National Indoor Football League (maybe) - Kansas
Koyotes
Kansas Koyotes Unveil Name, Logo
 Saying it wanted to identify with a group that set
high performance standards, Topeka's perspective
minor-league indoor football team will call itself the
Kansas Koyotes in honor of the Kansas Air National
Guard's 190th Air Refueling Wing.
At a news conference Thursday in a hanger at Forbes
Field, team CEO Christian Walter said the nickname was
chosen from entries submitted in a "Name the Team"
contest. The winning entry was submitted by John
Stockham of Lawrence, and the team logo was developed by
Topeka designer Ron Fockele of ASA Marketing.
"A major factor leading up to our decision to go with
Koyotes was our desire to identify ourselves with
excellence, our goal on and off the field," Walter said.
"The 190th Air Refueling Wing, which already bears the
name Kansas Coyotes, lives up to those high standards."
But while the team now has a mascot, a logo and a
season-ticket sales plan in operation, it still is
looking for a league affiliation and a schedule for its
projected start-up next spring.
Team owner Ralph Adams confirmed Thursday that the
Koyotes' bid to join the National Indoor Football League
had been rejected. The league operates franchises in
Lincoln and other cities familiar to Topekans who
followed the city's previous indoor football team, the
Knights.
"We did not respond to all their requests, so our
application was denied but is still on the table," Adams
said.
The Koyotes are talking with several other leagues,
said Adams, who would not identify any of the
candidates. He said the other leagues planned to operate
teams throughout the Midwest and upper Midwest next
spring.
The Koyotes, who have hired a head coach in James
Kerwin -- a former Nebraska player who coached with the
Lincoln Lightning of the Indoor Football League -- plan
to conduct their first player tryouts in January, Adams
said. The team has contacted several former Knights
players who have expressed interest in returning here,
he said. It also hopes to attract other players from
Kansas State, Kansas, Washburn, Emporia State and other
area schools.
Adams also said the team is approaching the 200 mark
in season-ticket sales.
Also announced Thursday was a partnership with
Father.com, a San Francisco-based not-for-profit
group that works with youngsters who may lack a
significant adult figure in their lives. The Koyotes
will offer internships to area youngsters who may work
with the team in areas ranging from public relations and
publicity to sales and coaching activities.
This article was taken from
www.cjonline.com. All rights reserved.
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