some of the fields that they have up there.....man....
I said all of this to say, do your homework, understand that there will be ups and downs to ANY LEAGUE that you join, however if you have a good product other teams and league take notice
Well said, Dre. There is a responsibility there to communicate between leagues to prevent the problems that seemed to plague semi pro as a whole this season. There is rarely a truly "new" team and most are recycled from other teams including personnel that have been problems in the past. It's the responsibility of the owners of the teams to properly gauge the character and commitment of their players as well. It's not unusual for a new team in an area to have 50 guys showing up for practices early on. The team gets accepted into a league partially based on the fact that they are showing good numbers. Then, guys start realizing there's a big time commitment. They don't have money for equipment. They don't have money for player fees. Or they don't think they need to come to practice. So, by the time the season rolls around there are 15 guys showing up to games. Some of that is unavoidable, but I believe some of it can be prevented. Don't just conduct tryouts. Interview your potential players. If they've never played or haven't played since high school ask them if they realize this is real football and not two-hand touch. I've seen guys show up to an early practice all gung-ho and then never come back after they get popped a couple times. Ask them if they are aware half the games are away games and if they are willing to go to those. Make sure they know that even though this is recreational, there are expectations.
If they have played for another team, ask them why they don't play for them anymore. If that team still exists, was this player an issue? Was he lazy or didn't pay fees or did he cause trouble? Or did he leave the team due to issues with the team itself? Owners can weed out their own problems by asking those questions and investigating. And if you've done that and don't have enough to field a team, then maybe it's not the right time to start a team in that area. Forcing it simply won't work.
That same philosophy goes for leagues as well. It's not hard to tell whether a team is solid or not. Even though you may want 10 teams in your league, it's better to go into the season with 4 that you know will finish the season then to have teams folding or forfeiting all year.
If they have played for another team, ask them why they don't play for them anymore. If that team still exists, was this player an issue? Was he lazy or didn't pay fees or did he cause trouble? Or did he leave the team due to issues with the team itself? Owners can weed out their own problems by asking those questions and investigating. And if you've done that and don't have enough to field a team, then maybe it's not the right time to start a team in that area. Forcing it simply won't work.
That same philosophy goes for leagues as well. It's not hard to tell whether a team is solid or not. Even though you may want 10 teams in your league, it's better to go into the season with 4 that you know will finish the season then to have teams folding or forfeiting all year.
This right here is my point, it is called ACCOUNTABILITY, and more often than not the players want to pass the buck off on the coaches, which ultimately, it will fall on because they are THE NAMES YOU KNOW, this is one reason the Cutters have been able to stay around. A lot is done by the coaches, the board and the owner behind the scenes that nobody knows about other than people that have put out a successful and or quality product, but do not think for one second that our players, most of the core players that is, are not JUST AS INVOLVED with keeping the team going. I live in Indy, I work a full time job, I coach high school wrestling in the fall, I just got married which was being planned while I was playing this yr, which is crazy...but the point is I love my team and I recruit players every single season to come down and become apart of the tradition that we are trying to keep alive. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesnt, this was the first yr that i was the only person making that drive down 37 but it did not matter because i knew that no matter what happened the product was going to be one that i would be proud to represent. Many of these owners are taking money and not using it for what it is being used for but on the flip side many of the players are not paying fees period and then complaining about the team folding when they are a big part of the problem because now you have no money in the bank. Truth is some of it is just going to happen and you will have to deal with it, however i feel MOST of it can surely be avoided. I mean we have players FIGHTING, not a push or shove but fighting, no body is going to want to back your team and more importantly you hurt the entire game because no body wants to give your team money, or any team representing semi pro ball, after hearing about the brawl that took place at the park last weekend...We need to begin to think bigger and understand that what we do in bloomington can have an adverse affect on a team in indy....
You're right. One punch thrown resonates throughout the entire community. The ESPN thing really put semi-pro in a bad light and it had nothing to do with the team involved. They came in with a preconceived notion and had every intention of making our level of football look like a joke. Every time someone throws a punch on the field, threatens someone, or comes on here and acts like an idiot, it undermines what a lot of people have worked for.
I reread what I wrote and I have to add something. I did not mean to imply it's only teams that should look out for players. That's unfair. Players should do research on a team history or the owner's history if it's a new team. Find out their philosophy, their plans, who their coaching staff are, and what their finances are. Any team who isn't transparent about these things to players is to be avoided.
That's not to say that a team owner's plans can't be impacted by other things. A team could be counting on a sponsor and then that sponsor doesn't come through leaving little to no money. Maybe there's a field lined up and then a high school A/D decides not to let that team play on the field. Other things like health issues, family issues, or work issues can crop up that make it impossible for that team owner to be involved in the team. Those things can happen and it's just circumstances, but research is still important.
I reread what I wrote and I have to add something. I did not mean to imply it's only teams that should look out for players. That's unfair. Players should do research on a team history or the owner's history if it's a new team. Find out their philosophy, their plans, who their coaching staff are, and what their finances are. Any team who isn't transparent about these things to players is to be avoided.
That's not to say that a team owner's plans can't be impacted by other things. A team could be counting on a sponsor and then that sponsor doesn't come through leaving little to no money. Maybe there's a field lined up and then a high school A/D decides not to let that team play on the field. Other things like health issues, family issues, or work issues can crop up that make it impossible for that team owner to be involved in the team. Those things can happen and it's just circumstances, but research is still important.
Oh, trust me, I never thought for one second that you were implying that in any way, I just felt the need to put that out there because I know I speak for players because that is what I am at the moment and I dont want anybody reading this to look and think that I or you are advocating players not caring about the people that they bring to the team, coming up with the attitude that WELL, I BROUGHT 6 PEOPLE OUT so I have done my job. Some of the worst players to either recruit or play with are you friends that were good friends before you started playing. Too often we dont hold these guys as accountable for what they do because we have a bias about this person simply because we know them in a way that the other people may not, which is not fair. Truth is the leaders of the team that get on here and brag about their team need to be willing to take the good along with the bad that happens with their team. Not one person can get on here and ever say that I have ever acted a fool on or off the field, not because it isnt in my nature, it is just the fact that I understand that I represent more than just Andre Key when I go places, that is the price you pay for wanting to be in the spotlight or apart of something that is greater than just YOU, yes, even at this level. When I see cats that I work out with or go to church with that I know play for other teams, the first thing that will come out of my mouth if a friend or if my wife is with me is who that person is and what team they play for, period. We need to understand that people do look at us and what us and talk about us, both good and bad, right or wrong, deserved or not, however a lot of that has to do with either the IMAGE that they have of us or FACTS based on things that they have seen us do or heard us say. If you are not mindful of that how on earth are you going to be able to sell your product to someone that ALREADY has a negative view or concept about what it is that you are selling when they have seen you acting a fool, seen your 5 or 6 teams all fold, read your comments on fb or twitter cursing and threatening other teams, come on now, wake up folks, semi pro sports may not be prime time but these games are enjoyed by many people because most cats DONT GO PRO so the average joe is the one that is paying to see you and that is a blessing that you have regular men and women bringing their kids to see you play, telling their kids LOOK, JUST BECAUSE YOU DONT MAKE IT BIG, DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO STOP PLAYING. I for sure would bring my kids, when I have some lol, to any team that has been rumored to have issues on the field. I just want out state to be more organized across the board and maybe other states will follow suit
