American Football Alliance – Football America and the NFL

It was already over for the Alliance of American Football League, which threw the piece after eight in its ten-week regular season in early April, dismissing nearly five hundred players and coaches.

The league started in February with the hope of refreshing the lives of young players who still dream about the NFL. Among them, Gareth Gilbert, Christian Hockenberg, Kareem Hunt, Aaron Murray, Trent Richardson,Tenard Robinson or Johnny “Football” Manzil, the league’s latest addition. To coach them, the AFF looked for some big names from college football (Dennis Erickson, Rick New Heisel, Mike Riley and Steve Spurier) and the NFL (Mike Singletary). .

Charlie Epsol (editor)Documentary for D’SBN 30: This is XFL)And welcomed the founders of the league, Bill Polian (former general manager of the Bills, Golds and Panthers), Tom Dundon (owner of Hurricanes Carolina in the NHL) and the $ 250 million investment in the long-term hope that the AAF would gain protection.

But fan interest is waning (more than three million spectators for the first game of the season, but less than three hundred thousand for the last TV games) and the NFL’s reluctance to allow its players (even on “training teams”) to take part in the AAF. The NFL was primarily concerned with legal issues violating the collective bargaining agreements between the Premier League and its players’ association.

Faced with financial problems, Tom Tandon (who thanked the AAF for his big check for the post) chose to close the flood gates and limit losses estimated at seventy million dollars. So the players received their last check at the end of the eighth day. Some even end up with hotel or medical bills that seem to hide the league. Meanwhile, the University of Central Florida is seeking $ 1 million from Orlando Apollos to rent the Spectrum Stadium on their campus and to own UCF. The latter cannot repay their debt, but Steve Spurier’s Troop can celebrate its championship by default on any occasion. Success with bitter taste …

If players and coaches could feel disappointed by the league’s premature abortion, it did not rule out rising from its ashes. How and when unanswered questions. For its part, XFL is still planning its big launch by February 2020, and it guarantees that it will not fall victim to such misconduct as AAF. We ask to see …

AFF (Final) Ranking:

Eastern Division

Orlando Apollos 7-1

Birmingham Iron 5-3

Atlanta Legends 2-6

Memphis Express 2-6

Western Division

Arizona Hotshots 5-3

San Antonio Commanders 5-3

San Diego Navy 3-5

Salt Lake Stallions 3-5