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LA Avengers Fold, Leaving LA Without Football Once Again
The Avengers in action in April 2008 in what would be their last season. (Photo by billaday via Flickr)
Los Angeles just isn't a football city, some might say, and now that includes Arena Football as well. "The Los Angeles Avengers announced Sunday they have terminated their participation in the Arena Football League after playing nine seasons at Staples Center," reports the Press-Telegram. Of all the teams to have played professional football locally, the Avengers held on for the 3rd longest time, behind the NFL's Los Angeles Rams (1946-94) and Los Angeles Raiders (1982-94). The league itself is on shaky ground; last December they voted to cancel the 2009, which would have run from March-July, hoping to buy some time to fix how they did business. The Avengers are the second team to fold and bow out of the AFL, following the New Orleans VooDoo, who shut down last fall, according to ESPN.
Team owner Casey Wasserman remains hopeful for the fate of football in our city: "The fans in L.A. have been passionate and supportive of professional football, and I hope one day we can all share in the excitement of its return to Los Angeles," he told the LA Times.
Funny how there's an "L" and an "A" in "football" but no football in LA...
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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