July 14, 2010
In an example of how volatile and unpredictable things can be at this level of professional indoor football I give you the case of Billings Outlaws QB Chris Dixon. For those of you who have possibly been living under a rock for the last few years, Chris Dixon has established himself as one of the premier Quarterbacks in the indoor game. He is a perennial All- League , MVP Candidate, and currently has the Outlaws ready to face off with the Sioux Falls Storm in search of their second consecutive IFL Championship. Well it seems the week of the biggest game of the season Dixon has decided to pull a sort of LeBron James and declare himself a free agent after the season. Essentially every player in indoor football is a free agent after the season, so that in itself was not a shocking revelation. Also if every team in the league is playing by the rules; the pay scale for each player is the same. What some consider shocking about the announcement was that it occurred during the week of the championship game. It appears that he also has a planned press conference to announce his intentions later in the year. You can not fault Dixon for planning to explore his options for next season as the UFL and AFL would certainly mean a higher payday, and I can respect his decision to see what opportunities exist; however the timing of the announcement the week of the championship game is unfortunate. Dixon makes his point clear that he is not unhappy in Billings, but he feels the need at this point in his career to explore other options. He has certainly earned this right over the past several years with his on-field play. The Billings Outlaws organization is one of the best in professional indoor football, and I am sure they will do what is necessary to bring back their on-field leader for 2011. It is possible however that fans of the Outlaws, and of Indoor Football may be watching the end of an era on Saturday night.
shawnliotta.com 