Flint Phantoms
Established 2008
Folded 2008
Played in Perani Arena in Flint, Michigan
League/conference affiliations
Continental Indoor Football League (2008)
  • Atlantic Conference (2008)
    • West Division (2008)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, Blue, Silver & White
       
Personnel
Head coachKeith Tunstall[1]
Team history
  • Flint Phantoms (2008)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)

The Flint Phantoms were a professional indoor football team based in Flint, Michigan. The Phantoms joined the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2008 as an expansion team. They were the second professional indoor football team to be based in Flint, with the first being the Flint Flames of the original Indoor Football League. The Michigan Pirates played a home playoff game in Flint, in 2007, with the idea of moving there, but the team folded after the 2007 season. The Phantoms played their home games at the Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan.

History

With the limited success of Perani Arena as the playoff home for the Michigan Pirates, Pete Norager, one of the owners of the Pirates, decided to start a replacement team in Flint, and the formation of the Phantoms was announced on December 18, 2007. In February 2008, Norager withdrew from owning the team. The Perani Group operated the team pending the selection of a new owner with a temporary investment group.[1] Because of poor attendance, payments to players were delayed near the end of the 2008 season,[2] and some players left the team because of other commitments or disgruntlement over late pay. The Phantoms approached their last game of 2008 with a roster of just 9 or 10 or maybe 50 and looked to semi-pro teams for additional players.[3] On the day of the game, only 11 players were available (with 16 required to field a team), forcing the Phantoms to forfeit.[4]

The team has sat out the 2009 season but still is considering rejoining the CIFL.[5]

Season-By-Season

Season records
Season W L T Finish Playoff results
2008 1 11 0 4th Atlantic West --

2008 Season Schedule

Date Opponent Home/Away Result
March 9 Saginaw Sting Home Lost 25-51 [6]
March 21 Kalamazoo Xplosion Away Lost 8-62[7]
March 28 New England Surge Home Lost 28-38[8]
April 6 Milwaukee Bonecrushers Away Won 62-53 [9]
April 11 Saginaw Sting Away Lost 28-55[10][11]
April 19 Kalamazoo Xplosion Home Lost 18-44[12]
April 26 New England Surge Away Lost 48-49[13]
May 10 Muskegon Thunder Home Lost 42-55[14]
May 17 Rock River Raptors Away Lost 38-69[15]
May 24 Rochester Raiders Home Lost 12-35[16]
May 31 Rock River Raptors Home Lost 6-49[2]
June 8 Rochester Raiders Away Loss by
Forfeit[4]

2008 CIFL Standings

2008 Continental Indoor Football League
Team Overall Division
W L T PCT W L T PCT
Great Lakes Conference
East Division
Kalamazoo Xplosion-y 11 1 0 .917 5 1 0 .833
Muskegon Thunder-x 5 7 0 .417 2 2 0 .500
Fort Wayne Freedom 5 7 0 .417 2 4 0 .333
Miami Valley Silverbacks 3 9 0 .250 1 2 0 .333
West Division
Chicago Slaughter-y 8 4 0 .667 3 1 0 .750
Rock River Raptors-x 7 5 0 .583 3 1 0 .750
Milwaukee Bonecrushers 1 11 0 .083 0 4 0 .000
Atlantic Conference
East Division
New England Surge-y 8 3 0 .727 5 1 0 .833
Lehigh Valley Outlawz-x 7 5 0 .583 4 2 0 .667
New Jersey Revolution 3 9 0 .250 2 5 0 .286
Chesapeake Tide 2 10 0 .583 0 2 0 .000
West Division
Rochester Raiders-z 12 0 0 1.000 4 0 0 1.000
Saginaw Sting-y 10 2 0 .833 3 1 0 .750
Marion Mayhem-x 7 5 0 .583 0 2 0 .000
Flint Phantoms 1 11 0 .083 0 4 0 .000

References

  1. ^ a b Nilsen, Dan (2008-03-08). "Flint Phantoms founder gone, but that's OK". The Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  2. ^ a b Nilsen, Dan (2008-06-01). "Phantoms fall; players disguntled over non-payments". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  3. ^ Nilsen, Dan (2008-06-06). "Flint Phantoms put together enough players to finish indoor football season". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  4. ^ a b Nilsen, Dan (2008-06-08). "Flint Phantoms forfeit CIFL finale; opponent quits league". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
  5. ^ 2009 Schedule Released Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) website
  6. ^ Nilsen, Dan (2008-03-10). "Flint Phantoms lose CIFL debut to Saginaw Sting". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  7. ^ Morgan, Wes (2008-03-22). "Xplosion unleash their offense". Kalamazoo Gazette. Kalamazoo Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  8. ^ Nilsen, Dan (2008-03-29). "Resurgent Phantoms fall short against Surge". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  9. ^ Braun, Rick (2008-04-06). "Team loses quarterback, chance at first victory". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Sentinel Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  10. ^ Gunther, Bruce (2008-04-12). "Phantoms fade after strong start". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
  11. ^ Mancina, Greg (2008-04-12). "Sting crazy". Saginaw News. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
  12. ^ Nilsen, Dan (2008-04-20). "Phantoms again no match for Kalamazoo on home field". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  13. ^ Wilson, Jim. "Surge get it done in fourth". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  14. ^ "After slow start, Thunder explode in CIFL win over Phantoms". Muskegon Chronicle. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  15. ^ "Raptors beat up on Phantoms, 69-38". WREX. 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-06-06.[dead link]
  16. ^ Savage, Brendan (2008-05-25). "Phantoms' upset bid fades in second half". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2008-06-06.

External links

Continental Indoor Football League
Categories