Maine Mammoths Future In Trouble If They Can’t Find New Owners

During their inaugural season the Maine Mammoths of the NAL went 7 wins and 8 losses finishing 5th in their division. It wasn't a bad opening season with the Mammoths getting a 5 game winning streak last year under veteran coach James Fuller who has an extensive 17 year history in coaching football and has an extensive players career in the NFL, NFL-Europe and the NCAA. But the 5 game winning streak was shadowed by a 5 game losing streak earlier in the season.

The losses didn't seem to matter to the crowd who, home game after home game, came out to support their new National Arena League football team. It's something Maine sports fans hadn't seen before at the Cross Insurance Arena and even though it was during the summer, fans didn't seem to mind being indoors for the games. I went to a couple and was totally into it. The players made the fans feel like they were part of the game and in some instances they were. I noticed some fans holding the down markers on the sidelines and when players would make a catch by diving over the boards into the stands the fan would pick them up and help them back to the field. It was truly more than just going to a sporting event, you were part of the game.

Today the Maine Mammoths organization announced that they are "still in negotiations with several local ownership groups" and with the search still underway, and the 2019 season just around the corner, the Mammoths have decided to take a hiatus for the upcoming season in order to focus full time in finding the right local group to carry on the success of the Mammoths. This is not good news for Maine NAL fans. After one season they have to back out and are desperately searching for financial backing. So there will be no arena football in Portland this season, or maybe ever again.

Those who have already purchased season tickets for the 2019 season will be getting full refunds in the coming weeks.