Some of you have taken issue with our assertion that “Arena Football 1" has changed its name to the “Arena Football League.” We’ve confirmed that, indeed, the group of indoor-war-on-the-floor squads that were going to be known as “AF1" will instead be the “AFL.”
And before any of you start complaining about another AFL article, consider these realities.
First, it’s the offseason. Second, free agency doesn’t start for 17 days. Third, though the name of this site was designed in large part to avoid a copyright/trademark claim from the NFL (it’s a good thing we didn’t include “who dat” in the URL), we’re called “ProFootballTalk.com,” and the AFL players get paid, even though sometimes the compensation comes in the form of day-old bagels and muffin stumps.
Fourth, the AFL games will be televised by NFL Network, which strengthens the link to the core of our coverage. Fifth, would you prefer more articles about Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham tampering with Chiefs players?
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, more stuff about the AFL.
Here are the 15 teams: Alabama Vipers, Arizona Rattlers, Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings, Chicago Rush, Cleveland Gladiators, Dallas Vigilantes, Iowa Barnstormers, Jacksonville Sharks, Milwaukee Iron, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, Orlando Predators, Spokane Shock, Tampa Bay Storm, Tulsa Talons, Utah Blaze.
And if you need proof as to how much I already miss football, I actually plan to make the four-hour drive to Cleveland for a home game, especially if one of the Cleveland home games will be televised on NFLN.
I’m also holding out hope for the placement of a 16th team in Pittsburgh come 2011. Hell, I’d probably drive up there for every game.
So welcome back, AFL. We ignored you the last time around. And though you still fall a huge step behind the NFL on our priority list, we’ll at least pay closer attention this time around.
Actually that implies that we paid any attention to the old AFL. We didn’t. But now we will.
