The Erie RiverRats are hosting a kickoff party at the Copper Coin in Edinboro tomorrow night. There will be food and drink specials from 7:00pm to 11:00pm and players and dancers will make an appearance from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. The RiverRats season opener is Saturday, March 28th at 7:00pm at the Tullio Arena. The Rats (0-1) take on noth division opponent the DC Armor (0-1).

The Erie RiverRats open their season on Sunday in Baltimore when they take on the Mariners. You can follow all the action via webcast on www.aifafans.com or via Twiiter at the ErieSportsFans or ErieRatPack feeds.

There are a lot of new faces on the Erie RiverRats this year and the team is giving you a chance to meet the new players. Head out to CiCi's Pizza, 4045 Buffalo Rd, tonight at 5:30pm. A number of players will be on hand.

Some familiar names are returning, including Darmel Whitfield, Bob Hammer, and Jovon Johnson. The Rats also signed NFL caliber talent in linebacker Seth Fragale and defensive back Levonne Rowan. For a complete roster, follow this link.

The Canton Legends, one of Erie's biggest rivals in indoor football, are taking the 2009 season off. They hope to return in 2010. Losing the Legends changes the Riverrats schedule, most significantly their season opener which has been moved to March 15th against the Baltimore Mariners. Our Rats Google calendar has been updated.

As the NFL season is coming to a close, the American Indoor Football Association season is right around the corner. The Erie Riverrats are gearing up for another great season. In case you haven't been paying attention, here are some of the latest developments.

•  The Riverrats have signed Jovon Johnson. Johnson returns for his second season as a Riverrat. He's an Erie native and Meryhurst Prep alum. Johnson, a defensive back, recently played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. Johson also spent time as a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2006.
• The Riverrats will be holding tryouts on January 24, at the Greentree Sportsplex, 600 Iron City Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. Registration will begin at 7pm with workouts beginning at 8pm. The entrance fee is $50 at the door, or $45 if players pre-register on the Erie RiverRats website. See www.erieriverrats.com for more information.
• The Riverrats will be holdig tryouts on January 31, at The Edge Sports Performance Academy, 9550 Ravenna Rd., Twinsburg, OH 44087. Registration in Twinsburg will begin at 10am with players going on the field at 11:00am. See www.erieriverrats.com for more information.
• Dance team tryouts will take place on January 17th at the Family First Sports Park. Registration beings at 9:30am, with tryouts beginining at 10:00am. See www.erieriverrats.com for more information.
• The Riverrats are offering children 12 and under to become part of Rocky's Kids Club. Membership includes a season ticket for the child, membership card, t-shirt, and other benefits for only $40.
• The Riverrats have new ownership, headed by Jeff Plyler.
• We've launched our Riverrats Google calendar.
• The Riverrats season begins March 22nd as they head to Canton to take on the Legends. Their first home game is against the expansion franchise DC Armor on March 28th at 7:00pm at the Tullio Arena.

With skies threatening rain all evening, 6,255 fans (a season high) showed up on a Tuesday for Family Buck Night to watch the SeaWolves beat the Harrisburg Senators 11-2. Three weeks earlier, 6,224 fans showed up on a Monday night to watch the SeaWolves. Through 55 home appearances this season, the SeaWolves are averaging over 3,300 fans. The SeaWolves are 52-66, with a home record of 27-31. Despite a losing season, the SeaWolves are averaging 150 more fans than last year when they went 81-59 and finished first in the South Division.

The Erie Otters hockey team hasn't had a winning season since the 2004-05 season. Through three losing seasons, the Otters have still been able to average over 3,500 fans per game.

Then you have the Erie indoor football team. They went 1-13 in the 2007 season and 10-4 in 2008 season. Despite the incredible turn-around on the field, attendance actually diminished between their losing and winning seasons. In 2007 the football team averaged approximately 2,340 fans. In 2008, they averaged 1,840 fans, 500 less fans per game.

Everybody loves a winner, don't they?

Winning isn't everything, and those charged with promoting their teams know that. "We look at winning as a bonus, not an excuse for not drawing fans", said Erie SeaWolves General Manager John Frey. Frey has been with the SeaWolves since 2000 and has been a part of professional baseball for 24 years. When asked how important winning was in regards to attendance, Frey said, "It certainly does not hurt but it is not the most important factor in attendance. We are an entertainment facility. While winning can be fun we can still entertain people and give them a good value for their price of admission. If we do that, losing will have very little effect on our attendance." The price of admission is as little as $3 every Monday and Tuesday night at Jerry Uht Park. Low cost admission and many $1 food items on those nights, dubbed as "Buck Nights", make for some of those most attended games of the year. "Whether they pay full price or come on a Buck Night they want to get something of value for their money. We try to offer a good value with the events and activities going on in the stadium", said Frey.

The RiverRats indoor football team moved from Pittsburgh to Erie for the 2008 season, replacing the Freeze franchise that called Erie home for 3 seasons. The RiverRats would end up going 10-4 during their first season in Erie, finishing second place in the division, just one game behind Reading. The RiverRats lost their first playoff game and were eliminated from the playoffs. Despite their best efforts on and off the field, drawing fans to the Tullio Arena was difficult. "Erie is a busy community which offers much for people to do and at reasonable prices", said Jeff Moran, Vice President and General Manager for the RiverRats. Moran understands that Erie fans are a passionate group and identify with their teams. The RiverRats had about 60 days from the time they announced they were moving to Erie until their first home game. "We didn't have time to promote and sell the team as Erie's own. Some still viewed it as a Pittsburgh team. They wondered about our commitment to them", said Moran. Moran goes on to say, "the key is to offer them the opportunity to get to know us, to believe that we are an Erie team, to be proud of their team and to know that we are here to stay."

For 2009, Moran is busy promoting the RiverRats in the community. "I want to see our name, logo, and the sport become a natural extension of Erie", he said.