FXFL Blacktips
The Florida Blacktips were a professional American football team, operating as a traveling team. They were a charter member of the Fall Experimental Football League, which was trying to become the developmental league for the National Football League. They were to play their home games at FIU Stadium in Miami, also the home to the FIU Panthers football and track and field teams. However, it was announced on September 22, 2014, that the Blacktips would drop 'Florida' from its name and play a truncated road schedule of only three games.[1] The Blacktips' inaugural season began on October 15, 2014. They finished the 2014 season in last place at 0–3.
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2016 |
| League | Fall Experimental Football League (2014–2016) |
| Team history | Florida Blacktips (2014, 2015–2016) Blacktips (2014) |
| Based in | Florida, New York |
| Stadium | None |
| Colors | Black, Aqua Blue, White |
| Championships | 0 |
| Conference titles | 0 |
| Division titles | 0 |
| Playoff berths | 0 |
On September 18, 2014, the Blacktips announced the signing of former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd,[2] however Boyd never played for the Blacktips, moving to the Boston Brawlers before the season started.
The team was initially expected to permanently settle in a market it will share with an unspecified New York–Penn League baseball team for the 2015 season.[3] However, a later announcement indicated the Blacktips would return in the same traveling-team status it held in 2014, solely owned and operated by the league.[4] The team later quietly re-added the "Florida" portion back to its name. The Blacktips were unusual among FXFL teams in that it did not rely on NFL preseason castoffs for the majority of its roster (indeed, an article in The New York Times described the Blacktips as having "no set roster").[5] Its players were also paid significantly less than the other FXFL franchises, receiving only $300 for each of the two games that were played as opposed to the $1000 per game payout of the other teams.[6]
The FXFL, and thus the Blacktips as well, suspended operations on September 2, 2016.[7]
There are now rumblings going on at press time that former FXFL commissioner Brain Woods is considering bringing the Blacktips or the Brooklyn Bolts back to play in an indoor league and is eyeing the Arena Football League, National Arena League, Champions Indoor Football or Indoor Football League.[8][9] The team's logo, colors and shark motif were recycled for The Spring League's fall 2020 season, albeit with the team rebranded as the "Blues."
Final roster
Blacktips roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special teams
|
Injured Reserve
Transfer List
Refused to Report
Rookies in italics | |||
References
- "FXFL Blacktips Become Travel Team". SportsBlog. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- "Tajh Boyd signs with Florida team in startup football league". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- "Brawlers will be part of FXFL". Vindy.com. The Vindicator. July 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- Ex-Buc Josh Freeman tries to restart career in fledgling league. The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- Setar, Cal (November 5, 2015). Fall Experimental Football League: The NFL's First Sustainable Farm System?. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- Daniel S. Weiss (August 30, 2016). "The Experiment Has Failed; FXFL Ceases Operations". Brooklyn Baseball Banter. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- SOURCE: Bolts Could Make Move to Arena Football Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, Daniel S. Weiss, Brooklyn Baseball Banter, December 15, 2016
- Former FXFL teams to head indoors?, Derek Harper and Aaron Castete, Arena Football Talk, December December 16, 2016