I was a Chicago Rush fan, sorry about Arena Bowl 20 😂 Orlando was cool though, they had awesome uniforms and Jimmy Fryzel was one of my favorite receivers.
At this point, Albany, Orlando, Nashville, and Billings need to join the IFL because their ownership group is much more stable than the rest of the league.
The AFL should just go away. I know it has history and good memories for a lot of people, but it would've been best had it stayed that way, and I say this as a guy who went to Charlotte Rage (!) games as a kid. There's a reason all of the indoor football teams with heritage play in the IFL, and continued to after the new AFL was announced.
Not go away. It needs to kick the bad apples out. They have great franchises Albany nash Orlando Billings. Just bad front office. Hutton is the issue. I’m not a AFL fan I’m a indoor/ arena fan I watch NAL IFL so no hate here.
@@CoreyParsons-b8q I just want players to be treated right and I want every football league to succeed because it means more opportunities for players to make their dreams come true. the Leadership of the league needs to change, and questions need to be answered and not brushed off
@@EmbracetheGrind I’m 100 precent in agreement. I love indoor/arena the better the NAL IFL and AFL the better tbe business. Players will go where they get paid the most no doubt. Which is fine but like I said man Hutton has to step down and let someone with a sense run this. Cuz they are gonna kill this league b4 it starts at this point.
The AFL is done. Teams that want to profit should join the IFL and create a healthier league. Too many arena leagues, everyone needs to collab and make a nice league for the players and fans. Because there’s potential there just ran by idiots sadly.
The XFL and USFL were able to put egos aside to make one strong spring developmental league so it can work. I just don't think the right people are in control of the league right now.
If we are being honest you aren’t turning a profit in indoor football unless you are like the Arizona rattlers or Sioux Falls storm that have history and good fan bases
At one time, the Arena Football League was the top second-tier pro football league. Many of the replacement players during the 1987 NFL Strike were from the Arena Football League. John Fourcade went from Denver Dynamite backup quarterback to New Orleans Saints starter in just a couple of years. But the fact of the matter is the Arena Football League- even the original one- was always unstable. Example- the Dynamite won the first league championship and never played after that. The third season was primarily played at neutral sites- the game you mention Joe Haering punched the commissioner in (he wouldn't allow the star Chicago QB, Ben Bennett, to be kicked out of the game), was between Pittsburgh and Chicago and was played in Sacramento. While this early instability may not have been quite as bad as what's going on this year, it did set the "here today, gone tomorrow" nature of the Arena Football League.
As soon as it was announced that a Chicago franchise was coming back to the Allstate Arena (prev Rosemont Horizon), I called and got season tickets for the Rush. I never missed a home game and watched any away game when it was available. It was such a good time, and I was so, so saddened and hurt to see the demise of a signature, high-level franchise and league subsequently.
@@EmbracetheGrind There are real, true indoor football fans out there. I think this most recent iteration of the league bought the name, AFL, and figured that all sorts of people, businesses and broadcasters were going to throw a krap-ton of money at them, forgetting the previous decline of the AFL left a very sour taste in the mouth and all the bridges that were burned. This new, 2024 AFL, did announce a Chicago franchise. I was totally on-board, so much as to ask and get invited to the "Rush Announcement" Party. Just to find out that the big "Announcement" is that the Rush was not going to happen. . . maybe in 2025.
My father and I loved to go to Dragons games at the Nassau Coliseum. I still have merch I bought back then like the foam claw and helmet. I was devastated when they folded and I'm still disappointed no arena league has made an attempt to bring back the sport to Long Island. I was hoping there was a chance the Dragons would come back with the new AFL, but I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer.
I hate to break this to you, but the first regular season Arena Football game was not between the teams you say. You got date right, but the first regular season game was Pittsburgh Gladiators 48, Washington Commandos 46 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. It was televised on ESPN two months before ESPN broadcast their first NFL game. Fantastic game- decided on a missed drop kick in the final minute. Russell Hairston scored the first TD. He would go on to be the first Arena Football MVP. Today he's a criminal defense lawyer in Washington, DC. Also- the Gladiators' coach was Joe Haering, not Jack, who yes, had been an assistant with the New York Jets prior to the Gladiators but his career might have peaked as the defensive coordinator of the 1995 Atlanta Falcons. Also, it's LYNN Swann and the Philadelphia SOUL- not SOULS. Arena Football didn't just expand to five teams in '89, it was at six in '88, and for the first two years games were regularly broadcast on ESPN. Sadly, AFL lost their ESPN contract in '89. Still a huge Pittsburgh Gladiators fan in May 2024, 34 years after their last game, but never playing a season in which they did not make the playoffs.
The teams should just join the IFL. We don’t need multiple leagues especially not one with so many issues. It’d be more interesting to have teams from all over so it has the regional and National feel college football used to
It is depressing how AFL mgmt screwed this up. Rapid City Marshals team was formed 3 years ago for CIF play. The owner was clueless and couldn't handle $$. The team was bought last year by a brother and sister and they have tried to make a go of it. Unfortunately, previous history, and now AFL crap have worked to turn the community away from the team. Indoor football is a blast. I hope we can get the Marshals on a better footing, even if it means changing leagues again.
I’ve lived in Albany and supported the Albany Firebirds and the Empire, I also lived in Des Moines,Iowa and supported the Iowa Barnstormers, I even watched QB Kurt Warner play for the Iowa Barnstormers. Back then It was a lot more better financially solid, than what’s going on here. That’s such a shame because Arena Football was really great to watch on tv or in the Arena. You’ve got to have financial support to make it happen and be worthwhile for the Fans. I really hope that the AFL gets it together or it’s going to crash and burn. And that would be sad to see.
The whole AB situation in Albany was a travesty for the players. I mean,Arena Football is so much like the street games we played as kids. I went to a New York Knights game at MSG in the late 90s and I loved it. How can you not love the whole catching the ball over the wall in the end zone? Bro,keep fighting,they take you down start another channel keep the pressure on
My parents had season tickets for the Barnstormers when Kurt Warner was there and we rarely missed a game then Jim Foster decided to sell the team to the New York. I haven't watched the new barnstormers i just know it's not the same as watching games in the Barn. That place brings back so many memories.
It's so bad that they held their Parties in Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Knighthawks have declined to participate in there league, instead, opting for the IFL.
Thanks for sharing this video about Arena Football, the history and current affairs. I was aware of the financial issues of this league going back to the 2010s, but I didn't realize just how deep the problems were until the league stopped for a couple of years. I'm also aware of the over century long history of gridiron football being played indoors, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. Also thanks a lot for clarifying the difference between the AFL and IFL. I always thought that the IFL was a four to six-man indoor league, not arena football.
Something else about the Arena Football League. Bob Harrison, head coach of the 1987 Washington Commandos, was the first black pro football head coach in the USA since Fritz Pollard and the 1922 Akron Pros. He preceded Art Shell by two years.
I agree the people that is currently running the league lied to the fans numerous times.They lied about team locations for 2024 season.One team moved an hour away a week before kickoff.One team basically replaced an entire team on a day notice.They lied about NFL Network deal and we have to get on Vyre stream for the entire season. I don’t think the league is going to survive which is ashame since I grew up watching the league as a kid.20 years ago Arena Football League was shown on NBC.They had owners like John Elway and Jon Bon Jovi
I loved the AFL growing up and loved the video game as well. They have run the leagues name into the ground which is super sad. They also have not taken any accountability for the missed payments to players and the owners have been kept in the dark as Hutton hides away from everybody
Go Barnstormers!!! I am a huge IFL junkie, and I watch damn near every game the league puts on every week, it just Barnstormer games. I miss AFL on NBC on Sundays SO MUCH, and of course, I miss my original Barnstormers. Aaron Garcia was the fucking man. I became a New York Dragons fan after they left Des Moines for New York.
It's such a shame to see what was once such a great league have it's name and reputation destroyed so quickly. The IFL is the defacto indoor football league now, let's hope they keep up the good work they've been doing.
Loved pre-Recession Arena Football, especially the Chicago Rush. My dad and I went to a Rush playoff game at the Allstate Arena in 2007 where they played the Los Angeles Avengers and it was awesome! No joke, it was like a party in there! Ah those were the days.
The reason I have this channel is to humanize players and when players are being taken advantage of it doesn’t sit right with me. I have friends that play in different indoor leagues trying to make an nfl dream possible. Player safety and players getting payed for their service are the most important thing to me. Unfortunately to my understanding, the owners were promised certain things by the league but the league has not followed through on it. Arena insiders had a great Interview with the Billings outlaws owner worth watching.
The AFL is like a high school couple that was named prom king and queen, split up before college, got together in their late 20s as divorcees and had it end poorly, got married and divorced twice more and now are in their late 40s and trying to relive the glory days of high school. Time to put this shit to bed for good. Its just sad at this point.
I would like to see a similar video about the IFL. I have been a fan of theirs for a while and currently frequent the Iowa Barnstormers games (left the AFL around 2015). I think this league suffers from people thinking it is a tier below the AFL and general confusion between the two.
Here in Louisville, we had an afl2 team (Louisville Fire) which was owned and operated by former NFL (Bills) player and Louisville native Wil Wolford. It was a blast - I had season tickets for the years the team operated. They played in Freedom Hall (long-time arena for the Louisville Cardinals college and the old ABA Kentucky Colonels) to usually solid crowds. Good memories. Sorry to see the AFL name being dismembered by the current group of miscreants.
It’s been 9 years already, but I still feel so damn sad every time I see Sabercats highlights. I want them back, but not in this current “afl”. Glad we have the Panthers in the IFL
Huge og Soul fan. Can’t believe after 2 weeks there’s been 0 games streamed. If they survive they are going from 20,000 seat Wells Fargo to 7000 Trenton. The Soul name has been tarnished by a bs money laundering “commissioner”
I grew up in Tampa, so I was there from Day One for the Storm, blue and magenta Zubaz pants and all. But the Bucs were still awful, and it was a cheap ticket, and somehow, they were GOOD. And REALLY entertaining.
As a person who is old enough to remember the World Football League of the 1970s, this incarnation of the AFL is eerily similar. Lots of owners that don't have any capital to run a concession stand, much less a pro team. And a commissioner who is rather clueless.
Philadelphia Soul, which is why what this iteration of the Soul is/has become tarnishes the legacy. I will just pretend this iteration has never existed and that the team ended in 2019 the last time the league folded.
Love the passion and research behind you videos! Little piece of criticism however… if you edited in some more clips to show what you’re talking about on the screen it would make for a more legit product. Good stuff regardless
You need a diagram to keep track of all the teams coming and going and coming back and renaming and moving, then keep track of the switches between leagues: AFL, AF2, AF1, IFL, it's just too much to keep track of. I agree with one of the other comments. Find 8-12 of the most stable time-tested teams, put them in the IFL or have one combined league that can last for years.
Ironically enough a few days ago I was thinking about my days going to watch the NY Dragons at the Nassau Coliseum only because the NY Islanders were hosting some sort of promotional event at a local supermarket that I happened to be shopping in and Sparky, the NY Islanders mascot was there. The islanders used to be co-owned by the Dragons owner and while Sparky was the Dragons’ mascot (as he is a dragon), the islanders would use him sometimes as well. Now the Dragons have been long gone however Sparky lives on, now in blue and orange rather than black and red as the Islanders have adopted him as their own. I wonder how many Islander fans even realize that their mascot wasn’t their team’s mascot from the beginning. I do miss the Dragons and my kids and I used to love going to their games….sad to see what has happened to this league…
I remember before the AFL went to hell randomly getting invited with a friend to go to a Cleveland Gladiators game and becoming a huge AFL fan. Although some of the rules I thought were way to debilitating to defenses I still loved watching it.
As a huge arena football fan, I am absolutely sick with Lee Hutton actions. The NFL Network TV deal was a mirage, cutting off the streaming of certain team matchups, and the players/coaches not getting paid, poor field conditions, awful nets is abysmal. What really ticks me off is the Philadelphia Soul, Georgia Force didn't had any home games they were pretty much was travel teams. The fact that the players uncared for, not speaking up on the leagues problems, no true broadcasting deal, not making all games accessible, breaking the trust of fans just shows how horrible Lee Hutton as commissioner is. He completely ran the league into the ground and tarnishing the reputation of one of the most memorable alternative football leagues. Lee Hutton is so bad that he made Charlie Ebersol look like a angel.
I was recruited by the Iowa rampage of the AFLand they ceased operations right before the week one game we never received jerseys that promised pay that was promised and any other promises that weren’t kept he said to see
The AFL during the 2010s was a fever dream. My cousin even got recruited by Gene Simmons after they met once. Granted my cousin was a former college OL, so it’s not like he was some regular Joe
I remember one time I went to Hershey Park when I was a bit younger. I believe this was around 2010 or so. My family and I stayed in this cheap hotel that we found that was about a half hour or so away from the park to save some money. By cheap, I mean this place didn't even have a roadside sign. However the people who owned it were nice and the stay wasn't bad. On the last day we were there, the owner lady who was our waitress for breakfast told us that the Phili soul were staying at the hotel and how we could go meet them if they were outside. It was so strange to be staying at the same place as professional athletes. However, it also showed how cheap that league was.
Current Vegas Knight Hawks fan, former SJ SaberCats and Stockton Lightning (AF2) fan here! Really sad what's happened with the AFL, I loved going to AF2 games as a kid, having arena football in my hometown was so awesome and now the IFL has breathed new life into my love for the sport in my new home in Vegas. It's not right what AFL 3.0 is doing to their players and anyone who dares to call out the new league's sketchiness. Gonna echo other voices in these comments and say, any AFL team that wants to survive should make plans to jump ship for the IFL, it's a WAY healthier league with much better exposure and fanbases. I'd love to see names like the Philadelphia Soul and LA Avengers make a comeback in the IFL, like the Wranglers and more recently the Sharks have!
Man I remember the times I went to 2 San Jose SabreCats games. The first one was a surprise from my than-best friend, his wife, his younger brother, and another friend of his. I had no clue what was going on they just picked me up and we were on the freeway to destination unknown. They joked that we were going to see High School Musical the Concert. I was like “You better be joking. I ain’t going in. I’ll wait outside the entire show.” We get there and I found out it was the SabreCats. It was fun, SabreCats won. We went again with a bigger group. SabreCats won again and the halftime show was Brooke Hogan
I always enjoyed getting to watch Peoria Pirates games. They had an incredible fan base and the arena was always a great experience. They bounced around between leagues for some time before afl2 and ifl shut down. I don't know how you bring back that experience for a mismanaged league. It would have to be propped up by the NFL, but there are so many competing sports that it's hard to introduce something new gain fan support and generate revenue.
I used watch all the AFL1 games at their peak, hoping to go to a game one day. Then the AFL2 gave us the Columbus Wardogs and I went to as many games as possible in their brief existence.
I have some teammates from college in the afl and ifl. From what I understand the afl is a mess guys were getting released not seeing any money they were promised after signing the contracts and are basically out of the job and hope they can get picked up but the ifl seems to be doing better from what i understand. It is still a good opportunity for small school guys to get a chance to play pro ball and not have to leave the country
for AFL Action they should look into the 6man rules for high school. Fewer players = lower operating cost, and it can be played in Pro College or High School Stadium
There's another new league, confusingly named the Arena League, that will be doing exactly that this year. Six man, no kicking at all (so no rebound net fiascos) Far as AFL III, if this is what it's coming to, then the Arena Football League name was better off dead, sad as it is to admit it.
Too bad for the AFL, I had more memories with the AF2 with season tickets for the Florida Firecats. When the AF2 became the new AFL, the Firecats were the only team that didn't transition over and folded.
Too many leagues. You have the IFL, NAL and the AFL. They should all merge into one with a similar setup to that of the NFL. I would think that this would help with revenue and TV deals, and bring in more fans.
Wow ETG! You went OFF homie!! And I’m 1000% in your corner! If the AFL had gotten their 💩 together a few years ago, this wouldn’t be happening! Don’t let Ron Jawarski off the hook either! I like the guy but he should’ve done more for the league as a whole instead of making the Soul the premier team in a dying league
Present resident of San Jose and former fan of the San Jose Sabrecats. It was a good idea for almost 30 years, but this incarnation is a joke and scam as you said. Sad.
I'm in Tulsa, and we have an IFL team, and I love watching the games. I had no idea there was also an "AFL" why would there be two leagues for a rather obscure and less popular sport? I don't even understand it. The IFL is the indoor arena league, this is just some dumb weird stuff.
I am so glad the Steamwheeler's came back in the IFL. Went to every game their first season and been sideline season ticket holder since season 2. The games are great.
This new iteration of the AFL feels like every team is being run by someone like Antonio Brown. Remember how catastrophic his owning of the Albany Empire was? Well, just multiply that and make every single team run like that, and you got what this is! Like, it feels like Lee Hutton only opened this league to have an ego tug, and for a tax write off or something, because literally everything that could go wrong is going wrong.
I think if they can kick Hutton out and talk fisher to become commissioner this league will be fine. But Hutton has to go. Let huttons wife’s teams fold keep the rest and build off that they got good franchises not deep pockets but solid teams
I think you may be correct but if for some reason Hutton stays then there needs to be some transparency and questions need to be answered not brushed off as "hate"
@@EmbracetheGrind I agree. Orlando Nashville Albany are great franchises to build off of . The Billings outlaw owner said it right hutton has to go he’s the issue him and his wife. They are lying cheating scum. They are bringing this league down since it started.
i agree all this does not look good. I was a diehard Soul fan and season ticket holder from the teams inception. My daughter was even a Soulmate Dancer for four years. i must admit Jaws, JBJ ran a first class organization. They were able to put together a top roster with Tony Graz, Matt D'Orazio, Chris Jackson and my favorite football player of all time, #11 Mike Brown. Jon Bon Jovi always said he was building a team of "character" not characters. After JBJ left, Jaws tries to keep the team and team viable, but it just didn't happen. I was holding out hope they would return, but the things I've read over several weeks seem to make it look like a very long shot! Great informative video...
AFL is going to be NFL as in not for long! I hope some of those teams join the IFL as in Orlando Predators' forming a rivalry with the Jacksonville Sharks. West Texas Desert Hawks forming a rivalry with the Frisco Fighters & Duke City Gladiators.
I am an Orlando local and asked my dad to sit and watch the Predators game like old times.....Orlando scored ZERO fucking points in the first half....in a league (theoretically) designed to score 60-80 a game. We turned it off by the start of the 3rd quarter only to later find out we lost and only scored 14 points the whole game. Idk where the dis-connect is and its probably in many places....but I will not be watching another game this year. I grew up on the mid- late 90's Arena Football where Orlando and Tampa had the "War on I-4" every year and it was the hottest ticket in town. Now....this....
My condolences...I remember when if the broadcast was either the Preds or Storm, it was probably gonna be a good one, definitely when it was both of em.
AFL would do well in Europe and Asia. It's a fast paced version of football that requires a much smaller place to play it in. They should try this in Europe and China.
Its sad because me and my brother were looking forward to watching games on live tv again. On the Nashville Kats web page they said their games would be aired on channel 4 WSMV(NBC) and NFL Network but when game time came just regular programming. Nothing but lies.. I’m really getting tired of this on again off again relationship the AFL has with its fans and players. They’re very inconsistent, I was ready to invest in the team but decided to wait until week 1 to see if the league was serious or not. Glad I saved my money. AFL you just played yourself! Get your shid together! 🤦♂️
My AFL Team has bounced around because of all the closings. Originally I liked the Dallas Desperados but they closed. Then I was a New York Dragons fan before they closed. Then I was a fan of the Philadelphia Soul until they closed the second time. Now I'm a Billings Outlaws fan. Why not the "Soul" now? Because they're the Dallas Falcons not the Philadelphia Soul. My IFL Team is the Massachusetts Pirates. I have actually traveled to Arizona to see the Pirates play.
Honestly I’ve seen other current AFL analysis videos and it’s all been negative . I was hoping the Atlantic City BlackJacks would return but now I’m glad they didn’t because they dodged a bullet . For now I’m a Jersey Bearcats for the AAL2 . But honestly, I wanted the AFL to work and compete against the UFL because they Cut the NJ Generals . But the UFL seems to be holding on and they’ll eventually bring back the Generals . Hopefully next year .
This iteration is nothing more than a travescamockery! Been reading so many tweets and posts about players not being paid, or being fired for criticizing a now on the lam commissioner. To any AFL player and coach who may see this: I'm so sorry you're being taken advantage of by someone no different than Lyle Lanley from Marge vs. the Monorail. If you've had enough, and you're unable to walk out, hear me out with this: 60 minutes of kneel downs.
Before this past week the only thing i know about the arena football world is as a footnote to Kurt Warner's Career, then all this happened and it brought me down a confusing and depressing rabbit hole. There's one positive though This whole thing blow up right before IFL week 8 kick off and i was able to watch all of it due to my curiosity beimg peaked by all that's happening, it's quite fun the games are fast paced, loads of scoring, some sick skills on showcase, and for a few teams the crowd support is pretty good. The stream for the Bay Area-Vegas game was awfully choppy but i guess that's just because the bay area as a whole is just a dump nowadays with lousy infrastructure. Overall i like it and can definitely see myself come back for more, i even have pick a team to support moving forward, guess what ol' Kurt's team is still alive and kicking in the ifl 😂 Go Barnstormers! 🎉🎉🎉
@@EmbracetheGrindIowa, Arizona, and Green bay having been in the league for close to a decade now probably could tell that they're doing just fine in the ifl and saw no reason to jump back which so far has proved to be a prudent decision
Iowa Barnstormers and LA Avengers were my teams!!! I think they need to start college Arena football in association with a Big10 or Big12 to allow walk on’s and freshmen to get reps. This is the only way to keep this amazing sport alive. College has to get involved and maybe high school.
Always nice to look back at the peak days of AFL in the late 90's and early 00's. But yeah, this attempt to revive the brand has been a complete joke. 3 or 4 Arenas shown so far haven't had rebound nets and goal posts were very low quality... and few with ceilings so low almost every kickoff is an automatic touchback. RUclips would had been a way smarter backup instead of their own website or Vyre... but overall the broadcast quality has been super inconsistent anyway. While I do prefer the indoor game with rebound nets... NAL is also not up to par, AFL has little to no chance of making it out of this first season, IFL is truly the current highest standard for indoor football. But with rise of USFL/XFL and their merger to a seemingly more stable UFL... competition does seem to hurt the indoor game's ability to thrive.
It is mind-blowing the league leadership has not focused on quality control when it comes to equipment used by the different teams. Whoever thought of using Vyre or their own streaming service needs to rethink their thought process. Vyre is a strange streaming service.
I knew the league was doomed after they announced a team in St. Louis that didn't exist and was instead a fictional team created by a BattleHawks fan Twitter account. I have to imagine indoor football will eventually go the way of indoor soccer: kept around by a few remaining people but otherwise largely forgotten as the outdoor game is of far higher quality.
Man I used to love the AFL. It was far and away the best indoor football. But I can't get excited about the new AFL, I don't even consider it the same league. I'll stick to watching the IFL
I miss the pre-Great Recession AFL, with Kurt Warner, a national TV deal, and of course my beloved Orlando Predators.
I used to love watching the New York Dragons and Philadelphia Soul back in the day growing up
I was a Chicago Rush fan, sorry about Arena Bowl 20 😂 Orlando was cool though, they had awesome uniforms and Jimmy Fryzel was one of my favorite receivers.
Jim Kubiak era Dallas Desperados
I feel the same about my Nashville Kats.
don't we all. The AFL used to be THE alternative to the NFL and now it's...a mess.
At this point, Albany, Orlando, Nashville, and Billings need to join the IFL because their ownership group is much more stable than the rest of the league.
DEFINITELY next season yes!
Whats wrong with the ownership of Salina, or Southwest Kansas?
IFL is fun to watch and NAL is like a baby brother who struggles but shows passion.
AFL is like your dad who went out go get milk 😂
@@sting6ph true
The AFL should just go away. I know it has history and good memories for a lot of people, but it would've been best had it stayed that way, and I say this as a guy who went to Charlotte Rage (!) games as a kid. There's a reason all of the indoor football teams with heritage play in the IFL, and continued to after the new AFL was announced.
sometimes a reboot is not the best thing for a brand. Its sad to see the AFL turn into a joke
Not go away. It needs to kick the bad apples out. They have great franchises Albany nash Orlando Billings. Just bad front office. Hutton is the issue. I’m not a AFL fan I’m a indoor/ arena fan I watch NAL IFL so no hate here.
@@CoreyParsons-b8q I just want players to be treated right and I want every football league to succeed because it means more opportunities for players to make their dreams come true. the Leadership of the league needs to change, and questions need to be answered and not brushed off
@@EmbracetheGrind I’m 100 precent in agreement. I love indoor/arena the better the NAL IFL and AFL the better tbe business. Players will go where they get paid the most no doubt. Which is fine but like I said man Hutton has to step down and let someone with a sense run this. Cuz they are gonna kill this league b4 it starts at this point.
This league is ran by a bunch of crooks
The AFL is done. Teams that want to profit should join the IFL and create a healthier league. Too many arena leagues, everyone needs to collab and make a nice league for the players and fans. Because there’s potential there just ran by idiots sadly.
The XFL and USFL were able to put egos aside to make one strong spring developmental league so it can work. I just don't think the right people are in control of the league right now.
If we are being honest you aren’t turning a profit in indoor football unless you are like the Arizona rattlers or Sioux Falls storm that have history and good fan bases
After it fails Billings DEFINITELY joins the IFL with Orlando
@@EmbracetheGrind the Arena and indoor football just develop qbs and no other position
Yep
At one time, the Arena Football League was the top second-tier pro football league. Many of the replacement players during the 1987 NFL Strike were from the Arena Football League. John Fourcade went from Denver Dynamite backup quarterback to New Orleans Saints starter in just a couple of years. But the fact of the matter is the Arena Football League- even the original one- was always unstable. Example- the Dynamite won the first league championship and never played after that. The third season was primarily played at neutral sites- the game you mention Joe Haering punched the commissioner in (he wouldn't allow the star Chicago QB, Ben Bennett, to be kicked out of the game), was between Pittsburgh and Chicago and was played in Sacramento. While this early instability may not have been quite as bad as what's going on this year, it did set the "here today, gone tomorrow" nature of the Arena Football League.
As soon as it was announced that a Chicago franchise was coming back to the Allstate Arena (prev Rosemont Horizon), I called and got season tickets for the Rush. I never missed a home game and watched any away game when it was available. It was such a good time, and I was so, so saddened and hurt to see the demise of a signature, high-level franchise and league subsequently.
So many people were excited for the return of the league and they took advantage of their fans
I was right there with you! (Minus the season tickets). I still have my Arena Bowl 20 champions shirt, the DVD, and a Raymond Philyaw Rush shirt!
@@EmbracetheGrind There are real, true indoor football fans out there. I think this most recent iteration of the league bought the name, AFL, and figured that all sorts of people, businesses and broadcasters were going to throw a krap-ton of money at them, forgetting the previous decline of the AFL left a very sour taste in the mouth and all the bridges that were burned.
This new, 2024 AFL, did announce a Chicago franchise. I was totally on-board, so much as to ask and get invited to the "Rush Announcement" Party. Just to find out that the big "Announcement" is that the Rush was not going to happen. . . maybe in 2025.
It was great wasn't it.... started to create some bonafided stars
Man I remember going to Allstate arena to see the Chicago rush as a kid.
My father and I loved to go to Dragons games at the Nassau Coliseum. I still have merch I bought back then like the foam claw and helmet. I was devastated when they folded and I'm still disappointed no arena league has made an attempt to bring back the sport to Long Island. I was hoping there was a chance the Dragons would come back with the new AFL, but I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer.
Bishop Sycamore: We're the shadiest football operation going.
The new AFL: Hold our beers, from the last Arena Bowl that took place...
I hate to break this to you, but the first regular season Arena Football game was not between the teams you say. You got date right, but the first regular season game was Pittsburgh Gladiators 48, Washington Commandos 46 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. It was televised on ESPN two months before ESPN broadcast their first NFL game. Fantastic game- decided on a missed drop kick in the final minute. Russell Hairston scored the first TD. He would go on to be the first Arena Football MVP. Today he's a criminal defense lawyer in Washington, DC. Also- the Gladiators' coach was Joe Haering, not Jack, who yes, had been an assistant with the New York Jets prior to the Gladiators but his career might have peaked as the defensive coordinator of the 1995 Atlanta Falcons. Also, it's LYNN Swann and the Philadelphia SOUL- not SOULS. Arena Football didn't just expand to five teams in '89, it was at six in '88, and for the first two years games were regularly broadcast on ESPN. Sadly, AFL lost their ESPN contract in '89. Still a huge Pittsburgh Gladiators fan in May 2024, 34 years after their last game, but never playing a season in which they did not make the playoffs.
Thanks for clearing that up. I knew I watched that game.
@@TonyTwoTimes86 You're welcome!
The teams should just join the IFL. We don’t need multiple leagues especially not one with so many issues. It’d be more interesting to have teams from all over so it has the regional and National feel college football used to
The IFL is going strong right now too
It is depressing how AFL mgmt screwed this up. Rapid City Marshals team was formed 3 years ago for CIF play. The owner was clueless and couldn't handle $$. The team was bought last year by a brother and sister and they have tried to make a go of it. Unfortunately, previous history, and now AFL crap have worked to turn the community away from the team. Indoor football is a blast. I hope we can get the Marshals on a better footing, even if it means changing leagues again.
Oh man, I remember watching the San Jose Sabercats and Mark Grieb was the MAN.
I’ve lived in Albany and supported the Albany Firebirds and the Empire, I also lived in Des Moines,Iowa and supported the Iowa Barnstormers, I even watched QB Kurt Warner play for the Iowa Barnstormers. Back then It was a lot more better financially solid, than what’s going on here. That’s such a shame because Arena Football was really great to watch on tv or in the Arena. You’ve got to have financial support to make it happen and be worthwhile for the Fans. I really hope that the AFL gets it together or it’s going to crash and burn. And that would be sad to see.
The whole AB situation in Albany was a travesty for the players.
I mean,Arena Football is so much like the street games we played as kids. I went to a New York Knights game at MSG in the late 90s and I loved it. How can you not love the whole catching the ball over the wall in the end zone? Bro,keep fighting,they take you down start another channel keep the pressure on
There really should be a governing body that should help corral and help give Arena football a stable foundation to build for the long-term...
You would hope the commissioner of the league would be that person. They had the model to follow with the IFL but chose not to follow it
My parents had season tickets for the Barnstormers when Kurt Warner was there and we rarely missed a game then Jim Foster decided to sell the team to the New York. I haven't watched the new barnstormers i just know it's not the same as watching games in the Barn. That place brings back so many memories.
It's so bad that they held their Parties in Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Knighthawks have declined to participate in there league, instead, opting for the IFL.
Thanks for sharing this video about Arena Football, the history and current affairs. I was aware of the financial issues of this league going back to the 2010s, but I didn't realize just how deep the problems were until the league stopped for a couple of years. I'm also aware of the over century long history of gridiron football being played indoors, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. Also thanks a lot for clarifying the difference between the AFL and IFL. I always thought that the IFL was a four to six-man indoor league, not arena football.
The Philadelphia Soul were so much fun to watch!!
Former player here. I use to play for several teams and my favorite the Stockton wolves because we won the championship the year I was there
Something else about the Arena Football League. Bob Harrison, head coach of the 1987 Washington Commandos, was the first black pro football head coach in the USA since Fritz Pollard and the 1922 Akron Pros. He preceded Art Shell by two years.
I agree the people that is currently running the league lied to the fans numerous times.They lied about team locations for 2024 season.One team moved an hour away a week before kickoff.One team basically replaced an entire team on a day notice.They lied about NFL Network deal and we have to get on Vyre stream for the entire season. I don’t think the league is going to survive which is ashame since I grew up watching the league as a kid.20 years ago Arena Football League was shown on NBC.They had owners like John Elway and Jon Bon Jovi
I loved the AFL growing up and loved the video game as well. They have run the leagues name into the ground which is super sad. They also have not taken any accountability for the missed payments to players and the owners have been kept in the dark as Hutton hides away from everybody
Hutton belongs in jail
Go Barnstormers!!! I am a huge IFL junkie, and I watch damn near every game the league puts on every week, it just Barnstormer games.
I miss AFL on NBC on Sundays SO MUCH, and of course, I miss my original Barnstormers.
Aaron Garcia was the fucking man. I became a New York Dragons fan after they left Des Moines for New York.
Hey dude Arena Bowl 12 was aired on ABC not on ESPN in 98
It's such a shame to see what was once such a great league have it's name and reputation destroyed so quickly. The IFL is the defacto indoor football league now, let's hope they keep up the good work they've been doing.
It's so sad. They even had the IFL's roadmap to follow if they wanted to but chose not to.
@@EmbracetheGrind Dirty business is dirty business sadly. Such a shame for all the staff and players.
Loved pre-Recession Arena Football, especially the Chicago Rush. My dad and I went to a Rush playoff game at the Allstate Arena in 2007 where they played the Los Angeles Avengers and it was awesome! No joke, it was like a party in there! Ah those were the days.
Jeez, I haven't seen you this angry and disgusted about something. But, it's completely understanding with how horrible management/ownership is.
The reason I have this channel is to humanize players and when players are being taken advantage of it doesn’t sit right with me. I have friends that play in different indoor leagues trying to make an nfl dream possible. Player safety and players getting payed for their service are the most important thing to me. Unfortunately to my understanding, the owners were promised certain things by the league but the league has not followed through on it. Arena insiders had a great Interview with the Billings outlaws owner worth watching.
The AFL is like a high school couple that was named prom king and queen, split up before college, got together in their late 20s as divorcees and had it end poorly, got married and divorced twice more and now are in their late 40s and trying to relive the glory days of high school. Time to put this shit to bed for good. Its just sad at this point.
I would like to see a similar video about the IFL. I have been a fan of theirs for a while and currently frequent the Iowa Barnstormers games (left the AFL around 2015).
I think this league suffers from people thinking it is a tier below the AFL and general confusion between the two.
I did a video on the IFL a few weeks back: ruclips.net/video/2V96qsfSIYQ/видео.html
This is why for my money the IFL is the true successor to the original AFL and is the one carrying on its legacy.
It helps that they actually have both historic AFL and af2 franchises.
Here in Louisville, we had an afl2 team (Louisville Fire) which was owned and operated by former NFL (Bills) player and Louisville native Wil Wolford. It was a blast - I had season tickets for the years the team operated. They played in Freedom Hall (long-time arena for the Louisville Cardinals college and the old ABA Kentucky Colonels) to usually solid crowds. Good memories. Sorry to see the AFL name being dismembered by the current group of miscreants.
It’s been 9 years already, but I still feel so damn sad every time I see Sabercats highlights. I want them back, but not in this current “afl”. Glad we have the Panthers in the IFL
Huge og Soul fan. Can’t believe after 2 weeks there’s been 0 games streamed. If they survive they are going from 20,000 seat Wells Fargo to 7000 Trenton. The Soul name has been tarnished by a bs money laundering “commissioner”
It's sad, I'm hoping the teams that are financially viable and have competent ownership join the IFL.
Eventhough some history points are jumbled up, Its nice to hear someone else talking about the AFL and other Indoor leagues! ^^
Love your videos can you do a history of Peru State college would love to see it because I went to Peru State or about NAIA conferences.
I will definitely look into it and it may fit a series I have planned for this fall
I grew up in Tampa, so I was there from Day One for the Storm, blue and magenta Zubaz pants and all. But the Bucs were still awful, and it was a cheap ticket, and somehow, they were GOOD. And REALLY entertaining.
My favorite before they folded was the San Jose Sabrecats
As a person who is old enough to remember the World Football League of the 1970s, this incarnation of the AFL is eerily similar. Lots of owners that don't have any capital to run a concession stand, much less a pro team. And a commissioner who is rather clueless.
Philadelphia Soul, which is why what this iteration of the Soul is/has become tarnishes the legacy. I will just pretend this iteration has never existed and that the team ended in 2019 the last time the league folded.
Nashville and Jeff Fisher deserve better. Kats to the IFL please
NFL owners seeing AFL as a good little earner and trying to make it into a development league killed the original AFL because it doubled travel costs.
Awesome for the Iowa Barnstormers to honor the Rampage season tickets.
Love the passion and research behind you videos! Little piece of criticism however… if you edited in some more clips to show what you’re talking about on the screen it would make for a more legit product. Good stuff regardless
You need a diagram to keep track of all the teams coming and going and coming back and renaming and moving, then keep track of the switches between leagues: AFL, AF2, AF1, IFL, it's just too much to keep track of. I agree with one of the other comments. Find 8-12 of the most stable time-tested teams, put them in the IFL or have one combined league that can last for years.
I miss the San Jose Sabercats
Ironically enough a few days ago I was thinking about my days going to watch the NY Dragons at the Nassau Coliseum only because the NY Islanders were hosting some sort of promotional event at a local supermarket that I happened to be shopping in and Sparky, the NY Islanders mascot was there. The islanders used to be co-owned by the Dragons owner and while Sparky was the Dragons’ mascot (as he is a dragon), the islanders would use him sometimes as well. Now the Dragons have been long gone however Sparky lives on, now in blue and orange rather than black and red as the Islanders have adopted him as their own. I wonder how many Islander fans even realize that their mascot wasn’t their team’s mascot from the beginning.
I do miss the Dragons and my kids and I used to love going to their games….sad to see what has happened to this league…
I remember before the AFL went to hell randomly getting invited with a friend to go to a Cleveland Gladiators game and becoming a huge AFL fan. Although some of the rules I thought were way to debilitating to defenses I still loved watching it.
As a huge arena football fan, I am absolutely sick with Lee Hutton actions. The NFL Network TV deal was a mirage, cutting off the streaming of certain team matchups, and the players/coaches not getting paid, poor field conditions, awful nets is abysmal. What really ticks me off is the Philadelphia Soul, Georgia Force didn't had any home games they were pretty much was travel teams. The fact that the players uncared for, not speaking up on the leagues problems, no true broadcasting deal, not making all games accessible, breaking the trust of fans just shows how horrible Lee Hutton as commissioner is. He completely ran the league into the ground and tarnishing the reputation of one of the most memorable alternative football leagues. Lee Hutton is so bad that he made Charlie Ebersol look like a angel.
I was recruited by the Iowa rampage of the AFLand they ceased operations right before the week one game we never received jerseys that promised pay that was promised and any other promises that weren’t kept he said to see
The AFL during the 2010s was a fever dream. My cousin even got recruited by Gene Simmons after they met once. Granted my cousin was a former college OL, so it’s not like he was some regular Joe
I remember one time I went to Hershey Park when I was a bit younger. I believe this was around 2010 or so. My family and I stayed in this cheap hotel that we found that was about a half hour or so away from the park to save some money. By cheap, I mean this place didn't even have a roadside sign. However the people who owned it were nice and the stay wasn't bad. On the last day we were there, the owner lady who was our waitress for breakfast told us that the Phili soul were staying at the hotel and how we could go meet them if they were outside. It was so strange to be staying at the same place as professional athletes. However, it also showed how cheap that league was.
Current Vegas Knight Hawks fan, former SJ SaberCats and Stockton Lightning (AF2) fan here! Really sad what's happened with the AFL, I loved going to AF2 games as a kid, having arena football in my hometown was so awesome and now the IFL has breathed new life into my love for the sport in my new home in Vegas. It's not right what AFL 3.0 is doing to their players and anyone who dares to call out the new league's sketchiness. Gonna echo other voices in these comments and say, any AFL team that wants to survive should make plans to jump ship for the IFL, it's a WAY healthier league with much better exposure and fanbases. I'd love to see names like the Philadelphia Soul and LA Avengers make a comeback in the IFL, like the Wranglers and more recently the Sharks have!
Man I remember the times I went to 2 San Jose SabreCats games. The first one was a surprise from my than-best friend, his wife, his younger brother, and another friend of his. I had no clue what was going on they just picked me up and we were on the freeway to destination unknown. They joked that we were going to see High School Musical the Concert. I was like “You better be joking. I ain’t going in. I’ll wait outside the entire show.” We get there and I found out it was the SabreCats. It was fun, SabreCats won. We went again with a bigger group. SabreCats won again and the halftime show was Brooke Hogan
My dad used to take me to LA Avengers games back in the early 2000s. We even had season tickets for a couple of years.
I always enjoyed getting to watch Peoria Pirates games. They had an incredible fan base and the arena was always a great experience. They bounced around between leagues for some time before afl2 and ifl shut down. I don't know how you bring back that experience for a mismanaged league. It would have to be propped up by the NFL, but there are so many competing sports that it's hard to introduce something new gain fan support and generate revenue.
I used watch all the AFL1 games at their peak, hoping to go to a game one day. Then the AFL2 gave us the Columbus Wardogs and I went to as many games as possible in their brief existence.
FYI, The Omaha Beef, who are the ones you mentioned helping out thr Rampage fans are in the National Arena League NOT the IFL
I have some teammates from college in the afl and ifl. From what I understand the afl is a mess guys were getting released not seeing any money they were promised after signing the contracts and are basically out of the job and hope they can get picked up but the ifl seems to be doing better from what i understand. It is still a good opportunity for small school guys to get a chance to play pro ball and not have to leave the country
Georgia Force then Jacksonville Sharks
for AFL Action they should look into the 6man rules for high school. Fewer players = lower operating cost, and it can be played in Pro College or High School Stadium
There's another new league, confusingly named the Arena League, that will be doing exactly that this year. Six man, no kicking at all (so no rebound net fiascos)
Far as AFL III, if this is what it's coming to, then the Arena Football League name was better off dead, sad as it is to admit it.
I worked as an assistant equipment manager for an AF2 team. I worked 2 of the 3 years of the franchise
My father, Grandfather and myself have a decade of memories watching the SaberCats. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Too bad for the AFL, I had more memories with the AF2 with season tickets for the Florida Firecats. When the AF2 became the new AFL, the Firecats were the only team that didn't transition over and folded.
I miss seeing my Nashville Kats play when I was a kid. So glad they’re back!
I miss the old AFL, Philadelphia Soul games back in the day were so fun to go to, I was so excited to hear Philly was getting the Soul back
Too many leagues. You have the IFL, NAL and the AFL. They should all merge into one with a similar setup to that of the NFL. I would think that this would help with revenue and TV deals, and bring in more fans.
They should but if I'm the Commish of IFL I need more than just absorbing badly ran teams
3 arena football leagues is at least 2 to many😂😂😂😂😂 !
Wow ETG! You went OFF homie!! And I’m 1000% in your corner! If the AFL had gotten their 💩 together a few years ago, this wouldn’t be happening! Don’t let Ron Jawarski off the hook either! I like the guy but he should’ve done more for the league as a whole instead of making the Soul the premier team in a dying league
Present resident of San Jose and former fan of the San Jose Sabrecats. It was a good idea for almost 30 years, but this incarnation is a joke and scam as you said. Sad.
I'm in Tulsa, and we have an IFL team, and I love watching the games. I had no idea there was also an "AFL" why would there be two leagues for a rather obscure and less popular sport? I don't even understand it. The IFL is the indoor arena league, this is just some dumb weird stuff.
I am so glad the Steamwheeler's came back in the IFL. Went to every game their first season and been sideline season ticket holder since season 2. The games are great.
This new iteration of the AFL feels like every team is being run by someone like Antonio Brown. Remember how catastrophic his owning of the Albany Empire was? Well, just multiply that and make every single team run like that, and you got what this is! Like, it feels like Lee Hutton only opened this league to have an ego tug, and for a tax write off or something, because literally everything that could go wrong is going wrong.
I think if they can kick Hutton out and talk fisher to become commissioner this league will be fine. But Hutton has to go. Let huttons wife’s teams fold keep the rest and build off that they got good franchises not deep pockets but solid teams
I think you may be correct but if for some reason Hutton stays then there needs to be some transparency and questions need to be answered not brushed off as "hate"
@@EmbracetheGrind I agree. Orlando Nashville Albany are great franchises to build off of . The Billings outlaw owner said it right hutton has to go he’s the issue him and his wife. They are lying cheating scum. They are bringing this league down since it started.
i agree all this does not look good. I was a diehard Soul fan and season ticket holder from the teams inception. My daughter was even a Soulmate Dancer for four years. i must admit
Jaws, JBJ ran a first class organization. They were able to put together a top roster with Tony Graz, Matt D'Orazio, Chris Jackson and my favorite football player of all time, #11 Mike Brown. Jon Bon Jovi always said he was building a team of "character" not characters. After JBJ left, Jaws tries to keep the team and team viable, but it just didn't happen. I was holding out hope they would return, but the things I've read over several weeks seem to make it look like a very long shot! Great informative video...
you couldn't find more than two minutes of b footage?
AFL is going to be NFL as in not for long! I hope some of those teams join the IFL as in Orlando Predators' forming a rivalry with the Jacksonville Sharks. West Texas Desert Hawks forming a rivalry with the Frisco Fighters & Duke City Gladiators.
I didn’t think anything could top the AAF debacle. And yet here we are.
I heard Jeff Fisher is the intern league commissioner.The league voted unanimously voted to expel Lee Huton
I am an Orlando local and asked my dad to sit and watch the Predators game like old times.....Orlando scored ZERO fucking points in the first half....in a league (theoretically) designed to score 60-80 a game. We turned it off by the start of the 3rd quarter only to later find out we lost and only scored 14 points the whole game. Idk where the dis-connect is and its probably in many places....but I will not be watching another game this year. I grew up on the mid- late 90's Arena Football where Orlando and Tampa had the "War on I-4" every year and it was the hottest ticket in town. Now....this....
My condolences...I remember when if the broadcast was either the Preds or Storm, it was probably gonna be a good one, definitely when it was both of em.
AFL would do well in Europe and Asia. It's a fast paced version of football that requires a much smaller place to play it in. They should try this in Europe and China.
Used to love the AFL, especially the Dragons and Sabercats. Great QBs like Dolezel, Garcia, Greib, Philyaw, Warner, etc...
AIF League is quality. Couple idiots got added before the relaunch season but they’ve been kicked so it can run correctly.
Its sad because me and my brother were looking forward to watching games on live tv again. On the Nashville Kats web page they said their games would be aired on channel 4 WSMV(NBC) and NFL Network but when game time came just regular programming. Nothing but lies.. I’m really getting tired of this on again off again relationship the AFL has with its fans and players. They’re very inconsistent, I was ready to invest in the team but decided to wait until week 1 to see if the league was serious or not. Glad I saved my money. AFL you just played yourself! Get your shid together! 🤦♂️
The only arena football my state of Arkansas had was The Arkansas Twisters of the AF2(2000-2010)
The AFL should stay dead, it had a good run (well, as good as a basketcase of a league could be)
Still have PS2 arena football video game when I get to play as Dallas Desperados vs Philly Soul. They once draw big numbers in Grand Rapids, Albany
Been wanting to go back and play those games
My AFL Team has bounced around because of all the closings. Originally I liked the Dallas Desperados but they closed. Then I was a New York Dragons fan before they closed. Then I was a fan of the Philadelphia Soul until they closed the second time. Now I'm a Billings Outlaws fan. Why not the "Soul" now? Because they're the Dallas Falcons not the Philadelphia Soul. My IFL Team is the Massachusetts Pirates. I have actually traveled to Arizona to see the Pirates play.
Jon Bon Jovi for Arena Football League Commissioner
Jersey boy lol
@@EmbracetheGrind Former Philadelphia Soul owner!
I remember going to a Los Angeles Cobras game in the late 1980s.
I went to several LA Kiss games and thought it was fun .
Honestly I’ve seen other current AFL analysis videos and it’s all been negative . I was hoping the Atlantic City BlackJacks would return but now I’m glad they didn’t because they dodged a bullet . For now I’m a Jersey Bearcats for the AAL2 . But honestly, I wanted the AFL to work and compete against the UFL because they Cut the NJ Generals . But the UFL seems to be holding on and they’ll eventually bring back the Generals . Hopefully next year .
This iteration is nothing more than a travescamockery! Been reading so many tweets and posts about players not being paid, or being fired for criticizing a now on the lam commissioner.
To any AFL player and coach who may see this: I'm so sorry you're being taken advantage of by someone no different than Lyle Lanley from Marge vs. the Monorail. If you've had enough, and you're unable to walk out, hear me out with this:
60 minutes of kneel downs.
AFL is gone forever. IFL is where its at now. Give it a chance, pick a team, support it and the league!
Before this past week the only thing i know about the arena football world is as a footnote to Kurt Warner's Career, then all this happened and it brought me down a confusing and depressing rabbit hole. There's one positive though
This whole thing blow up right before IFL week 8 kick off and i was able to watch all of it due to my curiosity beimg peaked by all that's happening, it's quite fun the games are fast paced, loads of scoring, some sick skills on showcase, and for a few teams the crowd support is pretty good. The stream for the Bay Area-Vegas game was awfully choppy but i guess that's just because the bay area as a whole is just a dump nowadays with lousy infrastructure. Overall i like it and can definitely see myself come back for more, i even have pick a team to support moving forward, guess what ol' Kurt's team is still alive and kicking in the ifl 😂 Go Barnstormers! 🎉🎉🎉
The IFL seems to be doing it right and it is why a lot of the former AFL teams chose to stay in the IFL rather than jump back to their OG league
@@EmbracetheGrindIowa, Arizona, and Green bay having been in the league for close to a decade now probably could tell that they're doing just fine in the ifl and saw no reason to jump back which so far has proved to be a prudent decision
There were NO wall pads at the Oregon Blackbears arena
Iowa Barnstormers and LA Avengers were my teams!!! I think they need to start college Arena football in association with a Big10 or Big12 to allow walk on’s and freshmen to get reps. This is the only way to keep this amazing sport alive. College has to get involved and maybe high school.
Always nice to look back at the peak days of AFL in the late 90's and early 00's. But yeah, this attempt to revive the brand has been a complete joke. 3 or 4 Arenas shown so far haven't had rebound nets and goal posts were very low quality... and few with ceilings so low almost every kickoff is an automatic touchback. RUclips would had been a way smarter backup instead of their own website or Vyre... but overall the broadcast quality has been super inconsistent anyway.
While I do prefer the indoor game with rebound nets... NAL is also not up to par, AFL has little to no chance of making it out of this first season, IFL is truly the current highest standard for indoor football. But with rise of USFL/XFL and their merger to a seemingly more stable UFL... competition does seem to hurt the indoor game's ability to thrive.
It is mind-blowing the league leadership has not focused on quality control when it comes to equipment used by the different teams. Whoever thought of using Vyre or their own streaming service needs to rethink their thought process. Vyre is a strange streaming service.
Toronto had a team one year, but i didn't get a chance to go to a match
I knew the league was doomed after they announced a team in St. Louis that didn't exist and was instead a fictional team created by a BattleHawks fan Twitter account.
I have to imagine indoor football will eventually go the way of indoor soccer: kept around by a few remaining people but otherwise largely forgotten as the outdoor game is of far higher quality.
Man I used to love the AFL. It was far and away the best indoor football. But I can't get excited about the new AFL, I don't even consider it the same league. I'll stick to watching the IFL