The Milwaukee Iron was officially announced today by the af2 League office. The Iron will begin play in the af2 in 2009.
"This will be great for the Green Bay Blizzard franchise and Green Bay Blizzard fans to have a team in Milwaukee," comments Blizzard General Manager Jim Kraft. "This will be a natural rivalry, and add more excitement, having two state teams in such close proximity."
The Iron were forged by an operating group led by DREW VALLOZZI, whose family owned and operated Milwaukee's only other Arena Football team, the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League. The Mustangs called Milwaukee home for eight AFL seasons from 1994-2001.
When the af2 began in 2000, a rule was put in place that granted AFL teams the ability to purchase af2 team rights in their market. Thanks to that rule, the Milwaukee Mustangs group purchased the af2 rights to the Madison, Wisc. market; which the AFL at that time determined was in the Milwaukee Mustangs territory.
The ownership group has since decided that this year was the right time to exercise their right to activate the Madison af2 market. That group also decided that this team would play in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center and be known formally as the Milwaukee Iron.
""We (af2) are excited to announce that Arena Football will be returning to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the Milwaukee Iron as the newest member of the af2 family," said af2 President Jerry Kurz. "I have the utmost confidence in this operating group's commitment to run a top-notch organization both on and off the field, one that the great fans of Southeast Wisconsin will enjoy for many years to come."
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