Dave’s Football Blog

Here’s the recap for last night’s Raleigh Rebels v. Richmond Bandits game. The box score link, however, goes to a completely different game. I don’t know who’s doing the web work for the AIFL, but they should get their money back. Any sports league worth its salt really needs to get its Internet presence together.

Granted, they’re doing better than the Raleigh Rebels’ web site, which is in desperate need of a content update…

Here’s how indoor football makes fans: I paid five bucks to get into Dorton Arena and watch this football game, and I walked out with an official AIFL game ball, which was spiked by the Rebel’s best player after he scored one of his three touchdowns and floated right into my hand. Five bucks.

The cheapest football on NFLShop.com is $15, and the new official game ball is $90. Hell, an official Arena Football game ball is $80.

This sort of thing makes me more inclined to go back to the Big Taco for another game next month. Maybe I’ll ask for press credentials next time. I’m sure this league and all the teams in it will take any publicity they can get…

Indoor football downplays the running game in favor of passing and quick scoring. It always has. That said, the Rebels could have used a guy like Richmond running back Brandon Isaiah last night. Isaiah made several big runs and was crucial in helping Richmond run out the clock in the last few minutes. I hear Ricky Williams is free these days. If that doesn’t fill an AIFL arena, nothing will…

I wonder if those guys out on the field last night dream about moving up to the AFL or even AF2 after this. Lots of AFL QBs probably dream of being the next Kurt Warner, but I suspect that a significantly smaller number think about becoming the next Aaron Garcia or Clint Dolezel. Arena ball salaries aren’t very high; the average AFL player makes $40,000 a year, and very few crack $100,000 a year. Imagine how low the salaries are for these smaller indoor leagues. You really have to love the game to stay in it at this level…

While the low-budget nature of a Raleigh Rebels game is part of its charm, I’d really like to see the AFL re-do its TV contracts and go back to starting the season in April instead of February. That’s what drove the Carolina Cobras out of Raleigh in the first place; February was the middle of hockey season, and the RBC Center had to give the Carolina Hurricanes priority over Arena Football. The Cobras folded after a season in Charlotte, and I’m sorry I missed them when they were here…

I wonder how many of these indoor leagues can sustain themselves over the long haul. Most of these NIFL and AIFL teams probably struggle to break even. You have to think there will be more mergers and more teams shifting leagues in the next five years. Perhaps some regional patterns will emerge, and I’ll actually get to go see the Rebels play the Fayetteville Guard or the Greensboro Revolution. Regional rivalries will do more to build these leagues than anything else…

That’s enough for now. The NFL Draft is still on for tomorrow, and lots of folks are liveblogging it. I won’t be, but I’m sure I’ll have something to say about it on Monday. Until then, I’m road-tripping. See you next week.

/* There is plenty of football betting to go around. Maybe there will be more interest in indoor  football, if we start taking it seriously. */