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AFL close to final reorg; Policy resigns as commissioner

Arena Football League owners will decide today whether to move ahead with a restructured league under centralized management, but they’ll do it without Ed Policy, who stepped down as commissioner.
Arena Football League owners will decide today whether to move ahead with a restructured league under centralized management, but they’ll do it without Ed Policy, who stepped down as commissioner.

The players union has already agreed to a $1.5 million salary cap and a smaller roster size; AFL owners are expected to ratify the new deal in the near future, clearing the way for a 2010 season.

Still, the good feelings over the financial restructuring must be tempered by the resignation of Policy, who had been with the league since 2001. Policy says a restructured league with centralized management has no room for a commissioner; hence his decision to move.

And it underscores what a difficult task the AFL faces under restructuring. In general, centralized management of sports leagues has not worked when attempted in baseball and football: all sports are local, and when you trim down the local presence in terms of front-office workers you diminish the product. At its economic core the AFL is a challenge: with a limited number of dates and usually working as a secondary tenant, the AFL has limited financial opportunities.

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