After a week of rumors and dueling press releases, it is over. The 20+ year run of the Arena Football League appears to have come to an end. The league owners have decided to suspend the 2009 season. They say they are looking for an economic model that will work. Good luck. Suspending a season is the equivalent of a highly coveted high school football player "re-opening" his recruitment - rarely (if ever) does it mean good news for the original plank holders. Former Michigan kicker Remy Hamilton is officially out of work and I have something to write about today.
I am not sure why, but I have always been a sucker for professional football alternatives. I am too young to remember ever watching the WFL in the 1970's, but I do remember when the Memphis Southmen signed Larry Csonka away from the Miami Dolphins. In the 1980's I loved the USFL and the Anthony Carter led Michigan Panthers. I even tried to watch the XFL for a game or two in 2001. But since 1987, the AFL has been something unique. I have to admit that every 
once in a while it was fun to sit down and watch football played in a hockey arena, even if they did routinely score 60+ points per team.Sadly it is time to say adios to the league that gave us the Detroit Drive (4 time AFL champions). The league that gave Art Schlichter a chance to make some money (so he could make some more bets) and Jeff Smoker a job other than delivering pizzas. The league that gave Kurt Warner a stage to throw for 10,000+ yards and make the improbable jump to the Super Bowl. The league gave John Bon Jovi an opportunity to own a football team and deliver a championship to Philadelphia. Most importantly has been a place that has allowed many former Wolverines a chance to keep playing football.
Former Michigan Wolverine AFL players (HT: Arenafan.com)
Kraig Baker
William Carr
Jean Charles
Scott Dreisbach
Pete Elezovic
Juaquin Feazell
Jay Feely
Remy Hamilton (Active player)
Billy Harris
Tony Henderson
Todd Howard
Ben Huff
Paul Jokisch
Steven King
Marcus Knight
Garland Rivers
Dan Rumishek
Russell Shaw
Buster Stanley
John Vitale
Dwayne Ware
Brent White
James Whitley
Chuck Winters
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9 comments:
Andy,
not to mention the 2001 ArenaBowl Champions, the Grand Rapids Rampage. I was at the ArenaBowl game in the 616 that summer day, it was AWESOME! I have been to plenty of hockey games, arena football games and concerts (even the Motley Crue concert DVD filmed there in '05) at the Van Andel Arena and the ArenaBowl was the best EVENT I attended at that venue.
The owner of the Rampage, Dan Devos, readily admits that the team will not make money, but he looks at it as a "public entity."
Speculation on sports talk radio (specifically the Huge Show which is broadcast around the state) is the NFL will fully partner with the AFL and change its name to something like "NFL Indoors" and become an actual minor leauge.
of particular disappointment is the elimination of jobs for scores of cheerleaders-
http://www.columbusdestroyers.com/fan/bombshells.php
the football players might have been "minor league" but the cheerleaders were always first rate.
Yes! Cheerleader comparisons!
I believe the Rage Dancers own your bombs.
http://www.rampagefootball.com/danceteam/meettheteam/
Dude! their pictures are in black & white? who goes to the trouble of putting up pics of cheerleaders on the internet in b&w?
Carl Tabb:
Thanks for the brilliant idea. As a way to memorialize the AFL, we can have a contest to select your favoriten AFL cheerleader.
I will start working on it tonight !
No mention of the league I personally devoted years to developing??
The Lingerie Football League. Thanks for leaving me out of your article. I'm crossing your town off our list of exhibition games.
Sic
Hey, it's Grand frickin' Rapids, man. We can't afford the fancy Glamour Shots like the 'Bus. I heard we tried Glamour Shots By Deb from but it turns out that was just make believe for the movie. Who knew?
Mgoblog reporting Shafer's resignation.
Maybe if there is a new league, Detroit will have a shot at a championship. It seems like every time there is a new league, the Detroit team wins the championship....
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