Eastern Indoor Football League
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Indoor Football League (EIFL) was an extremely short-lived Indoor American football league
that comprised teams located in the Mid-Atlantic
and Northeastern
United States
. Play under the auspices of the league began in 2007
amongst four new teams: the 3 Rivers Rats (a traveling team), Mahoning Valley HitMen
, Mid American Buzzards
, and Northeast Ohio Panthers
. The Lake Erie Steelheads, a fifth team, was to play one exhibition game between the 2007 regular season and playoffs. The league originally announced six franchises, but the Baltimore Blackbirds
, Bay Shore Brawlers
, and Pittsburgh Ironmen left the league before the start of its first season, with Baltimore joining the American Indoor Football Association for 2007.
The EIFL was unique among current indoor football leagues in that it had sanctioned the use of a white football, manufactured by Thaddea, which makes it easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions. The football had a gold stripe longways around the ball. The IPFL was the only other indoor football league to use an all-white football. The AIFA currently uses a red, white and blue colored football.
The EIFL folded after three games, making it one of the shortest-lived professional football leagues in history.
decided to not join the EIFL after taking a look at the ThunderDome, home of the HitMen and site of the EIFL "showcase weekend", held October 28-29, 2006. http://www.mooheadradio.com/2.0/?p=609 The team applied for the American Indoor Football Association, but was turned down, and so they are taking a year off before they search for another league. Also, only a handful of players from the Mid American Buzzards showed up for the event.
The 2007 season started with a pre-season game on January 27, 2007. The regular season started the next weekend, on Saturday February 3, 2007.
On Sunday, February 11, 2007, one player on the Mid-American Buzzards was seriously injured in a game. Only after this, the person, and everybody involved with the league and people following the league found out there was no insurance for the players, despite Jim Terry claiming the league had insurance earlier. http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/sports/articles.asp?articleID=14556 The insurance company, however, covered the player's expenses.
On Friday, February 16, 2007, the game for that night was cancelled when the building the game was supposed to play at was padlocked due to a lack of liability insurance. The game the next night was played. However, the building owner has started eviction notices on the league and Jim Terry. http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/305187257284569.php
http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/include/articles.asp?articleID=14718
The game scheduled for Saturday, February 24 was not played amid local media reports that the EIFL had folded.
On February 25, the Warren Tribune-Chronicle reported that the league was down to two teams as the Mid-American Buzzards and Northeast Ohio Panthers had departed over the lack of insurance. Jim Terry, who owned the EIFL and the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, and served as the league's commissioner, indicated that the Hitmen might become a barnstorming team. http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/include/articles.asp?articleID=15040 Later on it was reported that the 3 Rivers Rats left the league as well. http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/330428078108656.php
Since then, no league games has been played although the league had access to the building they play in until the end of the season. Jim Terry had made an offer of $10,000 on a game for any indoor team to play against the Hitmen, but nobody took the offer, even though Jim Terry claimed otherwise. http://www.mvhitmen.com/ This league is officially defunct. The Mahoning Valley Hitmen were declared league champions by virtue of having the best record at the time of the league folding.
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
that comprised teams located in the Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
and Northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Play under the auspices of the league began in 2007
2007 in sports
2007 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* February 4 – Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 to win Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The win was the Colts' first Super Bowl Championship since their 1970-71 team, when...
amongst four new teams: the 3 Rivers Rats (a traveling team), Mahoning Valley HitMen
Mahoning Valley HitMen
The Mahoning Valley HitMen were a team in the Eastern Indoor Football League, a United States-based American football arena league, which was based in Masury, Ohio, United States, and coached and owned by Jim Terry...
, Mid American Buzzards
Mid American Buzzards
The Mid American Buzzards are an EIFL team based in Illinois. They began play in the 2007 season, as a member of the Eastern Indoor Football League, which is not affiliated with the Arena Football League or Af2...
, and Northeast Ohio Panthers
Northeast Ohio Panthers
The Northeast Ohio Panthers are an indoor football team based in Warren, Ohio. They were formerly a member of the Eastern Indoor Football League, which is not affiliated with the Arena Football League or af2...
. The Lake Erie Steelheads, a fifth team, was to play one exhibition game between the 2007 regular season and playoffs. The league originally announced six franchises, but the Baltimore Blackbirds
Baltimore Blackbirds
The Baltimore Blackbirds were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They played the 2007 season as an expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, at the 1st Mariner Arena.-History:...
, Bay Shore Brawlers
Bay Shore Brawlers
The Bay Shore Brawlers are a semi-pro football team based in Laurence Harbor, New Jersey. Their home field is at the Little League Complex, at the senior field....
, and Pittsburgh Ironmen left the league before the start of its first season, with Baltimore joining the American Indoor Football Association for 2007.
The EIFL was unique among current indoor football leagues in that it had sanctioned the use of a white football, manufactured by Thaddea, which makes it easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions. The football had a gold stripe longways around the ball. The IPFL was the only other indoor football league to use an all-white football. The AIFA currently uses a red, white and blue colored football.
The EIFL folded after three games, making it one of the shortest-lived professional football leagues in history.
History
It was reported that the Bay Shore BrawlersBay Shore Brawlers
The Bay Shore Brawlers are a semi-pro football team based in Laurence Harbor, New Jersey. Their home field is at the Little League Complex, at the senior field....
decided to not join the EIFL after taking a look at the ThunderDome, home of the HitMen and site of the EIFL "showcase weekend", held October 28-29, 2006. http://www.mooheadradio.com/2.0/?p=609 The team applied for the American Indoor Football Association, but was turned down, and so they are taking a year off before they search for another league. Also, only a handful of players from the Mid American Buzzards showed up for the event.
The 2007 season started with a pre-season game on January 27, 2007. The regular season started the next weekend, on Saturday February 3, 2007.
On Sunday, February 11, 2007, one player on the Mid-American Buzzards was seriously injured in a game. Only after this, the person, and everybody involved with the league and people following the league found out there was no insurance for the players, despite Jim Terry claiming the league had insurance earlier. http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/sports/articles.asp?articleID=14556 The insurance company, however, covered the player's expenses.
On Friday, February 16, 2007, the game for that night was cancelled when the building the game was supposed to play at was padlocked due to a lack of liability insurance. The game the next night was played. However, the building owner has started eviction notices on the league and Jim Terry. http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/305187257284569.php
http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/include/articles.asp?articleID=14718
The game scheduled for Saturday, February 24 was not played amid local media reports that the EIFL had folded.
On February 25, the Warren Tribune-Chronicle reported that the league was down to two teams as the Mid-American Buzzards and Northeast Ohio Panthers had departed over the lack of insurance. Jim Terry, who owned the EIFL and the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, and served as the league's commissioner, indicated that the Hitmen might become a barnstorming team. http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/include/articles.asp?articleID=15040 Later on it was reported that the 3 Rivers Rats left the league as well. http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/330428078108656.php
Since then, no league games has been played although the league had access to the building they play in until the end of the season. Jim Terry had made an offer of $10,000 on a game for any indoor team to play against the Hitmen, but nobody took the offer, even though Jim Terry claimed otherwise. http://www.mvhitmen.com/ This league is officially defunct. The Mahoning Valley Hitmen were declared league champions by virtue of having the best record at the time of the league folding.
Final Standings
| Team | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Mahoning Valley Hitmen Mahoning Valley HitMen The Mahoning Valley HitMen were a team in the Eastern Indoor Football League, a United States-based American football arena league, which was based in Masury, Ohio, United States, and coached and owned by Jim Terry... |
2 | 0 |
| Northeast Ohio Panthers Northeast Ohio Panthers The Northeast Ohio Panthers are an indoor football team based in Warren, Ohio. They were formerly a member of the Eastern Indoor Football League, which is not affiliated with the Arena Football League or af2... |
1 | 1 |
| Mid American Buzzards Mid American Buzzards The Mid American Buzzards are an EIFL team based in Illinois. They began play in the 2007 season, as a member of the Eastern Indoor Football League, which is not affiliated with the Arena Football League or Af2... |
0 | 1 |
| 3 Rivers Rats | 0 | 1 |