Will Philly Embrace AFL’s Soul?
Chris Steuber
Friday January 9, 2004
While thinking about this question, I came up with very few reasons why it wouldn’t work. First, I thought, “Well, it starts in February, right around the time when the Flyers and Sixers will make their playoff push.”
After thinking further about that conclusion, I started to backpedal away from it, basically because the Sixers might be out of the playoff picture come February, and the Flyers, well, we all know that hockey has lost a lot of its fanfare around the country.
So, why can’t the AFL work in Philadelphia?
One thing that the new Philadelphia franchise has to offer is rocker Jon Bon Jovi as its owner. I can guarantee you that there will be an abundance of female talent at the Wachovia Center when the Soul gets ready to kick off on February 8th. Just the sight of Jon Bon Jovi at the home games will get the crowd into a frenzy, and could you imagine if he sang the National Anthem before every game? The place would be sold out, as if he was performing a rock concert.
I know that the AFL is the equivalent of the American Hockey League (minor league hockey), but that works in Philly with the Phantoms, right? The one thing that the Arena Football League does very well is that it caters to its fans. Think about it. What other professional sport has a Fans Bill of Rights? That’s got to mean something.
Another thing I considered was that Armageddon is approaching the National Hockey League and a work stoppage could be in effect for the next season or even longer. And while a strike is apparent in the NHL, why couldn’t the AFL fill the needs for Philadelphia fans?
In Philadelphia, the Flyers are an afterthought, and the only people who usually discuss the Flyers are those who have been around long enough to remember the Broad Street Bullies. Most of the younger fans (15–40 years old) in Philly are solely tuned into the Eagles and wouldn’t mind whetting their appetite for more football after the NFL has gone on vacation.
Enter the AFL.
A game that offers many components that the NFL doesn’t have should become a fan favorite in a hurry. Considering that the game is a non-stop, offensively driven sport, fans will never find themselves becoming bored because of a low scoring affair.
If a ball bounces off the netting in back of the end zone and bounces back into play and is caught in the end zone, it’s a touchdown. Conversely, if a ball bounces off of the netting and is caught by the opposing team, it’s an interception. This is what makes the AFL so intriguing. Oh yeah, if a ball happens to be thrown, or bounces into the crowd, guess what? You get to keep that ball!
One of the questions that always comes up is “Who are these players?” Granted the league doesn’t have superstars like Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, or Priest Holmes, but it has produced players like Kurt Warner, Tommy Maddox and Oronde Gadsden.
Many remember the XFL, whose ringleader, Vince McMahon of the WWE, started and lasted all of one year. But the AFL has been in existence for 18 years and is growing stronger year by year.
As you can see, the Arena Football League is something Philadelphia should embrace. It’s something that should spark the interest of the entire city, not because it is new, but because it’s something the city already loves: football.
Chris is a graduate of the Connecticut Schools of Broadcasting (Class of 1999). Over the past few years, Chris has covered the NFL for Sportsology, as well as covering the Philadelphia Flyers for The Fourth Period. Chris is engaged to his fiance Krista, as they are scheduled to get married in June of 2004.
