Here in Arizona, people are all awitter over their Arizona Rattlers, who beat Chicago 46-35 yesterday to win a berth in Arena Bowl XVI next Sunday. Houston actually had an Arena League team, but if I remember correctly, the team had trouble drawing more than friends and families of the players. It's too bad, really, because the Arena Football League has an interesting product to sell, and it's been suprisingly successful. The fact that next weekend's championship game is #16 speaks volumes about the AFL's business plan. Considering that the XFL never made it past championship game #1, the AFL has much to be proud of.
The AFL's success stems largely from the fact that they do NOT compete directly with the NFL. Though many teams now thrive in major metropolitan areas, the leagues initial success came in places like Albany, NY; Grand Rapids, MI; and Des Moines, IA. Teams have come and gone (or just moved) with great frequency (Memphis to Portland to Tulsa, f'rinstance). Nonetheless, the league stuck to it's business plan and grew the AFL into a (relatively) small-town success story. Surprisingly, the AFL has managed to survive without a television contract (although Arena Bowl XVI will be televised on ABC).
If you go to an AFL expecting to see "normal" football, it will be something of a disappointment. Taken on it's own merits, though, an AFL game is very entertaining- "the 50-yard indoor war", if you are into marketing slogans. I went to a game in Portland several years ago while there was still a franchise there. It was like going to a rock concert and watching a football game break out. It's loud, violent, and certainly an interesting diversion during football's off-season.
The NFL has recognized the potential of the AFL, and has purchased a 49% stake in the league. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a franchise, and NFL money has managed to add a degree of stability the AFL could previously have only dreamed about. Now, the AFL actually has it's own minor league, A2 (Arena League 2). It looks as if Arena Ball is here to stay.
Besides, the Rattlers won an AFL Championship (Arizona's first professional sports championship team) long before the Arizona Diamondbacks won last year's World Series.
