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 JTA News: JTA's Ross and Alexander - Join Tulsa Talons Ownership |
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JTA's Ross and Alexander - Join Tulsa Talons Ownership
Paul Ross and David Alexander join Henry Primeaux in becoming the new owners of the Tulsa Talons AF2 indoor football team. Both Ross and Alexander are active leaders in the current JTA organization. Ross serves as JTA's Vice-President of Tackle Football and team coach. Alexander serves as a JTA Coach of two teams, JTA INFC representative and was the 2001-2002 JTA President. The Talons have already committed to being a 2004 JTA sponsor and a supporter of youth football programs. For additional information, please see the following article from the March 24th Tulsa World or click on the Talon logo to visit their website at www.tulsatalons.com
Talons: New team owners hit ground running
By MIKE BROWN Tulsa World Sports Writer
3/24/2004
How can Henry Primeaux operate a successful arena football franchise without having Sam's next door?
That's easy. The Crown Bristow car dealer and well-known Tulsa civic leader wants to get the city excited about Tulsa Talons football.
"We want the city involved and we want this to be Tulsa's team. That's the whole idea of having the mayor up here with us," Primeaux said.
Mayor Bill LaFortune attended Tuesday's press conference at Flavors Restaurant as Primeaux joined with Paul Ross and David Alexander to introduce themselves as new owners of the 4-year-old arenafootball2 team.
The trio received league approval earlier Tuesday and took over from Jeff Lund. The Tulsa Oilers hockey owner started the af2 franchise in 1999 and built it into one of the league's strongest, as evidenced by the team's 2003 ArenaCup title.
"We're going to try to carry on what Jeff Lund was able do to on
the field, and we're going to carry it off the field to some places we haven't been yet," said Alexander, the former University of Tulsa football star and 10-year NFL veteran.
Ross, a Tulsa-based entrepreneur with interests as varied as oil and gas, pee wee football and film producing, said he and Primeaux are managing partners. Alexander is a minority owner and will serve as general manager in charge of football operations.
The group will also employ former Oilers hockey star Sylvain "Sly" Naud as vice president of operations. It was Naud who brought Ross and Lund together in a whirlwind deal-making courtship that began less than a month ago.
"We're hitting the ground running," said Primeaux, who unveiled deals with KFAQ radio am1170 and KWHB television cable 7/channel 47.
KFAQ will broadcast all 16 regular-season home games with Mark Wedel on play-by-play for the fourth straight year. KWHB will televise the regular-season opener against the new Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz on April 3, as well as five road games.
"When we talked to the league today, I think they were really impressed that in such a short period of time we could put together not only a radio package but a television package as well," Primeaux said.
The team also introduced head coach Ken Matous and his staff, along with Talons players Mitch Allner and Corky Martin, who signed to play their third seasons with the team. Both starred on last year's championship team.
Said Matous, "Those two young men, with the leadership and those (championship) rings they carry with them, raised our whole practice to a different level."
Lund retains an af2 interest as owner of the Oklahoma City franchise. He attended the press conference and Primeaux fanned the flames of a potentially heated new in-state rivalry.
"Our first game is in two weeks against Mr. Lund and the Oklahoma City Dog Pound. Or is it Yard Dawgz? I knew it was something about dogs," Primeaux said.
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