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ENTREPRENEURS
- November 2002 by Claude Hammond Spring Thrills
According to Horsemen representative Byers Watt, NIFL teams do not draft players, but hold open tryouts. The Horsemen’s tryouts will probably be held in January. It is probable that those trying out will include players cut from NFL teams, as well as those with experience playing college football. Players will be paid $200 a game. The team CEO, Ron Borkowski, heads a group of investors organized as Lexington Sports Venture. No stranger to professional sports in the Lexington market, Borkowski is the former chief operating officer for the Kentucky Thoroughblades hockey team. That team left Lexington early in 2001. Besides Borkowski, partners in Lexington Sports Venture include: Kurt Adams, Bill Alley, Tim Ashburn, Will Atkins, Dr. David Bealle, Dick Blanchard, Shawn Carpenter, Kip Cornett, Tommy Gandolfo, Roy Gray, Phil Greer, Ben Hammack, Bob Hassur, Danny Hillard, Lennie House, Dr. Darren Johnson, Thomas Kessinger, Ed Lane, Dr. Scott Mair, Chuck McGaughey, Ed McGhee, Kyle Moats, Bob Neal, Buddy Prather, Rick Rader, Kurt Rose, John Schaefer, Dr. David Stevens, John Stoecking, Ron Switzer, and Ron Turner.
“We are thrilled to be joining the NIFL, and we think that the people of Central Kentucky will enjoy watching the fast-paced excitement of indoor football, Borkowski said. “The folks here love football, and we think that the high-scoring action of the NIFL will provide lots of thrills for fans of all ages.” Advising the team owners on hiring Franklin as coach was an advisory group of former NFL players who live in Lexington. In their initial season, the Horsemen will play seven home games. The Lexington team will play in the NIFL’s Atlantic North Division with teams from Knoxville, Wheeling, and Myrtle Beach. The team web site is www.lexingtonhorsemen.com Claude
Hammond is editorial director of The Lane Report. |
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Copyright 1996-2002, by Kentucky Business Online. All rights reserved. Editorial content
is copyright 2002, Lane Communications Group The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
March
Madness takes on a new meaning in sports for the Bluegrass State. On
March 29, the Lexington Horsemen, a franchise of the National Indoor
Football League (NIFL), will take on a Lake Charles, La., team in Rupp
Arena. Coached by former University of Kentucky offensive coordinator
Tony Franklin, the Horsemen are the newest franchise in the four-year-old
league. 
Stressing
the sport as affordable, fun family entertainment, Borkowski said that
fan support is likely to be stronger for the Horsemen than it was for
the Thoroughblades, because the public is more familiar with the sport.