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

[MasterShadic]

June 19th, 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 AFC North.

IDAHO DYNAMITE

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2000
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 0
STAR PLAYER: Adam Nadav, WR

In the short time that they have been a part of the RFC, the Dynamite have consistently been the single worst team in the conference. They have never made it to the RFC playoffs, and never had a winning season. In preparation for the 2007 RFC season, they added Adam Nadav, a superstar reciever in college. He is expected to be the cornerstone which the team will build upon in the upcoming years in the AFA.

YELLOWSTONE GOLDEN EAGLES

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2000
LOCATION: PIERRE, SD
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 3
STAR PLAYER: Justin Weston, TE

The Golden Eagles were a powerhouse in the RFC, going to the playoffs every year and making to the championship game three times, but they never won one. Their offense has been the driving force behind this team, but with their two time RFC MVP quarterback Ronald Zechariah being arrested last month on the charge of murder, they will have to rely on the young Seth Ray to lead the offense. Hopefully he will be able to utilize the skill-set of their hulking tight end, Justin Weston, who has been nicknamed the "Human Bulldozer".

VANCOUVER MOUNTAINEERS

FOUNDED: AUGUST 1ST, 2000
LOCATION: VANCOUVER, BC
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 1
STAR PLAYER: Cerdic Babak, OLB

The Mountaineers are fantastic on both sides of the ball, but they keep losing. Why? Their line play. Their offensive and defensive linemen are some of the worst in the game of professional football. The O-line allows 3.5 sacks per game and the D-line averages 0.2 sacks per game. There is no talent with their front five or four, and that will need to change. If they can bolster their defensive line, then the talent of outside linebacker Cerdic Babak will shine through, and allow him to get to the quarterback more often.

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

[MasterShadic]

June 26th, 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 AFC South.

Mexico City Bandits

LOCATION: Mexico City, MX
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 2
STAR PLAYER: Devyn Trafford, FS

The Bandits were a part of the Tex-Mex Football League, an effort to expand American football into Mexico and eventually South America. The plan failed and the league folded three months ago, but the players' contracts haven't officially expired yet, allowing the AFA to revive the teams. The Bandits were the top Mexico based team in the TMFL, being the only one to reach the playoffs and win the championship. They are extremely balanced on both sides of the ball, and have a genius coach. If they adjust well to the stiffer competition, they could thrive in the AFA.

Austin Vipers

LOCATION: Austin, TX
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 5
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 6
STAR PLAYER: Bob Bailey, QB

The Austin Vipers held all offensive records in the TMFL by the time it folded. They would win games in which both teams would score over 80 points combined. They dominated the TMFL, winning every championship except for one in 2004, an upset loss to the Bandits. Look for Bandits/Vipers to be one of the major AFA rivalries.

Oklahoma City Indians

LOCATION: Oklahoma City, OK
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 0
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 3
STAR PLAYER: Jordan Roderick Jr, QB

The Indians play tough football, but have a bad habit of losing when it counts the most. Their offense is lead by none other than the commissioner's son, Jordan Roderick Junior. The Indians were a strange addition to the RFC, due to their location, but they played well, making it to the playoffs half the time. They'll need a little more talent on defense if they want to compete in the AFA.

Orlando Kings

LOCATION: Orlando, FL
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES: 9
STAR PLAYER: Adrian Hudson, HB

The Kings are the only team coming out of the Florida Football Conference, and for good reason. They were the only team that won anything. They have secured all nine FFC championships, led by dominating halfback Adrian Hudson. Their main concern is that they may not be as good as their history suggests, as some of the worst football in history has been played in the FFC(one playoff game ended with a final score of 4-2). It will be interesting to see how their first AFA season pans out.