Owners vote to cancel Arena Football League season

Friday, February 25th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Des Moines, Iowa-AP) -- Unable to reach a contract agreement with the players, Arena Football League owners have voted to cancel the 2000 season. The Oklahoma Wranglers are one of 18 A-F-L teams that won't play this season. The Wranglers relocated from Portland, Oregon last November and recently announced the team's logo and colors. Training camp was scheduled to start next month.

The vote came after a group of players had filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league earlier this month saying it had conspired illegally to limit the players' rights and salaries.

League commissioner C- David Baker had told the players in a letter the season would be canceled if they failed to form a union to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement or refused to drop the threat of a lawsuit.

The scrapping of the season could be a huge blow to the league. The A-F-L was gaining in popularity after former Iowa Barnstormers quarterback Kurt Warner went on to lead the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl Championship.