The Alliance of American Football debuted last week with two Saturday night games shown regionally on CBS. They also have TV deals with CBS Sports Network and NFL Network, so, not surprisingly, they drew pretty good ratings that first weekend. For the record, so did XFL 1.0 in 2001, so whether the AAF can keep those viewers remains to be seen.
From the limited amount of it that I watched, I can't say that I was completely enamored with what I was seeing. For the most part, it resembled the second preseason game. And the quality of play was right about that level. Which makes sense, seeing as the majority of the players are NFL castoffs.
Of course, the most significant thing about the AAF is all of the different rules. And the rules changes are why I can't really get on board with the AAF. Some of them are either good or I'm indifferent to them. But there's one that I simply cannot get behind. Because the AAF is trying to basically eliminate kicking from the game of football entirely.
In the AAF, kickers exist for the sole purpose of attempting field goals. There are no kickoffs or extra points. They don't even have onside kicks! Sorry, but that's not football. It's a farce!
Is kicking the most exciting part of football? Absolutely not! But is it an integral part of the game? Yes it is. Yet, from moving extra points back because they were "too easy" to changing the kickoff rules to make the play "safer," they've been phasing it out of the NFL game for the past few years.
Taking the kickoff completely out of the game is just stupid, though. Yes, most kickoffs end in touchbacks. But a big kickoff return can also be one of the most exciting plays in any game.
Desmond Howard was the MVP of the Super Bowl because of a kickoff return. The Saints won their title because of a brilliant play call on an onside kick. In an otherwise miserable Super Bowl between the Ravens and Giants, there were touchdowns on three consecutive plays, two of which were kickoff returns. And Super Bowl XLI sure started with a bang when Devin Hester took the opening kickoff to the house.
That's four examples from the Super Bowl alone. We all know that kickoffs can be just as game-changing in the regular season. It took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 years to get their first kickoff return TD, and it made headlines when they finally did. And how many kick returners are so dynamic that teams make it a point to keep the ball away from them?
Contrast that to the AAF. Instead of a kickoff, they start the game in a super-exciting way! They have someone walk out to the 25-yard line and place the ball on the field. Wow! That really gets me going! After a touchdown, it's whatever. But that's not how you start a football game. Sorry!
They don't have extra points either. Teams are required to go for two after every touchdown. So, say goodbye to the most common football score of them all--7. It also takes the decision-making process out of it. Instead of being strategic about when to go for two, coaches don't have a choice. I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing, but I am saying that there's absolutely no reason to go for two early in the first quarter. Or when you already have a 30-something point lead.
At least they haven't done anything with the field goal, which probably survived only because it's a way to score. Although, teams aren't allowed to attempt field goals in overtime, which further marginalizes the role of the kicker. (Frankly, I'd like to see them go the other way and implement the CFL rule where a field goal of 50-plus yards is worth four points instead of three.)
One of the main arguments always used to support getting rid of kickoffs is that they're "unsafe." The NFL has cited research saying that more concussions occur on kickoffs than any other type of play, which is why they've made so many rule changes aimed at addressing those concerns. The AAF has also brought up the safety issues regarding the kickoff (or lack thereof). Bill Polian even said he wouldn't have taken a job with the league had these new rules not been in place. But I think that's a bit of a cop-out. Bottom line is I think they find it boring, and they want the AAF to be more "exciting."
Well, hate to break it to you AAF, but kickoffs can, indeed, be exciting. And, frankly, whether your games have them or not isn't going to determine whether or not the league is ultimately successful. Kickoffs don't make games any more or less watchable. And, through two weeks, I haven't found the AAF games very watchable.
Should the AAF survive, their ultimate goal is to serve as a sort of NFL minor league. At least that's what they've said. And so far, that's all it seems to be. At least in terms of quality. Second-rate football played by guys who either aren't good enough to play in the NFL or saw their NFL careers fizzle out. It's like football in mid-August. And I don't watch that, either.
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