AFL Archives - New Hip Hop News

The Arena Football League (AFL) has announced the appointment of Tracey Leinen to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), where she will be in charge of planning and carrying out the AFL’s strategic business and expansion activities.

Leinen offers a plethora of expertise to the AFL after working with the National Football League (NFL) for ten years as a team logistics consultant. She assisted NFL Draft logistics in Philadelphia, helped carry out NFL Alumni Relations during Super Bowl LVII, and oversaw operations and travel logistics between the NFL and teams headed for the big game.

“I’m honored to bring my expertise to the Arena Football League,” Leinen said. “I look forward to working directly with Commissioner Lee Hutton, Team Owners, and Team Personnel to rebuild a successful league and provide a true fan experience on and off the field.”

In addition, she established TEAM Management, a sports and entertainment marketing firm that aids a variety of athletes, celebrities, and brands in developing their plans for initiatives, goals, and strategic goals. The company successfully planned the NFL Travel Directors meetings and manages the logistics of celebrity events for customers like TV personality and celebrity chef Chef Eddie G.

Leinen worked as the Philadelphia Eagles’ Director of Travel Operations for 15 years prior to starting her own business. In that role, she oversaw all team operations, organized free agent and draft prospect visits, and negotiated contracts to efficiently manage the travel budget. Most notably, she carried out the franchise’s logistical requirements for Super Bowl XXXIX successfully.

“Tracey’s extensive background in spearheading operations at the highest level in sports makes her a critical addition to our executive leadership,” Hutton said. “The new era of the AFL is committed to building the best and most diverse professional sports league and the process starts with the delicate task of hand-picking talented leaders like Tracey that can enable us to take the AFL to heights beyond our imagination. The focused and meticulous detail that is taking place to bring together a talented group of executives will only serve to sustain this great sport and forever distinguish The New AFL from the pastiche of other indoor football leagues.”

In addition to her job, Leinen has over ten years of experience as a seasoned non-profit development leader who has built and transformed social change organizations. She also founded The Griffin Gives Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that supports both active-duty and retired military troops, fosters children’s health and wellness, and encourages people with life-altering illnesses. The Griffin Gives Foundation created the One Hope Ribbon in 2022 to promote unity among those in need and increase awareness of all causes.

For more information about the AFL, please visit www.theafl.com and follow @OfficialAFL on Instagram and @OfficialAFL on Twitter.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Arena League Football Name Tracey Leinen as Chief Operating Officer appeared first on The Source.

The Arena Football League (AFL) has declared that it will relaunch in 2024, with intentions to formally return to the field under new management.

After purchasing the AFL’s rights in January 2022, investment firm F1 Sports & Entertainment will take over management of the league when it resumes play. Chairman Chris Chetty, President Anthony Rossi, and President of Operations Shan Singh will make up the league’s board of directors. Commissioner Lee A. Hutton III, Deputy Commissioner Travelle Gaines, President of Entertainment Tuo Clark, and Executive Vice President Curt Feldtkeller will make up the executive leadership team.

“We are elated to come out of hibernation and make this announcement official,” Rossi said. “Our objective when we acquired the AFL was to bring back a storied brand that deserved to be revived and showcased again, globally. We envisioned executing on the old saying ‘Bigger and Better,’ but this time, we want to incorporate the components of a modern-day business – streaming, betting, technology, virtual reality, and immerse fan engagement mixed with good old-fashioned iron-man football. The re-launch of the AFL first started with assembling a respected executive and advisory team. Each partner, member and business executive of today’s AFL was meticulously hand-selected piece by piece. We believe we have assembled a world-class, operational team made up of C-Suite executives, expert sports trainers, football personnel, performance facilities, legal partners, professional team owners and former athletes.”

Given that Hutton will be the first Black commissioner to lead an American professional sports league, his appointment as AFL commissioner has important historical ramifications. He worked as a lawyer who negotiated contracts on behalf of Fortune 500 corporations, athletes, celebrities, and artists. Hutton has worked on high-profile matters throughout his career, from NFL concussion litigation to NCAA NIL legal disputes.

“The Arena Football League brand has always sat at the promontory of indoor football by offering gridiron entertainment, fast action, and iron tough athletes in conjunction with delivering a family fun fan experience that uniquely engages the pig skin enthusiast,” Hutton said. “Ultimately, the professional sports brand speaks for itself and is proud to announce, ‘We are back!’”

The AFL will debut with 16 clubs and 10 regular season games before postseason play under Hutton’s direction.

“Our commitment is to deliver a professional sports event every week indoors, on the shoulder of the summer season when the world craves entertainment and competition,” Chetty said. “We aim to produce a family-friendly, yet equally electric atmosphere for our committed fans. As Chairman, my objective will be to change the culture of professional sports ownership and it is with great confidence that I state – from the owners to the players – we will be the most racially-diverse professional sports league in the world.”

“The AFL has an iconic legacy of 30-plus years and we plan to honor that history,” Gaines said. “We will bring teams to markets that previously boasted AFL franchises and engage with the rabid fanbases that supported our brand of football. The AFL also plans to provide year-round, sports performance training, rehabilitation resources and nutritional programs to ensure the modern athlete is better prepared for ironman football.”

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Arena Football League Relaunches With First Black Commissioner to Lead American Pro Sports League appeared first on The Source.