I just can’t figure out why Birmingham isn’t supporting the Stallions? The city used to be a slam dunk for alternate/Sping football leagues.
Birmingham was the class of the old USFL and early UFL. That was when they won a lot of games. This season they are pretty much losers, and I guess the attendance reflects that. I watched a bit of a Houston home game, and the only thing you noticed in the stands were different colored seats, with nobody in them. LOL
I caught a portion of a game on Saturday and I assumed that they were piping in the crowd noise, because there was no way the stadium could be that empty and that loud at the same time.
I wonder if letting the ex-college superstars play even if they're not the best at their position would bring more eyeballs to the game. Christian Hackenberg and Johnny Manziel were briefly in the AAF.
A.J. McCarron was considered a "star" for the spring league yet St. Louis dumped him after two seasons. Apparently the league recognized his name appeal, since he's now a UFL head coach with zero prior coaching experience, which looks like a giant mistake.
A.J. McCarron was considered a "star" for the spring league yet St. Louis dumped him after two seasons. Apparently the league recognized his name appeal, since he's now a UFL head coach with zero prior coaching experience, which looks like a giant mistake.
Kinda answered your own question.
I don't think they have a fucking clue as to what they are doing. I wouldn't be surprised if the new Oklahoma City team ends up being a replacement for Birmingham instead of an additional team.
Kinda answered your own question.
The AAF had so many problems beyond the players. They were rushed out there to beat the XFL and never stood a chance. They had some of their games streaming on, I think, Bleacher Report?
Didn't know where else to post this, but in 2024 someone tried to start up the Arena Football League (same name but no relation to the original AFL) and it was a scam. All the teams left after the season and created the Arena Football One league.
Today I discovered that something called the International Arena League just started up and everyone thinks it too is a scam.
There's a game streaming live on YouTube right now and it looks awful. Barely anyone in the stands and the wall padding looks cheap and unsafe.
Today I discovered that something called the International Arena League just started up and everyone thinks it too is a scam.
There's a game streaming live on YouTube right now and it looks awful. Barely anyone in the stands and the wall padding looks cheap and unsafe.
I watched for about two minutes of the game between Pennsylvania and Utah. Don't think the UFL has anything to worry about from them.
The history of arena football is worse than the history of spring football. So many leagues starting and folding, so many scammers. The best of what's out there appears to be the IFL (Indoor Football League), and "indoor" football and "arena" football aren't even the same thing and have different rules.
The wiki page tells me current arena/indoor leagues include American Arena League, American Indoor Football, National Arena League and Gridiron Indoor Football League. And teams can quit one league and join another!
The wiki page tells me current arena/indoor leagues include American Arena League, American Indoor Football, National Arena League and Gridiron Indoor Football League. And teams can quit one league and join another!
Probably had money riding on the game because that would simply be inexcusable, even at the high school level.
It's United Bowl day! Yay! Curious to see how attendance will look because the neutral field they selected a while back actually has the home team in the championship now.
Made this post while watching EFA football. That's the European Football Alliance. Attendance is just as bad as the UFL. And get this, there are not one but two fledgling leagues in Europe, the other being the AFLE or American Football League Europe. And they play at the same time. And if they're both around next year, each league will have a team in London!
Also, just learned that the Continental Football League was revived and is currently playing. Is there really nostalgia for a league that lasted from 1965-69? There is no actual lineage between the current CoFL and the '60s league. There are only five teams (three in Texas!!!) because teams kept folding before the season began.
Made this post while watching EFA football. That's the European Football Alliance. Attendance is just as bad as the UFL. And get this, there are not one but two fledgling leagues in Europe, the other being the AFLE or American Football League Europe. And they play at the same time. And if they're both around next year, each league will have a team in London!
Also, just learned that the Continental Football League was revived and is currently playing. Is there really nostalgia for a league that lasted from 1965-69? There is no actual lineage between the current CoFL and the '60s league. There are only five teams (three in Texas!!!) because teams kept folding before the season began.
American football has to be the most expensive and labor intensive sport to pull off. These leagues are just flushing money, because outside of a few with gambling addictions no one cares.
Too much competition for sports dollars and too few quality players makes it a proposition doomed to mediocrity.
Too much competition for sports dollars and too few quality players makes it a proposition doomed to mediocrity.
Basketball would be the easiest sport to fund in the second-tier market but people don't seem to care about basketball. I do remember years ago when Isiah Thomas bought the Continental Basketball Association and bankrupted it around the same time his book about how to succeed in business came out.
Soccer, on the other hand, is everywhere. USL Championship, USL 1, USL 2, two USL women's leagues, USL even wants to attempt a higher tier league to directly compete with the MLS.
Soccer, on the other hand, is everywhere. USL Championship, USL 1, USL 2, two USL women's leagues, USL even wants to attempt a higher tier league to directly compete with the MLS.
Probably one of those things where the 1980’s were the last best chance for Spring football to carve out a niche. Before MLB started expanding, popularity growth in the NBA and NHL. Then the introduction of the MLS in the early-90’s.
Spring is just a lot more crowded than it used to be. The original USFL had a crack because it got attention by challenging the NFL for talent.
Nothing says excitement like having your team pick up the 3rd string QB from Mississippi A & M.
The original USFL was able to sign recognizable name talent by spending money they didn't have. It was not sustainable.
When NBC lost the NFL and tried to make Arena Football popular, I thought there could be something there. But the teams had so many bad owners making bad decisions, it was going to fail.
When NBC lost the NFL and tried to make Arena Football popular, I thought there could be something there. But the teams had so many bad owners making bad decisions, it was going to fail.
Yup. That had more to do with the lax standards they had for ownership. The only standard was being able to pay the franchise fee. As they progressed, even that standard was dropped.
Then they chased away the few good owners and cities with the moronic plan to move to the fall. Losing Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, Oakland among others.
They were only going to have eight teams and were going to take on the NFL head on.