This may be old news to some of you all, but I found out about it tonight…
The Lehigh Valley shrugged when the Outlaws indoor football team folded last year. I never attended a game but was curious about it. If a hockey arena is added to the Lehigh Valley I would imagine the indoor football team would follow suit and play there too.
I heard tonight that a new team has joined the Indoor Football League and will call its home Stabler Arena. The team’s name is Steel Hawks. Yeah, really. Maybe they spelled “Steel” from from its suggestive similarity to our beloved Ironpigs. It’s not the first time a team went along with an established team in the same city. The Chicago Bears were named as a larger and meaner version of the Chicago Cubs and before moving to San Francisco, New York had a football and baseball team named the Giants.
Anyways, football returns to the Lehigh Valley. Checking out the Wikipedia version of the team I found out the team is owned by Glenn Clark and will be led by head coach Richard Britt. The team will have 7 home games between February 26th and May 28th. (Something else to do before the Ironpigs start their season) Their two division foes will be the Reading Express and Richmond Revolution. Seeing this makes me smile as I’ve known the starting center for the Revolution since his high school days and remember the tailgate parties as we attended Richmond Spider games when they came within driving distance of the area.
The Steel Hawks do have a website – http://www.lvsteelhawks.com There is ticketing information, etc etc. Basic stuff a team has on their website. They also have a nice video of their dance team.
So we now have another team to root for.
What are your thoughts? Do you think a successful football franchise will help the powers to be to fund construction of the “hockey” arena? Do you think this team will stick around longer than the Outlawz?
We’ll see…
OinK!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
Arena Digest.com
12/10/2010
http://arenadigest.com/201012103157/hockey/minor-league-hockey/adirondack-phantoms-returning-for-2011-2012
“Adirondack Phantoms Returning For 2011-12?”
“Though they are not coming right out and saying so, the owners of the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL) appear ready to return to Glens Falls for a third season, as there is no Allentown Arena on the horizon.
This report from the local paper says that Rob and Jim Brooks (of the Brooks Group) did not come right out and say it during an editorial-board meeting with the local newspaper, but the implication was clear.
It has been a rough year for the Phantoms; the team is averaging 3,193 fans per game at Glens Falls Civic Center and the team’s record is in the toilet.”
Glens Falls Civic Center has an official capacity of 4,806 for hockey.
In other words, the Phantoms are playing to a house 66.44 % full on average for each home game.
The problem for the proposed Allentown Arena is the major funding gap.
The original plans had it that the state and local governments would make up the difference between the 20 million dollars the Brooks Group claimed to have available for a new arena and the 80 million dollars the new facility is expected to cost.
I believe those original plans are deader than a door-nail, although an official announcement has yet to be made.
Given this economic climate, few politicians with an ounce of self-preservation sense will support 60 million dollars for a hockey rink right now, or, anytime soon, for that matter.
Those who do will be confronted by angry, angry Progressive Liberals wanting to know why their children are not fed a luxurious breakfast before school by the government…
A nightmare waiting to happen — the smart politicians will want this Allentown Arena to die, and quietly…or, for the Brooks to find an alternative funding source not involving tax-payers.
Well, burried in a recent Morning Call article was the fact that the arena funding was on the chopping block for the new PA Governator. No decision yet, but I don’t think he’s an “angry, progressive Liberal.” But your comment about self-preserving politicians is well-founded.
Funny story: I was wondering recently why my younger son’s lunch account was running so low on funds. Turns out, they made a big deal about eating breakfast yielding better grades at school. So, he took it upon himself to eat TWO breakfasts every day: one at home and then another at school. (both paid for by: me).
Ah…the joys of parenting in action again!
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I happen to meet a few of the players at “The Meadows” restaurant. What nice men. They invited us to come see a game and said it’s a great date nite. i intend to come see a game just because I was impressed with these young men.