WWTBAM Bored

Today marked the beginning of the schedule for the Alliance of American Football. There are eight teams playing a 10-game schedule, with some games on CBS Saturday nights. The players include some ex-NFL'ers.

The main interesting aspect of the game are the rules:

--No kickoffs; teams get the ball on their own 25 yard line after an opposing score.

--If a team is behind by 17 points or with less than five minutes, they can try an onside conversion after they score. It's one play, fourth and 12 from their own 28. Make it and they keep the ball; otherwise, the other team starts where the play ends.

--Mandatory two-point conversion try after all touchdowns.

--Overtime is four downs from the other team's 10-yard line and a mandatory 2-point conversion try (no field goals). If the score remains tied, the game ends in a tie.

--Only five players can rush the passer, none of them blitzing from the deep secondary.

Doug Pederson just spoke to the press at the NFL Annual Meeting. He's "intrigued" by the rules and thinks the NFL may eventually adopt some of them.

The NFL owners today voted for a one-year trial to allow instant replay on pass interference/no pass interference calls. They could be challenged like any other play, with booth review in the last two minutes. This change came because of the ending of the New Orleans/LA Ram playoff game last season. Also, last year's revised kickoff rules, which banned running starts for the kicking team among other things were made permanent.

Alliance of American Football league to suspend operations, per reports

The Alliance of American Football will suspend operations, per multiple reports.

Darren Rovell of the Action Network first reported Tuesday that the first-year league, with teams including the Memphis Express, would cease operations.

Neither Express general manager Kosha Irby nor Liberty Bowl general manager Thomas Carrier returned calls seeking comment. The AAF has yet to release any statement on its fate.

The AAF was founded in March 2018 by television producer Charlie Ebersol and former NFL executive Bill Polian with the aim of creating a league that would be a feeder system of sorts for the NFL.

The AAF jumped out to strong ratings after its first weekend with CBS averaging 3.25 million viewers. But financial problems crept up after the second week, which prompted Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon to step in with a $250 million investment and become the league's primary investor.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2 ... 343204002/

The sad part is that the games the last two weekends have been pretty good -- or at least half of them have been (which is comparable to what you'd see in any other kind of football).

Short-lived football league owes thousands to Jim 'N Nicks, Birmingham-area hotels

https://www.al.com/news/2019/05/short-l ... otels.html

Not a surprise. At least the uniforms weren't confiscated at the last game they played.