2008 Woodie Awards
Minor league football team rumbles into SRU this summer
By Adam Brewer
Rocket Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Sports
SRU will host two professional sports teams this summer, as SRU Athletic Director Paul Lueken announced that the New Castle Thunder of the North American Football League, a minor league football organization, will play its home games at Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
"The facilities at Thompson Stadium are fantastic," Thunder General Manager Anthony Razzano said. "The field turf is in excellent condition, and the locker room is nice. It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Lueken and SRU. We want the whole region, Western Pennsylvania, to support our brand of football, and SRU is the perfect site to play our home games."
The Thunder, which played some of its home games at Thompson Stadium last summer, joined the Slippery Rock Sliders, one of the newest teams in the independent Frontier Baseball League, in calling SRU home for the upcoming season.
The Sliders inked a deal with the university in early December to play 32 home games at SRU's Jack Critchfield Park.
The Sliders' home opener is set for May 29.
Lueken said the fact that two professional sports teams have chosen SRU as their home says a lot about the Rock, its facilities and what the university has to offer.
"The Thunder and Sliders will bring a lot of people to SRU and the local community, which gives us tremendous exposure, plus it helps our scholarship program and the local economy," Lueken said.
Razzano said he definitely thinks SRU can handle two pro sports teams.
"We knew SRU can handle us, because we played some games there last season," Razzano said. "We had an enjoyable experience last year and wanted to take advantage of it this year."
The Thunder will hold practice sessions at Thompson Stadium, and out of its 10-game schedule will play five regular-season home games. Home games are scheduled for June 16 and 30, July 14 and 28, and Aug. 4.
The team may also play home playoff games on campus.
The team's first year in New Castle was last year, in which Thunder posted a 9-3 record to earn a playoff berth in 2006.
Despite this being the first time Razzano has ran a sports franchise, he has had a lot of experience running a business.
"This is my first time working with a sports team other than as a consultant," Razzano said. "I owned and was involved with five different corporations, and I'm fully committed to making the Thunder the best it can be."
Razzano said that his family has had a lot of football experience on the collegiate and professional levels.
The Razzano name is also seen a lot with the Thunder, with his uncles Rick and Bob, the head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively, on staff. His wife, Katie, is also the secretary and treasurer for the Thunder.
The Thunder, which is a part of the Northern Conference and the Great Lakes Division in the NAFL, consists of three different types of players.
"First there are your star players that make up 25 percent of the team and the league," Razzano said. "These players have no college eligibility left and are looking to go pro or to the next level.
"The next 25 percent consists of high school or amateur players that are looking for college scholarships. The remaining 50 percent are players that play for the love of the game. They just wanted to play football and love the excitement of our league."
Along with finally getting an official home stadium, the Thunder signed a contract with 88.9 Titan Radio to cover all of its games this season.
These are two steps to make the team a regional sports team in Western Pennsylvania from Lawrence County to Butler County.
"We want to build a model franchise and be a good example for the league," Razzano said. "We want to popularize minor league football in Western Pennsylvania. We are drawing talent from our region. Players are solely from this region, and we are seeing how they compete against other players around the country."
"The facilities at Thompson Stadium are fantastic," Thunder General Manager Anthony Razzano said. "The field turf is in excellent condition, and the locker room is nice. It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Lueken and SRU. We want the whole region, Western Pennsylvania, to support our brand of football, and SRU is the perfect site to play our home games."
The Thunder, which played some of its home games at Thompson Stadium last summer, joined the Slippery Rock Sliders, one of the newest teams in the independent Frontier Baseball League, in calling SRU home for the upcoming season.
The Sliders inked a deal with the university in early December to play 32 home games at SRU's Jack Critchfield Park.
The Sliders' home opener is set for May 29.
Lueken said the fact that two professional sports teams have chosen SRU as their home says a lot about the Rock, its facilities and what the university has to offer.
"The Thunder and Sliders will bring a lot of people to SRU and the local community, which gives us tremendous exposure, plus it helps our scholarship program and the local economy," Lueken said.
Razzano said he definitely thinks SRU can handle two pro sports teams.
"We knew SRU can handle us, because we played some games there last season," Razzano said. "We had an enjoyable experience last year and wanted to take advantage of it this year."
The Thunder will hold practice sessions at Thompson Stadium, and out of its 10-game schedule will play five regular-season home games. Home games are scheduled for June 16 and 30, July 14 and 28, and Aug. 4.
The team may also play home playoff games on campus.
The team's first year in New Castle was last year, in which Thunder posted a 9-3 record to earn a playoff berth in 2006.
Despite this being the first time Razzano has ran a sports franchise, he has had a lot of experience running a business.
"This is my first time working with a sports team other than as a consultant," Razzano said. "I owned and was involved with five different corporations, and I'm fully committed to making the Thunder the best it can be."
Razzano said that his family has had a lot of football experience on the collegiate and professional levels.
The Razzano name is also seen a lot with the Thunder, with his uncles Rick and Bob, the head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively, on staff. His wife, Katie, is also the secretary and treasurer for the Thunder.
The Thunder, which is a part of the Northern Conference and the Great Lakes Division in the NAFL, consists of three different types of players.
"First there are your star players that make up 25 percent of the team and the league," Razzano said. "These players have no college eligibility left and are looking to go pro or to the next level.
"The next 25 percent consists of high school or amateur players that are looking for college scholarships. The remaining 50 percent are players that play for the love of the game. They just wanted to play football and love the excitement of our league."
Along with finally getting an official home stadium, the Thunder signed a contract with 88.9 Titan Radio to cover all of its games this season.
These are two steps to make the team a regional sports team in Western Pennsylvania from Lawrence County to Butler County.
"We want to build a model franchise and be a good example for the league," Razzano said. "We want to popularize minor league football in Western Pennsylvania. We are drawing talent from our region. Players are solely from this region, and we are seeing how they compete against other players around the country."
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