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Team and League History

April 20, 1999
The formation of the Xtreme Football League is announced at a news conference in Birmingham.

The XFL will be an eastern US indoor football league. Plans are to begin play in 2000 with ten to twelve teams committed by June 1st. The XFL's playing season will be April through August.

Local sports entrepreneur Art Clarkson will serve as acting commissioner of the league as well as own the Tennessee Valley (Huntsville) franchise. Clarkson is responsible for bringing back both baseball and hockey to Birmingham years ago when he organized the Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Bulls. Both teams are still in operation, but Clarkson is no longer involved with either franchise.

"We're leaning more toward taking the outside game indoors. We'll have offensive and defensive teams with no nets. We are going to entertain people. That's the bottom line. We're going to have some fun with this thing. That's the idea of the league. If the teams remember people want to have fun, they'll be successful," Clarkson said.

Plans are to have eight players on a side from each team, a 22-man roster and a 16-game schedule. The field size will be 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.

Each team in the league will have territorial rights to former players from local colleges. "We have to have a common draft, territorial rights, and be in a position where you don't get into a bidding war over players. Once you do that, you're out of business," Clarkson said.

The league will be divided into two geographical divisions and a two tiered postseason playoff will determine the league champion. Ticket prices are expected to average around $10. Games will be played on Friday and Saturday nights.

	Co-owner David Berkman		Co-owner Bruce Burge		Co-owner Charles Felix

The Birmingham team will be owned by David Berkman, Charles Felix, and Bruce Burge, the same ownership group that purchased the Birmingham Bulls of the East Coast Hockey League from Clarkson last year. The same group will also own the Jacksonville and Pensacola franchises. Felix said no nickname, colors, or logos have been chosen for the Birmingham team yet. "The people are the best ones to name the team. We're going to have a contest and hope to select a name within the next 60 days."

Clarkson named the cities that have already committed: Birmingham, Greenville, Tennessee Valley, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Pensacola, Richmond, Roanoke, and Tallahassee. Other cities that may join the league include Charleston, Fayetteville, and Winston-Salem. Franchises in the new league are going for $75,000.

While most of the teams will be owned in part or in whole by current ECHL franchise owners, many of them have failed in other sporting endeavors before. Their Eastern Indoor Soccer League folded last season after just two years of action. However, this will allow those owners to use their hockey teams' support and office staff to reduce costs. Maximum team budgets will be around $600,000, which is roughly half of most Arena Football League budgets.

Each team will need to average at least 5,000 fans per game to break even, and the XFL will face some stiff competition next year. The AFL plans to organize their own minor league called arenafootball2, which would also play in smaller markets. In addition, the Indoor Professional Football League operates franchises from Baton Rouge to Hawaii.

Another problem for the XFL could be securing a television deal. ESPN shows AFL games, while springtime on Fox is filled with Major League Baseball. "We're working on a TV deal. Certainly, you can survive without TV. There's not a minor-league sport that's television-generated. We've got to be arena-driven," Clarkson said.

June ??, 1999
When asked for a league update, Clarkson said, "The XFL is still a league in formation. When we open next April - and we will - it may be different from what it is now. This is a tier-two professional sport. The budgets are geared toward the market. If the owners don't get crazy, we will be successful. If they do, we won't."

Biloxi, Greensboro, Lafayette, and Little Rock were also mentioned as possible franchise sites.

July ??, 1999
The owners have narrowed the list of potential team names down to six; Barbarians, Blast, Bruisers, Bubbas, Magicians, and Steeldogs. Obviously, the nickname "Bubbas" has generated quite a lot of discussion on local talk radio stations. Many fans hope the "Bubbas" name was added as some type of publicity stunt. A final decision is expected sometime in August, when they will unveil the team name and logo.

July 29, 1999
It is announced that the Xtreme Football League will merge with the newly formed arenafootball2. The AFL's commissioner, David Baker, announced the merger.

The XFL teams from Birmingham, Greenville, Tennessee Valley, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Pensacola, Richmond, Roanoke, and Tallahassee would be joining the previously committed af2 teams from Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Quad Cities (IL/IA), and Tulsa. It is expected that Shreveport and Ft. Myers will join the af2 in 2001. There are also six other cities under consideration for franchises. Only two of those cities will be approved and will be named after the AFL's ArenaBowl XIII.

The XFL members each paid $150,000 to enter the af2. Mary Ellen Garling, AFL vice president of league development and executive director of af2, said, "Geographically and competitively, it makes sense. These markets form a solid southeastern region from which our product can expand and it also allows for competitive football with other regions. I am proud of the entire 2000 ownership group who represent a premiere class of operators and will build the solid foundation of arenafootball2."

According to owner Charles Felix, merger discussions had been taking place even before the XFL's formation was announced in April but only became final earlier in the week. "The AFL came to us. At first, we were miles apart, but we worked out the economic differences. The big thing is the AFL understands the middle-tier market, like we do. It makes sense not to compete with each other."

arenafootball2 teams would operate in arenas with seating capacity between 6,000 to 12,000. Teams will operate under AFL rules and operating procedures, and travel to games by bus.

The teams will play a regular season of 18 games followed by divisional playoffs. The divisional playoffs will determine the two participants for the ArenaCup. Regular season and playoff games would span May to August, concurrent with the AFL schedule, but conclude at least one week prior to the ArenaBowl, the AFL's championship game.

The AFL has patented their game system for the rebound nets, sideboards, and equipment which will be used by the new league.

On February 8th of this year, the National Football League acquired an exclusive option to purchase up to 49.9% of the Arena Football League. The option can be exercised over the next three years, and is subject to the approval of NFL owners. NFL owners were given the chance to purchase AFL expansion teams for $3 million. Other investors would pay at least $5 million. However, the af2 is not part of the NFL agreement.

August 12, 1999
It is announced that the local team's name will be the Birmingham Steeldogs. The Steeldogs name beat out the other two finalists, the Blast and the Barbarians.

	Head coach Bobby Humphrey

At the same press conference, former University of Alabama running back Bobby Humphrey was named head coach. He will also serve as director of player personnel.

Humphrey, 33-years old and a native of Birmingham, was a two time All-American and still holds the title of all-time leading rusher at Alabama. Professionally, he played with the Denver Broncos from 1989 to 1991, the Miami Dolphins in 1992 and the Buffalo Bills in 1995. While with the Broncos, Humphrey was the NFL's 1989 Rookie-of-the-Year and played in the 1990 Super Bowl. He has no prior coaching experience, however.

On his coaching future, Humphrey said, "I've never been so nervous in my life. I've stood up in front of hundreds of reporters at the Super Bowl, and I wasn't as nervous as I am today. I just don't know what to expect. I never expected to be here as a head coach. You start asking me questions about how I'm going to coach, what am I going to do on fourth-and-inches? Well, I don't know. I've not faced a lot of fourth-and-inches. I've always been the one running the play. Someone else was making the decisions. This is a big opportunity for me. What better place to be than right here among the people who watched you play in high school, in college, and in the pros? It was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. Ten, fifteen years ago, I could have never seen myself doing this. But I've got a burning desire to coach. I'm going to make the best of this opportunity, unlike some of those that I have blown in the past." Humphrey was referring to a few bad choices he has made in his personal life and professional career.

The Steeldogs are the first af2 team to hire a coach.

December 3, 1999
It is announced that Birmingham would be getting a franchise in the new Spring Football League.

Steeldogs owner Charles Felix said the new team would not hurt his team, which will have it's first training camp in March 2000. "I can't say totally that it's not going to affect us, but I think Arena Football is a product that is different from this spring football. It's more exciting, higher scoring, better action, and a better entertainment product. I may be wrong, but I think other spring football leagues tried in Birmingham. And they've had spring football league in other cities that have been unsuccessful. I can't see how that would really hurt us. I know a lot of people are trying these things. I don't know how far they're going to wind up getting. In Birmingham - at least in the South - if you're going to have players play football, I'd rather be indoors."

Humphrey said one of the eight players he has signed was concerned about the impact of the SFL on the af2. "My main reaction is that it's somewhat of a competition, if this thing does pan out." af2 teams will only have 18 active and three reserve players, which means the SFL shouldn't have much impact on af2 rosters. Humphrey is signing Birmingham natives or players with ties to the state. The SFL will be conducting an invitation-only scouting combine in Tempe, Arizona in late January. "I'm thinking these guys are not going to be just local guys."

Felix is attending a week-long seminar in Phoenix called "Arena Football University", which is designed to help new af2 owners learn more about owning an arena football team.

January 11, 2000
At a press conference in Birmingham, af2 commissioner Mary Ellen Garling announced that the Steeldogs would host the first af2 game ever. Their March 31st opponent will be Clarkson's Tennessee Valley Vipers.

The af2's director of communications and sponsor relations, Matthew Eres, said, "We think the rivalry between Birmingham and Tennessee Valley will be strong, kind of like the Orlando Predators and Tampa Bay Storm (of the AFL). They are 100 miles from each other, and we think it's a great way to kick off the inaugural season. It's an historic game for the new league."

March 2000

			2000                             arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Arkansas Twisters		Augusta Stallions		Birmingham Stallions		Carolina Rhinos		Charleston Swamp Foxes
	Greensboro Prowlers		Jacksonville Tomcats		Norfolk Nighthawks		Pensacola Barracudas		Quad City Steamwheelers
	Richmond Speed		Roanoke Steam		Tallahassee Thunder		Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons

2000 arenafootball2
National Conference	American Conference
Arkansas Twisters	Augusta Stallions
Birmingham Steeldogs	Carolina Rhinos
Pensacola Barracudas	Charleston Swamp Foxes
Quad City Steamwheelers	Greensboro Prowlers
Tallahassee Thunder	Jacksonville Tomcats
Tennessee Valley Vipers	Norfolk Nighthawks
Tulsa Talons	Richmond Speed
	Roanoke Steam

June 16, 2000
The af2's Board of Directors announce they have voted to expand the playoffs to include eight teams. Prior to the vote, only four teams qualified for the playoffs.

Ken Easley, chairman of the rules committee, said, "A majority of owners thought that changing the playoff format, although late in the season, was of great value not only to our league, but to our fans and players. We believe that adding four additional teams to the playoffs will galvanize fan support in those cities and will give the players an opportunity to vie for a championship."

The new playoff schedule begins with quarterfinals on August 1st or 2nd, semifinals on August 5th or 6th, and the ArenaCup on August 10th.

August 2, 2000
Felix discusses his team's chances of survival now that the XFL has officially placed the Birmingham Thunderbolts here. "Whether or not we succeed will depend on what we do as a franchise, not what anyone else does. We've had a year to establish ourselves, and that helps. But you're talking about two entirely different brands of football. And you're also talking about a city of a million people. If we both sold out on the same night, there are still 900,000 people left."

September 1, 2000
It is reported that an af2 ownership group has been negotiating to purchase some of the Indoor Football League's stronger franchises.

The Orlando Predator Entertainment, Inc. is considering purchasing the IFL, which would then allow the af2 to create a Midwest division. The af2's Quad City Steamwheelers owner Jim Foster said that OPE's chief executive officer Brett Bouchy asked his opinion on the feasibility of folding IFL franchises into the af2 during an owners meeting at the AFL's Arena Bowl last month in Orlando. "I was asked what would I think and I said, 'Heck yes.' I don't really know where it has gone since then."

Garling said she and Bouchy first met with IFL founder and league owner Keary Ecklund a year ago to discuss a possible merger or purchase. Since then, she said, "Brett has maintained a strong interest in the Peoria market. It would not surprise me if they are talking. In terms of confirming or denying a deal, that is between Brett and Peoria."

However, in order for the two leagues to come together af2 and AFL approval would be required. "We would have a lot of hurdles to jump through before we get to that place," Garling said.

It is not known whether the merger could be accommodated for the league schedule next year. Still, af2 expansion is an ongoing priority. The af2 debuted with 15 teams last year and during the season announced plans to expand to 24 by next spring's kickoff. The league also has targeted an expansion to 40-plus teams as a goal within the next several years. The IFL fielded 21 teams last year, with most of the markets based in the Midwest. Foster said many of those would make a sensible Midwest loop for af2, which currently consists of markets in the Southeast that are too far for the Steamwheelers to reach by bus. The IFL markets that might succeed in af2 are Peoria, Wichita, Topeka, Lincoln, Bismarck, Fargo, Sioux Falls, Green Bay, Madison, and La Crosse.

The IFL is owned by Ecklund, with the single exception of the locally owned franchise in Lincoln.

October 20, 2000
Garling announces that the af2 has officially acquired the Indoor Football League.

af2 officials bought the rights to 20 IFL teams and she insists they plan to continue playing in those markets. The only IFL team that af2 didn't acquire the rights to was Topeka.

With the purchase, the af2 will become one of the largest leagues in professional sports. All 15 teams from last season will be back to compete in the 2001 season along with expansion teams in Fort Myers, Lafayette, Bossier City, Memphis, Macon, and pending an arena lease approval, Louisville. League officials indicated they would prefer to form four divisions with nine or nine teams in each. ''We would like to bring in a maximum of 36 teams and a minimum of 32. This is a momentous day for arenafootball2. The acquisition of the IFL gives arenafootball2 the ability to grow and generate a new fan base that has never been exposed to the game of Arena Football, while continuing our expansion goal of reducing travel expenses and creating natural geographical rivalries," Garling said.

"We're proud that the Indoor Football League can add an important building block to arenafootball2. By combining these leagues we can offer the greatest number of fans the best opportunity for their long term enjoyment of Arena Football. We think the excitement and support we've generated in IFL markets will blend well with the existing teams in af2," said former IFL owner and founder Keary Ecklund.

"We want to make sure arena football is there today, tomorrow, and 10 years from now," said Garling.

October 30, 2000
The af2 announces that their Board of Directors has approved the addition of six new teams into the league to begin play in the 2001 season.

Lincoln, Peoria, and Wichita are the first three cities from the former IFL to be approved into arenafootball2. Expansion franchises were officially granted to Baton Rouge, Columbus, and Rochester. The Baton Rouge franchise is owned by the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm. Tampa Bay also owns the expansion Lafayette Roughnecks. The Rochester franchise will be owned by the AFL's Buffalo Destroyers. The Peoria Pirates went undefeated and won the IFL championship last year.

"We are thrilled to have these six new teams in the fold for the 2001 season. To have four AFL owners as well as two proven sports operators, all with a successful track record, adds a tremendous amount of credibility while allowing us to further our goal of bringing the game of Arena Football to small to mid-sized communities through coast-to-coast expansion," Garling said. All of the original 15 teams from last season will be back to compete in the 2001 season.

With these additions, the af2 now has 27 teams mostly located in the Midwest and Southeast regions.

December 12, 2000
Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex executive director Frank Poe said the Steeldogs owners were currently negotiating the sale of the team to Steven J. Umberger of Jacksonville, Florida.

Umberger is President of ValueClick International, a provider of Internet advertising services.

"We have signed off on an assignment agreement with a new owner. It is making its way through their processes," Poe said. The deal should be completed this week and would not affect the team's current agreement with the BJCC.

Owners Charles Felix, David Berkman, and Bruce Burge have called a press conference for Wednesday. When questioned on the sale, Felix was evasive. "Wednesday will be an update on the Steeldogs, on a lot of topics. We really haven't done anything for the press in a while as far as the Steeldogs are concerned." Apparently the owners had entertained offers for the team, but nothing was final. The ownership group still owns two other af2 teams, the Jacksonville Tomcats and the Pensacola Barracudas, as well as the East Coast Hockey League's Birmingham Bulls and Pensacola Ice Pilots.

December 13, 2000

	Owners Steven and Kathryn Umberger with daughter Megan

Steven and Kathryn Umberger are officially announced as the new owners of the Birmingham Steeldogs.

Umberger, currently the president of ValueClick International, is a one-time IBM employee who made his fortune in Internet companies. Kathryn has ties to the city, as her father was born in Montgomery and raised in Birmingham.

The sale will give former majority owner David Berkman more time and energy to devote to his hockey teams in Pensacola and Birmingham. "David can direct his passion now toward the Bulls without having to have the concern or decision making relating to the two teams here. He can really focus on the hockey team. And his passion is for hockey," Felix said.

The Umbergers have been searching for an af2 franchise to buy for the last six months. "We chose Birmingham for several reasons: A great history of football, a great front-office staff, super coaches, and excitement. We feel it's the right city and team and we want to do our part to deliver a product you can be proud of. I can assure you there are better returns on an investment than football. I'm doing this because I love football and what's going on with arenafootball2 is exciting. I have a reputation for being able to see ahead of the curve. We could have bought several teams, but this, we think, was the best opportunity for us. There is a void for entertainment here. This is football country. To me, it made good business sense. There's a lot of upside here," Umberger said.

There is speculation that Umberger will have the option to buy the Birmingham Bulls at a later date. "I want to be a player in this town. I want to put on an event Birmingham can call its own. The opportunities are there to take this in a lot of different directions."

The purchase price was not disclosed.

April 2001

			2001                               arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Arkansas Twisters		Augusta Stallions		Baton Rouge Blaze		Birmingham Steeldogs		Bossier City Battle Wings
	Carolina Rhinos		Charleston Swamp Foxes		Columbus Wardogs		Florida Firecats		Greensboro Prowlers
	Iowa Barnstormers		Jacksonville Tomcats		Lafayette Roughnecks		Lincoln Lightning		Louisville Fire
	Macon Knights		Memphis Xplorers		Norfolk Nighthawks		Pensacola Barracudas		Peoria Pirates
	Quad City Steamwheelera		Richmond Speed		Roanoke Steam		Rochester Brigade		Tallahassee Thunder
	Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons		Wichita Stealth

2001 arenafootball2
American Conference		National Conference
Northeast Division	Southeast Division	Midwest Division	South Central Division
Carolina Rhinos	Augusta Stallions	Iowa Barnstormers	Arkansas Twisters
Charleston Swamp Foxes	Columbus Wardogs	Lincoln Lightning	Baton Rouge Blaze
Greensboro Prowlers	Florida Firecats	Louisville Fire	Birmingham Steeldogs
Norfolk Nighthawks	Jacksonville Tomcats	Peoria Pirates	Bossier City Battle Wings
Richmond Speed	Macon Knights	Quad City Steamwheelers	Lafayette Roughnecks
Roanoke Steam	Pensacola Barracudas	Tulsa Talons	Memphis Xplorers
Rochester Brigade	Tallahassee Thunder	Wichita Stealth	Tennessee Valley Vipers

December 21, 2001
The league announces that the Quad-City Steamwheelers, who won the first two af2 championships, would not be allowed to participate in the 2002 playoffs and are under a two-year probation.

The release indicated that AFL commissioner David Baker "found that the team violated certain player compensation guidelines concerning the housing and transporting of players and other unreported compensation."

The Steamwheelers will not have their 2000 and 2001 titles stripped, but the league is clearly keeping an eye on the team, which has a 37-1 record over the past two seasons. "The commissioner will continue to watch the operation. You can probably compare it to a situation with a college team," af2 spokesman Ron Deuter said.

January 2, 2002

	Co-owner Buddy King		Co-owner Scott Myers

The af2 announces that the Umbergers have sold the Steeldogs to two Birmingham natives, Buddy King and Scott Myers. Umberger, who also owns the af2's Jacksonville Tomcats, stated that he wanted to be closer to his family in Jacksonville.

King began wooing Umberger at a golf tournament late last fall. Even at a meeting with King and Myers last month, Umberger said he wasn't thinking about selling the team. "I thought we were throwing our name in the hat. I said to Scott, the worst thing that can happen is that he knows we're interested, if he ever gets in position to sell. We knew he was from Jacksonville, and had an outside shot (there). We never knew he owned the Jacksonville team as well," King said.

Fortunately for King and Myers, Umberger had tired of operating the Steeldogs from Jacksonville, and chose the Tomcats as his main focus. It also doesn't hurt that Jacksonville is in line for an Arena League team when the city's new coliseum opens in 2003, and Umberger has expressed a desire to be involved with an Arena franchise.

Both King and Myers previously had ties to professional sports in Birmingham. In 1991 and 1992, King played for the World League of American Football's Birmingham Fire. Myers has worked previously with the Birmingham Fire as well as the East Coast Hockey League's Birmingham Bulls. It was during their time with the Fire that King and Myers formed a relationship and shared a mutual dream of one day owning a team of their own.

"It's ironic, but 10 years ago, Scott and I were sitting at an arena football game in Orlando and we thought this would be a great game for Birmingham. This is a dream come true for me and I look forward to continuing the standard the Steeldogs have set in the af2," said King.

During his second season with the Fire, King tore the arch in his foot and retired from professional football. Later that year, he ventured into the pharmaceutical industry, concentrating on sales and business development. After five years, King started his own company, CTEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In 2001, CTEX was acquired by ANDRX Corporation. He is currently chairman/ceo of Athlon Pharmaceuticals. King will be the team's financial backing, while Myers will handle day-to-day operations. "We have a variety of goals, but they essentially boil down to two. Lead the league in attendance, and win the ArenaCup championship. That's what we intend to do this year," Myers said.

Terms of the sale were undisclosed.

April 2002

			2002                               arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Conquest		Arkansas Twisters		Augusta Stallions		Bakersfield Blitz		Birmingham Steeldogs
	Bossier City Battle Wings		Cape Fear Wildcats		Carolina Rhinos		Charleston Swamp Foxes		Columbus Wardogs
	Florida Firecats		Fresno Frenzy		Greensboro Prowlers		Hawaiian Islanders		Jacksonville Tomcats
	Lincoln Lightning		Louisville Fire		Macon Knights		Memphis Xplorers		Mobile Wizards
	Mohegan Wolves		New Haven Ninjas		Norfolk Nighthawks		Pensacola Barracudas		Peoria Pirates
	Quad City Steamwheelers		Richmond Speed		Roanoke Steam		Rochester Brigade		San Diego Riptide
	Tallahassee Thunder		Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons		Wichita Stealth		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2002 arenafootball2
American Conference
Northeast Division	Eastern Division	Atlantic Division	South Division
Albany Conquest	Augusta Stallions	Cape Fear Wildcats	Charleston Swamp Foxes
Mohegan Wolves	Carolina Rhinos	Greensboro Prowlers	Florida Firecats
New Haven Ninjas	Columbus Wardogs	Norfolk Nighthawks	Jacksonville Tomcats
Rochester Brigade	Macon Knights	Richmond Speed	Tallahassee Thunder
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers		Roanoke Steam
National Conference
West Division	Midwest Division	Central Division	South Division
Bakersfield Blitz	Lincoln Lightning	Arkansas Twisters	Birmingham Steeldogs
Fresno Frenzy	Louisville Fire	Bossier City Battle Wings	Mobile Wizards
Hawaiian Islanders	Peoria Pirates	Memphis Xplorers	Pensacola Barracudas
San Diego Riptide	Quad City Steamwheelers	Tulsa Talons	Tennessee Valley Vipers
	Wichita Stealth

April 2003
Beginning this season, the Steeldogs will use a slightly different logo. The steel dog holding the football in its mouth is now facing straight ahead. Also, the wording has been reworked to enhance the straight ahead look.

			2003                            arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Conquest		Arkansas Twisters		Bakersfield Blitz		Birmingham Steeldogs		Bossier City Battle Wings
	Cape Fear Wildcats		Charleston Swamp Foxes		Cincinnati Swarm		Columbus Wardogs		Florida Firecats
	Green Bay Blizzard		Greensboro Prowlers		Hawaiian Islanders		Louisville Fire		Macon Knights
	Memphis Xplorers		Mohegan Wolves		Norfolk Nighthawks		Peoria Pirates		Quad City Steamwheelers
	Richmond Speed		Rochester Brigade		San Diego Riptide		Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons
	Wichita Stealth		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2003 arenafootball2
American Conference
Northeast Division	Atlantic Division	South Division
Albany Conquest	Cape Fear Wildcats	Birmingham Steeldogs
Mohegan Wolves	Charleston Swamp Foxes	Columbus Wardogs
Rochester Brigade	Greensboro Prowlers	Florida Firecats
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers	Norfolk Nighthawks	Macon Knights
	Richmond Speed	Tennessee Valley Vipers
National Conference
West Division	Midwest Division	Central Division
Bakersfield Blitz	Cincinnati Swarm	Arkansas Twisters
Hawaiian Islanders	Green Bay Blizzard	Bossier City Battle Wings
San Diego Riptide	Louisville Fire	Memphis Xplorers
Wichita Stealth	Peoria Pirates	Tulsa Talons
	Quad City Steamwheelers

March 2004

			2004                             arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Conquest		Arkansas Twisters		Bakersfield Blitz		Birmingham Steeldogs		Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings
	Cape Fear Wildcats		Central Valley Coyotes		Columbus Wardogs		Florida Firecats		Green Bay Blizzard
	Hawaiian Islanders		Laredo Law		Louisville Fire		Macon Knights		Manchester Wolves
	Memphis Xplorers		Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz		Peoria Pirates		Quad City Steamwheelers		Rio Grande Valley Dorados
	San Diego Riptide		Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons		Wichita Stealth		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2004 arenafootball2
American Conference
Northeast Division	Mid-South Division	South Division
Albany Conquest	Arkansas Twisters	Birmingham Steeldogs
Cape Fear Wildcats	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings	Columbus Wardogs
Manchester Wolves	Memphis Xplorers	Florida Firecats
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers	Tennessee Valley Vipers	Macon Knights
National Conference
West Division	Southwest Division	Midwest Division
Bakersfield Blitz	Laredo Law	Green Bay Blizzard
Central Valley Coyotes	Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz	Louisville Fire
Hawaiian Islanders	Rio Grande Valley Dorados	Peoria Pirates
San Diego Riptide	Tulsa Talons	Quad City Steamwheelers
	Wichita Stealth

November 17, 2004
The United Indoor Football Association, a new 12 team indoor football league is announced. Two arenafootball2 league teams, the Tennessee Valley Vipers and the Peoria Pirates have elected to join the UIF.

The Vipers will play in the new league as the Tennessee Valley Pythons. Pythons owner Art Clarkson is excited about the league's chances. "We have a chance to take indoor football to another level.

Some speculate the main reason for Tennessee Valley and Peoria's exit from the af2 is the $50,000 fee each franchise must pay to the Arena Football League each year.

According to a league press release, eight of the 12 teams have been in business four years or more. Nine of the teams come from the National Indoor Football League while Dayton is the lone expansion team. "When you say it's a new league, it's really not a new league. This is going to be a very stable league. We are going to keep this thing fiscally responsible," Clarkson said.

Each UIF franchise will play a 15-game regular season schedule with eight home games. The season will run from March through July with playoffs to follow. The playoff format has yet to be determined. Neither has the pay scale. In fact, most everything about the league has yet to be decided.  "This is an ongoing process. The league is still being formed. Next year is going to be interesting," Clarkson said.

April 2005

			2005                                        arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Conquest		Amarillo Dusters		Arkansas Twisters		Bakersfield Blitz		Birmingham Steeldogs
	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings		Central Valley Coyotes		Florida Firecats		Green Bay Blizzard		Louisville Fire
	Macon Knights		Manchester Wolves		Memphis Xplorers		Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz		Quad City Steamwheelers
	Rio Grande Valley Dorados		San Diego Riptide		South Georgia Wildcats		Tulsa Talons		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2005 arenafootball2
American Conference		National Conference
South Division	East Division	West Division	Midwest Division
Arkansas Twisters	Albany Conquest	Bakersfield Blitz	Amarillo Dusters
Birmingham Steeldogs	Green Bay Blizzard	Central Valley Coyotes	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings
Florida Firecats	Louisville Fire	Rio Grande Valley Dorados	Memphis Xplorers
Macon Knights	Manchester Wolves	San Diego Riptide	Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
South Georgia Wildcats	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers	Tulsa Talons	Quad City Steamwheelers

August 10, 2005
Owners Buddy King and Scott Myers announce they will not retain Bobby Humphrey as head coach after the Steeldogs suffered through a dismal 2-14 season.

"After six seasons we decided not to renew Bobby's contract for the 2006 season. We made the decision early on that we were not going to make any changes until after the season. You hope that you don't have to make these decisions," King said

Myers and King had hope that at some point Humphrey would get the season turned around, which factored into their choice not to make a change during the season. "The decisions we made last year, coaching changes at the assistant level, we had hoped that would get us into a position to get into the playoffs and to a championship. It turned out we ended up 2-14. There's only one other way to look at it at that point," King said.

No replacement has been hired, but the team will make a decision as soon as possible. "We'll open it up to anyone. But most likely the candidates at the top of the list will be the ones with (Arena Football League) or af2 experience. They will have arena football coaching experience. It's hard to come into this league with no arena league experience and coach," King said.

Humphrey leaves with a 51-50 record during his six year coaching career. He has coached in the af2 longer than any other coach. His 51 victories are a league record. "It's a hard decision because he's such as class guy. He not only came to work, he put his life and family in the Steeldogs. It's tough to make these decisions but at the end of the day, coaching is about winning," King said.

October 5, 2005

	Head coach Ron Selesky

Ron Selesky is named the Steeldogs new head coach. Selesky was the af2 Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading the expansion Albany Conquest to a 13-3 regular season record and a Northeast Division title.

Selesky has also been the head coach of the Louisville Fire in the af2 in 2001 and the Buffalo Destroyers and Carolina Cobras of the AFL. His most recent job was as defensive coordinator for the Columbus Destroyers under head coach Chris Spielman this past season. He played college ball at Division III North Central College in Naperville, Ill., and went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings in 1987.  Selesky has been either director of player personnel or head coach on all nine of his coaching stops. It was that recruiting knowledge that prompted co-owner Buddy King to hire Selesky as the Steeldogs head coach and vice president of football operations.

"We talked a lot about the coach we wanted here (would be skilled at) coast-to-coast recruiting. Ron brings that to us. We feel like (Selesky) has helped players get to the AFL and have tryouts in the NFL," King said.

While his resume includes head coaching stints in the af2 and the AFL, it also shows that Selesky hasn't stayed in one spot for more than a year since his first job as director of player personnel and assistant coach for the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm from 1997 to 1999. "A lot of (my moves) were opportunities to move up. When you look at both leagues, the AFL and af2, the Birmingham Steeldogs are one of the longest continuously tenured teams that have been in the same city," said Selesky.

April 2006

			2006                                        arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Albany Conquest		Amarillo Dusters		Arkansas Twisters		Bakersfield Blitz		Birmingham Steeldogs
	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings		Central Valley Coyotes		Everett Hawks		Florida Firecats		Green Bay Blizzard
	Louisville Fire		Macon Knights		Manchester Wolves		Memphis Xplorers		Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
	Quad City Steamwheelers		Rio Grande Valley Dorados		South Georgia Wildcats		Spokane Shock		Stockton Lightning
	Tennessee Valley Vipers		Tulsa Talons		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2006 arenafootball2
American Conference		National Conference
South Division	East Division	West Division	Midwest Division
Birmingham Steeldogs	Albany Conquest	Bakersfield Blitz	Amarillo Dusters
Florida Firecats	Green Bay Blizzard	Central Valley Coyotes	Arkansas Twisters
Macon Knights	Louisville Fire	Everett Hawks	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings
Memphis Xplorers	Manchester Wolves	Spokane Shock	Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
South Georgia Wildcats	Quad City Steamwheelers	Stockton Lightning	Rio Grande Valley Dorados
Tennessee Valley Vipers	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers		Tulsa Talons

October 21, 2006
Myers says he and King are looking for prospective investors to expand the team's ownership group. Without the infusion of new partners, the franchise could be forced to leave the city.

The Steeldogs have been a part of arenafootball2 since its inception seven years ago. "When Buddy and I took over the team in January of 2002, we wanted this to be Birmingham's team and we wanted to prove that a team could be successful. There are easier markets than Birmingham to do minor-league sports. We're always trying to get more involvement from the city. We're always trying to get more involvement from the (BJCC)," Myers said.

The owners have no set plan for the search but they want to pattern the franchise after two other af2 teams, the Manchester Wolves and the Louisville Fire. The Wolves have seven partners while the Fire have 16. With multiple owners come multiple possibilities; more ways to split costs, more community contacts, and more resources.

Myers insists the new partners "are football fans, that enjoy the family entertainment that we provide and that want to be involved in the community."

They have talked to a couple of people who are in the process of looking things over and deciding what level of participation they would be comfortable with. "We're trying to increase our position so that we're able to stay and maintain the team. We don't want to move. We want to continue to fight," Myers said.

December 11, 2006
At a press conference at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, team owners announce that effective immediately the Birmingham Steeldogs will be referred to as the Alabama Steeldogs.

The name change was made to better embody the fan base of its home state. "Birmingham has grown into a region, not just a city. We wanted to reflect sponsors (and) fans that come from all over the state to watch this football team play," King said.

Myers and King hope the name change will enable the Steeldogs to branch out to sponsors that have been previously unavailable. This is critical to help keep the team in the city. "What we want to see is the Alabama Steeldogs here 30 or 40 years from now," King said.

In October the owners said they were looking for additional ownership partners and King said that effort is still underway.

Other arenafootball2 teams such as the Arkansas Twisters and Florida Firecats have experienced success with a statewide image. "Some of the other teams in the AFL found it creates more opportunities for sponsorship and to reach more people throughout the state," King said.

Team colors will remain orange and black, with "Alabama" on the front of their away jerseys.

March 2007

			2007                              arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Alabama Steeldogs		Albany Conquest		Amarillo Dusters		Arkansas Twisters		Bakersfield Blitz
	Boise Burn		Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings		Central Valley Coyotes		Cincinnati Jungle Kats		Corpus Christi Sharks
	Everett Hawks		Florida Firecats		Ft. Wayne Fusion		Green Bay Blizzard		Laredo Lobos
	Louisville Fire		Lubbock Renegades		Mahoning Valley Thunder		Manchester Wolves		Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
	Quad City Steamwheelers		Rio Grande Valley Dorados		South Georgia Wildcats		Spokane Shock		Stockton Lightning
	Tennessee Valley Vipers		Texas Copperheads		Tri-Cities Fever		Tulsa Talons		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers

2007 arenafootball2
American Conference
West Division	Midwest Division	East Division
Albany Conquest	Cincinnati Jungle Kats	Bakersfield Blitz
Mahoning ValleyThunder	Fort Wayne Fusion	Boise Burn
Manchester Wolves	Green Bay Blizzard	Central Valley Coyotes
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers	Louisville Fire	Everett Hawks
	Quad City Steamwheelers	Spokane Shock
		Stockton Lightning
		Tri-Cities Fever
National Conference
Southwest Division	Central Division	South Division
Amarillo Dusters	Bossier City-Shreveport Battle Wings	Alabama Steeldogs
Arkansas Twisters	Corpus Christi Sharks	Florida Firecats
Lubbock Renegades	Laredo Lobos	South Georgia Wildcats
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz	Rio Grande Valley Dorados	Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tulsa Talons	Texas Copperheads

August 8, 2007
Hopes are dimming for the future of the Steeldogs. Myers says he is still looking for new majority ownership and unless investors are found, the Steeldogs could be forced to fold or move.

Reportedly, there are three different groups or individuals that have shown significant interest on various levels. Myers would not release any names but said that all would keep the team in Birmingham. Also, he has had discussions with investors for minority ownership.

Birmingham is one of only four teams that have been in the af2 since its inception eight years ago. The Quad City Steamwheelers, the Tulsa Talons, and the Arkansas Twisters are the others.

Myers and King purchased the Steeldogs in 2002. "My inclination is to play football in 2008 as the Alabama Steeldogs. I'm doing everything I can to make sure that is reality. We have to have somebody who is willing to take up a significant portion of the team in order for it to move forward. I'm trying to do whatever I can to keep this team here, to keep entertaining fans, and to keep it as a sports product in our community," Myers said.

Naturally, the city can help this situation. A more favorable lease with the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Complex and improved city involvement would go a long way. So, too, would an increase in season tickets. "Birmingham is not the easiest market to do these kind of ventures," Myers said.

Another fly in the ointment is the All American Football League which is scheduled to begin play in the spring of 2008. While the AAFL is an outdoor league that will play in large stadiums, both will play during the spring and summer, which will cause a competition for fans, community attention, and corporate support. Exaggerating the issue, the AAFL is mid-to-upper tier professional football while the af2 is a minor league of the Arena Football League.

"We have speed bumps like every business does - large companies (and) small companies. Sports business is no different. It's a tough business," Myers said.

All arenafootball2 franchises have until the August 24th executive committee meetings in Shreveport to file the required certificate of obligation to be a part of the 2008 season. "It's a short window. That gives us two weeks," Myers said.

August 24, 2007
At the annual arenafootball2 league meeting in Shreveport, Myers said there is nothing new to report in his search for new financial backing.

When asked if the Steeldogs would continue on, Myers answered, "We're still in the same position. We still need a new majority owner. Short of that transpiring we won't."

Myers said that there is a possibility he could receive a two week extension from the league, but it is unknown whether he will pursue that option.

August 28, 2007
The arenafootball2 league has granted Myers a deadline extension to continue his search for a new majority owner.

Myers and King are currently in discussion with a possible buyer but there has been no indication on how serious the talks are.

October 25, 2007
Myers announces that he will inform arenafootball2 officials today of his plans not to field a team for the 2008 season.

"Officially the Steeldogs will not be competing in the 2008 season. We're not technically considered what is called 'dormant.' There are always opportunities for the team to come back in 2009," Myers said.

Following the 2006 season, owners Myers and King began searching for additional investors with no success. When the 2007 season ended, Myers said, "We really went full bore to find an ownership group that could come in and take over the Steeldogs. I've been working pretty diligently on that for the past three months, since the season ended. I've spoken with people from San Diego, California, to Washington, D.C., to Slidell, Louisiana, to one guy in Montgomery. Yet nobody in Birmingham has expressed interest or have we had any discussions with (anyone from Birmingham). It's been frustrating, obviously."

Myers said all of the discussions were with potential buyers who would have kept the team in Birmingham. "We've wanted the team to stay here. We've wanted to keep this form of football family entertainment in the community and for the community. We just weren't able to find an ownership group that will allow us to do that," Myers said.

The Steeldogs went 65-69 in eight seasons and made the playoffs in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2007. In 2002, the Steeldogs enjoyed their best season of all and advanced to the af2 National Conference Championship Game.

Myers and King have owned the Steeldogs for the past six seasons. "That's something we're really proud of. When we had our fourth season here, we became the longest-running professional football team in the city's history and we've added four years to that. For us to provide family entertainment and football and opportunities for athletes to go on to the next level has been great," Myers said.

Even with the announcement of suspending play, Myers said there is still a chance that he can find new majority ownership in the next few days. Discussions are taking place with at least one possible buyer, he said, but that won't affect the decision not to play next season. "The league wants to keep the Steeldogs as a member team, even if we're not playing in 2008 and the team is dormant. We're not officially dormant now. We're still in the holding pattern in the sense that no ownership is in place to file for that dormancy. But we're definitely not playing in 2008."

Epilogue
The All American Football League never materialized and the XFL lasted only one season. But through it all the Steeldogs lasted for eight years. While many franchises that have used the BJCC were operating on extremely thin margins, the city's unwillingness to work with the owners has helped produce yet another tombstone in the city's graveyard.

arenafootball2 would continue to play on until September 8, 2009 when none of the teams submitted the paperwork required to return in 2010.

The Arena Football League suspended operations for 2009 and then later suspended all operations indefinitely after declaring bankruptcy. By that point, the AFL was the majority owner of the af2, and the minority owners of the af2 were wary of being owned by, and paying money owed to, the bankrupt league's creditors.

Indoor football would return to the city in 2014 when the upstart X-League's Alabama Outlawz began play.

Champions of arenafootball2
Year	Team
2000	Quad City Steamwheelers
2001	Quad City Steamwheelers (2nd)
2002	Peoria Pirates
2003	Tulsa Talons
2004	Florida Firecats
2005	Memphis Xplorers
2006	Spokane Shock
2007	Tulsa Talons (2nd)
2008	Tennessee Valley Vipers
2009	Spokane Shock (2nd)

	Years local team participated

			Teams of                              arenafootball2
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Alabama Steeldogs 2007		Albany Conquest 2002 to 2008		Albany Firebirds 2009		Amarillo Dusters 2005 to 2009		Arkansas Twisters 2000 to 2009
	Augusta Stallions 2000 to 2002		Austin Wranglers 2008		Bakersfield Blitz 2003 to 2007		Baton Rouge Blaze 2001		Birmingham Steeldogs 2000 to 2006
	Boise Burn 2007 to 2009		Bossier City Battle Wings 2001 to 2009		Cape Fear Wildcats 2002 to 2004		Carolina Rhinos 2000 to 2002		Central Valley Coyotes 2004 to 2009
	Charleston Swamp Foxes 2000 to 2003		Cincinnati Jungle Kats 2007		Cincinnati Swarm 2003		Columbus Wardogs 2001 to 2004		Corpus Christi Sharks 2007 to 2009
	Daytona Beach Thunderbirds 2008		Everett Hawks 2006 to 2007		Florida Firecats 2001 to 2009		Fresno Frenzy 2002		Ft. Wayne Fusion 2007
	Green Bay Blizzard 2003 to 2009		Greensboro Prowlers 2000 to 2003		Hawaiian Islanders 2002 to 2004		Iowa Barnstormers 2001, 2008 to 2009		Jacksonville Tomcats 2000 to 2002
	Kentucky Horsemen 2008 to 2009		Lafayette Roughnecks 2001		Laredo Law 2004		Laredo Lobos 2007		Lincoln Lightning 2001 to 2002
	Louisville Fire 2001 to 2008		Lubbock Renegades 2007 to 2008		Macon Knights 2001 to 2006		Mahoning Valley Thunder 2007 to 2009		Manchester Wolves 2004 to 2009
	Memphis Xplorers 2001 to 2006		Milwaukee Iron 2009		Mobile Wizards 2002		Mohegan Wolves 2002 to 2003		New Haven Ninjas 2002
	Norfolk Nighthawks 2000 to 2003		Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz 2004 to 2009		Pensacola Barracudas 2000 to 2002		Peoria Pirates 2001 to 2004, 2008 to 2009		Quad City Steamwheelers 2000 to 2009
	Richmond Speed 2000 to 2003		Rio Grande Valley Dorados 2004 to 2009		Roanoke Steam 2000 to 2002		Rochester Brigade 2001 to 2003		San Diego Riptide 2002 to 2005
	South Georgia Wildcats 2005 to 2009		Spokane Shock 2006 to 2009		Stockton Lightning 2006 to 2009		Tallahassee Thunder 2000 to 2002		Tennessee Valley Vipers 2000 to 2004, 2006 to 2009
	Texas Copperheads 2007 to 2008		Tri-Cities Fever 2007 to 2009		Tulsa Talons 2000 to 2009		Wichita Stealth 2001 to 2004		Wilkes Barre/Scranton Pioneers 2002 to 2009

Contact Gene Crowley
Last update: February 09, 2023