Editing Arena Football League (section)

===Canceled 2009 season/first bankruptcy===
Although the af2 played its tenth season in 2009, a conference call in December 2008 resulted in enough votes from owners and cooperation from the AFLPA for the AFL to suspend the entire 2009 season in order to create "a long-term plan to improve its economic model."<ref>{{cite news | title = AFL suspends 2009 season | publisher = ArenaFan Online | date = December 15, 2008 | url = http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=9497 | access-date = August 8, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081220230210/http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=9497 | archive-date = December 20, 2008 | url-status = live }}</ref> In doing so, the AFL became the second sports league to cancel an entire season, after the [[National Hockey League]] cancelled the [[2004–05 NHL season|2004–05 season]] because of a [[2004–05 NHL lockout|lockout]]. The AFL also became the third sports league to lose its postseason (the first being [[Major League Baseball]], which lost its [[1994 MLB season|postseason]] in 1994 because of a [[1994 baseball strike|strike]]). Efforts to reformat the league's business model were placed under the leadership of [[Columbus Destroyers]] owner [[Jim Renacci]] and interim commissioner Policy.<ref>{{cite news | title = AFL extends health insurance of Rampage, others | newspaper = The Grand Rapids Press | date = March 2, 2009 | url = http://www.mlive.com/rampage/index.ssf/2009/03/arena_football_league_extends.html | access-date = August 9, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090309002050/http://www.mlive.com/rampage/index.ssf/2009/03/arena_football_league_extends.html | archive-date = March 9, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref>

High hopes for the AFL waned when interim commissioner Ed Policy announced his resignation, citing the obsolescence of his position in the reformatted league.<ref>{{cite news | title = Acting head Policy steps aside at AFL | publisher = Sports Business Journal | date = April 6, 2009 | url = http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/62184 | access-date = August 9, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090409075634/http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/62184 | archive-date = April 9, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> Two weeks later, the [[Los Angeles Avengers]] announced that they were formally folding 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.<ref>{{cite news | title = AFL axing players' health insurance; Rampage's Gowins 'less optimistic' about league's return | newspaper = The Grand Rapids Press | date = May 28, 2009 | url = http://www.mlive.com/rampage/index.ssf/2009/05/afl_axing_players_health_insur.html | access-date = August 9, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090604104459/http://www.mlive.com/rampage/index.ssf/2009/05/afl_axing_players_health_insur.html | archive-date = June 4, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> 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 was considering filing for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] bankruptcy protection.<ref>{{cite news | title = Chapter 11 a possibility as AFL tries to keep hopes alive for 2010 season | publisher = Sports Business Journal | date = July 20, 2009 | url = http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63039 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120915102809/http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/63039 | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 15, 2012 | access-date = August 9, 2009 }}</ref> In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for [[Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code|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 a Chapter 7 liquidation if the league did not do so voluntarily.<ref>Yerak, Becky (August 11, 2009). [http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-arena-football-aug11,0,4763615.story Group trying to force Arena Football into bankruptcy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820184921/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-arena-football-aug11,0,4763615.story |date=August 20, 2009 }}. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 29, 2009.</ref> This request was granted on August 7, though converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2009/10/the_afl_sours_on_its_manhattan.php | title = The AFL sours on its Manhattan lease | publisher = Thedeal.com | access-date = August 4, 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091005021947/http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2009/10/the_afl_sours_on_its_manhattan.php | archive-date = October 5, 2009}}</ref>