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

By this time tomorrow, Punxsutawney Phil will have told us when spring will arrive. Groundhog Day is always a top-five day on my calendar, but not so much for the prognostication. Even if Phil sees his shadow there’s only six more weeks of winter, and that’s not hard to take. No, Groundhog Day is about … More Arena Football Must Remain A Sanctuary From The NFL

As candidates pan for voters who could change the balance of power in Congress in next month’s elections, the American Arena League and Professional Arena Football have spent their autumn on a campaign trail of their own. They’ve been vying for the litany of teams whose league affiliations remain undecided and could change the landscape … More With AAL and PAF Recruiting To A Draw, Survival Of The Fittest Is On Hold

In 1996, Jason Gibson found himself flat broke with a gas tank nearing empty on the drive to an open tryout for the Albany Firebirds. He was forced to spend the night at a rest area off the New York State Thruway until his dad could send him enough cash to cover a fill-up and … More Invitation-Only Workouts Challenging Arena’s Open Tryout Industry

The thunderstorms passing through Philadelphia last Thursday night created a soft start to the NFL season for me. By the scheduled start of the Eagles-Falcons game at 8:20, only isolated pockets of fans were gathered across the wilderness of Lincoln Financial Field’s open seating area, and the thin crowd conjured memories of a summer filled … More NFL Could Regain Its Compete Level Using Arena Rules

For the past season, my lunchtime routine has consisted of clicking on Facebook for the soap-operatic drama of the American Arena League Forum. Today, however, instead of dialing into arena football’s version of ‘As The World Turns,’ I landed in some Wellesian ‘War Of The Worlds’ episode being broadcast by Professional Arena Football. Despite two … More PAF Repos AAL’s Forum In Latest Blow To Flailing League