According to Steve Donner, the old Titans website was owned by Gary Rosenbach and the old ownership group, Empire Sports Club. The new ownership group will be getting a new website going soon. The team is not dead.

Tonight I was at a watch party for the US v. Brazil game. In addition to Mark Dillon showing up, we were graced unexpectedly by the arrival of Orlando Pro Soccer president Steve Donner.

Donner and Dillon are currently in overdrive with our team, as the U.S. Soccer Federation has thrown a sudden monkey wrench into the Division 2 landscape by setting some rather draconian standards for any future Division 2 sports league:

1) Each team must provide a bond of $750,000 at least 120 days prior to the beginning of each season, to ensure players are paid.

2) Each team must have a plan to play in a soccer-specific stadium within 5 years.

3) Each team’s ownership group must have one member worth at least $20,000,000 USD.

These standards are understandable, as the USSF has likely grown tired of the churn in Division 2. On average, since the advent of what is now the USL First Division in 1995, roughly 3 out of 4 Division 2 teams that have ever existed have failed.

According to Donner, our ownership group fits this profile, though he is not yet ready to divulge who the ownership group consists of because we haven’t been able to finalize our European alliance deal yet. (Personally, I’d love to know who the person worth at least $20M is.) In fact, Donner tends to believe our current ownership group could get an MLS team if there were mutual interest from MLS.

That’s not the problem.

The problem is, there aren’t many D-2 ownership groups that fit this profile. Particularly those willing to pony up the bond. By Donner’s reckoning, there aren’t enough teams that qualify as such between USL and NASL, including Orlando and excluding the teams that are going to MLS (Portland, Vancouver, Montreal).

Some teams have already been scared off. According to Donner, FC New York, which was originally scheduled for USL-1, has decided to go to the third division instead, at the USL Second Division. And there’s no way the Puerto Rico Islanders qualify, to say anything of Antigua.

The bottom line is, the hold-up is having a D-2 league to play in. We either wait for the Division 2 league to materialize, or we press forward with a Division 3 league (namely, USL Second Division). Either way, the team is still on-course for 2011, and Donner stated that the Orlando soccer team will press on regardless. Regardless of where the team ends up, Donner is committed to having an elite-quality franchise that Orlando can be proud of.

Among the ideas being thrown around is to organize an international friendly at the Citrus Bowl toward the end of 2010. Donner is in serious discussions with several national teams. One possibility we discussed at the meeting is doing a benefit for Haiti. Donner hopes to have a prospect club representing Orlando by then, to set up for the pro team in 2011.

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As an aside, I would like to point out that the Orlando Titans are not quite dead yet. More details forthcoming. Just hold on to those deposits.

This article has been edited to fix some facts that I ended up screwing up. My fault.

The story came on Saturday that the Orlando Titans were forced to suspend operations for the 2011 season.

Apparently Gary Rosenbach’s divestiture from the club was the result of undisclosed personal financial problems. While the team has restructured, they were unable to complete the necessary moves in time to successfully reapply for a National Lacrosse League franchise for 2011.

The NLL, however, doesn’t appear to care. They have quietly removed mention of the Titans from the league website, though advertisement for the team still appears in ad spots. The only mention, which makes no mention of the team itself, is a news article reporting the free agency of Pat Maddalena and Patrick Merrill. Oddly enough, several other Titans players, including goalkeeper Matt Vinc and forward Casey Powell, were denied free agency, meaning they remain the property of the Titans for now.

I’m not sure if the NLL will hold a dispersal draft for the remaining players. Whether or not that happens will be telling as to what the NLL thinks of the Titans’ real chance of returning to the league in 2012, as team president Steve Donner has assured me will happen. He also told me they plan to find another indoor lacrosse league to play in for the 2011 season.

Donner also assured me this does not affect the soccer franchise. The ownership structure of Orlando Pro Soccer is totally different, and the Titans group only owns 10% of that team.

Four Orlando Titans players are taking part in the All-Star Game of Major League Lacrosse, the outdoor big leagues of lacrosse.

One is on the actual MLL All-Stars team, while the other three will be playing for the U.S. men’s national lacrosse team. The game will also act as the final tune-up for the men’s team before they head to Manchester, England, for the 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championship.

The player for the MLL All-Stars team is Dan Hardy. The 2009 NLL draftee and 2009 MLL Rookie of the Year did not play for the Titans in 2010.

The Titans players on the U.S. men’s national team are Stephen Peyser, Ryan Boyle and Matt Zash.

The MLL All-Star Game will air tonight on ESPN2 at 7pm.

Sorry I’ve been quiet the past week or so. Had some stuff to take care of in the real world.

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The Orlando Predators are currently sitting 5-7 with four games left in the regular season. That includes home games this Friday against Alabama, and on Saturday night, July 24, against Oklahoma City. The game on Friday night will air on NFL Network, and of course tickets are available. Game time is 8pm.

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The Kraze are 4-3-2 right now. Their next game is this Friday at Showalter Field in Winter Park. Game time is 7pm.

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The Florida Tuskers is planning the big kickoff for their Supporters Club. It will happen next Tuesday, July 13, at Ember, a high-end bar and grill in Downtown Orlando at 42 W. Central Blvd. There is parking right next door at 55 W. Central Blvd. (no, that’s not the 55 West… that’s a couple blocks south on Church St.)

Drink specials and complementary appetizers will be provided.

The Tuskers have not been sitting around in terms of personnel decisions. They have signed running back Dominic Rhodes. That name ought to be familiar. It’s the same guy who saved Peyton Manning’s hind quarters by rushing 113 yards with one touchdown in Super Bowl XLI. For his NFL career, he has 7,257 all-purpose yards with 32 TD.

Their provisional roster, which they will take into preseason training camp, was announced last Wednesday.

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The only recent news on the Orlando Titans is that they recently reshuffled their ownership structure. The primary owner, Gary Rosenbach, has sold some of his stake to other ownership partners.

Team president Steve Donner said there is interest in bringing in local partners. I’m certain we’ll get news when that happens.

The team stated there are no major difficulties with our NLL lacrosse team. Although not profitable their first year (what team is?), they did do better this year than during any year in New York City. Their financial goal is to break even during their third season in town.

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As for UCF… I scooped that Jeffrey Jordan would join his brother, Marcus, at UCF for men’s basketball. This was made official last week. He’ll sit out this coming season, and play his senior season, 2011-12.

Women’s basketball announced just today that assistant coach Courtney Locke has been promoted to recruiting coordinator. Locke has been an integral part of head coach Joi Williams-Felton’s staff. She played at Rutgers from 2002-2006.

It should be noted that all five starters in women’s basketball, and 4 of 5 starters in men’s basketball, return next year. So there are high hopes for improvement in 2010-11.

Season tickets for UCF football are on sale now. General season tickets are $190 on the sidelines and $130 in the end zone. Both prices are lower than the first-year prices in 2007 ($210 anywhere). Faculty/staff pricing is $156, and student pricing is $60 with valid UCF ID.

In baseball, Chris Duffy is being named first-team All-American by everybody: ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, NCBWA, and Yahoo! Sports, among others. Whether or not he wins the Golden Spikes Award (for which he’s one of 5 finalists) will be announced next Tuesday prior to the MLB All-Star Game.

Owen Dew signed his tender with the Cleveland Indians, and will report to Short-A Mahoning Valley in the New York-Penn League. Shane Brown signed with the Yankees, and will report to Short-A Staten Island in the same league.

Chris Duffy has been assigned to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League by the Phillies, meaning he’s playing in Clearwater. (Interestingly enough, he’s not the only Chris Duffy in the Phillies system.)

You’ll have to forgive my recent quietus. I am battling an infection. I’m feeling better now, so I’m going to try to catch up.

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The Orlando Titans’ playoff run came to an end last night with a 15-10 loss to the Toronto Rock in the East Division Final.

The Titans came into the half with a 5-4 lead, but goalkeeper Matt Vinc suffered an epic meltdown in the third quarter, giving up seven goals. From there, he was unable to stop the bleeding.

Mike McLellan had 4 goals. Pat Maddalena had 3 goals and 3 assists.

Attendance was a disappointing 4,651.

The Orlando Predators and Orlando Titans are going in opposite directions…

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The Predators lost again, in their home opener, this time to the second-worst team in the league, the Iowa Barnstormers, 50-40.

How much does the Sentinel care? Apparently, not a bit. Not one peep from them on the Predators. And why should they? The team is terrible. The attendance is pathetic. The team is not doing what it needs to do to get people to care about them again.

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The numbers were familiar, but the result was different as the Orlando Titans beat the Boston Blazers, 12-11, to advance to the NLL division final.

Boston raced to 4-2 and 7-4 leads in the first half, but Orlando fought back behind 5 goals by Casey Powell, including two each in the third and fourth quarters. Pat Maddalena had 4 assists. The game-winner was scored by Jordan Hall with 4 minutes to go in the game.

Matt Vinc saved 35 of the 46 shots he faced.

The attendance, at 4,205 was depressing. That’s what happens when you jack up the prices by 50% when you weren’t selling out before the playoffs.

The Division Final is next Saturday at 7:30pm. The Titans will be facing Toronto. We beat them both times we faced them in the regular season.

It seems the NLL–or at least our team–was waiting for the Orlando Magic.

This morning, the National Lacrosse League finally set the dates for the first round of the NLL playoffs. The Orlando Titans will host the Boston Blazers this Saturday, May 1, at 7:35pm EDT. You can buy tickets online through TicketMaster for $31-38. Or call 407-601-6516 to buy 2011 season tickets for $99-250 and get the first round of the NLL playoffs absolutely free plus substantial discounts on later rounds and extra tickets.

The Orlando Titans had their hands full. That’s what happens when you have a shot at the top record, and your opponent, the Minnesota Swarm, has nothing to play for but pride.

The Titans held back and made their comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game at the end of regulation. It then only took 24 seconds for the Titans to win, 12-11 in OT.

Casey Powell had 4 goals and 5 assists. Matt Alrich and Mike McLellan each scored 2 goals. Jordan Hall had an insane 8 assists. The OT game-winner was scored by Chad Thompson. Matt Vinc saved 40 of the 51 shots he faced.

I was incorrect about the #1 seed  yesterday, the stories I read made it look like we had control for the NLL Championship Game. But that assumes the Washington Stealth makes it to the Championship Game themselves.

Orlando will begin their playoff journey in Orlando against the Boston Blazers. Gametime still TBA.

The Orlando Titans returned to dominating form as they beat the Philadelphia Wings, 11-5, last night in the makeup game from the earlier snowout.

Tied 3-3 at the half, the Titans pulled away by dominating the third quarter, 4-0, and adding another four in the fourth.

Casey Powell led the way with 3 goals and 3 assists. Pat Maddalena had 2 goals and 3 assists.

Goalkeeper Matt Vinc sat the game out to keep rested for tonight’s showdown. Kurtis Wagar saved 40 out of 45 shot attempts.

At 10-5, the Titans now control their own destiny for homecourt. If they win tonight at Minnesota (8:35pm EDT), they will get homecourt for a potential NLL Championship Game.