Category: History and More

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

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.

About a month ago I checked on the status of Pacific Pro Football, a new Southern California-based league that was set to start play this summer and one in which I have (had?) high hopes.

What makes it different from most alternative pro football leagues, according to its website, is this:

 “Pac Pro will be the first league to professionalize players who are less than 4 years removed from their high school graduation. Players will receive a salary, benefits, and even paid tuition and books for one year at community college. Players also will be able to market themselves for compensation, and begin creating a financial retirement plan if they so choose.”

That’s a novel idea. But the site hadn’t been updated in months and I assumed it would not be kicking off in 2018 since it still has no teams, coaches or players.

I assumed correctly.

On Feb. 28, Pac Pro sent out a release stating that adidas is a founding member of the league, which will “start play in 2019.”

That detail about the launch date was saved for the last line of the release, which is a textbook case of burying the lede.

But, if you’re one of those people like me whose ears always perk up at the sound of “new” football, allow me to introduce you to another circuit vowing to start in 2019 – the Alliance of American Football.

I knew Vince McMahon was planning an XFL reboot (or perhaps reimagining) in 2020, but I had no idea the AAF was coming.

Obviously, though, there has been some serious behind the scenes work.

While franchises won’t be announced until next month, the plan is to have eight teams playing a spring schedule as part of a single entity structure.

Some early major rule tweaks include no kickoffs and no PAT kicks after touchdowns; teams will be required to go for a 2-point conversion.

And on Monday, Alex Marvez of Sporting News reported that big names such as Steve Spurrier, Mike Singletary and Jeff Fisher were being targeted as potential coaches.

But beyond that, here are the two things that stand out to me.

One, the AAF already has a TV deal with CBS, which will show a game on opening day (Saturday, February 9) as well as the championship game at the end of April.

The rest of the contests can be seen on CBS Sports Network or a free “Alliance App.”

And two, aside from former Buffalo Bills GM Bill Polian, the league is co-founded by TV and film producer Charlie Ebersol – son of Dick Ebersol, who happened to run the old XFL along with McMahon. The younger Ebersol actually did the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about that failed venture, “This Was The XFL.”

Beating Vince to his second football punch should make for some spirited conversation the next time the Ebersols and McMahons have a play date.

According to the AAF website:

 “Players will have state-of-the-art protection on the field and ample opportunities off it. The Alliance will provide players a comprehensive bonus system, post-football career planning as well as counseling and scholarship support for postsecondary education.”

That’s great, but it doesn’t matter to fans if all the AAF alums go on to get doctorates and gain acceptance into Mensa International. The key for ticket buyers and viewers is whether or not it’ll be fun to watch.

As is the case with every proposed spring circuit since the United States Football League, players targeted will be those who can’t find work with NFL teams. And after listening to Polian do the media rounds, it’s obvious this will be the proverbial “second chance league.” For those who can parlay an AAF gig into another NFL shot, more power to them.

So what are its odds of success?

Quite long.

Spring is a season of growth, but it has proven to be mostly barren for pro football apart from the USFL (1983-85).

It threw big money at big names, and was carving out a decent niche until New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump convinced the rest of the owners to move to the fall and file an antitrust suit against the NFL in hopes of snagging a financial windfall.

We all know how that turned out, and there hasn’t been an NFL spring league “challenger” since that has even sniffed at stability.*

*The World League of American Football/NFL Europe/NFL Europa was a spring league that lasted from 1991 to 2007, except for a break in 1993-94, but had teams in North America for just its first two seasons. It received funding from the NFL and served as a developmental league.

Now to be fair, you don’t need the best talent in the world to have a viable product.

Great high school teams aren’t on the same level as good college squads, and college players aren’t as skilled as professionals.

That doesn’t mean a game can’t be wildly entertaining, regardless of whether you watch it on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

But there are certain expectations when it comes to pro football, and when it’s considered “minor league,” it carries a stigma – fairly or not. Plus, I’m not sure there’s a real appetite for football from February through June anymore; perhaps fans aren’t in love with the game as much as they used to be. So aside from a few rule changes, this latest entry in offseason football really isn’t breaking ground that hasn’t already been broken time and time again.

Still, when it comes to the AAF, I wish it well, just as I give my well wishes to Pac Pro Football and all upstart leagues.

They provide more jobs for more people, and that’s a good thing.

And if, in fact, the league debuts as scheduled, I’ll watch it as long as I’m entertained.

There’s no harm in giving it a chance, even if I think its chances of survival are slim.

With the four play-in games now history (the NCAA wants us to call it the First Four, so in the spirit of compromise I’ll call it the First Four Play-In), the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins in earnest today.

By the end of the weekend there will be a couple of blowouts, a couple of upsets, and perhaps one real stunner.

That’s how the first round of the Large Waltz almost always plays out, and one of the reasons it’s arguably the most exciting sports tournament in the world.

What I really like about it, though, is that every school that has a legitimate chance to win the national championship is in the field.

That’s why I always have to stifle a chuckle on Selection Sunday when coaches bemoan the fact that their team was “snubbed.”

And there were quite a few feeling left out and disrespected this time around.

Louisville, for example, finished 20-13, and there was a time not so long ago when leaving an ACC team with 20 victories out of the tourney was unthinkable.

Plus, the Cardinals had a rating percentage index (RPI) of 38.

But this year the NCAA went all mathy and decided to judge teams based on their performances in four quadrants.

Quadrant 1 is home games vs. 1-30 RPI teams; neutral-site games vs. 1-50 RPI; and away games vs. 1-75 RPI.
Quadrant 2 is home games vs. 31-75 RPI; neutral-site games vs. 51-100 RPI; and away games vs. 76-135 RPI.
Quadrant 3 is home games vs. 76-160 RPI; neutral-site games vs. 101-200 RPI; and away games vs. 136-240 RPI.
Quadrant 4 is home games vs. 161-plus RPI; neutral-site games vs. 201-plus RPI; and away games vs. 241-plus RPI.

Louisville went 3-10 in Quadrant 1 games, and that didn’t help their cause.

But guess what?

Louisville wasn’t going to win the national championship this season anyway.

I’m a UAB grad and a UAB fan, so I find myself rooting for Conference USA teams to do well once the postseason begins. I figure since the Blazers aren’t in the field (and sadly, they usually aren’t anymore) I might as well support the league.

It’s a one-bid conference, and Marshall took that bid by winning the CUSA Tournament.

That meant Middle Tennessee, with a nice 23-7 overall record and 16-2 league mark, could only hope for an at-large berth.

They didn’t get one because, you know, Conference USA.

It was still disappointing to the players, their coaches and fans, but the reality is that the Blue Raiders were not going to seize the crown.

Maybe they’d have won a game – even two – and that would’ve been wonderful.

And sure, I get that much of the event is about the journey instead of the ultimate destination. It’s an honor to call yourself an “NCAA Tournament team” and coaches should always advocate for their kids. Still, leaving out Middle Tennessee was not equivalent to leaving out a team that had a realistic chance to go all the way.

From a pure record standpoint maybe the biggest slight is Saint Mary’s, which is 28-5 and finished 16-2 in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels had an RPI of 40.

But …

Saint Mary’s had only four wins against teams in the RPI top 100, and no way was that going to impress the Selection Committee.

Again, though, the Gaels were not leaving San Antonio as the last team standing. In that regard, not having them in the bracket didn’t matter.

Now, would the schools I just mentioned have a better chance of advancing than many who are dancing?

Of course. There are a number of teams that will be clearly overmatched, and that’ll show up on the scoreboard Thursday and Friday.

As long as conference tourney champs get a free pass into the field of 68, that field will always be cluttered with schools punching far above their weight class.

And that’s one of the beauties of March Madness.

However, the team that wins it all will be a no-doubter – one in which there was never any question about its NCAA Tournament credentials.

It might be Virginia, Cincinnati, Duke, Michigan State, or any number of programs with impressive talent and impressive victories.

So for all the schools that feel snubbed, I know it sucks; the main goal at the start of every season is to be one of the 68.

In the final analysis, though, the team that’ll hoist the trophy on April 2 is a team that never had to watch the bubble at all.