“West Michigan Ironmen”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The West Michigan Ironmen are a professional indoor football team based in Muskegon, Michigan (and representing the larger region which also includes Grand Rapids and Holland), the Ironmen play their home games at L.C. Walker Arena. The team joined American Indoor Football (AIF) in 2016. The AIF ceased operations following the 2016 season, leaving the Ironmen without a league. They joined Champions Indoor Football for the 2017 season. For the 2018 season, the team was originally announced to have joined the Indoor Football League, however, the team was forced to sit out the 2018 Indoor Football League season. The team was then sold and played in the regional Midwest Professional Indoor Football for the 2018 season^[3] until they could rejoin the CIF in 2019.^[4] However, they were not among the list of members for the 2019 CIF season and instead joined the American Arena League.

The Ironmen are the second indoor football team to play in Muskegon, after the Muskegon Thunder which played in the Continental Indoor Football League for the 2007 and 2008 seasons and later the Indoor Football League for its inaugural 2009 season before moving to Grand Rapids and becoming the West Michigan ThunderHawks the next year.

Franchise history

American Indoor Football

In July 2015, it was announced that Terrence Williams was awarded an expansion team in American Indoor Football (AIF) for the 2016 season.^[1] After a "name-the-team" contest, the nickname Ironmen was chosen for the expansion franchise.^[2]

The Ironmen dropped their first game of the season, but would win every game following that, en route to a berth in the AIF Championship Game.^[3] The Ironmen would lose the AIF Championship Game to the Columbus Lions, 32–74, after the game was cut short by multiple altercations leading the Ironmen to leave the field citing safety reasons.^[4]

On July 18, 2016, the AIF announced it was ceasing operations leaving the team without a league.

Champions Indoor Football and Indoor Football League

The Ironmen announced on September 26, that it was joining Champions Indoor Football (CIF) for the 2017 season. The Ironmen went 4–8 and missed the playoffs.

On September 12, 2017, the Indoor Football League announced it had added the West Michigan Ironmen, as well as the Bloomington Edge, from the CIF.^[5] The CIF then attempted to sue the IFL, Edge, and Ironmen for leaving the CIF after the two teams had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for the 2018 season.^[6] While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL, it filed for an injunction against the Edge and Ironmen teams from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreements. A temporary injunction from participation against the two teams was granted on January 31, 2018, with the judge citing that both teams had been bribed into breaking their contracts with the CIF.^[7]^[8]

Both teams participation in the IFL was suspended for the 2018 season, while still considered members,^[9] and Bloomington announced both teams would play independent schedules.^[10] As part of the injunction, the Ironmen cannot play any games for as long as the 2018 CIF season lasts.

Midwest Professional Indoor Football

On March 3, 2018, owner Terrence Williams then posted on social media that he had sold the team to another local group and the Ironmen would be participating in the semi-professional regional Midwest Professional Indoor Football (MPIF) for the 2018 season.^[11] The Ironmen went undefeated at 3–0 through the MPIF season with several teams folding during the season. On April 21, 2018, the first-seed Ironmen beat the second-seed and defending MPIF champion Midway Marauders 68–44 at home to win the MPIF championship.

Two days after winning the MPIF championship, the Ironmen were accepted to return to the CIF for the 2019 season.^[12] Upon the release of the 2019 season schedule, the Ironmen were not listed as members.^[13]

On January 18, 2019, the Ironmen posted on social media that it had joined the American Arena League (AAL) for the 2019 season.^[14]^[15]

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results

Head coach records

References

1. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2015/07/indoor_football_franchise_comi.html |title=Indoor football franchise in works for Muskegon in 2016 |author=Mark Opfermann |date=July 1, 2015 |publisher=MLive Media Group |work=www.mlive.com |accessdate=July 20, 2016}}
2. ^{{cite web | url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2015/11/west_michigan_indoor_football.html | title=West Michigan indoor football team has nickname, hires OV grad as coach | publisher=Muskegon Chronicle | work=MLive.com | date=November 10, 2015 | accessdate=November 12, 2015}}
3. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/06/west_michigan_ironmen_advance.html |title=West Michigan Ironmen advance to league championship game |author=Mark Opfermann |date=June 11, 2016 |publisher=MLive Media Group |work=www.mlive.com |accessdate=July 20, 2016}}
4. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/06/west_michigan_ironmen_fall_sho.html |title=West Michigan Ironmen fall short in title game ended early by altercation |author=Mark Opfermann |date=June 19, 2016 |publisher=MLive Media Group |work=www.mlive.com |accessdate=June 20, 2016}}
5. ^{{cite web |url=http://goifl.com/sports/fball/2016-17/releases/20170912rbu19k |title=IFL Announces Addition of Bloomington & West Michigan |publisher=IFL |date=September 12, 2017}}
6. ^{{cite web |url=http://kwsn.com/news/articles/2017/oct/06/tryon-addresses-legal-aspect-of-switching-leagues/ |title=Tryon addresses legal aspect of switching leagues |work=KWSN |date=October 5, 2017}}
7. ^{{cite web |url=http://kscj.com/2018/01/31/temporary-injunction-bars-renegade-teams-leaving-c-p-f-l/ |title=TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BARS RENEGADE TEAMS FROM LEAVING C.P.I.F.L. |work=KSCJ |date=January 31, 2018}}
8. ^{{cite web |url=http://localsportsjournal.com/2018/02/ironmen-will-be-independent-in-2018-due-to-ruling-that-leaves-them-without-a-league/ |title=Ironmen will be independent in 2018, due to ruling that leaves them without a league |work=Local Sports Journal |date=February 6, 2018}}
9. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.bloomingtonedge.net/news/?article_id=52 |title=Edge Statement on CIF Legal Action |publisher=Bloomington Edge |access-date=February 6, 2018}}
10. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/injunction-could-jeopardize-edge-season/article_d7446439-0fc8-5b08-8b81-c731360e481b.html |title=Barred from IFL, Edge to play as independent |work=The Pantagraph |date=February 6, 2018}}
11. ^¹{{cite web |url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/muskegon/index.ssf/2018/03/west_michigan_ironmen_gm_says.html |title=West Michigan Ironmen GM says franchise ready to roll for arena football opener |website=MLive.com |date=March 7, 2018}}
12. ^¹{{cite web |url=http://gocif.net/news-h/943-cif-announces-first-expansion-team-for-2019.html |title=CIF Announced First Expansion Team for 2019 |work=CIF |date=April 23, 2018}}
13. ^{{cite web |url=http://gocif.net/news-h/961-cif-publishes-2019-schedule-featuring-2-conferences.html |title=CIF Publishes 2019 Schedule Featuring 2 Conferences |website=GoCIF.net |date=October 30, 2018}}
14. ^¹²{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/WM.Ironmen/photos/pcb.2302699713319097/2302730009982734/?type=3&theater |title=Ironmen Announce Team Information for 2019 Season |website=Facebook |date=January 18, 2019}}
15. ^{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/its-official-the-american-arena-league-aal--midwest-professional-indoor-football-league-mpif-come-to-terms/n-5439726 |title=It's Official: The American Arena League (AAL) & Midwest Professional Indoor Football League (MPIF) Come to Terms |website=OurSportsCentral.com |date=January 19, 2019}}