Shock roundup
I put together a roundup of everything Shock related, including Ben McCombs' return, Raul Vijil's possible return, the departure of four Shock players to a rival team, Adam Shackleford talking jobs with Tri-Cities and more details about the new arena football league.
Read on.
By
Staff writer
As the Spokane Shock continues forming their roster, the new arena football league it is joining is ironing out details for the 2010 season.
Meanwhile, Shock general manager Adam Nebeker has returned from Board of Directors meetings in
“Things are pretty much finalized, but not set in stone,” Nebeker said. “One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the AFL’s bankruptcy situation and that could be cleared up in the next month. A lot of the details are contingent on the results of the bankruptcy proceedings.”
Eleven teams are expected to form the upper tier of the new league.
The six lower-tier teams are expected to be Tri-Cities, Central Valley,
Playoffs for the upper tier will likely consist of six teams. North and South division winners would earn first-round byes. Second-place teams in each division would qualify. The final two qualifiers would be on the basis of best record. The league is considering neutral site venues for the championship game.
Teams would carry 20 players on the active roster, three on practice squad. There won’t be an exemption for international players, one of the few rules that won’t carry over from af2. Players will make $400 per game, but teams will be allowed to sign a maximum of three ‘showcase’ players, who will make $1,000 per game. Quarterback figures to be one of the ‘showcase’ positions, along with receiver and middle defensive back.
Attempts to contact league commissioner Jerry Kurz were unsuccessful.
McCombs, in his first season with the Shock, led af2 with 15.5 sacks in 2009.
“I feel comfortable with the coaching staff and I know the program will be put together well as far as the professionalism,” McCombs said.
Receiver Raul Vijil, the only member of the first four Shock teams, said he’s undecided about returning. After
“We’ve talked quite a bit and Rob (Keefe, Shock head coach) and I are really good friends,” Vijil said. “I definitely have a decision to make in the near future.”