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

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