Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Spurrier gives new league big boost

With the staggeringly low success rate of alternative pro sports leagues, it’s easy to dismiss any new venture.

**Out of Left Field is written by Scott Adamson. It appears weekly and sometimes more frequently if he gets up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. Follow him on Twitter @adamsonsl**

The Alliance of American Football, however, is now a bit harder to ignore.

Less than a month after the fledgling spring league came out of nowhere, the AAF hinted that it was serious about going somewhere when it named Steve Spurrier its first head coach and Orlando its flagship franchise.

All new business ventures need publicity, and signing the Head Ball Coach to a deal generated plenty of it – even during a weekend when The Masters was the top story.

In a statement posted on the AAF website, Spurrier says co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian have created a league worthy of his time and effort. It didn’t take much convincing for him to agree to become the first coach in league history.

“What first captured my attention was Charlie and Bill’s commitment to putting top-flight, professional football on the field and creating a true alliance between fans, players and the game,” Spurrier said. “The Alliance offers a unique opportunity to get back into coaching, this time for a spring season, and work closely with hungry, talented athletes looking to begin, revive or extend their professional careers.

“The fact I can do this in Orlando makes it that much sweeter. I’m fired up and ready to go.”

Spurrier, of course, has a national championship and six SEC titles on his resume from his days at Florida; won an ACC crown at Duke; and even turned South Carolina into a top 10 program before things started going backward with the Gamecocks. After three consecutive 11-2 marks in Columbia, the team went 7-6 in 2014 and he resigned midway through the 2015 campaign with Carolina sitting at 2-4.

And while his two-year stint in the NFL was hardly memorable (12-20 with Washington), his last job in a pro spring football league certainly was.

Spurrier coached the United States Football League’s Tampa Bay Bandits during all three of its seasons (1983-85), creating the wide-open “Bandit Ball” attack and helping the team finish 35-21 overall with two playoff appearances.

The Bandits averaged 43,343 fans per game – second best in league history.

Now he’s back in Florida, and his name alone should be worth strong early ticket sales at Spectrum Stadium.

So why Orlando as AAF ground zero?

“When reviewing markets for the Alliance, we focused on cities who were looking for more football,” Ebersol said. “Orlando has already proven to be a passionate, loyal and engaged fan base that loves the game, yet they don’t have a professional football team to call their own.

“Well, we’re not just bringing professional football to town, we’re bringing the Head Ball Coach with us, a true Florida legend.”

Spurrier is a polarizing figure – I’m guessing the excitement level in Tallahassee and Miami is a bit more muted – but he’s still a big get and this is, after all, pro ball.

The AAF is planning on a territorial system for drafting and signing players, so expect most of the football-playing colleges in the Sunshine State to be represented on the 50-player roster.

And since the AAF can be considered an informal feeder league for the NFL, the best way to sell Double A (or optimistically, Triple A) football is to use players the fans already know.

Of course, it’ll all come down to whether or not people are willing to accept the fact that the AAF is a legitimate bridge between college and NFL ball.

To that end, Spurrier in Orlando is a good start, but what’s next?

The league will start play with eight franchises in 2019, so it’ll be interesting to see what other coaches and cities are matched up.

Based on Ebersol’s statement, you get the impression that maybe he wants to avoid NFL towns.

On the other hand – from a media and marketing standpoint – it never hurts to have a New York, Chicago or Los Angeles in the mix.

Whatever the case, I’m much more interested in the Alliance of American Football today than I was a week ago.

It’s still a longshot, but it’s off to heck of a start.

Flat Earth Society has come back around

Since my childhood, I’ve been something of a skeptic.

**Brain Farce is an alleged humor column written by Scott Adamson. It comes out basically whenever he feels like writing it. Follow him on Twitter @adamsonsl**

I never believed in Santa Claus, because I found it implausible that an old, obese man would have the energy to visit all the good boys and girls in the world in a single night.

Plus reindeer cannot fly (due primarily to inner ear infections common to the species).

Tooth fairy?

Nope.

When I lost a tooth and found a coin under my pillow, I knew it was put there by mom or dad.

The tooth fairy doesn’t deal in American currency and besides, she has no pockets to carry change.

I also rolled my eyes at the concept of an Easter Bunny.

Sure, there are giant rabbits – “Night of the Lepus” confirmed that. But they don’t bring your kids eggs at Easter or any other time of year because they don’t like children.

Really, this is all just common sense stuff.

However, there are certain things I’ve never questioned, and one of those things is the shape of the earth.

It’s round, and it’s obviously round.

So who could possibly believe otherwise?

Why, members of the Flat Earth Society, of course.

Seriously, this is an actual thing.

According to the Flat Earth Society website, all that silly science stuff suggesting the earth is round is just crazy talk.

All you have to do is go the FAQ section of the site to get confirmation.

Personally, I’ve always felt that a pretty good indication that the earth is round comes from pictures taken from space, which shows an orb.

How do the Flat Earthers explain that?

Like this:

There are a plethora of resources available that show us we can’t trust the photographic evidence from organizations such as NASA. Some of the evidences that these should be discounted include constant changes in their depiction of the Earth, inconsistent lighting in moon footage, and other irregularities which are discussed in depth by those who believe the Moon landing was a hoax.

I had a high school teacher who thought the moon landing was, indeed a hoax, filmed in a TV studio in New York. She was also a nut.

Nuts telling me the moon landing was fake does not make me believe it.

And what about all those astronauts who have orbited the earth?

Lies … all lies.

Most Flat Earthers think Astronauts have been bribed or coerced into their testimonies. Some believe they have been fooled or are mistaken.

Hmmm.

As far as bribes, sure, Dr. James Kelloway tried to bribe the astronauts on Capricorn One to pretend they had gone to Mars, but he didn’t get away with it.

(By the way, Capricorn One was a 1977 government conspiracy movie that you can currently buy on ebay for $7.61 plus $3.50 shipping. It’s quite enjoyable, although Karen Black’s character was basically wasted. It also has O.J. Simpson in it, which is kinda creepy).

And I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m pretty sure guys like John Glenn were not mistaken when they were blasted into space. I mean, you might mistakenly pick up regular Pringles when your intent was to buy the reduced fat kind, but if you put on a space suit, get strapped into a capsule, and then sit atop an explosion that propels you skyward, I think the intent of what is going to happen is pretty freakin’ clear.

And what about satellites?

According to the Flat Earth Society, there ain’t no satellites.

While one can see satellites in the sky at night, it is generally agreed upon that they are not actual satellites but pseudolites or stratolites put there to fool us.

Okey-doke.

And finally, when it comes to gravity, Flat Earthers simply don’t believe in such nonsense.

Gravity as a theory is false. Objects simply fall. In the flat earth community there are several theories as to why this happens. Some attempt to explain this with use of mechanics like electromagnetism, density, or pressure. Others make use of traditional mathematics, such as the infinite plane model, and others a new look at the problem – such as the non-Euclidean model.
What is certain is sphere earth gravity is not tenable in any way shape or form.

Is this some kind of joke?

To a degree, yes. For example, I’m an ordained minister in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but I realize that the Noodly One is not really a “monster” at all. He’s quite benevolent, and it’s ridiculous to think otherwise.

And I can’t help but think that many people who claim to believe in the Flat Earth theory know it’s ridiculous, too. A lot of celebrities have recently began talking about the concept, but I’m convinced most are merely doing it for publicity.

But there are obviously true believers, men and women who simply refuse to accept science.

Certainly, it’s healthy to be skeptical, especially in an era where there is so much misinformation and stupidity has become acceptable. And there are several theories that are open to interpretation.

The shape of the earth, however, is not one of them.

Nor is the concept of flying reindeer.

Because of that inner ear thing.

The right man is on the job for Greenville FC

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

When it comes to soccer, Greenville FC head coach Lee Squires was a quick study right from the start.

A native of Sheffield, England, Squires decided to come stateside to play the game collegiately. By the time he was done at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, he was the leading scorer (67 goals) in school history.

He was also a three-time All-American and twice named Conference Carolinas Player of the Year.

After competing in the Premier Development League, he returned to LMC as a 23-year-old coach, and in four seasons guided the Bobcats to a 40-29-7 record.

But it was after he moved on to Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, when he hit his stride as a mentor.

Just three seasons into his career there, Squires has compiled a 41-11-6 worksheet. Aside from the impressive record, his resume includes three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two Peach Belt Conference championships and he has been named the PBC Coach of the Year for two seasons in a row.

After the Bearcats’ 2017 campaign, which also included a title in the PBC tourney, Squires could’ve spent this summer taking a break.

He didn’t.

Instead, he’s breaking in new players comprising a new team, as Greenville FC preps for its inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League.

The expansion club opens at the Georgia (Hampton) Revolution on Friday, May 4, and plays its first home match at Stone Stadium on May 12 when Inter Nashville FC comes in for a 7 p.m. contest.

So how challenging is it to go from coaching an established college team to leading one that represents the Fourth Division of United States soccer?

“The biggest difference coaching college and NPSL, especially a team starting from scratch, is blending the team together in such a short space of time,” Squires said. “In college, you often get a number of returners but since this is our first year with GVLFC, everyone is new. We start training May 1st, with the first game May 4th, so not much time for us to come together. Also, we have looked to recruit the best of the college players and some high level older age players, to the standard across the board is expected to be higher.”

Squires got the first look at Greenville FC hopefuls when they played Anderson University last month in a trialist exhibition.

“I was very impressed with the number and quality of trialists,” Squires said. “The tryout sold out quickly, showing the buzz for the team in the city. We narrowed it down from 70 to 10, to join some players currently signed with us, to compete against Anderson University the next day and it was a very close game in which we led for most of it. There’s a small handful from those 10 that have been offered a spot on the team.”

Once the team is put together, Squires will have little time to find out its personality considering the small window between training camp and opening day.

“For me, the players dictate the formation,” Squires explains. “We have to assess quickly what we have and how best to fit the pieces together. But hopefully my preferred style of play will be evident. I like technical players who can play with intensity and quality. I like my teams to play attacking football and be entertaining to watch. But again, all will be dictated by the players we have.

“There’s many ways to win a game and we have to find the way the works for us, as quickly as possible.”

As Squires mentioned, the club has already created positive buzz around town and when they start playing in front of fans they’ll already have a supporters group in the form of the Mill Town Operatives.

“It is vital to have a strong supporters group and the Mill Town Operatives have been fantastic so far,” Squires said. “They are the heart and soul of the club and what provides the club with its identity. They can and will play a huge role, not only at games, but in helping the club grow and spreading the word.”

The goal for the inaugural season, of course, is to put a competitive squad on the pitch and make some noise in the NPSL Southeast Conference. Greenville FC’s opponents include Asheville City FC, Atlanta Silverbacks FC, Chattanooga FC, Emerald Force (Knoxville) FC, and the New Orleans Jesters, as well as Georgia and Nashville.

Beyond that, Squires hopes to see the club grow into the best it can be while maintaining its community soccer identity.

“Promotion/relegation is a hot topic here in the U.S.” Squires said. “It seems to work in the rest of the world, so why not here?! I think it would be great to see a city like Greenville have a pro team and earn promotion. It’s just whether it is sustainable long term.”

Squires then laughed.

“I’m not paid to make those decisions!”

For more information about the club, including ticket information, visit www.gvlfc.com.