Wheaton native sees even pros are affected
When Steve Thonn began a professional football coaching career 15 years ago, the last thing he expected was guaranteed stability.
This career shift, however, he never saw coming.
The Wheaton native and head coach of the Grand Rapids franchise in the Arena Football League felt the ultimate shock in mid-December when the powers that be canceled the league's upcoming 2009 season.
"Everything seemed business as usual," Thonn said. "I thought we were going to get ready for another season."
Not even pro sports seem recession-proof anymore.
From the National Football League, where layoffs hit 10 percent of its staff, to NASCAR and its equally shrinking work force, evidence is everywhere.
Perhaps no sports example of the economic trouble hits home harder than what's happening in the AFL. Or, rather, what's not happening.
Strapped for cash, the fan-favorite league announced it was suspending the 2009 season slated to begin this spring. The AFL, especially popular among fans of the Chicago Rush, couldn't maintain financial losses that defied record-breaking attendance in 2008.
While the AFL hopes to return for the 2010 season - a return that could hinge on the expected announcement in March of a new business model - the pain of suspension runs deep.
In addition to the hundreds of football players looking for employment, dozens of coaches find themselves in the same boat as all the other staffers left without a job.
Thonn, an AFL lifer, restlessly awaits his next step.
"Everyone knew it wasn't working even though the league was becoming more popular," he said. "If the economy was better we probably could have kept it going. The last thing they wanted to do was shut down the league, but they have to make sure they get this right."
Thonn was a star player at Wheaton North and Wheaton College before enjoying an Arena League career as a wide receiver from 1988 to 1993.
He immediately transitioned to coaching in the AFL, spending time at Albany, Connecticut, Milwaukee, Houston - where he had his first head coaching stint - Dallas and Georgia. For much of that time Thonn also served as Wheaton North's offensive coordinator under former coach Matt Foster.
Last season was his first as head coach at Grand Rapids, where he led the Rampage to the Western Division championship game.
Like with the Rush, fan attendance and excitement around the Rampage was at a peak before December's suspension announcement. But unlike other franchises, Thonn and his staff remain temporarily under contract while the league's future is decided.
Although the downtime is frustrating, Thonn aims to spend it wisely as he scouts the Arena League 2 and other indoor leagues. He'll also attend the NFL combine.
And, like everyone else in the AFL, he waits.
"It kills us because we finished strong, we had the fun back in Grand Rapids," he said. "We were poised to make something really happen.
"Hopefully they get everything together for 2010."