News - 12/14/2003

arenafootball2 - Rio Grande Valley Dorados

Rio Grande Valley Dorados Unveil Name, Logo

Dorados Chosen as " The Golden One" For Team Name

RIO GRANDE VALLEY’S af2 FRANCHISE NOW HAS AN IDENTITY

HIDALGO, TX: December 13, 2003 – Rio Grande Valley Professional Football, LTD. officially announced their arenafootball2 (af2) franchise will be known as the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, as the team name and logo was introduced during the second intermission of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL) hockey game at the Dodge Arena. The ownership of the Killer Bees serves as the operators of the af2 franchise and the Dodge Arena will serve as the host arena for the Dorados.

The word Dorados has several meanings to its name. The Spanish word means “the golden ones” and/or “the chosen ones,” and the name was given to the select cavalry that served under Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution. A Dorado is also a name of a Central and South American fish known by anglers as one of the fiercest fish to catch (nicknamed the River Tiger), and as a term used in references to gold located in historic ancient Mexican ruins. The logo, designed by GLS Graphics out of Lubbock, Texas, features a fictitious Dorado, with gold armor, holding a football. Primary team colors will consist of navy, gold, and cardinal.

The team name was voted on by fans through an online poll which was held on the Killer Bees official website. Earlier this week, the Dorados introduced Gary Gussman as the team’s head coach. The Dorados will play a 16 game schedule with 8 weekend games played at the Dodge Arena beginning in March. Season tickets are currently on sale and may be purchased by stopping by the Dodge Arena offices (2600 N. 10th St. in Hidalgo, TX) or contacting them by phone at 956-843-6688. Home dates for the 2004 season have not been released by the af2 at this time, but all home games will be played on weekends.

arenafootball2 is a developmental indoor football league with nearly 30 teams in small to mid-size markets across the country. Entering its fifth season in 2004, the af2 has sent over 125 players to higher leagues including the AFL, CFL and NFL. af2 operates under the same mission statement and Fans Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which will begin its 18th season of play and second on NBC next February. af2's season runs from late March through mid August. Bossier City, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita are markets that host an af2 franchise and a Central Hockey League franchise, but Memphis and Tulsa are the only active teams in the CHL that also have their organizations run the daily operations of the af2 team in their markets. The Killer Bees staff will do as Memphis and Tulsa and operate the football operations as well as hockey. The Rio Grande Valley will have an instant rival in their inaugural season, as the Laredo Bucks hockey ownership (Arena Ventures) will operate an af2 franchise as well next season (Laredo Law).

Further information in regards to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, along with logo requests, may be made by contacting Chris Due at the Dorados/Killer Bees office (956-843-7825) and additional information in regards to af2 can be made by contacting Ron Deuter (312-621-7804) with the af2 league office. Rules regarding the af2’s play can be found at the following site: www.af2.com/news/af2_headlines/334218.html.