National Indoor Football League - Lexington Horsemen

Lexington Horsemen Unveil Name, Logo

By Doug Meffley
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Just days after the Men O' War hockey team made its Rupp Arena debut, Lexington's newest professional sports team unveiled its nickname, logo and colors at the Lexington Civic Center yesterday.

The Lexington Horsemen of the National Indoor Football League chose their name from more than 700 entries in a contest.

"There were a lot of names that fed into the horse industry," team president Ron Borkowski said. " 'Horsemen' shows what Lexington is all about."

The Horsemen will open their season March 22 at Fort Wayne, Ind. The first home game will be March 29 against Lake Charles, La.

NIFL teams play a 14-game regular season, seven home and seven away. All games are at 7:30 p.m. Lexington's home games will be played in Rupp Arena.

More than 400 season tickets have been sold, team spokesman Byers Watt said. Borkowski said the franchise's business plan calls for 5,600 fans a game, with 3,300 required to break even. The league's average attendance last year was 3,200.

"I would like to average 12,000 fans per game with 17,000 at the home opener, because I think we certainly can field a winning team," Borkowski said.

Five months before the fans arrive for the opener, the franchise has no coach and no players. But it now has an identity.

Watt said the team had received about a dozen applications for its coaching position and would like to hire a head coach "in the next few weeks. We are looking at some harder than others, but it is still fairly open."

Borkowski is optimistic that the team will attract quality players.

"We have received a lot of interest from players in the area, some of which are certainly recognizable," Borkowski said.

Borkowski declined to name any prospective players or coaching candidates, but did say that some of the players are so talented that they will be signed even before the tryouts.

The Horsemen have already enlisted the assistance of one former University of Kentucky football player.

Chris Gayton, a linebacker who completed his UK career last season, and Cornett Advertising colleagues Tim Holland and Lee Boone created the Horsemen logo. It depicts a caped and helmeted figure on a horse cradling a football.

The team's colors are blue and black. Home and away jerseys feature combinations of blue, black and white. Pants are silver with a blue stripe, and helmets are silver with logos on each side.

Borkowski said many entries were received for the nicknames Stallions, Lightning and Studs, but, ultimately, Horsemen was chosen for its "mythological and aggressive quality."

Tim Epperson of Winchester and Steve Druin of Greensburg both submitted the winning entry. Epperson was named contest winner, because his entry was received first. He will receive two season tickets and team merchandise. Druin and fellow runner-up Todd Hamilton of Lexington, who submitted the name "Horseman," received tickets to the home opener and merchandise.

"I tried to pick something that had to do with the Lexington area," Druin said. "I've got two teen-age boys who always watch on TV, and we've never seen (indoor football) in person. I think it will be fun."

This article was taken from www.kentucky.com.  All rights reserved.