2008 RMFL STAFF ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETE; TRAVIS HOBSON AND JAMES VON GUNTEN TAKE OVER WEB SITE DUTIES

Posted January 21, 2008

RMFL – Rocky Mountain Football League Commissioner, Jared Neumeier, announced today that the final appointments for the 2008 staff have been made. Pocatello Predator GM, Travis Hobson, will team up with former Madison Lionz defensive back, James Von Gunten to take over the RMFL Web site during the 2008 season. Hobson will assume the role of “Web Master” and Von Gunten will take over as “Associate Web Master”. Hobson will be charged with the primary responsibility of uploading most articles and files along with improving the “look and feel” of the site, with Von Gunten supporting those same tasks as well as taking over primary responsibility for the Game Day Live Scoreboard which debuted last season on the front page of the site.

Hobson, who’s Graphic Imaging background is expected to lead to some new “enhancements” to the site, including live video files of parts of RMFL games, joins the RMFL staff after a number of years as a player in the league. Hobson has played for both Treasure Valley and Boise prior to moving to Pocatello and joining the Predators. After sharing some GM roles with Travis Goodwin in 2007, Hobson will also be taking over more responsibility for the Predators in ’07, but says he doesn’t feel like he will be “swamped”. Hobson was born and raised in Boise and played football for both BSU and ISU, majoring in business. In his spare time, Hobson is back in school at ISU to finish a degree in Biology in order to go to Podiatry School. He and his wife, Calli, reside in Pocatello and are expecting a daughter, whom they will name “Libbi” at any time. Hobson has also been coaching OL/DL at Shelley High Schoool in the fall for the past 4 years.

James Von Gunten recently graduated with a Masters degree in Athletic Administration from Idaho State after earning a BA in Communications from BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. It was there that he spent two seasons (2004-05) playing all-star level defensive back for the Madision Lionz (now re-named Eastern Idaho Lionz). Von Gunten works part time as the video coordinator for the Idaho State University football team. Von Gunten, who describes his web site experience to be “extremely limited”, is married and has a daughter named “Kaitlyn. Like Hobson, he also has one on the way, as they are expecting a boy soon.

RMFL Commissioner, Neumeier, believes they will make a great combination of talent as Hobson has the experience to dive right in and help make the RMFL site even more special, while Von Gunten brings the ability to learn quickly and a schedule amenable to handling the Live Scoreboard. Neumeier has asked Hobson to “re-design” the live scoreboard to make it not only easier for Von Gunten to update, but even more user friendly for web site visitors.

“As this league continues to move forward,” Neumeier said, “ and as we are looking at attracting more and larger sponsorships through our marketing program, we want to stand out. We are already on the leading cusp of the semi-pro leagues around the country with our game reporting and statistics set up. The live scoreboard from last season took us to another new level and now we need to fine tune that AND add something else in ’08. I think that Travis and James will be great. Travis is a master at the internet video file and I think we will all have an opportunity in 2008 to see exciting plays and parts of games right on the web site because of what he can do.”

The appointments officially brings the RMFL staff to 9. Below is a picture of the Organizational chart for the RMFL going into the 2008 season: