The Arena League, a new indoor football circuit scheduled to debut in Summer 2024, has announced its four inaugural teams.
Teams will operate in:
. Duluth
. Kansas City, Missouri
. Springfield, Missouri
. Waterloo, Iowa
The still-to-be-nicknamed Duluth team will play its home games at the DECC's Duluth Arena beginning in June. NFL Hall of Famer and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown is chairman and commissioner of the grassroots league.
His stat line towered over the league: a .383 batting average, 17 home runs, 68 RBIs, 23 doubles, three triples, 48 runs scored, 28 walks, and 15 stolen bases over 52 games. His OPS landed at 1.252, powered by a .471 on-base percentage and a .781 slugging percentage.
This isn’t corporate sports media. This isn’t fluff. Howie Sports is Independent. Local. Unfiltered. Fifty years in the game — telling you who’s hot, who’s not, and who needs a swift kick in the butt.
The question is no longer simply whether Roger Reinert deserves another term. The question is whether Duluth believes it is on the path it wants — and if not, who has the discipline, clarity and courage to alter it. November 2027 will deliver the verdict. The work of deciding it begins now.
Essentia’s downtown campus functions as a Level I trauma center — the highest designation available — meaning it must have surgeons, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons and critical care specialists available at all hours. Not on call from home. Available.
Union members have announced plans for an informational picket next week on Essentia’s downtown campus. Essentia said the picket is not a work stoppage.
If the current ownership group can deliver sustained contention, it will be welcomed. If not, it may be time to ask whether a broader form of ownership — one rooted in the community — could provide the stability and commitment required to build a true, lasting winner.
