It could be Newark or bust for the Titans moving forward (updated)

May 28th, 2009 by Paul Tutka

Will the Titans be making the Prudential Center their full-time home in 2010 and beyond? (Photo: Dave Sanders)

The New York Post it reporting that for the New York Titans to survive past the 2009 season, it appears that the team’s only workable option right now is picking up and moving full-time to Newark, New Jersey, playing out of the Prudential Center, similar to what they did for a majority of this past season.

Although earlier reports by both NLL Insider and the New York Post indicated current NLL ownership had opted not to pursue the sale of the team to an ownership group that would move the franchise to Orlando, Florida, NLL VP of Communications, Doug Fritts, tells NLL Insider that no such decision had occurred.

It’s unclear how legitimate Orlando was or is as a potential destination for the Titans.

The Globe & Mail recently reported that a similar situation also transpired when the Arizona Sting attempted to sell their inactive franchise to former Rochester Knighthawks majority owner, Steve Donner, but the league gave that move a thumbs down due to concerns over Donner’s checkered success rate as an owner in this league and others, as well as concerns of a suitable arena lease in Orlando.

The Globe also reports that the sale of the Sting would have been for $1.5-million (US), substantialy lower than what some reports have indicated recent expansion franchises were sold for. Upon the resignation of former commisioner Jim Jennings just weeks into the 2009 season, the league stated, “During Jennings tenure, the league enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth, including expansion to western markets, an increase in franchise values from $250,000 to $5.6 million and the broadcast of the NLL All-Star and Championship games on network television. Today lacrosse is one of North America’s fastest growing sports.”

Hartford, Connecticut, recently brought up in some circles as a possible destination for the Titans, appears to have been nothing more than late-season rumours, as the New York Post also reports, that the XL Center in Hartford, the most plausible destination for a pro lacrosse team in the area, has not been in any formal talks with the NLL or Titans about an arena deal.

The Post does however confirm that the team has been dealing with the Prudential Centre in recent weeks, a spokesman for the arena confirming that they have been in negotiations with the Titans and that talks are ongoing.

NLL interim commissioner George Daniel was not available for comment when approached by The Post, but did pass over a statement explaining that, as of today, he has not received any applications from the Titans or any other team in regards to relocation, a similar statement Daniel made during Champion’s Cup weekend in Calgary when asked about the stability of franchises in New York, San Jose and Portland.

Although those applications need to be handed into the league by a June 1st deadline, this coming Monday, Daniel’s statement did say however, “If any applications are submitted, we have no timetable for reviewing or considering any such applications.”

Several current New York Titan players NLL Insider spoke to this past week have said, that outside of hearing many of the same rumours currently making the rounds, they are unaware of what the team’s current situation might be and have not received any official word from the team.

Over the past season, the Titans played one of their home dates at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida during the Florida Cup, two games at Madison Square Garden, and then their remaining five home dates in Newark at the Prudential Center.

The team then played their first playoff date at the Garden, a thrilling 11-10 OT win over the Knighthawks, and their second, a 9-3 trashing of the Buffalo Bandits, at the Prudential Center.

The NLL had no further comment on any current NLL franchises rumoured to be moving, outside of Daniel’s recent statement which appeared in the New York Post in regards to the league’s application deadline for relocation.

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