LAFAYETTE, LA (AP) -- The National Indoor Football League, a third-year league playing indoor football in 24 cities across the United States, was forced to cancel their remaining games for the 2003 season and be forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

The last straw came at a league game at the Houma at Myrtle Beach game played on May 31, 2003 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The league, already at the point for begging for footballs to be returned from the stands, could not scrape together the $190 to replace a missing down marker. The down marker was last seen with "Dave from Maryland", a fan recruited from the stands to operate the down marker as part of a fan contest.

Carolyn Shriver, league-President-for-life, was philosophic. "For several years we tried to provide football entertainment at a reasonable price, but sometimes fans need to understand that the game cannot be taken home with them," said Shriver from her palacial office suite at 1 NIFL Plaza. "We had a choice, either to pay the winning team the $200 they divvy up after the game, or buy a replacement down marker. Our lawyers recommended the former."

Hit hard the most after this news was the defending champion Ohio Valley Greyhounds, who had not lost a game in over a calendar year and were just four wins away from a perfect season and were ironically set to play Myrtle Beach next. Head coach Mark Bonar said "I am very disappointed, but find it neat that I have a 10-0 record in professional football. I also thank the fine people at State Farm insurance for allowing me to return to my previous job with my vacation day bank intact."

Fans of the league wore their hearts on their sleeve upon learning about the loop's demise. "I have supported this league since the beginning, offering scheduling advice and pushing hard for a franchise closer to my home" said Mike Burger, a fan from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Found in his front lawn swearing at dandelions, Burger felt the pains of dozens of fans everywhere. "Where I will go for 20-yard kickoffs, 3-yard penalties and media timeouts?"

Another fan, Dwight Kidder of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, was seen running up and down the aisles of a gourmet food store in suburban Pittsburgh muttering the word "Fraught" at anyone who would listen. Craig Barker, a high school history teacher, had lamented he was already on his fifth liter of Coke, drowning his sorrows about the now paucity of low-budget football available for the dedicated groupie.

Shriver, however, saw a prime business opportunity go by the wayside. "I was already to sell the league to the Comcast corporation and retire from sports. They had mentioned that they were going to look from within the company to find a new league president, hoping to find someone with at least a Masters degree, some computer experience, a decent golfer and a music background." The league had also planned to move the front office to South Carolina once the Comcast acquisition had occurred.