By Alex Kurtz, Sports Editor
Since the NFL has become one of the premiere sports leagues in the United States, there have been many different attempts to overthrow them over the years.
In the 1940s, there was the AAFC, which eventually folded after four years. Then came the AFL, which was probably the most successful of any competitor to the NFL, but they merged with the NFL in 1970.
The 1980s brought the USFL, which managed to sway a couple high-profile draft picks like Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Reggie White and Steve Young. Four of those players were eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, the league was short lived due to bankruptcy.
A few others would attempt to do the same up until the present day, but none would be able to stand to the might of the NFL. If anything, they became almost a minor league of sorts, like NFL Europe and the Arena Football League.
This year brought a new challenger to the forefront however: The Alliance of American Football (AAF). Led by former executives and NFL players, the league would be strung into eight different teams that would compete for a title. As a key selling point, tickets and concessions would be affordable.
As with every new league, I was skeptical with how great the football would be. After all, they are basically a bunch of NFL rejects and undrafted players. I was surprised though with the gameplay.
The quality of football was surprisingly decent. Most of the teams looked like a cohesive unit that normally played pretty well except maybe the Atlanta Reign and the Memphis Express, who are led by former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
As the case with Hackenberg though, many of these players are eye- ing another shot in the NFL. After all, the NFL is the pinnacle of professional football. However, that also means these players will be laying everything on the line for that second chance.
Maybe this league won’t be anything special, but so far I’ve not only been slightly impressed but it also solves the post-Super Bowl football drought. I, for one, welcome this new spring league with open arms and will be watching on Sundays.
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