Omaha Beef
| File:OmahaBeef.PNG | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| League | IPFL (2000–2001) NIFL (2002–2004) UIF (2005–2008) IFL (2009–2012) CPIFL (2013–2014) CIF (2015–) |
| Based in | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Arena | Omaha Civic Auditorium (1999–2012) Ralston Arena (2013–) |
| Colors | Black, Orange, White |
| Owner | Rich Tokheim,Jim Tokheim |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division titles | 2: (IPFL: 2001 NIFL: 2003) |
| Playoff berths | 13: (IPFL: 2000, 2001 NIFL: 2002, 2003, 2004, UIF: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 IFL: 2009, 2010, 2011 CPIFL: 2013) |
| Dancers | Prime |
| Mascot | Sir Loin |
The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team which is a charter member of the Champions Indoor Football. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, the Beef play their home games at the Ralston Arena in nearby Ralston.
History
Omaha originally played in the Indoor Professional Football League in 2000 and 2001 as an expansion team before moving to the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) in 2002. The Beef then joined the newly formed United Indoor Football (UIF) in 2005 as a charter member. In 2008, the UIF merged with the Intense Football League to create the Indoor Football League.
Omaha had some very heated battles in their time together with the Sioux City Bandits (now a member of the Champions Indoor Football) and Sioux Falls since the NIFL. The three cities have shown that they value the I-29 rivalries that exist in that they have followed one another through multiple leagues to stay in competition. A new rivalry developed when the IFL expanded to Grand Island, NE in 2011 and the Nebraska Danger was formed. That was the I-80 rivalry and both teams played intense games during the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Sioux Falls and Nebraska stayed in the IFL (Indoor Football League) when the Beef moved to the CPIFL before the 2013 season.
The Beef organization have the only male dance team,[clarification needed] the Rumproasters, along with a female dance team, the Prime dancers. The Rumproasters, men of all different sizes, have been with the team since its inception. The Rumproasters perform routines from Grease all the way to hip hop, making them the Max Patkin of the organization.[clarification needed] The Rumproasters are also considered the ambassadors of the organization due to such commitment and charitable events they participate in.
The Prime dancers have won several awards including the best dance team three times in the UIF and 2009 dance team of the year in the IFL. They are ambassadors for the Beef organization as well and perform in conjunction with the Rumproasters including a routine for the last regular-season home game which can include ballroom dancing. The Prime were named Dance team of the Year once again for 2012.
The mascot for the Beef is an Angus bull named Sir Loin. He won mascot of the year three times in UIF and was named[by whom?] 2009 mascot of the year in the IFL and is a fan favorite. He was named Mascot of the Year for 2011 and again in 2012.
The Omaha Beef worked in the past in partnership with Omaha's ESPN Radio, 1620 AM, along with their sister station KKAR 1290. For two years, the majority of play-by-play commentary was conducted by Nick Handley, with color mixed in from Unsportsmanlike Conduct's Mike'l Severe. Late in the 2007 season, aspiring broadcaster Matt SantaMaria helped shoulder the load over a six-week run that including Omaha's 43–40 win at Colorado and their eventual playoff loss at Billings, 62–27. Matt SantaMaria won best radio play-by-play award in the UIF for 2008. Over the last few years, the Beef have not been broadcast on any local radio stations.
Starting in 2008, the Omaha Beef away games could be watched at Indigo Joe's Sports Pub and Restaurant, formerly located at 7425 Dodge Street in Omaha. The games were broadcast via the Internet by B2 Networks and b.IT Consulting and displayed on monitors around the restaurant. For 2012 the viewing parties were at Goldeez's Sports bar and Lounge through AmericaONE.
In 2009–2011 the organization went through several general manager and head coaching changes. Despite those changes, the team finished in the top tier of the league. In 2009, James Kerwin was head coach of the Beef and led the team to a 12-2 record and to the second round of the IFL playoffs. The Beef continued their consecutive playoff qualification streak, which ended after 14 years when the Beef failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2014.
The organization entered their thirteenth year of existence and fourth year as a member of the IFL in 2012. Despite constant changes within the league of expansion and contraction, the Beef were a constant and competitive member. 2012 saw the addition of new GM Josh Roehr from the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL) and the hiring of Bruce Cowdrey as head coach. Neither lasted a full season. As the rest of the 2012 season unfolded, the ownership of the team was then taken over by the IFL due to the actual owner not paying the fees associated with being a member. The head coach was let go, the GM left for new employment, and several other changes to cut costs. Despite this, Andy Yost and James Kerwin took over as co-head coaches and the Beef qualified for the playoffs with some key wins, but due to the financial situation the team was in, they were told they were not going to be in the playoffs. This resulted in the ending of a 12-year playoff appearance streak. The Prime Dancers and Sir Loin (mascot) won league awards.
The Omaha Beef were not included on the 2013 IFL schedule released on October 22, 2012. Their position in the United Conference was taken by the Texas Revolution being realigned from the Intense Conference.[1] This was due to negotiations with the possible sale of the team or a new replacement team taking over the Beef's position. There were discussions that the team might change leagues and move into the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). As of December 2012 the Omaha Beef was accepted by the CPIFL to begin play in March 2013.
In December 2012, the Omaha Beef were bought by Cornhusker Beef, Inc. On December 6, 2012, the Beef announced the new ownership group composing of Rich Tokhiem, Gerard Daly and Jim Tokhiem. As of early 2013, the new ownership group made up of brothers Rich Tokheim and Jim Tokheim began administering the day-to-day operations of the Omaha Beef franchise, which was entering its 14th season of competition.[2]
In their first season in the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL), the Beef hired Andy Yost as head coach, who had finished the previous season as interim co-head coach. Yost led the Beef to a 10-2 record and qualified for the playoffs as they finished second, in a three way tie (Sioux City(1), Wichita(3)) in the league. Despite a valiant effort the Beef fell to Wichita in the 1st round 31-25 continuing the streak of no championships.
After leading the team to the playoffs in 2013, in an unexplained move, Yost moved from head coach to quarterback coach for the 2014 season. The Beef hired Steve Heimann as head coach. Heimann coached the Beef to a win in their 2014 exhibition game and the resigned before coaching a regular season game. The Beef promoted defensive coordinator Dan Thurin to head coach. The Beef finished with an all-time franchise worst record of 4-8. On November 20, 2014, Thurin resigned his position via Facebook, citing "lack of payment and extremely hostile and unprofessional working environment."
In 2015 the Beef will play in Champions Indoor Football (CIF), the merger product of the CPIFL and Lone Star Football League (LSFL).
Season-by-season
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Beef (IPFL) | |||||
| 2000 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd League | Lost Semifinal (Mississippi) |
| 2001 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1st League | Lost IPFL Championship (Tennessee ThunderCats) |
| Omaha Beef (NIFL) | |||||
| 2002 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2nd Pacific Northern | Lost Round 1 (Bismarck) |
| 2003 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1st Pacific Northern | Won Round 1 (Bismarck) Lost Semifinal (Utah) |
| 2004 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2nd Pacific Northern | Won PC Round 1 (Sioux City) Lost PC Semifinal (Billings) |
| Omaha Beef (UIF) | |||||
| 2005 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 2nd North | Lost Round 1 (Sioux Falls) |
| 2006 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 2nd West | Lost Round 1 (Evansville) |
| 2007 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 3rd West | Lost Round 1 (Billings) |
| 2008 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3rd West | Lost Round 1 (Billings) |
| Omaha Beef (IFL) | |||||
| 2009 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1st United Central | Lost Divisionals II (Wichita) |
| 2010 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 3rd Central West | Lost Round 1 (Sioux Falls) |
| 2011 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2nd Great Plains | Won Round 1 (Bloomington) Lost Conference Semi-Final (Sioux Falls) |
| 2012 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 5th United | Made playoffs but due to financial reasons league left them out |
| Omaha Beef (CPIFL) | |||||
| 2013 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2nd League | Lost Round 1 (Wichita) |
| 2014 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8th League | -- |
| Totals | 138 | 85 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
Notable players
Current roster
Awards and honors
The following is a list of all Beef players who have won league Awards
| Season | Player | Position | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Ben Sankey | Quarterback | Offensive Player of the Year |
| 2012 | Peter Buck | Linebacker | Defensive Rookie of the Year |
Past seasons
2000 Omaha Beef IPFL schedule
Week 1 – Omaha Beef 26, Idaho Stallions 12
Week 2 – Shreveport-Bossier Bombers 44, Omaha Beef 39
Week 3 – Portland Prowlers 43, Omaha Beef 23
Week 4 – Omaha Beef 38, Idaho Stallions 33
Week 5 – bye
Week 6 – Omaha Beef 39, Mobile Seagulls 36
Week 7 – Louisiana Rangers 40, Omaha Beef 33
Week 8 – Omaha Beef 28, Shreveport-Bossier Bombers 6
Week 9 – bye
Week 10 – Portland Prowlers 34, Omaha Beef 30
Week 11 – Portland Prowlers 67, Omaha Beef 54
Week 12 – bye
Week 13 – Mississippi Fire Dogs 49, Omaha Beef 46
Week 14 – Omaha Beef 54, Idaho Stallions 47
Week 15 – Omaha Beef 59, Idaho Stallions 39
Week 16 – Omaha Beef 57, Mobile Seagulls 44
Week 17 – Louisiana Rangers 35, Omaha Beef 27
Week 18 – Portland Prowlers 40, Omaha Beef 26
Week 19 – Omaha Beef 44, Mississippi Fire Dogs 38
Semifinals – Mississippi Fire Dogs 43, Omaha Beef 40
2001 Omaha Beef IPFL schedule
Week 1 – St. Louis Renegades 44, at Omaha Beef 61
Week 2 – bye
Week 3 – Omaha Beef 51, at Trenton Lightning 41
Week 4 – Boise Stallions 27, at Omaha Beef 56
Week 5 – Omaha Beef 55, at St. Louis Renegades 47
Week 6 – bye
Week 7 – Omaha Beef 57, at Boise Stallions 34
Week 8 – Tennessee ThunderCats 50, at Omaha Beef 72
Week 9 – Omaha Beef 49, at Boise Stallions 45
Week 10 – Tennessee ThunderCats 29, at Omaha Beef 56
Week 11 – Omaha Beef 54, at Tennessee ThunderCats 32
Week 12 – St. Louis Renegades 42, at Omaha Beef 53
Week 13 – Omaha Beef 34, at Tennessee ThunderCats 61
Week 14 – Omaha Beef 35, at Boise Stallions 9
Week 15 – Boise Stallions 19, at Omaha Beef 58
Week 16 – Omaha Beef 76, at St. Louis Renegades 37
Week 17 – bye
Week 18 – Omaha Beef 50, at St. Louis Renegades 33
Week 19 – Boise Stallions 18, at Omaha Beef 79
IPFL Championship – Tennessee ThunderCats 47, Omaha Beef 38
2010 final standings
| 2010 Central West Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |
| y-Sioux Falls Storm | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0.786 | --- | 9-2 | 665 | 524 | W1 |
| x-Wichita Wild | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0.643 | 2.0 | 7-4 | 639 | 522 | L1 |
| x-Omaha Beef | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0.643 | 2.0 | 6-4 | 497 | 435 | W2 |
| Sioux City Bandits | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0.286 | 7.0 | 3-9 | 539 | 726 | L6 |
| Colorado Ice | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0.143 | 9.0 | 1-7 | 531 | 684 | L3 |
2011
Preseason
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| February 20 (Sun) | Saint Charles Cyclones | W 66–0 | --- | ||
Regular season
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | February 26 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Chicago Slaughter | W 39–36 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Bye | ||||
| 3 | March 12 (Sat) | 7:05pm | La Crosse Spartans | W 40–20 | 2–0 |
| 4 | Bye | ||||
| 5 | March 25 (Fri) | 7:05pm | Tri-Cities Fever | L 37–51 | 2–1 |
| 6 | April 3 (Sun) | 2:05pm | @Sioux Falls Storm | L 38–48 | 2–2 |
| 7 | April 9 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Wichita Wild | W 36–24 | 3–2 |
| 8 | April 16 (Sat) | 7:11pm | @West Texas Roughnecks | L 16–39 | 3–3 |
| 9 | April 23 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Nebraska Danger | W 46–37 | 4–3 |
| 10 | April 30 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Wyoming Cavalry | W 68–24 | 5–3 |
| 11 | May 6 (Fri) | 7:05pm (9:05 Central) |
@Seattle Timberwolves | L 50–52 | 5–4 |
| 12 | May 14 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Wichita Wild | W 48–44 | 6–4 |
| 13 | May 21 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Chicago Slaughter | W 48–29 | 7–4 |
| 14 | May 28 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Nebraska Danger | W 75–41 | 8–4 |
| 15 | June 3 (Fri) | 7:05pm (8:05 Central) |
@Wyoming Cavalry | L 33–41 | 8–5 |
| 16 | June 11 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Sioux Falls Storm | W 41–37 | 9–5 |
| Playoffs | |||||
| 1 | June 18 (Sat) | 7:00pm | Bloomington Extreme | W 39–34 | --- |
| 2 | June 25 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Sioux Falls Storm | L 39–52 | --- |
Division Standings
| 2011 Great Plains Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | GB | STK | |
| z Sioux Falls Storm | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0.929 | 1022 | 457 | 5–1 | — | L1 |
| x Omaha Beef | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0.643 | 615 | 523 | 5–1 | 4.0 | W1 |
| Wichita Wild | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0.429 | 571 | 618 | 1–5 | 7.0 | W2 |
| Nebraska Danger | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0.214 | 617 | 788 | 1–5 | 10.0 | L8 |
2012
Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | March 2 (Fri) | 7:05pm | Wichita Wild | W 38-35 | 1-0 |
| 2 | March 12 (Mon) | 7:05pm | @Nebraska Danger | L 34-48 | 1-1 |
| 3 | March 17 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Wyoming Cavalry | W 54-52 | 2-1 |
| 4 | March 24 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Green Bay Blizzard | L 37-42 | 2-2 |
| 5 | Bye | ||||
| 6 | April 6 (Fri) | 7:05pm | Wichita Wild | L 47-50 | 2-3 |
| 7 | April 13 (Sat) | 7:05pm (8:05 Central) |
@Wyoming Cavalry | L 60-71 | 2-4 |
| 8 | April 21 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Cedar Rapids Titans | W 50-32 | 3-4 |
| 9 | April 28 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Sioux Falls Storm | L 37-49 | 3-5 |
| 10 | May 5 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Wichita Wild | L 41-77 | 3-6 |
| 11 | May 12 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Nebraska Danger | W 68-54 | 4-6 |
| 12 | May 19 (Sat) | 7:05pm (6:05 Central) |
@Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | W 64-44 | 5-6 |
| 13 | Bye | ||||
| 14 | June 1 (Fri) | 7:05pm | Cedar Rapids Titans | W 51-33 | 6-6 |
| 15 | June 9 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Nebraska Danger | L 34-50 | 6-7 |
| 16 | June 16 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Sioux Falls Storm | L 20-59 | 6-8 |
Division Standings
| 2012 United Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | GB | STK | |
| y Sioux Falls Storm | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 941 | 563 | 7-0 | --- | W14 |
| x Green Bay Blizzard | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0.786 | 787 | 586 | 10-3 | 3.0 | W3 |
| x Bloomington Edge | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0.714 | 673 | 604 | 10-3 | 4.0 | W1 |
| x Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0.429 | 605 | 615 | 6-8 | 8.0 | W1 |
| Omaha Beef | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0.429 | 635 | 696 | 3-3 | 4.0 | L2 |
| Chicago Slaughter | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0.429 | 657 | 714 | 6-8 | 4.0 | L1 |
| Cedar Rapids Titans | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0.286 | 509 | 631 | 4-0 | 10.0 | W1 |
| Reading Express | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0.143 | 534 | 773 | 7-1 | 12.0 | L5 |
2013
Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | Bye | ||||
| 2 | March 17 (Sun) | 2:00pm | @Kansas City Renegades | W 38-27 | 1-0 |
| 3 | Bye | ||||
| 4 | March 29 (Fri) | 7:30pm | Kansas Koyotes | W 54-27 | 2-0 |
| 5 | April 7 (Sun) | 7:30pm | Sioux City Bandits | W 32-26 | 3-0 |
| 6 | April 13 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Lincoln Haymakers | W 55-49 | 4-0 |
| 7 | April 20 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Wichita Wild | L 17-29 | 4-1 |
| 8 | April 27 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Sioux City Bandits | W 38-24 | 5-1 |
| 9 | May 5 (Sun) | 7:30pm | Mid-Missouri Outlaws | W 68-13 | 6-1 |
| 10 | May 11 (Sat) | 7:30pm | Lincoln Haymakers | W 27-23 | 7-1 |
| 11 | May 17 (Fri) | 7:05pm | @Bloomington Edge | W 51-33 | 8-1 |
| 12 | May 24 (Sat) | 4:30pm | Oklahoma Defenders | W 59-21 | 9-1 |
| 13 | June 1 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Lincoln Haymakers | W 34-24 | 10-1 |
| 14 | June 7 (Fri) | 7:30pm | Kansas City Renegades | L 27-42 | 10-2 |
2014
Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | March 02 (Sun) | 3:00pm | Dodge City Law | L 35–61 | 0-1 |
| 2 | March 09 (Sun) | 3:00pm | Kansas Koyotes | W 55–27 [3] | 1–1 |
| 3 | Bye | ||||
| 4 | March 22 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Lincoln Haymakers | L 20–59 | 1–2 |
| 5 | March 29 (Sun) | 7:05pm | @Bloomington Edge | W 70–69 | 2–2 |
| 6 | April 05 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Kansas Koyotes | W 52–30 [4] | 3–2 |
| 7 | April 11 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Sioux City Bandits | L 55–61 | 3–3 |
| 8 | April 19 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Wichita Wild | L 33–66 | 3–4 |
| 9 | Bye | ||||
| 10 | May 3 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Dodge City Law | L 20–60 [5] | 3–5 |
| 11 | May 10 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Sioux City Bandits | L 47-61 | 3-6 |
| 12 | May 16 (Fri) | 7:05pm | @Lincoln Haymakers | L 56-67 | 3-7 |
| 13 | May 24 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Bloomington Edge | W 80-69 | 4-7 |
| 14 | May 31 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Salina Bombers | L 43-50 | 4-8 |
| 15 | Bye | ||||
References
- ^ "2013 IFL Schedule Announced". Indoor Football League. October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ http://www.beeffootball.com/new-ownership-and-new-league/
- ^ Peterson, Jr., Rick (March 22, 2014). "Koyotes set for home opener against Salina". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Peterson, Jr., Rick (April 6, 2014). "Koyotes drop to 0-4 with loss to Omaha Beef". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Law shreds Beef again". Dodge City Daily Globe. May 3, 2014. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
External links
Sports teams based in Nebraska | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball |
|  | |||
| Football | |||||
| Hockey | |||||
| Roller derby | |||||
| Soccer | |||||
| Volleyball | |||||
| College athletics |
| ||||
| |||||