WFL chief hopes to restore reputation
Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/Sports/62328/
ROGERS — Chip Pierce is out to redeem the name of semi-pro football.
With more than 600 so-called semi-professional teams playing in more leagues than you can count across the country, that brand of football doesn’t always have the best reputation. Pierce hopes
the return of the World Football League can fix that.
“ Out of those 600-some semipro teams, there are probably 50 that are good, well-run organizations, ” Pierce said. “ The rest are just fly-bynight deals.
My idea was to take the best of the best and put them on one platform and have it run professionally. ” The original WFL folded in 1975 before finishing its second season and the name laid dormant until Pierce resurrected it. He had spent a couple of years working on building a solid semi-pro league and decided to buy the rights to the WFL in November. The league begins today with nine teams — including five in Pierce’s home state of Texas — but he expects that to expand in the future. “ We have about 53 teams that want in right now, ” said Pierce, who is also owner and head coach of the Southeast Texas Demons as well as the WFL’s CEO. “ We’re not taking any team. We’re looking at organizations, who owns them, how they’re run, the reputation. ”
His ultimate goal is to have between 34 and 40 teams in a nationwide, competitive league.
“ We’re going somewhere but it’s going to take time, ” Pierce said. “ It’s not something that we want to happen overnight. We really want to make sure all of our steps are solid so we can put that quality product on the field. ”
One of the teams will be the revival of the Shreveport (La. ) Steamer — a team in the original WFL — that Pierce and Arkansas War Cats owner James Burkheart will own.
The WFL follows NFL rules on the field and off, including contracts, roster size and salary cap (currently around $ 50, 000 max per player ).
“ These players get paid in this league but it’s not NFLcaliber pay, ” Pierce said. “ No matter how you look at it, it’s semi-pro football. Our goal is to revamp that (image ) and bring a quality product and put it on the field. ”
The WFL hopes to give players an opportunity to take a step towards professional football in the NFL, Canadian Football League or Arena Football League.
Pierce hopes support from the NFL will help legitimize the WFL. Mike Cofer, who kicked for Indianapolis, New Orleans and San Francisco, has thrown his support behind the WFL while former NFL player Robert Hubble and current NFL official Tommy Moore conduct referee clinics for the new league.
Former NFL and college players are scattered around the WFL’s first set of teams.
Former Houston Oiler Eugene Seale coaches the Demons linebackers while former Tennessee Titan Anthony Decquire is on the roster.
Tulsa’s Oklahoma Thunder has several Oklahoma and Oklahoma State players — including former Sooners running back Kejuan Jones.