Battle Creek Crunch

Last updated

Battle Creek Crunch
Established 2005
Folded 2006
Played in Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan
Crunch-Logo.png
League/conference affiliations
Great Lakes Indoor Football League (2006)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, Orange, White
   
CheerleadersIllegal Motion
Personnel
Owner(s)Mike Powell
General managerMike Powell
Head coachBob Kubiak
Team history
  • Battle Creek Crunch (2006)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (1)
Home arena(s)

The Battle Creek Crunch were a professional indoor football team based in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League joining the league in 2006 as an expansion team. The Crunch were the first professional indoor football team to be based in Battle Creek. The Crunch were owned by Mike Powell. They played their home games at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Contents

Franchise history

The Crunch were announced to the City of Battle Creek in September 2005 that they would begin play in 2006 as an expansion team in the newly formed Great Lakes Indoor Football League by owner and general manager, Mike Powell. On September 27, 2005 the team named Bob Kubiak as their head coach. [1] The Battle Creek Crunch office is officially open to the public on January 16. [2] In their first ever game, the Port Huron Pirates defeated the Crunch by the score of 62-22. [3] The team was also featured on ESPN.com, as writer Ted Kluck tried out for the team. He participated in the first game as a long snapper for two extra point attempts. [4] Kluck wrote a book called, Paper Tiger which captured the entire 2006 season from a player's prospective. [5] Despite the team's lackluster 4-6 record, the team qualified for the playoffs as the league's 4th and final seed. The team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Port Huron Pirates by a score of 74-3. Despite the team's struggles on and off the field, Eric Gardner was named the inaugural GLIFL Defensive Back of the Year.

2006 GLIFL standings

TeamWLTPCT
Port Huron Pirates-y10001.000
Rochester Raiders-x730.700
Lehigh Valley Outlawz-x550.500
Battle Creek Crunch-x460.400
Marion Mayhem 460.400
New York/New Jersey Revolution 0100.000

Even though they hoped to play in 2007, financial troubles and the forming of the Kalamazoo Xplosion marked the end of the Crunch's only year of existence. [6] [7]

Logos

The team name refers to Battle Creek's position as the corporate headquarters of the Kellogg's cereal company. The tiger in the logo is derivative of Tony the Tiger.

Players of note

Roster

Battle Creek Crunch roster
Quarterbacks
  • 14Ken Kubiak
  •  7Tim Kubiak

Running backs

  •  2Chesaurae Rhodes

Wide receivers

  •  4Richard Gills
  • 15Brian Wright
Offensive linemen
  • 61Kyle Lacksheide
  • --Chris Gillette

Defensive linemen

  • 37Anthony Allsbury
  • 87Chris Montgomery
  • 92Harry Petaway

Linebackers

  • 25Ted Kluck
Defensive backs
  •  1Shawn Blackmon
  • 10Eric Gardner
  • 27 Herb Haygood
  •  5L. J. Parker
  •  6Chris Roberson

Kickers

  • 18Brent Selent
Injured reserve
  • currently vacant

Exempt list

  • currently vacant

Practice squad

  • currently vacant

rookies in italics
updated June 24, 2006
18 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

[8]

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Battle Creek Crunch players who won GLIFL awards.

SeasonAwardPlayerPosition
2006 Defensive Back of the YearEric Gardner WR/DB

Coaches of note

NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
Bob Kubiak 2006 460.40001

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2006 2006 GLIFL 460Lost GLIFL semifinals (Pirates) 3–74
Totals460All-time regular season record (2006)
01-All-time postseason record (2006)
470All-time regular season and postseason record (2006)

References

  1. "Battle Creek Crunch announce first Head Coach". September 28, 2005. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  2. "Crunch News and Notes - January". January 16, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  3. Randy Snow (April 8, 2006). "Crunch Lose Opener to Pirate" . Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  4. Ted Kluck. "A day in mini-camp" . Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  5. Paper Tiger:One Athlete's Journey to the Underbelly of Pro Football . Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  6. "None". Archived from the original on April 15, 2012.
  7. "None".[ permanent dead link ]
  8. "Quest for Great Lakes Bowl I - Battle Creek Crunch Season Preview". March 28, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2012.