The Rebirth of America's Sport: The AFA(Madden 08 Custom Franchise)

[MasterShadic]

Somewhere, in an alternate reality. . .

Organized American Football Has Officially Returned!

May 16th, 2006
Jim Thorn, Austin Gazette

There is a god, football fans. And it has sent its savior: the American Football Association. The dissolution of the NFL due to the bankruptcy that several franchises experienced after the players union refused to strike a deal in the 1987 lockout, which led to the fan base and cable providers dropping the sport, was a tragedy. I couldn't believe that the sport I had loved had fallen apart because of a financial gaffe. I watched my favorite pastime collapse under its own weight. I have always felt as though the lockout stole over almost two decades of good football away from the American people.

On May 12th, Jordan Roderick Sr. announced the formation of the first major football league since the NFL. Roderick Sr. has been slowly buying out franchises and even entire regional leagues, all building up to the formation of the AFA. The league is even bigger than the NFL used to be. It will be 32 teams total, split into two 16 team conferences(NFC and AFC, as with the NFL), with eight 4 team regional divisions(North, West, South, East, for each conference). The scheduling will mostly remain the same. 16 games, and 4 preseason games, with a 12 team playoff. In a press conference on Sunday, Roderick Sr. had this to say about the teams:

"I have been working diligently the previous three years making sure that this adventure doesn't collapse before it has even begun. Twenty-four franchises are already signed up, and the remaining eight will be brand new franchises that I will personally reveal to the public, once a month, until the first annual training camp begins."



The training camp begins in February, with the first official regular season kicking off in September of 2007. Until then, here is a list of the twenty four teams that have been confirmed so far:

NFC

NORTH
Boston Statesmen
Columbus Knights
New York City Engineers
-TBA-

SOUTH
Atlanta Redhawks
Alabama Champions
-TBA-
-TBA-

EAST
Richmond Silverwings
Nashville Blues
Memphis Black Bears
-TBA-

WEST
Utah Hornets
Santa Fe Matadors
Portland Miners
Las Vegas Red Devils


AFC

NORTH
Idaho Dynamite
Yellowstone Rangers
Vancouver Mountaineers
-TBA-

SOUTH
Mexico City Bandits
Austin Vipers
Oklahoma City Indians
Orlando Kings

EAST
Missouri Flash
Springfield Explorers
-TBA-
-TBA-

WEST
San Diego Dragons
Sacramento Scouts
San Jose Quakes
-TBA-

At least twenty-seven colleges have reinstated their football programs in short time after the announcement, insuring that the talent pool to draft from will grow in the coming years. As a fan, I am as giddy as a little boy on Christmas Eve. I have a team to root for again. The sport I grew up watching is back, and I am sure that it will be better than ever.

[MasterShadic]

May 22nd, 2006
Orville Dominic, New York Times

With the formation of the AFA, we here at the New York Times thought it would be prudent to give football fans a short history of the various franchises that will make up the AFA. This will be a weekly feature, and will cover all twenty-four non-expansion teams. This week's subject: the new NFC North.

BOSTON STATESMEN

FOUNDED: JULY 15TH, 1996
LOCATION: BOSTON, MA
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 2
STAR PLAYER: Maquinna Nahuel, WR

The Statesmen were formed in 1996 as a part of the North East Football Conference, one of the earliest attempts to try and jump-start professional football again. They won the first two NEFC championships in 1997 and 1998, but haven't made it back to the big game since, despite making the playoffs every year. This has earned them the label of being chokers, for lack of a better word; terrible in clutch situations.

COLUMBUS KNIGHTS

FOUNDED: JULY 15TH, 1996
LOCATION: COLUMBUS, OH
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 4
STAR PLAYER: Donald Isaiah, HB

The Knights were also a part of the NEFC, and for a long time were the worst team in the conference, until they found Donald Isaiah. Isaiah practically carried the team to three NEFC championships between 2002 and 2005. Isaiah is anticipated to be one of the premiere backs in the AFA. Many people know that without Isaiah, this team's offense wouldn't be able to win any games due to their porous defense allowing so many points.

NEW YORK ENGINEERS

FOUNDED: JULY 15TH, 1996
LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY, NY
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 4
STAR PLAYER: Jimmy Quinton, CB

The Engineers are an odd franchise. They have won two NEFC championships, in 1999 and 2001, but were absolutely terrible every other year, as their offense simply could not score any points. In 2003 they scored just 52 points across all 9 games in the season. They have fared better in recent years, making it to the championship game in 2004 and 2005, but losing both to the Knights. The best player on their rock-solid defense, Jimmy Quinton, has a long standing, and very public, feud with Statesmen receiver Maquinna Nahuel due to an altercation in a 2003 regular season game.

The final team in the NFC North will be an expansion team, and will be announced during the first week of June.

[MasterShadic]

May 29th, 2006
Orville Dominic, New York Times

With the formation of the AFA, we here at the New York Times thought it would be prudent to give football fans a short history of the various franchises that make up the AFA. This will be a weekly feature, and will cover all twenty-four non-expansion teams. This week's subject: the new NFC South.

ATLANTA REDHAWKS

FOUNDED: January 6th, 1992
LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 6
STAR PLAYER: Walter Rich, DE

The Atlanta Redhawks were one of the major teams that appeared in the Eastern Football League shortly after the NFL collapse. In thirteen years, they have won four EFL titles, appearing in six and never missing the playoffs. They were going to be AFA favorites this year until their first and only coach, Tony Heman, died at age 62 last week. Now they will have to play with a different coach for the first time in their history, and that makes them a major question mark in the league. They are extremely balanced in terms of talent on both sides of the ball, and that makes them a dangerous opponent for anyone.

ALABAMA CHAMPIONS

FOUNDED: JULY 15TH, 1996
LOCATION: BIRMINGHAM, AL
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 1
STAR PLAYER: Jimmie Fitzroy, QB

The Champions have been everything but their namesake. In the nine years since the NEFC's inception, they have made the playoffs in all but one year, but have only reached the championship game once, losing to the Engineers. They have a strong offense, but the defense has very little talent and the offense has been accused of being terribly coached. Quarterback Jimmie Fitzroy has only been with the team two years, but has set franchise records in every category for a quarterback. With a good coach and a little more talent on defense, this team could become a true contender for the first AFA championship.

The final two teams in the NFC South will be expansion teams, and will be announced during the first week of July and August, respectively.

[MasterShadic]

June 1st, 2006
Malone Gregory, Philadelphia Post

The expansion team for the NFC North was announced today, and I am happy to report that football will be returning to Philadelphia!

Pennsylvania Pioneers

"The Pioneers embody the American spirit. The city of brotherly love was also once the capital of our country, and the pinnacle of the colonies."

-Jordan Roderick Sr.

[MasterShadic]

June 5th, 2006
Orville Dominic, New York Times

With the formation of the AFA, we here at the New York Times thought it would be prudent to give football fans a short history of the various franchises that make up the AFA. This will be a weekly feature, and will cover all twenty-four non-expansion teams. This week's subject: the new NFC East.

RICHMOND SILVERWINGS

FOUNDED: NOVEMBER 4TH, 1990
LOCATION: RICHMOND, VA
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 6
STAR PLAYER: Manfred Iacopo, TE

The Silverwings, along with seven other teams entering the AFA, were a part of the Southern Professional Football League that formed shortly after the NFL folded. The League was heavily criticized for the insane amount of games that teams played per season(21). The Silverwings have always had an offensively inclined front office, resulting in a team with a powerhouse offense that has the ability to turn every game they play into a shootout. They were always contenders in the SPFL, but in the deeper AFA, expect them to struggle. Their running back turned tight end Manfred Iacopo is the cornerstone of the current offense. Although he has a tendency to drop important passes, he is an excellent blocker and is one of the fastest players in the league.

NASHVILLE BLUES

FOUNDED: NOVEMBER 6TH, 1990
LOCATION: NASHVILLE, TN
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 0
STAR PLAYER: Darian Thornton, K

The Blues perfectly represent their namesake. In fifteen SPFL seasons, the Blues have made only one playoff appearance. Over the years, many different people have been blamed. Management, coaches, and players, but the most popular theory amongst the fans is the aptly named Blues' Curse. They are a balanced team, but they lack talent in key areas, including the coach himself. They do have a record setting kicker, Darian Thornton, whose career best is a 65 yarder, so they are typically able to score if they make it past midfield with their offense. They will need to make some major changes if they hope to compete in the AFA.

MEMPHIS BLACK BEARS

FOUNDED: NOVEMBER 7TH, 1990
LOCATION: MEMPHIS, TN
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 3
STAR PLAYER: Oleg Hildebert, LT

The Black Bears have a respectable history, but to their fans they have just been one big disappointment. They have a talented offense, talented defense, and a good coach. So what is the problem? They either choke away victories, or suffer major injuries. Some have joked that the Blues may have spread their curse to Memphis after their first SPFL championship in 1994, and I don't blame them. They haven't won the championship since, and have missed the playoffs in the last three seasons. If they are to compete in the AFA, their star-studded offensive line must protect the quarterback, or else they are sure to disappoint yet again.


The final team in the NFC East will be an expansion team, and will be announced during the first week of September.

[MasterShadic]

June 12th, 2006
Orville Dominic, New York Times

With the formation of the AFA, we here at the New York Times thought it would be prudent to give football fans a short history of the various franchises that make up the AFA. This will be a weekly feature, and will cover all twenty-four non-expansion teams. This week's subject: the new NFC West.

UTAH HORNETS

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2000
LOCATION: SALT LAKE CITY, UT
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 1
STAR PLAYER: Stirling Loyd, MLB

The Hornets are one of the few teams coming out of the Rocky Football Conference. The RFC is a relatively young conference, founded in 2000. The Hornets possibly have the best defense in the new NFC. They also probably have the worst offense. In their single RFC championship appearance in 2004, they won 7-0, and the touchdown was from a fumble returned for a touchdown. This defense plays ugly, and wins ugly, but when the defense fails, the offense cannot provide any help. This is a championship caliber team if they fix the problems with the offense.

SANTA FE MATADORS

FOUNDED: NOVEMBER 4TH, 1990
LOCATION: SANTA FE, NM
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 2
STAR PLAYER: Stuart Edric, C

The Matadors play as they should. The coach is average, he helps talented players but cannot push them past their limits. Their scheme is average, their offense is average, their defense is average, but this team is always a tough opponent. They finished last season with the highest turnover differential in the SPFL. This is most likely due to the only thing on this team that isn't average: the offensive line. They allowed only one sack during the entire 2005 SPFL season, a league record. Spearheaded by center Stuart Edric, this O-line is a nightmare for any defense that constantly utilizes the blitz.

PORTLAND MINERS

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2000
LOCATION: PORTLAND, OR
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 2
STAR PLAYER: Kimo Kale, SS

Another RFC alumni, the Miners have always danced around glory, but never firmly grasped it. They lost the first two RFC championship games in 2000 and 2001, and have made the playoff every season since, but have never made it back to the big game. Their secondary is blazing fast, holding their opponents to less passing yards than rushing yards most of the time, but that is the problem. Their defensive line is horrible, getting gashed by the run every game. If they fix the D-line, this team may finally find glory in the AFA.

LAS VEGAS RED DEVILS

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2001
LOCATION: LAS VEGAS, NV
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 0
STAR PLAYER: Naveed Ru, DT

The Red Devils are a powerful team. Elegant, they are not. They win ugly, and play ugly. They also lose ugly. They average four turnovers a game and have never made it to an RFC championship game. If they want to excel in the AFA, they will need to bolster their secondary and get a quarterback that doesn't throw three interceptions every game.

[bryceisdabest]

Do one of the AFC south teams in Columbia, SC

[Deuce2223]

I would think that the other AFC North team would need to come from Seattle or Tacoma.