arenafootball2 - Central Valley Coyotes
The majority owner is the tribe that runs the
Lemoore casino.
By Jeff Davis
The Fresno Bee
It is no coincidence that the coyote is the symbol of
both Fresno's newest professional sports franchise and
of the Tachi Yokut Tribe. Without one, there wouldn't be
the other.
The Central Valley Coyotes, arenafootball2's latest
entry, introduced themselves to the public Thursday at
Selland Arena.
Sitting prominently in attendance were members of the
Santa Rosa Rancheria tribe that operates the Palace
Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore and holds majority
interest in the Coyotes.
But the choice of the Coyotes nickname for the team,
tribal chairman Clarence Atwell pointed out, goes beyond
marketing and promotional reasons.
"The Coyote [Ki-yu in Tachi Yokut] has been around
longer than man has walked the Earth," he said. "He is
one of cunning, strength and perseverance. Now we honor
him in a good way. He is a survivor, and that's what we
want for this team."
Whether Central Valley can avoid folding after one
year like its af2 predecessor, the Fresno Frenzy, is yet
to be determined. Since 1978, seven pro franchises in
five different sports have come and gone here, leaving
Falcons hockey, Grizzlies baseball, HeatWave basketball
and now football's Coyotes.
Boxing promoter George Chung, who owns 49% of the
Coyotes, put together the deal to buy the team from
Bakersfield Blitz owner Casey Wasserman and move it to
Fresno. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Chung has worked closely with the Palace Indian
Gaming Center to bring high-profile boxing events to the
central San Joaquin Valley. Their partnership, he said,
was a natural progression in their relationship.
Now it's up to Chung, the tribe and Selland Arena,
where the Coyotes will play, to find a formula for
longevity in this apparent graveyard of pro franchises.
"People of the Valley are passionate about football,"
Chung said, "and we hope they'll be as passionate with
the Central Valley Coyotes."
The tribe got involved, Palace general manger Alex
Gonzales said, to extend its gaming involvement in the
community. There also are plans to build a 6,500-seat
events center at the Palace that could accommodate arena
football.
"We already have the casino, put on boxing and
concerts," he said. "The Palace is trying to go beyond
to a full entertainment package.
"We look at the Coyotes, not just as another
business, but building relationships, bringing football
back to the community and providing role models for the
kids."
Gonzales said the tribe sees the team as a good
investment.
"We have to be realistic, though," he said. "Not many
af2 teams make money. If we make some, great. If we
don't, at least we want to provide access to another pro
sports team."
Chung stressed that the Coyotes, first and foremost,
are "committed to winning football." To that end, he
plans to hire coaches from his long-time connections as
a training consultant with the San Francisco 49ers and
other NFL teams.
Chung also said the Coyotes will provide a family
atmosphere, make tickets affordable and go after local
talent from Fresno State, and Fresno City and Reedley
colleges, so fans can identify with the team.
"We don't want this to be an elitist experience," he
said.
"Our goal is for people to walk in and say, 'I saw a
great night of professional football with some great
kids from the area who could potentially be AFL, CFL and
NFL stars of the tomorrow.' And, 'it was at a good
value.' That's something we're committed to doing."
The reporter can be reached at
jdavis@fresnobee.com or 441-6401.
This article was taken from
www.fresnobee.com. All rights
reserved.
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