Jan 29, 2008

AAFL? What the hell? AAFL?


It has come to my attention from a faithful reader that someone or a large group of people are pouring money into another failed football league.

Why not put your money in home mortgages based on shoddy loans instead? Or better yet, just put it in the street and let the wind take it away. It might be more satisfying to watch rather than half wits and athletes who couldn't qualify as the NFL practice squad fight it out in April.

I think, and feel free to comment on this, we, as a Nation of Football viewers, have hit our saturation point at about - March. Then, we need to hibernate until the first week of August.

Besides, if we don't take a few months off, hockey - basketball - and even baseball would suffer. And all the players would become Jell-O.

Why am I so skeptical of the new Football league? How many failed ventures do there need to be to prove there's only room for one professional Football league in the United States? Do we really have to go forward with this exercise every decade?
  • AAFC The All-American Football Conference of the 1940s spawned the existence of the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts in the NFL.

  • AFL The American Football League gave the National Football League serious competition throughout the 1960s before forcing a merger between the two leagues.

  • USFL The United States Football League operated from 1982 to 1985, ultimately losing a bitter battle with the NFL.

  • WFL The World Football League competed directly with the NFL for two years in the mid 1970s before folding under enormous debt thirteen weeks into its second season.

  • XFL Vince McMahon tried to bring a professional wrestling flavor to professional football, but television ratings were dismal and the league folded after just one season.
Then there's Canadian football, and football in China - that's super. Doesn't mean it is worth watching.

This new thing is something called the AAFL and they start play in April. There are 6 teams, one of them called Florida. The head coach is none other than The Shane Mathews Band! And their QB is Chris Leak, who the Bears picked in last year's draft. I recognize some of the skill position players on all of the teams. Here's the link if you care... which by all rights, you don't and don't have to.

Hey, prove me wrong. History teaches lessons. But if the AAFL wants to give me and my readers tickets to show what a good time will be had when Michigan takes on Florida - be my guest. I'm sure we'll all fall over and show our bellies ranting and raving about how great your games are (as long as you put us in a skybox full of booze).

Until then, I'm watching the Super Bowl on Sunday and then I'm out until August.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just to add: This league consists of only players with college degrees and they are "employees" of the league, not each individual team. They work for the league year round and make $100,000. $50,000 for the players who only stick around during the season. I have a degree...maybe I should start honing my punting skills.

Anonymous said...

Actually, Chris Leak was an undrafted free agent who was in Bears camp, but not drafted by them. He was won a national championship.

Anonymous said...

Who cares whether he was drafted or signed as a free agent?? The point was that he wasn't good enough to make and NFL roster last year and now he's playing in some pissant new league. And the fact that he won a national championship is a moot point. Who cares about that either