The Arena Football League will have a familiar face taking over as interim commissioner.
Former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters Tuesday that he will be the league's new interim commissioner. He was already the president of operations for the Nashville Kats.
"This league is good," he said. "We're looking forward to continuing and finishing the season."
This comes amid questions about the league's long-term viability.
Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk noted the league is down from 16 teams to 12 after the Minnesota Myth, Philadelphia Soul, Iowa Rampage and Georgia Force all folded. Williams pointed out that some of the team owners around the league wanted Fisher as a temporary replacement for commissioner Lee Hutton.
While Fisher is best known for his days as an NFL head coach, he was also involved in the Alliance of American Football in 2019 and the USFL prior to joining the Arena League. He was the head coach of the USFL's Michigan Panthers in 2022.
Still, he is a familiar name to most football fans because of his role in the NFL.
Fisher was the head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans for 17 seasons from 1994 through 2010. He went 142-120 overall and even reached the Super Bowl during the 1999 campaign.
In all, he reached the playoffs six times during his tenure but never took home the Lombardi Trophy.
Fisher also coached the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams from 2012 until he was fired 13 games into the 2016 season. He was not as successful with the Rams and went 31-45-1 with zero postseason appearances.
His Rams teams finished below .500 in each of his five seasons.
Antonio Brown is making a football comeback after all—just not in the NFL.
Brown told Rodger Wyland of WNYT that he plans to suit up for the Albany Empire of the Arena Football League after joining the team's ownership group. The seven-time Pro Bowler has not suited up since walking away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers midway through a game against the New York Jets in January 2022.
The act of defiance was probably the last straw for Brown in the NFL. Once considered arguably the league's best receiver, Brown's actions over the final few years of his career likely sealed his fate.
In 2019, Brown's former trainer filed a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. While he never faced criminal charges, the accusations led to the end of his tenure with the New England Patriots. Brown settled the lawsuit in April 2021.
In June 2020, Brown pleaded no contest to assaulting a delivery truck driver and received two years' probation. Late last year, police investigated and later dismissed charges after he was initially wanted for misdemeanor battery domestic violence.
Aside from legal issues, Brown has made various disparaging public remarks about NFL figures ranging from Tom Brady to former coach Bruce Arians.
It's also unclear if Brown is serious about making a football comeback. Just last month he posted a photoshopped image wearing a Baltimore Ravens uniform and "announced" his return to the NFL. However, the Ravens have not signed him and it's unknown if they had even expressed any interest.
As it stands, Brown's only potential avenue back to the NFL may be through the Arena League.
It's been quite some time since the Arena Football League has been active, and since then, multiple upstart football leagues have launched to provide alternatives to the NFL.
Now, the Arena Football League is jumping back into the fray, as it announced Wednesday that it plans to re-launch in 2024 after a four-plus-year hiatus:
Per John Lynch of Business Insider, the AFL will resume operations under the investment group F1 Sports and Entertainment, which bought the rights to the league in January 2022. The professional indoor league's new commissioner, Lee A. Hutton III, will be the first Black commissioner of a professional sports league in the United States.
Hutton is an attorney who "has represented both Fortune 500 companies as well as athletes, celebrities and artists in contract negotiations" and "worked on high-profile cases, ranging from NFL concussion litigation to NCAA NIL legal cases," according to an AFL representative via Lynch.
"The Arena Football League brand has always sat at the promontory of indoor football by offering gridiron entertainment, fast action, and iron tough athletes in conjunction with delivering a family fun fan experience that uniquely engages the pig skin enthusiast," Hutton said in a statement via Lynch. "Ultimately, the professional sports brand speaks for itself and is proud to announce, 'We are back!'"
The AFL, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2019, will field 16 teams that will play 10 regular-season games before the playoffs.
The AFL joins the USFL, XFL and Fan Controlled Football as leagues that launched or relaunched in recent years to satiate football fans even after the NFL season ends.
The Arena Football League announced Wednesday that it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and is ceasing operations henceforth:
In October, the AFL announced it was shutting down all six of its teams but stated at the time that it hoped to resume operations at a later date. One of the issues facing the Arena Football League was a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed against it by former insurance provider National Union Fire Insurance Company.
The Arena Football League held its final season from April through August and culminated in the Albany Empire beating the Philadelphia Soul for the 2019 championship.
Jim Foster founded the Arena Football League in 1987, and it enjoyed a fair amount of success at various times. It even gained enough popularity that the Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed video game was released for PlayStation in 2000 and subsequent Arena League video game titles were released in 2006 and 2007 as well.
The AFL began to run into financial problems in 2008, though, and it resulted in the cancellation of the entire 2009 season. At that point, it appeared as though the Arena Football League was in danger of shutting down for good.
Instead, owners in the AF2 (an AFL developmental league) formed a new entity known officially as Arena Football 1 and managed to prepare the league to return to action in 2010.
The Arena Football League is perhaps best known for helping launch the career of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who starred for the Iowa Barnstormers before becoming a Super Bowl-winning signal-caller and NFL MVP with the St. Louis Rams.
Former Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden was also a star quarterback in the AFL for the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators.
With the Arena League ceasing operations, it leaves the NFL and CFL as the only major North American football leagues, although that will change when the XFL season officially begins in 2020.
The AFL distinguished itself from other leagues with its 50-yard field and indoor venues, however, and its closure will leave a void for those who enjoyed that brand of football.
The National Football League has Tom Brady.
The Arena Football League has Tommy Grady.
Grady led the Albany Empire to the AFL championship with a 45-27 victory over the Philadelphia Soul in Sunday's ArenaBowl 32 at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. The quarterback, who was named the league's MVP for the second straight season and the third time in his career, completed 64 percent of his passes for 200 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions en route to further recognition as the ArenaBowl 32 MVP.
It was fitting he spearheaded the attack after he led the AFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating during the regular season.
Grady needed plenty of help, though, to secure the Empire's first championship in team history (Albany won in 1999 when the Firebirds were the city's team). Quentin Sims caught four of Grady's five touchdown throws on his way to nine receptions for 93 yards. Elsewhere, Malachi Jones chipped in five catches for 84 yards as the only other Albany receiver with more than a single reception.
On the other side, the Soul failed to win their fourth championship in franchise history after capturing titles in 2008, 2016 and 2017.
They were something of a Cinderella story after going just 7-5 in the regular season and losing to Albany twice, although they had little trouble defeating the Washington Valor 117-74 over a two-game aggregate series in the semifinals.
Darius Prince scored twice against Washington and again thrived in the ArenaBowl with nine catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow receiver BJ Bunn (10 catches for 129 yards and one touchdown) also impressed, while quarterback Dan Raudabaugh completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 300 yards, four touchdowns and one pick.
It was that interception that proved crucial after Raudabaugh found Prince for the opening score.
With Philadelphia up 7-0 and potentially on the doorstep of a commanding early two-score lead, Maurice Leggett intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it to the house. It was the type of defensive play and 14-point swing that can flip the script of an entire contest given the high-scoring nature of the AFL, and Sims went into takeover mode the rest of the half.
The playmaker caught four touchdowns in the first half alone, including a particularly impressive one that required a head-turning stiff arm before the goal line:
His individual efforts keyed a 35-21 halftime lead before Mykel Benson pushed the advantage to three scores with the only touchdown of the third quarter on a screen pass. Albany's defense deserved plenty of credit for shutting down Philadelphia's attack throughout the quarter and providing a glimpse of what was to come in the closing minutes.
The Soul were still within striking distance late in the fourth quarter thanks to an acrobatic touchdown catch from Lonnie Outlaw, but Albany's special teams answered with an Adrian Trevino field goal before the defense stuffed Philadelphia on four straight plays in front of the goal line.
Even in the Arena Football League, it takes more than just offense to win, and that stand preserved the 18-point lead and all but ended the game for the new champions.
Portland Thunder cornerback Quincy Butler is out of a job after an incident that occurred during Saturday’s away game against the Philadelphia Soul.
Butler, who spent time on NFL rosters with the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys, received a personal foul in the third quarter and was ejected from the contest.
He responded by arguing with officials and chucking his helmet into the stands, where, according to The Oregonian’s Pete Christopher, it struck a young fan in the crowd.
CBSSports.com's John Breech spotted video of the incident. Butler can be seen at the bottom of the scene remonstrating with officials before heaving his headgear.
The video also shows Butler and a teammate talking to someone in the crowd after the act, offering what appears to be an apology. The cornerback eventually walks off as his teammate continues trying to patch things up.
The Portland Thunder announced the team had "reassigned" Butler on Monday, which is Arena-speak for “waived.” They seem to expect further sanctions from the league over the incident, and I’d be surprised if the child’s family didn’t already have a lawsuit cooking.
Dan is on Twitter. Don’t throw helmets at people.
For whatever loyalists remain, the Arena Football League truly returned to Pittsburgh three years ago, when the Power pounded Iowa in Week 2 for their historic first win.
However, for those among the 6,657 at CONSOL Energy Center June 20 who have just begun to embrace the Steel City's other professional football team, the Power arrived with a marginally more laborious 57-27 beatdown of the Barnstormers that night. The result earned the resurgent franchise its first postseason berth.
The Power (11-3), winners of a club-record eight games in a row, owe the Barnstormers a visit that will be sandwiched between games at Jacksonville Saturday and New Orleans July 7, and the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Soul July 26, back in Pittsburgh.
They sit one-and-a-half games behind the East Division-leading Cleveland Gladiators.
Their remaining opponents hold a combined record of 19-35 (.352 win percentage) entering Week 16, while the win percentage of the Gladiators' remaining foes computed to a slightly less pedestrian .459.
So, while the East title is not yet out of play, the more likely scenario has both teams holding serve and the Power settling for a trip to wherever the South Division champion resides—either Orlando or Tampa Bay, probably—for the American Conference semifinal.
But because head coach Ron James and his team have refused to settle for anything, don't expect his fabulous first season on the job to end quietly.
"A lot of teams would look at these last few weeks as a chance to iron the sails, but for us, it's just about getting better. We still don't feel like we're playing our best football," James said after practice at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. "We want to play cleanly for all four quarters, and that's going to be our focus this week."
To a man, the Power have refused to become self-satisfied, and they've refused to waste opportunities, including the ones that always go hand-in-hand with adversity. That became clear even before they had rid themselves of the stigma of never finishing with a winning record, let alone a playoff spot.
With 19 solo tackles, a career-high four sacks and a trademark Hannibal Lecter mask, Miami product James Bryant has been Ray Lewis without the rap sheet. Having emerged as perhaps the team's most feared—if not most colorful—leader, the Power's "mac" (pass-rushing) linebacker burst into the postgame press conference to hold court following a gritty 48-34 triumph over Cleveland May 31.
"The first game of the season, we blew it, period. In the second meeting, we wet the bed. Here, we went out there, we took their hearts, we played together, and we dominated, period," Bryant said, mask and all, after the Power's defense had finally out-toughed that of the Gladiators with four turnovers. "We go out there together and take care of each other. That's what makes our defense the number one defense."
The Barnstormers were in no position to challenge that boast after leaving town with a third straight loss. The Power struggled to a one-point lead at halftime but outscored them 36-7 in the second half, with the lone enemy score coming on a penalty-aided drive in the middle of the third quarter.
"We know that teams are going to come in here and nickel-and-dime us. They're going to cut me, cut the ends, and you know why? Because they can't frigging stop us," Bryant barked afterward, comparing the penalties called on said drive to others that were allegedly ignored.
"I want somebody to play us heads-up. That's a message to the league. All this cutting crap...come get us. This is ironman football. You play heads-up football with us the whole game, you're going to get blown the hell out of the water."
The Power's secondary, in particular, has made plenty of splash plays. They lead the league with 30 interceptions, including one by defensive back Brandon Freeman on the first play from scrimmage against Iowa. Pittsburgh ranks first in the AFL in both pass defense and total defense despite missing key players for much of the season.
Their most accomplished one, All-Arena cornerback Virgil Gray, was a full participant in practice Thursday, and he seems ready to return from a high ankle sprain. Fellow DB Latarrius Thomas may also see the field for the first time in a while, having just been taken off injured reserve.
Gray, like Freeman, ranks third in the AFL with eight picks, and he epitomizes the difference between this Power team and past ones: He's a great player who's made those around him great. Newcomer Al Phillips and 2013 returnee Sergio Gilliam have stepped up in his absence, and Arvell Nelson has shown the kind of traditional AFL tenacity and versatility to which Bryant referred.
"Virgil pulls it out of me," Freeman said of his own recent excellence. "I wish I had met that guy earlier in my career."
Player personnel director Brad Wittke, whom James credits for helping build his 2014 squad, could probably say the same for second-year kicker Julian Rauch.
When the Power's defense has been making those impact plays—and even when they haven't—their special teams have made them count.
Once upon a time, watching the Power search for stability on special teams was like watching Spinal Tap search for a drummer. Rauch, who ranks second among AFL kickers in total points, has enjoyed a sensational sophomore campaign.
He delivered the winning extra point in a last-second 62-61 victory at Orlando May 24, followed by a walk-off 23-yard field goal at Philadelphia June 14 to end a 57-56 contest and clinch a winning season for the Power. In both games Pittsburgh had to overcome offensive mistakes, early and late, that could have swung those results.
The Power have not let those mistakes on the field doom them, because their front office redeemed itself for erstwhile mistakes off the field by selecting former Utah quarterback Tommy Grady in the Blaze's dispersal draft. It doubly redeemed itself by firing woefully in-over-his-head Derek Stingley and reuniting the 2012 league MVP with former boss James.
Grady ranked second overall in yards (3,622) and touchdowns (86) entering Saturday. The Power are averaging 55.7 points per game, which ranks third (another franchise record) in the AFL.
Like his coach, he's still seeking that "perfect" game, but he wasn't far off against Iowa, completing 77 percent of his attempts for 334 yards and seven TDs. Grady has undoubtedly delivered on his preseason hype, and, apropos of the gentle giant's (6'7", 245 lbs.) unselfish disposition, he's had plenty of help.
The points haven't always come easily, given a long-term injury to Prechae Rodriguez and a season-ending ACL tear by Aaron Lesue. In the meantime, receiver Shaun Kauleinamoku has led the Power with 1,096 yards and 15 TDs. Rodney Wright and Tyrone Goard have come up big at various times. Plus, Grady and Rodriguez have still hooked up for 18 scores despite limited action for the latter.
"He's real calm, and he's clear about what he wants," Goard said after the win over Cleveland. "He demands perfection out of his receivers, because he knows he has talented ones. We just have to go out there and do what we've got to do."
No team in this league prospers without the right quarterback, or without an offensive line that boasts veterans like Antonio Narcisse and Tommy Taggart. Together, they have proved they are the right men to lead the Power to unprecedented glory.
James, with his simple, newcomer-friendly approach to the game, has put them in fine position to achieve that glory, regardless of who's on the field with his quarterback.
"Our goal wasn't just to make the playoffs, our goal was to win in the playoffs," Grady said, echoing James' sentiments. "We've got a lot of veteran guys in here who are hungry for a championships, so we've got to keep getting better each week."
Tougher opponents await them in August, and every ArenaBowl champion has needed a little bit of luck at some point, which is something that seemed to elude this franchise until James came along.
But we've seen the Pittsburgh Power come together in all three phases of the game. So who's to say, with this clever coach and his clever mix of old and new talent, that the Pittsburgh Power don't have the power to win it all?
"They've been resilient, and their work ethic has been outstanding," he crowed after walking off his home turf in triumph, hopefully not for the last time this season.
Respect: earned. Support: deserved.
Statistics courtesy of ArenaFootball.com and ArenaFan.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
The Arena Football League is quickly becoming a haven for aging rock stars. Following in the footsteps of Jon Bon Jovi, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Vince Neil, lead singer of Motley Crue, has reportedly become an owner of an AFL franchise.
Neil has received approval from the league to "build a Las Vegas team from scratch," per Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun. He's eying "Outlaws" as the name of the team.
Neil seemingly confirmed the news on his Twitter account:
Neil already owns a minority stake in another AFL franchise, the Jacksonville Sharks, which he purchased last April. Now that he's dipped his toe into the water, he likely feels much more prepared to dive into the deep end.
This is the third time that the AFL has had a franchise in "Sin City." The Las Vegas Sting called the city home from 1994-95 and then the Las Vegas Gladiators followed from 2003-07. According to ESPN.com, neither team left Vegas with a winning record. The Sting were 11-14 in their two seasons, while the Gladiators finished 31-50.
With the inclusion of the new Vegas franchise, the AFL will grow from 14 to 15 teams. Putting a team in Nevada will also help the league's profile grow in a region of the country that's underrepresented. The Western-based National Conference has only six teams compared to the more Eastern-based American Conference's eight.
The city of Las Vegas and AFL will both be hopeful that the third time is in fact the charm. They must feel confident that Neil can succeed where others have failed.
The Pittsburgh Power have grown all too accustomed to startling setbacks and the cold, menacing, between-the-eyes stare of adversity. But it seemed, following an early-season coaching change, the forlorn fourth-year franchise would be able to make that stress subside.
Now that the Cleveland Gladiators short-circuited the Power's revamped offense for the second time this season in a disappointing 55-28 decision before 11,087 at Quicken Loans Arena, Pittsburgh has been reduced from the talk of the league to simply an above-average team that's failed to take advantage of above-average opportunities.
With consecutive losses to the Glads and to the two-time ArenaBowl champion Arizona Rattlers, the Power sit at 3-3 as they head home for a critical East Division contest against the two-time American Conference champion Philadelphia Soul Saturday at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN3. Like the Soul (3-3), who have dealt with early-season woes of their own, they find themselves in a crowded pack of playoff hopefuls.
The top four teams in each conference, led by each division winner, qualify for the AFL postseason. In the East and the South, the Gladiators (6-0) and the Orlando Predators (5-2), respectively, have taken comfortable leads. Beneath them are five teams separated by just one game entering Week 8, including the Power.
Since their inaugural season in 2011, in which they fell one game short of a playoff berth, the Power haven't come close, and the road this year will be no less perilous. Philadelphia, which is coming off a last-minute win over the East rival Iowa Barnstormers Sunday, begins a daunting stretch of schedule for the locals this weekend.
The following Friday sees the Power travel to Spokane to take on the 4-2 Shock, who have nudged out in front of the National Conference's Pacific Division. Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, native Mike "The Joystick" Washington, the Power's erstwhile franchise player and all-time leader in every major receiving category, has become a major threat for his new club with 374 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns.
The only thing resembling a respite for the Power this approaching month comes back in Pittsburgh Sat., May 17 when they host the expansion Los Angeles KISS (2-4). Still, despite offensive struggles, L.A.'s defense, which has allowed the second-fewest points per game in the AFL, is keeping the KISS in games.
After that, the Power go right back into the gauntlet at Orlando May 24, where the Preds have won four of five, and where their dual-threat QB is looking like a potential league MVP. Jason Boltus ranks second in the AFL with 46 touchdown passes.
Saturday was an exercise in futility by the Power against the Glads, but it was also an exercise in misfortune that has typified the younger of the two organizations.
For starters, having to play two undefeated teams in a row at this stage is a quirk nobody could have foreseen. It was a tough draw for the Power, who, before they could even think about earning rings, were focused on earning respect. They did while delivering near-flawless and emotionally cleansing butt-whippings to the San Antonio Talons and New Orleans VooDoo. Now they have to earn it back.
Secondly, who could have guessed Shane Austin would turn into Kurt Warner? The 24-year-old Austin, who led Cleveland with 201 passing yards and seven scores in Week 7, took a turn under center for the Power as a rookie in 2013 and generally looked overmatched in doing so. Since relieving Chris Dieker early in Week 4, however, he has been one of the chief reasons behind Cleveland's unexpectedly hot start.
Most importantly, the Power have received bites from the injury bug, and without a healthy receiving corps, the offense bites.
Prechae Rodriguez was money from the moment he donned his new uniform, scoring seven touchdowns for the Power before succumbing to a foot injury during his second game. A handful of replacements have combined for just five TDs in the four-plus games since.
Avid rugby player Aaron Lesue, who had provided the same spunk to the offense that Washington once did, may be lost for even longer. He suffered a serious-looking knee injury Saturday and awaits the results of an MRI Monday, according to Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The strides made by the Power's offense this season haven't been just a byproduct of new quarterback Tommy Grady's skill. It's been a result of Grady having options.
Shaun Kauleinamoku, like Lesue, was one of Grady's teammates with the defunct Utah Blaze. So those two, obviously, have strong chemistry, and the Hawaiian has a nice five touchdowns on 15 catches in his last two games. But depriving the Power of Rodriguez and now Lesue doesn't leave much behind him. That makes this offense, as the Gladiators just demonstrated, much easier to break down.
So how do the Power survive a month of May that is shaping up to be anything but merry, and could bury them?
The thing those other receivers have in common is each of them, on a daily basis, is just one phone call away from being replaced. If the Power have to replace Lesue in the long term, a suitable substitute might not come from within. This could make for an interesting week on the AFL transaction wire.
Whoever lines up on his side of the ball, Grady can help them out by picking up his own game. What he has given the Power in terms of execution, he has taken away in terms of efficiency.
Grady ranks fourth in the league with 32 touchdown tosses, and he needs just 429 yards to become the 14th quarterback in AFL history to throw for 20,000 in his career. Currently, though, he doesn't even crack the top 10 with his completion percentage or passer rating.
On Saturday, the Power were a combined 7-of-20 on third and fourth downs. The key number there isn't the seven. It's the 20. Several of those early third and fourth downs were not very manageable. Furthermore, the Power held the ball for over 10 minutes of the third quarter, but they only scored once.
The Soul will come to Consol Energy Center with a balanced attack that has averaged a healthier 61 points per game during their ongoing winning streak after averaging 45 over three losses.
Save for a sloppy outing in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Sharks, veteran quarterback Dan Raudabaugh has looked quite sharp. But he's had help from fullback Derrick Ross, who became the AFL's all-time rushing leader during his last trip to Pittsburgh, and he once again leads the league in all major rushing categories.
Power fullback Tommy Taggart has contributed steadily, tying for fourth overall with six TDs on the ground. Plus, thanks in part to Taggart, they've done a considerably better job protecting their quarterback this season. As long as the Power can block for him, mixing it up a little more with Taggart might open things up for Grady and whichever receivers get the nod in Week 8.
On the other side of the ball, the Power need their best player to be just that. All-Arena cornerback Virgil Gray has gotten off to a fabulous start in his first season in Pittsburgh, and the team's decision to play a little more zone served him well statistically, as he led the Power with 5.5 tackles and one breakup in Week 7.
But it wasn't enough. Gray got beat early, and Pittsburgh's ball-hawk defense, unable to right the ship in time, lost the turnover battle. Spotting another opponent a multiple-possession lead won't cut it against Philadelphia, which, unlike the Power, has relied less on its defense and more on its ability to outgun the competition.
Make no mistake, the Power, regardless of these last two outcomes, are a better, more capable team under Ron James. They're merely getting their first big taste of adversity since James came to town, and adversity begets opportunity.
The schedule for May presents an opportunity for the Power to get a leg up in the playoff race and an opportunity for James, just two years removed from being there, to prove he still knows how to mold a winner.
Statistics courtesy of ArenaFootball.com and ArenaFan.com.
