Assessing the Alliance (AAF)

[Klomp]

The AAF about to kick off. I figure we can get enough discussion over the course of the season to merit a thread for the league.

Lots of Minnesota ties. I'll come up with a list at some point, unless someone beats me to it.

[Klomp]

 

[y*so*blu]

I'm watching the San Diego Fleet (nice to see that city have a football team again) at the San Antonio Commanders and I'm really enjoying it. Both teams came out with a lot of passion and energy, especially on defense. Tied at 6-6 and no one's gotten in the endzone yet, so I'm waiting for that.

The QB sack looked brutal, but no call because it wasn't helmet to helmet; the defender just tackled Bercovici so hard that his helmet flew off. He never saw it coming. A few issues with the audio feed cutting out here and there, but other than that I've been impressed with the game, the commentary (Spiro Dedes FTW), and the production values.

[y*so*blu]

Nice run for a San Antonio first-down by a running back named Cobb, out of Minnesota. Don't know his first name. (Looked it up: David Cobb.)

Backup San Diego QB Philip Nelson, who was sent in after a rough start for Mike Bercovici, also played for the U of M before playing his last year at East Carolina.

[RpMc]

2 hours ago, Klomp said:

The AAF about to kick off. I figure we can get enough discussion over the course of the season to merit a thread for the league.

Lots of Minnesota ties. I'll come up with a list at some point, unless someone beats me to it.

Made a list in another thread already. 

[SteelKing728]

I think Brandon Watts, who we drafted a few years ago, plays in the AAF.

[SemperFeist]

This. 1000x this. 

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

5 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

This. 1000x this. 

 

AAF and XFL certainly won't even come close to competing with the NFL but if you guys remember, the flying robo cam and cameras on the field after touchdowns were adopted by the NFL because the XFL used them.

These leagues may lead to a better product in the NFL. It's exciting.

[y*so*blu]

Saw a really nice play by former Viking and current Birmingham Iron player Jack Tocho, who faked a coverage and then rushed Christian Hackenburg, nailing him and forcing intentional grounding.

[Ozzy]

Here is the list I made of guys I knew who were in the league.  In Bold are the Minnesota guys literally from the state or used to be on the Vikings.  Did not see much of Arthur Brown for San Antonio last night, that kid was a big time talent coming into the NFL but never worked out on the Ravens.  Was cool to see Gopher David Cobb out there getting a little run.  Philip Nelson sure he is a local kid also but honestly I am not that happy for him, the kid got into a fight at a bar in southern Minnesota and kicked some dude in the head and caused him to be mentally disabled the rest of his life, so yeah not super happy Nelson is still able to play football after what he did to this guy.   That was part the reason he got kicked off the Rutgers team after leaving Minnesota.  

 

Arizona:
Rahim Moore
Scooby Wright
Will Sutton
Ondre Pipkins
Connor Hamlett
John Crockett
TJ Barnes
 

 

Atlanta:
Denard Robinson
Marcus Oliver
Brandon Watts
Shaq Wiggins
PJ Davis
Vontae Diggs
Stephen Hill

 

Birmingham:
Amba Etta-Tawo 
Josh Frazier
Brandon Greene
JC Hassenauer
Tyler Howell
Ty Issac
Trent Richardson
Jamal Robinson
Jack Tocho
Blake Sims

 

Memphis:
Jonathan Cook
Jeremy Curter
Colton Jumper
EJ Levenberry
Toby Weathersby
Zach Mettenberger
Damore'ea Stringfellow
Christian Hackenberg

 

Orlando:
Will Hill
Tre Jackson
D'Ernest Johnson
Earl Okine
Giorgio Newberry
Brandon Washington
Cody Riggs
D'Joun Smith
Azeem Victor

 

Salt Lake:
Branden Oliver
Austin Allen
Matt Asiata
BJ Daniels
Darius Hamilton
Demetrius Monday
Trevor Reilly
 

 

San Antonio:
Deion Barnes
Arthur Brown
Kurtis Drummond
David Cobb
Joel Lanning
Jaryd Jones-Smith
Speedy Noil
Orion Stewart
Greg Ward

 

San Diego:
Marcus Baugh
Travis Feeney
Bishop Sankey
Shay Fields
Nelson Spruce
AJ Tarpley

 

 

 

It was fun to watch, a lot better game play than the XFL, Indoor football league, CFL or NFL Europe.  Fast action, big hits and cool seeing guys get another chance and they were hungry for it.  Could be an outstanding minor league system for the NFL, wish we could send Treadwell down there right now to get his confidence back, no clue why Moritz Bohringer is not there he needs the work but sure is on the Bengals apparently now.  

[Klomp]

There are so many NFL ties in the upper management of the Alliance, along with being stateside in good minor league markets, that I think it can and will develop into a successful minor league system.

I doubt it will be like most other sports though, where it's a feeder system and a true call-up/send-down scenario, but I think it's something that could be used like winter baseball.

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

Watched Birmingham vs. Memphis. 

1. Love the fast pace of the games. No touchdown, PAT, commercial, kickoff for a touchback, commercial, back for the first play. I hope the NFL just gets rid of the kickoff all together. It's pointless with all the touchbacks now and it's nice having the extra-point, then a commercial break, then  coming back to the first play of the drive. 

I also like the 35 second play clock the second a play ends rather than when the ref spots the ball. NFL should do this with 40 seconds. 

2. Level of play is about as expected. It's like watching a pre-season week 2 game. Hopefully they hang in there a couple years and we eventually see some college players who didn't get their shot in the NFL breakout in the AAF and eventually become players in the NFL.

3. Love that the coaches/players are constantly mic'd up and you can hear it live when they show the coaches on the sideline. It's actually insightful rather than a reason for the broadcast to waste a minute or two during downtime.

4. Love the official reviews. I really enjoy hearing the thought process by the actual person making the call rather than 3 people in the booth who have no bearing on the game.

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

2 hours ago, Klomp said:

 

I doubt it will be like most other sports though, where it's a feeder system and a true call-up/send-down scenario, but I think it's something that could be used like winter baseball.

It'd be kinda hard to do it like minor league baseball where teams are comprised of prospects from the parent club yet are filled out by players (older guys/lesser prospects) signed by the team rather than the parent club.

You'd have 4 NFL teams sharing one AAF team which isn't a problem but you'd have to cap the number of "organizational players" to still allow unaffiliated players to be on the teams or else the league is just going to be a bunch of late-round picks or UDFA's and guys like those who are playing in the league today won't have a job.

You'd probably have to do 6 or 7 NFL team players (24 or 28) players per AAF teams to still allow half the roster to be players like Tocho, Hackenberg, Richardson, etc.

It'd be pretty cool to be able to watch a Kyle Sloter type play, though. 

[RpMc]

Matt Asiata.... still being Matt Asiata

 

[The Gnat]

I watched about 30 seconds of it. I think it's going to have a lot of trouble in the long run. With the XFL, even the new version coming back, people are still going to treat it like second rate football, the AAF is basically the NFL's minor league's, which is a good thing, but as a more serious football league, the product on the field was not all that great in week one.