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So, I’ve been a fan of football for most of my adult life, and hadn’t really ever given indoor / arena football more than a passing thought until one night two or so years ago. I had turned on the TV to the local Fox-2 station (they’re a consistent source of syndicated anything, from Seinfeld to Family Feud) for some harmless background noise, and discovered that instead of Steve Harvey’s perplexed visage gracing the boob tube, I was watching the 4th quarter in an arena football game. I had stumbled upon the broadcast of the local PIFL (Professional Indoor Football League) team, who ended up coming back from a 14 point deficit to win the game. I looked into it more, and ended up leveraging my position at Papa Johns to score box tickets to the next few home games. Suffice it to say, I quickly became a pretty big fan of the Richmond Raiders, who ended up going 5-7 for that season. Even with the losing season, it was still came filled with pretty cool highlights – my favorite being a game where Richmond got their asses handed to them for 3 quarters, to suddenly recovering from 21 points down to win the game by an “uno”, 38-37. The entire Coliseum was screaming, jumping up and down. It was wild. Me, my two sisters, and father after winning our lone home playoff game The Richmond Raiders were a professional indoor football team that played in the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, until the end of the 2015 season in June. In the 4 years that the PIFL was active, the Raiders made it to three championship games, unfortunately losing all of them (to the Albany Panthers, Alabama Hammers, and Columbus Lions, respectively). They were coached by former Eagles DB James Fuller and led by quarterback Phil Konopka and later, Jonathan Bane, who was recently selected in that weirdo MLFB draft. The rules and regulations of the PIFL were pretty different from normal NFL and even college football. The biggest difference is the size of the field – 50 yards from endzone to endzone. There is no traditional “out of bounds” in indoor football; instead, the padded walls that encircle the field are considered out, and tackling players into and over them (into the first few rows of seating) is a regular and encouraged action. Scoring is almost the same as the NFL, with touchdowns, PATs, and 2 point conversions all showing up, but in addition to these, something called an “uno” can be scored: upon kickoff (at the start of each half / after scoring) if you can send the ball between the other team’s goalposts, you get 1 point automatically. While it doesn’t seem like much, I’ve seen a few games come down to missed unos before – eat your heart out, Blair Walsh.  Incomplete passes are a hell of a lot more exciting when they're flying at your face Some halftime shows at these games featured kids racing for easter eggs, poor schmucks from the crowd trying to toss footballs and win prizes, and the absolute all-time best show, wherein the Richmond PD demonstrated one of their K9 officers ability at take-downs with a man in a cushioned suit. During time-outs, a remote-controlled McDonald’s blimp would ponderously hover through crowds, occasionally dropping towels with free mcmeal coupons attached. During the home opener of 2015, the blimp crashed into a section of the crowd, and it ruled. A sad Ronald McDonald would roam the stands of the Coliseum like some depressing, lethargic burgermancer. The mascot of the Raiders was a horse with braces (the team was sponsored by Horsey Orthodontics) named Risky, who was pretty terrifying. Post-game, both teams would stay on the field and sign autographs and take pictures – I’ve included a few pictures of my raggedy rear end with the Raiders and their horrifying mascot for your pleasure.  This is, honest to god, the peppiest Ronald ever got  Our best wideout, "Scooby" Bryant, with a fan after a game  Look at this fuckin' thing! And that mascot! Christ. For my birthday in 2014, my father purchased a set of 3 season tickets for the 2015 season, 3 rows back from the field. During one of the first home games of the season, an incomplete pass from Raiders quarterback Johnathan Bane sailed into our section and demolished my father’s beer. Adding insult to injury, the ball was claimed by the person sitting in front of him who asked “was it worth it?” Later, running back Darron “Speedy” Clark would be thrown into the front row of seats as part of a tackle. Dad’s beer was safely tucked away this time. This season would see the Raiders only lose one home game. They ended up making it to the Professional Indoor Football League Championship Cup game, but unfortunately, like another horse-themed team to recently play in the Superbowl, the Raiders also got completely shithoused, losing 64-38 to the Columbus Lions.  Offensive MVP of 2015 Jonathan Bane talking to the local news after winning the lone home playoff game of 2015 During the MLFB draft, our former quarterback Jonathan Bane was selected, and he was feted by a small group of Raiders fans on Facebook, so I’d love for this league not to be a scam, but considering the PIFL folded in ~4 seasons, I can’t help but be a little pessimistic. Considering how many indoor leagues there are that exist at this point, I’d like to see Bane find a spot on a CFL roster, like our former running back, Devin Wilson (now on the practice squad for the Sasketchewan Roughriders). Anyway, if anyone has questions about the PIFL, how ridiculous it is (very), or anything like that, I’d be glad to answer. It might be a scam, but it’s a hell of a fun one at least.
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Feb 3, 2016 20:19
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DJExile posted:Holy poo poo that is a fantastic post. Thank you very much! As far as I know, the Raiders began as an expansion team for the AIF (American Indoor Football), then transferred to the SIFL (Southern Indoor Football League) for the 2011 season before helping to found the PIFL (Professional Indoor Football League) with the Alabama Hammers, Albany Panthers, and Columbus Lions. Each year, the league expanded, adding anywhere from one to three teams, and things were looking up. However, last year saw the loss of the Harrisburg Stampede and the Panthers. Things became shakier when it was announced that a team from the CIFL (Continental Indoor Football League - god drat, there are a trillion of these leagues), the Erie Explosion, would help fill out blank dates in team schedules. On paper, it sounded great - Erie had been the CIFL champion two years running! - but thanks to the standards put forth by the PIFL, they ended up fielding a 2-9 season, losing to Richmond in an astonishingly Breaking Madden-esque 77-8, due to the CIFL being essentially backyard football. When the offseason started last year, two teams folded entirely, and there was concern that they would be replaced with more CIFL-caliber teams. When all was said and done, the Raiders belonged to a three team league, and have "suspended operations" for the 2016 season. The PIFL still exists, but really in name only, as unfortunately the only teams remaining are the Alabama Hammers, Nashville Venom, and Richmond Raiders. It seemed as if it was starting to catch on in Richmond right as the season ended last year - the crowd in some of the previous pictures is sparse, but it was easily over 2,000 during the last few games. Ultimately, I think the PIFL was a drat good try at giving people high-quality football for pretty cheap prices (it was $12 to sit on the lower level, $7 for nosebleeds), but the way the future is looking for it and other indoor leagues is... bleak, at best.
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Feb 3, 2016 20:53
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The other problem with indoor football is that it's sometimes difficult to find any videos of some pretty incredible feats. The official YouTube channel run by the Raiders doesn't have a single second of gameplay footage from last season, which absolutely sucks! Good news though, I've found video of Richmond's comeback against the Steelhawks, down 21 points, that I mentioned in my first post. You can see the team get energized after the over-the-wall touchdown pass, and it builds from there. The announcer could be better, but I think he was doing it for the love of the game, and I can't begrudge anyone that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joVwhw73SBs drat, I'm gonna miss them this year.
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Feb 3, 2016 21:15
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Donkwich posted:Someone in the thread mentioned that they saw arena football on TV in the spring. I also did, and I'm wondering if sports networks are trying to make arena football more popular. It was late March when I caught the broadcast of the Raiders game, but it was also on the local Fox sub-affiliate station, WRLH 35.2, so most of the television watching public was actually receiving Sleepy Hollow or whatever Fox was broadcasting around 9pm. The main local stations only started running brief segments on the Raiders when it became apparent that they were going to make it to the PIFL Championship game again. I'd love to see the AFL or MLFB games (hah) broadcast on network television, but I think the markets they play in are so small that they probably can't afford a really good contract with a network, and lord knows the heads of the leagues don't ever want to spend any money. Your best bet is probably to find the streams of games that teams run, but even those are few and far between - Richmond only streamed the Championship game, with all other away games being broadcast on local AM stations. Since my beloved PIFL is gone this season, I was looking at other arena teams to adopt. The leagues are complete clusterfucks, but there's a strange... comfortable feeling in that, I guess. Settling on the Green Bay Blizzard in the IFL (as I'm a loathsome Packers fan) and the Orlando Predators because I'm a child and like the idea of the alien hunters playing arena ball. Are there any teams you all are interested in at all with the upcoming spring season?
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Feb 4, 2016 14:39
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You just can't keep a good league (scam) down!Major League Football Staff posted:On February 5, 2016, Major League Football filed a Form 8-K/A with the SEC disclosing that Clairemont Private Investment Group, LLC (“Clairemont”) had breached its agreement with the Company to invest $20 million into the League. Wes Chandler, MLFB’s President stated, “It is hard to understand the egregious conduct on the part of Robert Queen, Jr, Clairemont’s Chairman, who provided us with repeated assurances that Clairemont would timely close on the agreement. Robert Queen, Jr. was fully aware that the League is effectively ‘turnkey’ right now with coaches, players, staff, equipment, stadium leases and TV contracts all in hand. What is most disturbing to me in his conduct is his failure to recognize the dreams of playing professional football for all of the fine young athletes selected in our draft. His actions indicate a lack of concern for these young men. Had Robert Queen, Jr. simply complied with his promises and representations within this binding agreement with Major League Football, we would not be announcing this news today.” See? They totally had a backup plan for financing! They're going to finance via... other options! Investment firms! Private individuals! This time, it'll all work out, and they're so confident in that, they're even saying quote:MLFB also reported that it has draft leases for stadiums and rental proposals in each of the League’s projected cities, and is currently investigating several additional venues in a state that it intends to place a franchise for the 2016 season. The Company anticipates that its inaugural MLFB season will still end well before NFL training camps occur in the event any the League’s players receive invites to a summer NFL camp.  ok sure y'all
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Feb 8, 2016 19:37
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Mel Mudkiper posted:What in the MLFB could possibly cost 20 mil dollars Something tells me their CFO for the whole endeavor is a charming fella by the name of Lyle Lanley. He's sold MLFB franchises to North Haverbrook, Ogdenville, and Brockway, and if you just invest a meager $20 million dollars in his league, you too can bring the gridiron glory home to... uhh, beautiful Ash Flat, Arkansas. Sure!  Pictured: CFO Lanley, unable to attend the season opener between the Ash Flat Armadillos and the North Haverbrook Monorails
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Feb 8, 2016 20:21
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vyst posted:How will Stephen Garcia get beer money now? Well, he could always get picked up by one of the other leagues, like the AFL, CIFL, UIFL, CPIFL, LSFL, IFL, XIFL, LFL, LFL Canada, or the MIFL! I've got my hopes up for that last one there - they've got teams and sponsors, and even ran a season last year! They've also got a team in Richmond for 2016 (River City Thunder), but instead of playing at the Richmond Coliseum (ala the Raiders), they're playing home games at "XL Sports World," which is 15 miles west of the city. The home opener is on April 2 against the Aubutus Thundercats, and barring major injury / finding out the league was another, I'll more than likely be there, and I'll update you all accordingly if there's any interest. Here's the webpage for the MIFL, straight out of 1998! Here is the River City Thunder page - god almighty the website design Debating pre-ordering one of these, considering the stability of these leagues, but god drat, a $25 jersey that says "WEEDLORD 69" on it would rule.
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Feb 10, 2016 17:17
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All my hopes, dashed in a single letter. Oh well, at least there's still the MIFL, god bless. And the AFL, and IFL, and AIFL, and... EDIT: New page, might as well post something worthwhile - I've been keeping up with the team that won the PIFL championship last year, the Columbus Lions. They posted an insane 86-0 score against their first home opponent, the Georgia Firebirds. Their second week, they beat that score and their opponents, winning 90-42 against the Central Florida Jaguars. They beat Richmond last year in the PIFL Championship Cup 64-38, which leads me to believe the PIFL really did have great teams playing for them, or the bar for other leagues is set so low that even I could probably be a fair-to-good WR. The first home game of the River City Thunder is this Saturday; unfortunately, a friend of mine had the gall to get married on the same day, so I will be attending the next home game on the 16th. peekaboo gangster fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Mar 31, 2016 |
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Mar 31, 2016 19:16
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Garden State Chargers at River City Thunder, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying About Those Flimsy Plexiglass Walls and Enjoy the Game On this past Saturday, I ventured forth into the unknown wilds of the Major Indoor Football League (MIFL). Together with my partner and our friend's child, we ventured to XL Sports World, located in beautiful Chesterfield, Virginia, to see what the deal was with the River City Thunder. Their season began 3 weeks ago in Maryland, with an 18 - 28 loss to the Maryland Eagles. The following week, on April 2, they opened their first game at home against the Arbutus Thundercats, and lost that one as well, 18 - 38. Things picked up the week after, with an unexpected win against the Delmarva Bayriders, 32 - 18. They returned home to XL Sports World this past Saturday to take on the Garden State Chargers - so, if you're keeping track, there are at least 3 "electricity" themed teams in this conference alone. Shocking, I know. The first thing to note would be their home arena. The River City Thunder play out of XL Sports World, a warehouse-sized indoor sports facility located in northern Chesterfield County, Virginia. Compared to the Richmond Coliseum, where the Richmond Raiders played, the complex was small and dingy. Upon opening the double-doors to enter the building, you were greeted with a large folding table covered in Thunder merchandise. Tickets were $12 for adults and $6 for children.  Can we interest you in a shirt, or perhaps a bigger shirt? Or, as seen on the left, a shirt for small men or possibly babies? To the immediate right of the table was the snack bar, which had the most reasonably priced beers I've ever seen at a sporting event, bar none. Behind the be-shirted folding table was an area with lots of small round tables where you could sit down and eat your funnel cake. Further past that were the two indoor fields, separated by an approximately 12 foot hallway. In the middle of this hallway, facing the field to the left, was a set of bleachers, 3 high. These bleachers and the dining tables up front are the only seats available for the duration of the game.  The field of play, in all its glory - you can see the reflections of the crowd on the bleachers in the plexiglass. As you can see, the field is.. well, it's a soccer field, with the briefest suggestion of lines marking the 5 yard zones (remember, this is Indoor, the field only gets up to the 25 yard mark). Squint hard enough and you can even see the netted-in goal in the center back. It's far easier to see on the other side, here:  The other side of the field, and two of our stalwart referees. Also pictured above is the plexiglass wall that, for the purposes of Indoor Football, counted as "Out of Bounds." There is a mesh net above said wall, so unfortunately no errant passes will destroy one's unwatched beverages, but it doesn't stop you from making GBS threads your pants when 3 defenders and a receiver slam into the wall in front of you. Tyler, the small child who accompanied us to the game, was enthralled when the plexiglass bent back towards us approximately 3 feet or so. I was.. less enthused, one might say.  The Chargers, pre-snap, with the author pressed against the glass like some disgusting hamperson. So, even with a wall, the game felt a lot closer than a Raiders game, which was thrilling and horrifying. There were a few changes to the format of the game - the "Uno" point that was scored on kickoff was done away with, and conversion attempts after touchdowns were worth the same as kicking. There was no "1 Minute Warning" at the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters, either. Regardless, the game was still an absolute blast to watch. I missed the first score waiting in line for concessions, but heard the crowd (about 100 people total) roar when linebacker #10 NaShawn Palmer intercepted a lofted pass and ran it all the way back. At halftime, the game was fairly close, with the Thunder only one score ahead of the Chargers.  14 seconds to halftime, Thunder up 19 - 13 The halftime show was performed by the Henrico PAL Dance League and a local elementary school's spirit squad. They were both absolutely adorable. Not as fun as watching the police show off their take-down dogs, but overtly cute enough to make everyone smile.  The Henrico PAL Dance Squad.  And the local elementary spirit squad. After the precocious halftime show, River City began to pull away from the Chargers, forcing several 4-and-outs and one fumble. During one four minute stretch that lasted 3 game seconds, two false starts and three encroachments were called, eventually ending in the Chargers scoring their final touchdown to put them at 20 points to River City's 44. After the game was over, much like the Raiders, the fans were invited onto the field to meet both teams / get autographs. During the game, the DJ would periodically advertise that they were selling game balls for $10, so before the game ended, my partner snuck off and picked one up for him.  Tyler and his football.  Other side with logo. He excitedly made his way to the field, where #13, Yeshai Callaghan, shook his hand. Tyler, a completely shy child normally, was starstruck, and had no idea what to do. He off-handedly mentioned how big Callaghan's helmet was, so Callaghan let him try it! The rest of the team were especially nice and incredible humble, asking to sign Tyler's football and giving him daps. The coach even let him check out his AIF Championship ring from last year (he was part of the Central Pennsylvania Capitals, who went 10 - 0 on their way to the championship)!  Tyler and Yeshai Callaghan post-game So, all in all, it was definitely a fun experience. The setting was a little low-rent (This is the only thing that was keeping track of the downs, for example. The *only* thing) but the play was just as fun as the regular Raiders games. The only other negative aspect was, unfortunately, the fanbase. There was a couple at the end of our bleachers who were loudly inebriated, and after every play, they'd shout something lame like "WE'RE GONNA STOMP A MUDHOLE IN YOUR ASSHOLES, BOYS!" Problematic because there were a large amount of young children there, and the way "boys" was intoned definitely harkened back to another time and place. The man who was shouting (visible in a yellow shirt in the picture of Tyler and his football) also told one of the referees that he looked like "an overdone baked potato," which made some of the children laugh and start parroting it. Trash talk, etc, has its place in sports, but man, you gotta think of your surroundings. Also, please, don't say racist poo poo, good god. If you've got a local Indoor team, check them out. They're great fun, as well as supremely humble and gracious from all my experiences. If the Thunder make it to playoffs this year (currently sitting with a 2 - 2 record) I'll write another short update letting you all know how it shakes out, but in the mean time, find a team near you! Go to one of their games! Yell at the poor referees for making terrible calls because they don't have instant replay! It's a total blast.
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Apr 19, 2016 20:23
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Indoor season is coming to a close, with the playoffs for the AIF and CIF finished - in the CIF, the Wichita Force toppling the Amarillo Venom 48-45. In the AIF, the former PIFL Champions the Columbus Lions went undefeated all the way to the championship game, and kept it that was, as their opponent, the West Michigan Ironmen, literally threw in a towel with 5 minutes remaining in the 4th, forfeiting. The River City Thunder had a wild season finish, making it to playoffs but getting disowned by management in the process. Their wildcard playoff opponent was a team they had lost to twice in the regular season (the interestingly named Arbutus Thundercats), so the owner hedged his bets and figured they've be 0-3 in meetings. Unfortunately for him, River City pulled it off 14-8, and he informed the team that they would forfeit the subsequent playoff game, as he had not anticipated having to travel for another matchup. The coach pushed back, the Owner fired him, and the team decided to crowdfund their trip to Reading, PA, to face the defending champion Raptors in the Semi-Finals. Happy thoughts and well-wishes weren't enough, and the Raptors would go on to win the MIFL championship after defeating River City, 18-12. But forget about all of that, because I'm actually here to inform you about the exciting creation of a brand new league! Mike Zak, apparently fed up with the stranglehold that vicious northern interests hold on the world of Indoor Football, has formed his own league, complete with revenue sharing and a vaguely racist press release announcing its birth! I present to you the R.I.F.L. - the Rebel Indoor Football League. For the low, low price of $245,000 to $365,000 (unless you have an established team, then it's a steal at $65,000 + a $2,000 per month league fee), you can take part in this historic league that will be in no way confined to the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and southern Tennessee! Their logo, which is a very timely design, incorporates imagery that's sure to spark discussion (or a wooden cross):  Their website is located at http://www.gorifl.com, where they advertise their totally reasonable franchise opportunity prices. For an established franchise, your nominal $65,000 fee pays for: 10 GAME SCHEDULE (5 HOME / 5 AWAY) PLAY OFF SCHEDULE 30 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM RINGS GAME DAY PAID REFEREES PROVIDED BY LEAGUE ASCAP FEE PAID GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICE TEAM WEBSITE LEAGUE COACHING / SALES SEMINARS EQUAL % SPLIT ON LEAGUE STORE MERCHANDISE SOLD (PROFITS PAID MONTHLY TO TEAM OWNERS – Subject to league vote) LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP SHARED REVENUE (Subject to league vote) $15.00 GAME DAY BALLS OWNERS MEETING IN LAS VEGAS (DINNER / SPEAKER) TBA Those game day balls? Take a look at these Southern Belles - the commemorative ones will rise! In sales! They hope.  No teams, locations, or anything has been announced, but they're ready for their inaugural season in March of next year! I have a good feeling about this one, you guys.
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Jul 5, 2016 16:18
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v2vian man posted:Where's the press release This is the best I could do before their website mysteriously disappeared, which is a drat shame - it was a beaut. This was what their main page had on it, with a broken link under "TURN KEY PACKAGES". Let's see here..  The part that gets me is the "We are aggressively... buying groups and existing teams," as if they don't recognize how hilariously racist that is in the context of their entire league's existence. Cognitive dissonance at its finest, I guess. If their "Contact Us" page (or their whole website, honestly) was working, I had a few questions for them: - Are the conferences separated on a totally random geographically determined boundary, like say, an existing invisible line that runs between the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania? - Are the teams specifically themed to the 1860s? - If I were to purchase an indoor team, would I be allowed to call them the "Atlanta Burning" and have General Sherman as my mascot? - What is the music used at games to get people pumped up? How many jug-blowers would it entail? - Are refreshments other than hard tack served at the games? - Can I run a team out of Baton Rouge called the "David Dukes" and their mascot can be some sort of imposing magician? Possibly a Grand Wizard. I'll keep an eye on the domain, which currently seems to be parked (thanks, GoDaddy, I guess) - if they rise again, we'll know about it.
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Jul 5, 2016 19:53
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DJExile posted:Hell I've got a few minutes, let's check in on our friends at MLFB! Their website is still up and running! I told myself I'd never buy football stock unless it was for my beautiful cheese slingers from Wisconsin, but how can you resist a steal like that! Gosh!! Also, I'm a huge fan of how continuously vague they are - they could have run a shortened season this year, they just didn't want to. They have 8 host cities, but they don't want to announce them. Ironically or not, that update WAS posted on April 1st.
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Jul 5, 2016 21:02
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The RIFL website (www.gorifl.com) is back up for who knows how long, but there have been a few conspicuous changes to it! I wonder what could have possibly made them change their minds about using such historic imagery  I made sure to grab screenshots of each page just in case it mysteriously disappears again. Here is their new front page: Notice the change of logo colors from "shameful" to "camo." Continuing the trend of erasing their racist past, they offer an official game ball on the right, and here's their new image at the bottom of the page!  Gone is the commemorative league ball, and in its place are two teams! Maybe! That's literally the only bit of information regarding the teams the league has on the entire website. The Birmingham Bombers really gets me - you'd think they'd want to steer clear of comparisons to the racially motivated bombings against black people in the late 50s and early 60s, but something tells me this league isn't really run by people that know their history very well. There's also something to be said about the "Rebels" league having a team known as the "Avengers," since white pride is something that needs constant avenging. Pressing onward, lets say you had an established Indoor Football team, but were sick and tired of whatever league you played in. Here's what your $65,000 franchise fee will get you!  An owners meeting in Vegas! Speaker and date eventually! That doesn't at all reek of a scam! It says the fee helps pay for the playoff schedule and championship rings, but something tells me they're going to be using aliexpress to fill those orders. For groups that are newly formed in this confederation of teams, the fees are almost $200K HIGHER. I'm sure $100,000 goes to your 25 game-day uniforms, as seen below:  Last time I checked the NFL store, they had On Field Game Day jerseys for $4,000, so it checks out! I should point out that I also only frequent the super secret NFL store for idiot millionaires. Fingers crossed this league continues to grow, until poor planning and no industrialization completely sink their chances at legitimacy. Oh, as an added bonus, a rumor is going around that most every Indoor league is very, VERY interested in a Mr. John "Manziel" Football. If there is a football god, he will see to it that this glorious union be made, and never torn asunder. peekaboo gangster fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Jul 6, 2016 |
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Jul 6, 2016 21:06
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