Meet the NFL’s New, Unashamedly Pro-American, Competition

Image source: AAF
Image source: AAF
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Well, looks like someone with an entrepreneurial spirit has decided to try and take advantage of the frustration NFL fans have been expressing the past couple of seasons.

The Alliance of American Football was announced earlier this year, but just yesterday began releasing promos for some of their eight teams — and the messages at the heart of each promo are very pro-American.

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The teams themselves are from working class cities around the country. The Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos and Atlanta Legends will make up Alliance East. Alliance West teams, names, and logos will be released next week, CBS Sports reported.

The Birmingham Iron will be wearing black, steel gray and brushed silver to symbolize iron. The team’s promo video details why the namesake is so meaningful, and patriotic.

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“Iron the foundation of America’s strength, born of incredible heat, hard work, and dedication,” the video begins, noting that iron represents “strength, endurance and unwavering power.”

“The Birmingham Iron pays tribute to the hard working steel workers who provided the Iron that fueled the industrial revolution,” radio announcer Jim Dunaway reported.

The Atlanta Legends are dedicating their team name to “heroic, larger-than-life” heroes that hail from the city of Atlanta. Their name also represents “the biggest legends of the civil rights movement.” Legends players will don purple, gold and white, “colors that represent rich heritage, tradition and royalty.”

“Don’t show up in the ATL if you’re willing to settle for good,” the promo video says, calling Atlanta the “city where legends are made.”

The Orlando Apollos take their name from the Greek God of the sun, which is fitting for the hot state. Dubbed “a glowing testament to the power, imagery and energy made possible by the sun,” the team will be sporting navy, dark orange and bright orange jerseys.

“God of the sun, conqueror of the moon, one name has struck fear in its opponent’s heart for thousands of years. In a city like this, we are all Gods of the sun. In a city like this, we are all Apollos,” the promo video says.

The Memphis Express takes their name from the transportation industry that forms the bedrock of the historic city. Their team colors are red, navy and white, showcasing that they are “America’s largest small town.”

“Memphis embodies America, built on values, teamwork, precision and execution,” the promo video proclaims.

AAF co-founder and CEO Charlie Ebersol said that naming the teams started with listening to fans, and then creating market research and targeting testing groups.

“The selection process of naming each Alliance team began by listening to our fans and working with each city to hear their suggestions and determine a long list of great ideas,” Ebersol told the Gwinnett Daily Post. “After we culled that list down through local market research, testing and a dynamic group of advisers in each city, we had our short list. Then, more testing, and ultimately, [former NFL executive] Bill [Polian] and I had some decisions to make. We feel strongly that our team names identify with the great cities we call home to our Alliance teams and positively represent the region and our fans.”

The creation of the league comes at a time where many football lovers in the United States are uneasy about how political the NFL has become.  The pro-American league will be a breath of fresh air for football viewers who are tired of politically fueled debates surrounding kneeling during the National Anthem.

Co-founded by Ebersol and NFL Hall of Famer Bill Polian, the AAF consists of eight teams, four from the East and four from the West. The first game will air Feb. 9, 2019, with the championship set for only two months later, on the weekend of April 26-28.

(H/T: CBS Sports)