Flint Phantoms
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.
| Flint Phantoms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Established 2008 Folded 2008 Played in Perani Arena in Flint, Michigan | ||
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| League/conference affiliations | ||
Continental Indoor Football League (2008)
| ||
| Team colors | Black, Blue, Silver & White | |
| Personnel | ||
| Head coach | Keith Tunstall[1] | |
| Team history | ||
| ||
| Championships | ||
| League championships (0) | ||
| Conference championships (0) | ||
| Division championships (0) | ||
| Home arena(s) | ||
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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 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 still considering rejoining the CIFL.[5]
Season-By-Season
| 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2009 Schedule Released Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) website
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Mancina, Greg (2008-04-12). "Sting crazy". Saginaw News. Booth Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
- Nilsen, Dan (2008-04-20). "Phantoms again no match for Kalamazoo on home field". Flint Journal. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- Wilson, Jim. "Surge get it done in fourth". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- "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.
- "Raptors beat up on Phantoms, 69-38". WREX. 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- 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.