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Writer's pictureJAL

Fog Have New Ownership - Bittersweet Day For JAL


This was actually, probably a long-time coming.

After last season the former Bay Area Fog owners and founders Darren Ayoub and Jacob Rahn expressed to the league that they were going to try and sell the team. At that time JAL administrators told them that was a perfectly fine thing to do, but needed to be done sooner rather than later simply because that would be in the league's better interest than to wait until the season start date got close.

After about a week of no activity on that front from Ayoub and Rahn the JAL administrators told them they would fully assist them in finding a buyer of the franchise. When told, the Fog owners informed the league that they had changed their mind and no longer wanted to sell.

Yesterday, with 13 days before the season, the Fog owners began calling potential buyers with the desire to again sell the franchise. League administrators (Cale, Ty, Brock Johnson & Tierney Uhlenkott) then stepped in and seized control of the team (An action the league is allowed to do if necessary). This action was taken because the Fog owners wanted to pick their own successors and make a profit from it - Which normally would be allowed. The reason JAL administrators decided not to allow it in this instance was because at that point all 4 admins lacked trust and confidence that they would do it in a manner that was in the best interest of the league.

"We were worried that the Fog would not have stable ownership by Nov. 12th when the season starts because the owners would take their time searching for the "best sale" instead of the collective best interest. To avoid this we took action early after JAL 14, but then they said they wouldn't go through with it, so when they indeed went back on it we unfortunately felt best just taking the matter out of their hands. Franchise instability isn't something we wanted looming when the season started, and we made that clear to them but they ignored it. We wish they would have been more cooperative and their passing of the torch could have been more smooth." - Cale Johnson.

A few hours after all that happened the Fog were sold by the JAL to the Wall family of Kalama. Scott Wall (pictured right) owns 51% and Josh Wall (former player of the underdogs JAL 10-11, 13-14) 49%. Josh Wall (pictured left) has also been named the General Manager. Additionally Two other members of the Wall family are currently in discussion to obtain a small percentage of the team's ownership pie.

*Note: When Ayoub & Rahn initially said they wanted to sell the team back in August the Wall family told the league they would like to have the franchise. The Wall's were the first and only one's contacted to buy the Fog yesterday once the JAL took over the team and they jumped on the opportunity without hesitation.

"They could soon be one of the best owners in the league" - Ty Johnson

For JAL 15 the Wall's say they will continue to go by "Bay Area Fog" and use the colors and logo because it is so close to starting. After the season however, they say they plan to change the franchise identity completely.


JAL logo (JAL 9-pres).png
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