Editing Oakland Assassins (section)

== 2004 season ==

=== Continued NXL competition ===

Oakland continued competing in the NXL during 2004.

The team remained a leading Western Conference competitor.

The season also featured disputes over the ability of NXL players to compete in other professional leagues.

=== NXL exclusivity restrictions ===

During the early NXL period, league rules restricted players and franchises from participating in outside professional competitions.

The restrictions became controversial as players sought opportunities to compete in the NPPL Super 7 series.

NXL franchise names were also subject to restrictions outside the league.

These rules affected the Oakland Assassins and other teams.

=== NPPL Denver appearance ===

At the 2004 NPPL Denver Open, members of the Oakland Assassins competed under an Ironmen identity.

Contemporary WARPIG coverage identified the team as the Oakland Assassins led by Bob Long.[6]

The report explained that NXL franchise-name restrictions prevented Oakland from using its usual team name in the NPPL.

The same event featured other NXL players competing under alternative names.

For example, Chicago Aftershock appeared as Shock.

The Los Angeles Ironmen competed as The Men.

=== Relationship with Bob Long's Ironmen ===

The 2004 Denver event provides direct documentary evidence connecting Oakland Assassins players with the Bob Long's Ironmen name.

It also demonstrates that the NXL and NPPL team names did not always correspond to entirely separate groups of players.

Nevertheless, the two league entries should be distinguished when compiling historical results.

A shared roster or temporary alternate name does not establish that every historical result belongs to one continuous organisation.

=== Western Conference championship ===

Oakland won the 2004 NXL Western Conference championship.

WARPIG reported that the team had already secured the conference title before the Northeast Open.[3]

At that point, Oakland led Chicago Aftershock by 27 league points to 14.

The remaining matches could not change the Western Conference championship result.

=== Commissioner's Cup competition ===

The Assassins were also contenders for the NXL Commissioner's Cup, awarded for regular-season performance.

Contemporary coverage described Oakland as strongly positioned to secure the award.[3]

The Western Conference championship is independently confirmed.

The final Commissioner's Cup result should be verified separately before being added to the team's list of titles.