CFL board meets tomorrow to discuss season

As the month of September draws nearer everyday, so does the start of the 2004 season of the Commonwealth Football League.

Although there has been a delay to the August opener, CFL board members will be meeting tomorrow night to discuss the progress made on kicking off the fourth edition of football in the CNMI.

Tomorrow’s meeting of the CFL board members will be held at J’s restaurant on Middle Rd. at 6pm. According to CFL board chairman John S. Blanco, the teams previously requested that the board postpone the start of the upcoming season in order to take care of some last minute issues before taking the field of play.

Fans and players alike are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the meeting as well as a confirmed date for when the pigskins will fly, but Blanco believes that the season will be better for the later start.

“I don’t see this as a setback because football is played in the fall anyway. The only football played in August is pre-season. I know that the guys are ready to play, but we recognize their need to make sure of some things before opening day,” he said.

All three of the confirmed teams in this year’s CFL have been practicing on the airport football field, and with the extra time to practice, the opener should be something special between the Verizon Nitro and the Miller Barbarians.

The regular season will span nine-weeks, and the playoffs will feature the second and third place finishers from the regular season in a facemask-to-facemask fight to determine who will face the first place team from the regular season in the championships in the following week.

As a reminder, all teams are to have no fewer than 11 and no more than 50 players on their roster. In order for a player to participate in practice, they must submit their waivers and insurance forms. This will be the fourth season for the league, and for only the second time in it’s existence, there will be no defending champion.

“It’s a whole new ball game this year. The championship’s definitely up for grabs,” Blanco said.

If you are interested in getting more information about the CFL, becoming a player, or sponsoring a team in the league, contact CFL Chairman of the Board John S. Blanco by calling either 483-3517 or 288-2639.