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99-645: As Oregon agriculture expanded in the early 19th century many communities formed agricultural associations for the purpose of sharing information on farming practices and resources. These groups began to organize county fairs such as the Yamhill County Fair (1850). Shortly thereafter the Oregon Farmer newspaper began calling for a statewide fair. A group of farmers known as the Oregon Fruitgrowers Association organized

198-540: A strike ). Efforts to reformat the league's business model were placed under the leadership of Columbus Destroyers owner Jim Renacci and interim commissioner Policy. High hopes for the AFL waned when interim commissioner Ed Policy announced his resignation, citing the obsolescence of his position in the reformatted league. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles Avengers announced that they were formally folding

297-464: A 13-week schedule during which each team played 12 games and had one bye week. Each of the six teams played each opponent at least once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams participated in the ArenaBowl playoffs, in which the top seed faced the 4th seed while the 2nd seed faced the 3rd seed in a home and home series. The team in each series with the higher aggregate score advanced to

396-404: A Chapter 7 liquidation if the league did not do so voluntarily. This request was granted on August 7, though converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26. Following the suspension of the AFL's 2009 season, league officials and owners of af2 (which had played its season as scheduled) began discussing the future of arena football and the two leagues. With its 50.1 percent ownership of af2,

495-581: A camping place for fairgoers who originally arrived in wagons and created a tent city during the fair; the practice of camping in the grove continued into modern times. Following a period of financial trouble, the Oregon Legislative Assembly directed the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to take over management of the fair in 2006. As of 2008, the fair's slogan was: "It's like a magical enchanted land. Except real." Through

594-652: A familiar name to the league, an AFL mainstay, the Iowa Barnstormers, departed the league to join the Indoor Football League . The San Antonio Talons folded on October 13, 2014, after the league (which owned the team) failed to find a new owner. On November 16, 2014, despite a successful season record-wise, the Pittsburgh Power became the second team to cease operations after the 2014 season. This resulted from poor attendance. It

693-619: A family was $ 61,524. Males had a median income of $ 44,946 versus $ 33,717 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,017. About 9.0% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. In the United States House of Representatives, Yamhill County lies in Oregon's 6th congressional district , which also covers Polk County and portions of Marion, Clackamas, and Washington counties. In

792-556: A lack of capital and unresolved liabilities. On February 1, 2023, G6 Sports Group (based in Toronto, Ontario), a new ownership group that had acquired the league's trademarks and social media accounts, announced another revival of the league which began play in 2024. This league is not directly related to the previous league. The league lasted one season before all of its remaining teams left to form Arena Football One prior to 2025. The second iteration's final 2019 season consisted of

891-480: A longer history than competing leagues. From a high of 19 teams in 2007, the league contracted to a low of four teams in 2018, all in the northeastern United States. There were six teams playing in 2019 , the league's final season. On October 29, 2019, league commissioner Randall Boe confirmed reports that the league had discontinued operating teams in local markets for the 2020 season. Four weeks later on November 27, league commissioner Boe announced via Twitter that

990-404: A new deal on a four-year CBA was reached, nearly doubling player compensation and granting expanded health insurance benefits. On March 27, 2018, the AFL announced that commissioner Scott Butera would be replaced by former AOL counsel Randall Boe prior to the 2018 season. The AFL also partnered with DraftKings to bring back AFL Fantasy Football. The league continued organizational changes for

1089-548: A player to go out of bounds presently is if he is tackled into or deliberately contacts the side boards. This was also the first year the ArenaBowl was played at a neutral site. In 2007, free substitution was allowed, ending the "iron man" era of one-platoon football ; also, games ending in ties were abolished. The next season, in 2008, the "jack" linebacker was allowed to go sideboard to sideboard without being penalized for "illegal defense". After 12 years as commissioner of

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1188-500: A touring model similar to the Premier Lacrosse League or basketball's BIG3 ) and that a decision on the league's future would most likely be announced near the end of 2019. Approximately a month after the announcement of the closure of teams, on November 27, 2019, commissioner Boe announced via the league's Twitter account that the league would be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and fully cease operations, citing

1287-530: A two-year leave of absence while their arena, shared with its primary tenant the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers , was undergoing construction during the basketball offseason. The next month, the longest-tenured AFL team, with franchise roots to the inaugural AFL season, the Tampa Bay Storm , also suspended operations citing financial problems. In February 2018, the 2018 season schedule was finalized with only

1386-577: Is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km ), or 0.3%, is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Oregon by area. The tallest mountain in the county is Trask Mountain in the northwest corner of the county. As of the 2000 census , there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families living in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile (46 people/km ). There were 30,270 housing units at an average density of 42 units per square mile (16/km ). The racial makeup of

1485-650: Is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon . As of the 2020 census , the population was 107,722. The county seat is McMinnville . Yamhill County was named after the Yamhelas, members of the Kalapuya Tribe. Yamhill County is part of the Portland - Vancouver - Hillsboro , OR- WA Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is in the Willamette Valley . The earliest known inhabitants of

1584-597: The Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019. The AFL played a formerly proprietary code known as arena football , a form of indoor American football played on a 66-by-28 yard field (about a quarter of the surface area of an NFL field), with rules encouraging offensive performance, resulting in a typically faster-paced and higher-scoring game compared to NFL games. The sport

1683-846: The Los Angeles Kiss , owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band Kiss , and the Portland Thunder . In 2014, the league announced the granting of a new franchise to Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil , previously part-owner of the Jacksonville Sharks. That franchise, the Las Vegas Outlaws , played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center , previously home to the Las Vegas Sting and Las Vegas Gladiators . After 20 years as

1782-569: The Milwaukee Mustangs , the name of Milwaukee's original AFL team that had existed from 1994 to 2001. In 2012, the AFL celebrated its silver anniversary for its 25th season of operations. The season kicked off on March 9, 2012. The Tulsa Talons moved to San Antonio, Texas , and Jeffrey Vinik became owner of the Tampa Bay Storm. The Dallas Vigilantes were left off the schedule for the 2012 season with no announcement from

1881-757: The Oregon State Senate , the county is split between the 12th and 13th districts. Within the Oregon House of Representatives , Yamhill County is part of the 23rd, 24th, and 26th districts. Although located west of the Cascades, Yamhill has remained a Republican-leaning county in Presidential elections at the same time as other Western Oregon counties have become solidly to powerfully Democratic. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Yamhill County since Lyndon Johnson 's 1964 landslide, and

1980-625: The Portland Rose Festival so the fair could open. The state fairground is the site of two historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places : the Oregon State Fair Stadium and Poultry Building Ensemble . The 1919 horse stadium and the 1921 poultry building were added to the register in 2002. The poultry building is known for the "chicken head" relief sculptures that decorate

2079-639: The Spokane Shock officially left the AFL and joined the IFL under the new name Spokane Empire , becoming the fifth active AFL/af2 franchise to leave for the IFL since the 2009 AFL bankruptcy ( Iowa Barnstormers , Tri-Cities Fever , Green Bay Blizzard , and Arkansas Twisters left previously). On November 12, the league announced the defending champion San Jose SaberCats would be ceasing operations due to "reasons unrelated to league operations". A statement from

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2178-475: The United States Patent and Trademark Office to patent his invented sport. The patent application covered the rules of the game, specifically detailing the goalposts and rebound netting and their impact on gameplay. Foster's application was granted on March 27, 1990. The patent expired on March 27, 2007. From its inception, the AFL operated in a state of semi-obscurity; many Americans had heard

2277-601: The 1994 season, the AFL had a number of other teams which it considered "dynasties" between 1994 and 2016. The most successful of these were the Tampa Bay Storm and their arch-rival the Orlando Predators , as well as the San Jose SaberCats and their rivals, the Arizona Rattlers . Among those four teams, they won 14 of 22 ArenaBowls in that time span and appeared in all but two. In 1993,

2376-511: The 2019 season with Philadelphia Soul owner Ron Jaworski taking over as chairman of the executive committee, moving the league's headquarters from Las Vegas to Philadelphia , and naming John Adams as president and chief operating officer. On December 27, 2018, the AFL introduced a new set of logos to be used beginning with the 2019 season. The league announced an expansion team in Atlantic City, New Jersey , on January 22, 2019, that

2475-667: The AFL for an unintended reason, when the Pittsburgh Gladiators' head coach, Joe Haering, made football history by punching commissioner Jim Foster during a game with the Chicago Bruisers . The national media ran with the story, including a photo in USA Today . The game was played between the two teams in Sacramento's ARCO Arena , as part of the AFL's 'Barnstorming America' tour. Foster had walked onto

2574-521: The AFL for the IFL on October 17, leaving the AFL with four teams. They were the sixth AFL team to leave for the IFL since the 2010 relaunch. On November 14, the AFL announced that it had granted a second franchise to Washington Valor owner Ted Leonsis to be based out of Baltimore for the 2017 season, the Baltimore Brigade , bringing the league up to five teams. On August 23, 2017, the week of ArenaBowl XXX , multiple sources revealed that

2673-569: The AFL planned to expand to Albany, New York , and Newark, New Jersey , for 2018. The Albany Empire was confirmed October 24, with the team owned by Hearst Communications executive George Randolph Hearst III and sharing non-football management with the Philadelphia Soul. There was never another mention of a Newark team in the offseason. On November 28, the Cleveland Gladiators announced that they would have to take

2772-425: The AFL's bankruptcy and dissolution prompted the dissolution of af2 as well. That league was formally considered disbanded on September 8, 2009, when no owner committed his or her team to the league's eleventh season by that deadline. For legal reasons, af2 league officials and owners agreed to form a new legal entity, Arena Football 1 (AF1), with former AFL teams the Arizona Rattlers and Orlando Predators joining

2871-545: The AFL, David Baker retired unexpectedly on July 25, 2008, just two days before ArenaBowl XXII ; deputy commissioner Ed Policy was named interim commissioner until Baker's replacement was found. Baker explained, "When I took over as commissioner, I thought it would be for one year. It turned into 12. But now it's time." In October 2008, Tom Benson announced that the New Orleans VooDoo were ceasing operations and folding "based on circumstances currently affecting

2970-578: The AFLPA for the AFL to suspend the entire 2009 season in order to create "a long-term plan to improve its economic model." In doing so, the AFL became the second sports league to cancel an entire season, after the National Hockey League cancelled the 2004–05 season because of a lockout . The AFL also became the third sports league to lose its postseason (the first being Major League Baseball , which lost its postseason in 1994 because of

3069-601: The Arena Football League with four teams: the Pittsburgh Gladiators , Denver Dynamite , Washington Commandos , and Chicago Bruisers . Foster appointed legendary Darrel "Mouse" Davis , godfather of the "run and shoot" and modern pro offenses, as executive director of football operations. Davis hired the original coaches and was the architect of the league's original wide-open offensive playbooks. The first game in Arena Football League history

Oregon State Fair - Misplaced Pages Continue

3168-597: The Desperados' properties around those of the Dallas Cowboys , making the two inseparable. The auction occurred on November 25, 2009. The assets were awarded to Arena Football 1 on December 7, 2009, with a winning bid of $ 6.1 million. On February 17, 2010, AF1 announced it would use the "Arena Football League" name. The league announced plans for the upcoming season and details of its contract with NFL Network to broadcast AFL games in 2010. AF1 teams were given

3267-678: The Drive regularly played before sold-out crowds at Joe Louis Arena , and went to the ArenaBowl every year of their existence (1988–1993). The AFL's first dynasty came to an end when their owner, Mike Ilitch (who also owned Little Caesars Pizza and the Detroit Red Wings ) bought the Detroit Tigers and sold the AFL team. Although the Drive moved to Massachusetts, becoming the Massachusetts Marauders for

3366-655: The New York Dragons did not return. The league added one expansion team, the Pittsburgh Power . Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann was one of the team's owners. It was the first time the AFL returned to Pittsburgh since the Pittsburgh Gladiators were an original franchise in 1987 before becoming the Tampa Bay Storm . The Brigade changed its name to the Command, becoming the Kansas City Command. Even though they were returning teams,

3465-675: The VooDoo came during the Platinum Equity conference call, leading to speculation that he had folded because of the deal. Because of the sudden loss of the New Orleans franchise, the league announced in October that the beginning of the free agency period would be delayed in order to accommodate a dispersal draft . Dates were eventually announced as December 2 for the dispersal draft and December 4 for free agency, but shortly before

3564-407: The age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% were non-families, and 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 36.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 52,485 and the median income for

3663-427: The age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.60% were non-families. 19.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.90% under

3762-474: The age of 18, 11.40% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.30 males. The median income for a household in the county is $ 44,111, and the median income for a family was $ 50,336. Males had a median income of $ 35,686 versus $ 25,254 for females. The per capita income for

3861-745: The area were the Yamhill (Yamhelas Indian Tribe, part of the Kalapooian family ) Indians, who have inhabited the area for over 8,000 years. They are one of the tribes incorporated into the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde . In 1857 they were forced to migrate to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation created in Oregon's Coastal Range two years earlier. The earliest non-native settlers were employees of

3960-412: The closure of all six of the league's teams. The closure came as the league re-evaluated its business model and worked to respond to a lawsuit filed against the league by its former worker's compensation insurance provider. Boe also stated that they had not made the decision to suspend operations for the entire league at that time (raising the possibility that if the league did return, it would do so under

4059-413: The county is 88.98% White , 1.47% Native American , 1.07% Asian , 0.85% Black or African American , 0.12% Pacific Islander , 5.08% from other races , and 2.42% from two or more races. 10.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.6% were of German , 11.4% English , 9.5% American and 8.4% Irish ancestry. There were 28,732 households, out of which 37.40% had children under

Oregon State Fair - Misplaced Pages Continue

4158-554: The county is covered with commercial timber , and the economic mainstay of the western part of the county is logging and timber products. Yamhill County is a significant focus of Oregon's wine industry , having the largest area of any Oregon county planted in vineyards . Six of the state's American Viticultural Areas are wholly or partly in the county: Chehalem Mountains AVA , Dundee Hills AVA , Eola-Amity Hills AVA , McMinnville AVA , Ribbon Ridge AVA , and Yamhill-Carlton District AVA . Over 80 wineries and 200 vineyards represent

4257-649: The county is served by The Delphian School in Sheridan. 45°14′N 123°19′W  /  45.23°N 123.31°W  / 45.23; -123.31 Arena Football League The Arena Football League ( AFL ) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season , making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after

4356-497: The county was $ 18,951. About 6.00% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 10.10% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 census , there were 99,193 people, 34,726 households, and 25,020 families living in the county. The population density was 138.6 inhabitants per square mile (53.5/km ). There were 37,110 housing units at an average density of 51.8 units per square mile (20.0 units/km ). The racial makeup of

4455-406: The county was 85.4% white, 1.5% Asian, 1.5% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% Pacific islander, 7.2% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 14.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.6% were German , 13.7% were English , 12.2% were Irish , and 5.0% were American . Of the 34,726 households, 35.8% had children under

4554-447: The draft the league issued a press release announcing the draft had been postponed one day to December 3. Shortly thereafter, another press release announced that the draft would be held on December 9 and free agency would commence on December 11. However, the draft still never took place, and instead another press release was issued stating that both the draft and free agency had been postponed indefinitely. Rumors began circulating that

4653-584: The exterior. The horse stadium is the oldest state building in Oregon in continuous use. In 2007, a 200-year-old grove of Oregon White Oaks across the street from the main fairgrounds was designated by the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee as an Oregon Heritage Tree site. The grove was used as a camping and gathering place by the area's original inhabitants, the Kalapuya , who collected acorns and camas there. The site later became

4752-402: The fair. The Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion , completed in 2004, is the newest building on the fairgrounds. The 5,000-seat indoor pavilion is used year-round for a variety of events. The pavilion and parking replaced a badly deteriorated grandstand that was built in 1929, and the horse racing track. Architectural ornaments from the grandstand's facade were to be salvaged and incorporated into

4851-543: The field of play to mediate an altercation between the two teams when Haering, a former NFL assistant, punched him in the jaw. Haering was suspended without pay. One of the league's early success stories was the Detroit Drive . A primary team for some of the AFL's most highly regarded players, including George LaFrance and Gary and Alvin Rettig, as well as being a second career chance for quarterback Art Schlichter ,

4950-536: The first non-motorsports-related professional sports league in the United States to have a title sponsor, renaming it the NET10 Wireless Arena Football League. The redesigned website showed the new logo which incorporated the current AFL logo with the one from NET10 Wireless. The title sponsorship agreement ended in 2014 after a two-year partnership. In 2013, the league expanded with the addition of two new franchises to play in 2014,

5049-637: The first unofficial state fair in 1858. That year is recognized as the official anniversary year of the fair. In 1860, the association merged with other county groups and became the Oregon State Agricultural Society, who held the first official fair in 1861 in the Gladstone / Oregon City area. It was felt a larger area was needed and following a proposal by the Marion County Agriculture Society,

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5148-617: The first-ever televised AFL game the next night, on June 20, 1987, at the Rosemont Horizon in suburban Chicago on ESPN with Bob Rathbun and Lee Corso calling the play-by-play. The broadcast showed a short clip of the Commandos-Gladiators game. Each team played six games, two against each other team. The top two teams, Denver and Pittsburgh, then competed in the first-ever AFL championship game, ArenaBowl I . On September 30, 1987, Foster filed an application with

5247-616: The former af2 Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings moved to New Orleans as the Voodoo, the identity formerly owned by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. The former af2 Alabama Vipers moved to Duluth, Georgia , to become the new Georgia Force (the earlier franchise of that name having been a continuation of the first Nashville Kats franchise). On October 25, 2010, lt was announced that the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz would not return. The Milwaukee Iron also changed names to

5346-466: The former af2. All assets of the Arena Football League were put up for auction. On November 11, 2009, the new league announced its intention to purchase the entire assets of the former AFL; the assets included the team names and logos of all but one of the former AFL and af2 teams. The lone exception was that of the Dallas Desperados ; Desperados owner Jerry Jones had purposely designed

5445-462: The four remaining teams, matching the size of the league in the original "demonstration season" in 1987 . However, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the AFL and Arena Football League Players' Union (AFLPU) had expired after the 2017 season. A new agreement had not been made despite several proposals and supposed ultimatums between the two parties leading to rumors that the season and league's existence were in jeopardy. On March 16, 2018,

5544-415: The franchise. One month later, the league missed the deadline to formally ratify the new collective bargaining agreement and announced that it was eliminating health insurance for the players. Progress on the return stalled, and no announcements were made regarding the future of the league. On July 20, 2009, Sports Business Journal reported that the AFL owed approximately $ 14 million to its creditors and

5643-475: The history of the league have enjoyed little success either on or off of the field of play. There were a number of franchises which existed in the form of a series of largely-unrelated teams with little to no continuity of either coaching staffs or players under numerous management groups until they folded. One example of several which could be cited is the New York CityHawks , whose owners transferred

5742-399: The host city's evident lack of interest in its team or the sport as a whole. The year 2000 brought heightened interest in the AFL. Then- St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner , who was MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV , was first noticed because he played quarterback for the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers . While many sports commentators and fans continued to ridicule the league, Warner's story gave

5841-546: The idea to a few friends at the NFL offices, where he received praise and encouragement for his concept. After solidifying the rules and a business plan, and supplemented with sketches by a professional artist, Foster presented his idea to various television networks. He reached an agreement with NBC for a "test game". Plans for arena football were put on hold in 1982 as the United States Football League

5940-508: The initial test game that Foster decided to put on a second, "showcase" game. The second game was held on February 27, 1987, at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago with a budget of $ 20,000, quintuple the $ 4,000 for the test game. Foster also invited ESPN to send a film crew to the game; a highlights package aired on SportsCenter . Following the successes of his trial-run games, Foster moved ahead with his idea for arena football. He founded

6039-597: The largest concentration of wine growers and producers in any county in the state. Vineyards often specialize in Pinot noir , but other varieties grown include Pinot gris , Pinot blanc , Chardonnay , Riesling , and Gewürztraminer . Yamhill County Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) include Linfield University and Chemeketa Community College McMinnville Campus, along with George Fox University and Portland Community College in Newberg. For private secondary education

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6138-409: The league and the team". Shortly thereafter, an article in Sports Business Journal announced that the AFL had a tentative agreement to sell a $ 100 million stake in the league to Platinum Equity ; in exchange, Platinum Equity would create a centralized, single-entity business model that would streamline league and team operations and allow the league to be more profitable. Benson's move to shut down

6237-402: The league as a whole had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, dissolving the league for the second time. Jim Foster , a promotions manager with the National Football League, conceived of indoor football while watching an indoor soccer match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. While at the game, he wrote his idea on a 9 x 12 envelope, with sketches of the field and notes on gameplay. He presented

6336-427: The league held a teleconference with the remaining team owners and issued a statement the next morning declaring that the league would continue in the long-term, although the league did not expressly commit to playing in 2017 at that time. On October 14, the AFL held a dispersal draft with the five teams selecting players from the Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Portland rosters. The Rattlers then officially left

6435-430: The league indicated that the AFL was working to secure new, long-term owners for the franchise. This left the AFL with eight teams for 2016 . On January 6, 2016, the league took over "ownership and operational control" of the Portland Thunder from its previous owners. The AFL stated this move was made after months of trying work out an arrangement "to provide financial and operational support." On February 3, 2016, it

6534-426: The league positive exposure, and it brought the league a new television deal with TNN , which, unlike ESPN, televised regular season games live. While it was not financially lucrative, it helped set the stage for what the league would become in the new millennium. The year also brought a spin-off league, the af2 , intended to be a developmental league , comparable to the National Football League 's NFL Europe . There

6633-499: The league staged its first All-Star Game in Des Moines, Iowa , the future home of the long-running Iowa Barnstormers , as a fundraiser for flood victims in the area . The National Conference defeated the American Conference 64–40 in front of a crowd of 7,189. The second All-Star event was in October 2013, with two games, the first in Honolulu , Hawai'i , the second being in Beijing , China. While some teams have enjoyed considerable on-field and even financial success, many teams in

6732-513: The league to cancel its 2009 season, though the af2 did play. Later that year both the AFL and af2 were dissolved and reorganized as a new corporation comprising teams from both leagues, and the AFL returned in 2010. The league's average game attendance after returning in 2010 was approximately 9,500. The league historically had a nationwide footprint, and was recognized as the most prominent professional indoor football league in North America, offering higher payment, more widespread media exposure, and

6831-442: The league was in trouble and on the verge of folding, but owners denied those claims. It was soon revealed the players' union had agreed to cut the salary cap for the 2009 season to prevent a total cessation of operations. However, the announced Platinum Equity investment never materialized. Although the af2 played its tenth season in 2009, a conference call in December 2008 resulted in enough votes from owners and cooperation from

6930-488: The league's website on December 10, 2015, showed an eight-team league playing a 16-game regular season over 18 weeks, with two bye weeks for each team, one on a rotational basis and the other a "universal bye" for all teams during the Independence Day weekend, the first weekend in July. All teams qualified for the postseason, meaning that the regular season served only to establish seeding . On February 10, 2016, The Washington Post and radio station WTOP-FM first broke

7029-569: The league, with Jacksonville establishing the National Arena League and the Predators , after a period of dormancy, being reclaimed by some of its former players and also joining the NAL in 2019. The next day, it was reported that the Arizona Rattlers were in the planning stages to also leave the AFL for the Indoor Football League for 2017. In the same report, it was stated the Los Angeles Kiss and Portland Steel had apparently folded after both teams failed to return calls or respond to inquiries into 2017 season ticket purchases. Later on October 13,

7128-502: The management, and the team was subsequently quietly folded with no formal announcement ever being released. The AFL postponed the free agency period to October 31 due to Hurricane Sandy , noting that the National Football League was simultaneously doing the same thing with regard to its trade deadline. It was announced on December 12, 2012, that the AFL had reached a partnership agreement with NET10 Wireless to be

7227-559: The military and veterans. In addition to the economic surge provided by the Air Show, the Oregon International Air Show involves the community and provides grants for McMinnville. Since 1988 more than $ 3 million has donated back throughout McMinnville (Yamhill County), Hillsboro (Washington County), and throughout Oregon. Express Employment Professionals, Stoller Family Estates, and Xenium are the lead sponsors for

7326-637: The only other Democrats to carry the county since Oregon's statehood have been Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, 1936 and 1932, along with Woodrow Wilson in 1912 when the Republican vote was divided. Yamhill County is currently one of 11 counties in Oregon in which therapeutic psilocybin is legal. In 2019 the Oregon International Air Show switched to the McMinnville Municipal Airport. The Air Show promotes aviation while honoring

7425-821: The option of restoring historical names to their teams. In addition to the historical teams, the league added two new expansion franchises, the Dallas Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks . For the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Soul , Kansas City Brigade , San Jose SaberCats, New Orleans VooDoo, and the Georgia Force returned to the AFL after having last played in 2008. However, the Grand Rapids Rampage, Colorado Crush, Columbus Destroyers, Los Angeles Avengers, and

7524-692: The replacement building. In 2024, it was the home of the Arena Football League 's Oregon Blackbears for only three games. The Salem Armory Auditorium is located on a corner of the fairgrounds site, but is not affiliated with the State Fair. This concert venue is owned by the Oregon Military Department . 44°57′33″N 123°00′29″W  /  44.95917°N 123.00806°W  / 44.95917; -123.00806 Yamhill County, Oregon Yamhill County

7623-556: The same group which owned the NFL teams in their host cities, after NFL resolution to allow league owners to own the individual AFL clubs. Also, on February 8, 1999, the NFL purchased, but never exercised, an option to buy a major interest in the AFL (49.9%). Of all of these teams, only the Philadelphia Soul were still playing in the AFL in their last season before folding. In 2003, the season expanded to 16 games. There were also several rule changes in this period. In 2005, players were no longer allowed to run out of bounds. The only way for

7722-524: The same site, except in 1905, because the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was taking place in Portland that year, and during the World War II years of 1943 and 1944; instead the fairgrounds were leased to military units as a place to bivouac . Also, although the 1942 fair was held, it was scaled back to only include 4-H displays, livestock exhibits, and displays from 27 Oregon counties , so it

7821-565: The second official state fair was held in Salem in 1862 on the grounds of the Marion County Fair , where it has remained ever since. Homesteader John Savage donated 8 acres (32,000 m) of his land, which was three miles (5 km) outside of Salem at the time, while pioneer John Minto contributed $ 1,200 to build a wooden fence around the grounds. The fairgrounds were annexed into Salem in 1921. The fair has been held every year on

7920-564: The story that Monumental Sports & Entertainment ( Ted Leonsis , chairman), which also owns the NHL 's Washington Capitals , NBA 's Washington Wizards , and WNBA 's Washington Mystics , were "close to a deal" in bring a new expansion franchise to the Verizon Center . On March 10, 2016, AFL commissioner Scott Butera announced that the deal was finalized and that the new Washington, D.C., team would begin play in 2017. On July 14, 2016,

8019-573: The team from New York City to Hartford to become the New England Sea Wolves after two seasons, then after another two seasons were sold and became the Toronto Phantoms , which lasted another two seasons until folding. There are a number of reasons why these teams failed, including financially weak ownership groups, lack of deep financial support from some owners otherwise capable of providing it, lack of media exposure, and

8118-476: The team name was revealed as the Washington Valor . There was also talk for franchises to return to San Antonio and St. Louis as well as a potential new team for Sacramento. However, when the 2017 schedule was announced, there was no mention of any San Antonio, St. Louis, or Sacramento teams. On October 12, 2016, both the Orlando Predators and Jacksonville Sharks announced their departure from

8217-493: The term "arena football" but knew little to nothing about the league itself. From the 1987 season until the late 1990s, the most exposure the league would receive was on ESPN, which aired tape-delayed games, often well after midnight, and often edited to match the allotted time slot. The league received its first taste of wide exposure in 1998, when Arena Bowl XII was televised nationally as part of ABC 's old Wide World of Sports . On July 23, 1989, much of America learned of

8316-463: The top of 3,154-foot (961 m) high Mount Hebo , Air Force radars operated by the 689th Radar Squadron and the 14th Missile Warning Squadron were essential parts of the nation's integrated air defenses. The large radomes protecting the radars from adverse weather effects could be seen silhouetted against the sky from many parts of Yamhill County. In 1900 the Yamhill River lock and dam

8415-761: The upcoming 2020 Air Show. The major industries of the county are agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, and education. Yamhill County's economy is supported largely by its many unionized facilities such as Cascade Steel in McMinnville and Decommissioned White Birch Paper now owned by WestRock in Newberg. It boasts a thriving wine industry and was the home of Evergreen Aviation. Yamhill County ranks seventh out of Oregon's thirty-six counties in annual market value of its agricultural production. This agricultural production includes wheat , barley , horticulture , and dairy farming , with 13,201 acres or 53.42 square kilometres in 1997 planted in orchards . One-third of

8514-712: The various fur companies operating in Oregon Country , who started settling there around 1814. But it was the establishment of the Oregon Trail that led to significant migration to the area. Yamhill District (later county) was created on July 5, 1843, five years before the Oregon Territory was established. It was one of the original four districts created by Oregon's first Provisional Legislature , along with Twality (later Washington ), Clackamas , and Champooick (later Marion ) counties. The district

8613-416: The years the fair has showcased Oregon crops and livestock, arts, and culture, and has hosted many food booths and vendors as well as judging competitions, horse racing and popular entertainers. In 2007 the fair hosted its first Lucha Libre (Hispanic wrestling) event. Outdoor concerts are held at the L. B. Day Amphitheatre , which was named in 1987 for L. B. Day , an Oregon State Senator and supporter of

8712-562: Was a lot of expansion in the 2000s. Expansion teams included the Austin Wranglers , Carolina Cobras , Los Angeles Avengers , Chicago Rush , Detroit Fury , Dallas Desperados , Colorado Crush , New Orleans VooDoo , Philadelphia Soul , Nashville Kats , Kansas City Brigade , New York Dragons and Utah Blaze . Some of these teams, including the Crush, Desperados, Kats, and VooDoo, were owned for at least part of their existence by

8811-681: Was announced that the franchise would start from scratch and no longer be called the "Thunder" as the name and trademarks belong to former franchise owner Terry Emmert (similar to the Jerry Jones move with the Desperados). AFL commissioner Scott Butera announced that a new identity would be announced at a later date. On February 24, 2016, the Thunder were rebranded as the Portland Steel . The league's 2016 schedule , announced on

8910-488: Was completed about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downriver from Lafayette, Oregon . The lock was decommissioned in 1954. The dam was demolished in 1963 to allow better passage for salmon on the river. The site of the lock and dam is now a county park. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km ), of which 716 square miles (1,850 km )

9009-421: Was considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The league released a statement on August 4 to the effect that while the league was not folding, it was suspending league operations indefinitely. Despite this, several of the league's creditors filed papers to force

9108-415: Was invented in the early 1980s and patented by Jim Foster , a former executive of the United States Football League (USFL) and the NFL. Each of the league's 32 seasons culminated in the ArenaBowl , with the winner being crowned the league's champion for that season. From 2000 to 2009, the AFL had its own developmental league , the af2 . The AFL played 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008; internal issues caused

9207-611: Was later announced by the league that the Power would go dormant for 2015 and were looking for new ownership. No new ownership group ever materialized, however. Jerry Kurz also stepped down as commissioner of the AFL as he was promoted to be the AFL's first president. Former Foxwoods CEO Scott Butera was hired as his successor as commissioner. On August 9, 2015, ESPN reported that the New Orleans VooDoo and Las Vegas Outlaws had ceased operations. On September 1, 2015,

9306-584: Was launched. Foster left the NFL to accept a position in the USFL. He eventually became executive vice-president with the Chicago Blitz , where he returned to his concept of arena football. In 1983, he began organizing the test game in his spare time from his job with the Blitz. By 1985, the USFL had ceased football operations and he began devoting all his time to arena football, and on April 27, 1986, his concept

9405-454: Was not considered an official State Fair. The fair was also canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In 1967, an arson occurred just before the opening of the fair, burning several large structures. Along with the fair commissioners, Governor Tom McCall felt the fair should go on, so many groups donated time and money for the cleanup and sent facilities like tents from as far away as

9504-487: Was originally spread over 12,000 square miles (31,000 km ), an area that was broken up into twelve present-day counties. Lafayette , the principal trading center of the western Willamette Valley in early Oregon history, was made the county seat in 1847. The county government was later (1889) moved to McMinnville where it remains today. The Mount Hebo Air Force Station was a Cold War air defense installation from 1956 to 1980. Located next to Tillamook County, at

9603-461: Was played on June 19, 1987, between the Gladiators and Commandos at Pittsburgh Civic Arena in front of 12,117 fans. The game was deliberately not televised so that it could be analyzed and any follies and failures would not be subject to national public scrutiny. Following the inaugural game, tweaks and adjustments were made, and the first season continued. The Dynamite and Bruisers played in

9702-606: Was realized when the test game was played. The test game was played in Rockford, Illinois , on April 27, 1986, at the Rockford MetroCentre . Sponsors were secured, and players and coaches from local colleges were recruited to volunteer to play for the teams, the Chicago Politicians and Rockford Metros , with the guarantee of a tryout should the league take off. Interest was high enough following

9801-556: Was to be operated by the same ownership group as the Albany Empire. On February 7, 2019, the league re-added the Columbus Destroyers as another expansion team to bring the league back to six teams. On May 3, 2019, the AFL and ESPN Inc. announced a new media rights agreement to broadcast all games on ESPN3 with ArenaBowl XXXII to be broadcast on ESPN2 . After the season, league commissioner Boe announced

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