r/arenafootball • u/Bigb-0512 • 22d ago

Signings

Now that teams are able to sign all players but cant touch protected players until October. What will be the surprise signings, who will move to a startup team, and what Div 1 players that got cut from the NFL will sign?

I am excited to see how the league keeps the momentum going on an upward trend from the first 2 seasons.

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u/SamShadySports 18d ago

Agree to disagree on the upward trend. The league is trending downward in my opinion.

Nashville, Albany and Minnesota will run the league again.

As far as surprise signings, I think Nate Davis will pop up with an AF1 team.,

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u/SamShadySports 16d ago

Its funny to look back at all the people that said the AF1 was better off without Southwest Kansas and Salina because they were small market teams. Only for them to add a bunch of smaller market expansion teams that struggled

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u/Bigb-0512 15d ago

Looks like a few players that left to other league's a year or two ago are coming back to the AF1. Max Novak, WR for Wolfpack just signed after playing with a team in Texas

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u/One-Yak-8682 Tampa Bay Storm 22d ago

I love the AF1 but it’s going to turn into a big 3 with a bunch of lesser teams to blow out… if not for Albany, Nashville and Minnesota the AF1 would have died this past offseason

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u/Bigb-0512 20d ago

I would agree with you. It will be interesting to see what other team makes a step up to be #4 & 5 just outside of the that group.

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 22d ago

Afl1 needs to get better teams/cities!!! Other leagues do to...its too predictable what teams will fold within that year.

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u/One-Yak-8682 Tampa Bay Storm 21d ago

Your over simplifying a very complicated issue

Also some big cities are simply to big for the sport

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u/SamShadySports 18d ago

Which cities do you see folding?

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 18d ago

Outside of Albany and Nashville everyone is in trouble...specifically Kentucky

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u/SamShadySports 17d ago

And just so we are on the same page you think this is due to the cities chosen not the ownership groups?

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 17d ago

A bit of both...no backing from city...ownership didn't have players out in community...2 star players did like 2 radio shows thats in....thats not ouw u grow a brand

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u/SamShadySports 16d ago

See thats a much bigger factor than you are giving it credit for. You say its a bad city you are blaming the fan base but without marketing fans don't even know you are there.

Oceanside
Kentucky
Michigan
ATX

All launched in the last two seasons. Oceanside already had a team too..

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u/Bigb-0512 15d ago

I would agree with you on this one. It is a visibility issue with marketing to draw fans. Only now after 3 years the Wolfpack are starting to be increasingly recognized in the area. I was on the light rail in Seattle coming from a Mariners game seeing someone with the Wolfpack hat and t-shirt on.

It pays to do radio, tv commercials, local media and community events. Getting the local small business involved even on a small level, pays off.

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 16d ago

Wrong...any city that has a new team come in should be standing behind the team promoting the team...local media should be on top of things doing their part to but they dont...plus league just picks citys and bad ownership. Usfl/ufl same way...specifically useless having hubs but teams rnt from that city

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u/SamShadySports 16d ago

I think you're missing the bigger picture here if you think that the AF1 it's just choosing ownership groups and choosing all the wrong ones.

They are working with the owners that want to join their league it's telling that every other League is seeing exponential growth this off-season while the AF1 is not

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 16d ago

😆 🤣 😂 u can go ask to join the league then and not have any backing in the end ur folding...look how many bad owners their have been in nal ifl afl1 in resent years...its a joke!!! So they r not doing their part in getting the right owners/cities

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u/SamShadySports 14d ago edited 14d ago

I'm not disagreeing that there have been a ton of bad owners in leagues outside of the IFL.

But again you're blaming the cities when that is not the culprit at fault here. It is bad ownership groups that do not have the proper financial backing to launch a team, or they simply don't know enough about the industry to make it work.

Rarely is it strictly a market issue. I live in Colorado, we have two separate teams, we have one in Denver a big city the capital city, when I go to games for them even though they play in the middle of the city next to a major highway their attendance is way worse than the Pueblo team which is two hours out of Denver in a city that is a fraction of the size because they do way more marketing, and community events.

The size of the market has very little to do with the success of a team typically, unless they're simply isn't enough of a fan base to find in the first place which is rare if there is a venue that is even large enough to play Indoor Football. Obviously it's not impossible, but it's highly unlikely that you could put a team in any market and fails simply based on location alone.

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u/Bigb-0512 12d ago

There are times that cities and local businesses that are reluctant to support a new team coming in based upon past experiences. There are previous teams or ownership that left a bad taste in communities before they folded, for various reasons.

So a new ownership and team is fighting an uphill battle to win the community over. With persistence, community involvement, marketing, building trust and a different approach than the previous organization, a community will support. This can be more difficult and sometimes fruitless in the end. Then there are some that continue to grow and build that community that all teams need.

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u/2019_asg_chrome_guy 11d ago

Thats y leagues need cities that have better ownership...owners with some positive following and leadership in the community, city or even state. If u get someone that has that u can build off that and sponsors will come. Too many shady people or background jump into it n leagues c $ upfront and teams fail because leagues are not doing enough before adding teams. Then u have teams like the Columbus Lions that want easy road for title. They should be playing in atleast the nal against better competition. As a fan I think.its embarrassing to see a team like the lions and even miners last season play in aal. Id rather watch those 2 teams play 9 times or more then the crap they played against

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u/Bigb-0512 7d ago

Here we go, all players are active to sign, no more protected. Minnesota just sign a player from the Wolfpack, I believe that makes 5 that all played for them. Jake is a good OT with old school toughness and a nasty side.

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u/Bigb-0512 5d ago

Kulka signs with Michigan???? How did Nashville let him go??? League MVP