Fifty Yarder:

The Mid-Atlantic Indoor Football League came into the periphery of indoor football two years ago with all the conspicuousness of a tardy student slipping into the first empty seat before the teacher notices, yet even in that first year there was something bold about these guys. They rolled out their product in six cities between Lancaster, Pennsylvania and … More Three Reasons Why Arena Football Should Keep An Eye On The MAIFL

Twelve minutes. That’s how much notice residents of Lee County in eastern Alabama got last Sunday afternoon before the most violent of at least six confirmed tornadoes touched down, leaving 23 dead and 90 injured in its path. The EF-4 tornado, the deadliest in the United States since 2013, has affected the arena football community … More Lions Nation Unites In Storm Aftermath

On Friday, the National Gridiron League resolved itself pretty much the way everyone expected: into a steaming pile of excrement left on our front porch with Commissioner Joe McClendon running off behind the hedge after ringing our doorbell. The only surprise in his imminent failure to organize the new league is that Hotels.com never bought … More The NGL Debacle Can Be A Teaching Moment For Arena Football

For some reason, Fifty Yarder’s semiannual update of The Arena Landscape garners more than its share of controversy. I’m not sure why. League placements into a tiered structure are not the product of any personal agenda of mine. They’re simply a visual articulation of the common understanding that has been shared in this industry for … More The Updated Arena Landscape: Love For The CIF, But More For The IFL

A half-dozen new leagues got beyond the drawing board across arena football this past offseason, and it should come as no surprise that four of them were plotted by disillusioned teams fleeing the American Arena League. Notwithstanding the considerable resumes of CEO Tony Zefiretto and President Jack Bowman, the AAL was literally a vaudeville act … More Three Secessions From The AAL That Can Change The Face of Arena Leagues To Come

Since its inception, the National Gridiron League has been an enigma. Media coverage has been scarce and the front office folks seem to like it that way. On the outside, the NGL is a boutique in the chic section of town, whose bright display windows showcase 12 teams symmetrically balanced into two divisions covering half … More The NGL May Never Get Launched