Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
-
The newly christened AAF debuted in February to much fanfare, but uncertainty about the future remains.
A new report from the SportingNews says that the American Football Alliance is suspending operations.
What does the future hold for the AAF & Atlanta Legends?
The Atlanta Legends, who play at Georgia State Stadium, continue to pull in a modest crowd but have struggled on the field.
The Legends have a 2-6 record and have been eliminated from postseason contention.
But it’s not just the Legends, the league is struggling for an identity.
Is the AAF a development league for the NFL or a competitor? It’s hard to tell. There is much speculation that the AAF may not even finish the season.
But that’s not the concern of everybody. Steve Spurrier, head coach of the Orlando Apollos, told the Orlando Sentinel that he is confident the league will finish strong.
“I think we’re definitely good to finish out this year,” Spurrier, whose Apollos are a league-leading 7-1, recently, told the Orlando Sentinel. “But after that, who knows? We’re not thinking about anything but trying to win a championship. That was our goal and we’re sticking to it.”
Majority investor Tom Dundon, who put $250 million into the league, reportedly is not bullish about the league’s survival.
“It’s pretty fluid. It’s day to day, I would say,” Dundon told SportsBusiness Daily days ago.
Spurrier said the league began with a clear focus, but things have definitely shifted a bit.
““The Alliance was started under the pretense of signing players who aren’t in the NFL and giving them a chance to play in our league,” Spurrier was quoted as saying. “And if they play well enough in our league, then maybe they’ll get the opportunity to play in the NFL. That was the original plan, but obviously the plan has changed.”
Then again, all of the talk about the AAF’s future could just be tough talk by Dondon to get a better deal from the NFL players union, which wants better protections for athletes on the field.
“If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a development league,” Dundon, who in February pledged to incrementally invest $250 million into the AAF, told USA Today. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”
Here are highlights from the Atlanta Legends vs. Birmingham Iron
Read more: See the Atlanta Falcons 2019 opponents
-
Ready for some (more) football? The Atlanta Legends are city’s hometown team in the Alliance of American Football. The league was started by veteran NFL General Manager Bill Polian.
The Atlanta Legends are one of eight teams in the Alliance of American Football. The AAF doesn’t see themselves as competition for the NFL, they see themselves as a developmental league or pipeline. Still, the Alliance of American Football is a professional league.
Everything you need to know about the Atlanta Legends of the AAF
The coach of the Legends is Kevin Coyle, who has never been a head coach. Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was previously announced as offensive coordinator, but the team walked it back. Vick does have a consulting role with the team though.
“We are excited to have Michael as a part of our organization and part of our staff,” Coyle told WSBTV. “He’s had a number of commitments that he’s been fulfilling, Fox and the broadcasting end of things. So he hasn’t been able to be with us full-time as we would have liked him to be. As this NFL season has come to an end, hopefully we are going to be together as we move forward and we are going to carve out the role that he is going to take that’s going to help us the most that he possibly can. It’s a very valuable resource that we have in Michael, and we are going to try to utilize him to the best of his abilities so he can help our players each and every day.”
Where do the Atlanta Legends play football?
The Atlanta Legends play at Georgia State Stadium on the campus of Georgia State University. The stadium’s address is 755 Hank Aaron Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30315. The capacity of GSU Stadium is 24,333.
The Legends’ first game was Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 against the Orlando Apollos at Spectrum Stadium in Florida.
How to buy tickets to Atlanta Legends games?
If you want to see the Atlanta Legends in person, buy a ticket! You can purchase season ticket seat deposits for $50 on a first-come, first-served basis on AAF.com or by calling 1-833-AAF-2019. Click here to be taken to the Atlanta Legends website.
The home season opener of Atlanta Legends football begins Feb. 24 at Georgia State Stadium against the Birmingham Iron. Click here to be taken to the Atlanta Legends website.
Here is the full 2019 schedule for the Atlanta Legends
Week 1
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Atlanta Legends at Orlando Apollos
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Atlanta Legends at San Diego Fleet
Week 3
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Birmingham Iron at Atlanta Legends
Week 4
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots
Week 5
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Memphis Express at Atlanta Legends
Week 6
Sunday, March 17, 2019
San Antonio Commanders at Atlanta Legends
Week 7
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Orlando Apollos at Atlanta Legends
Week 8
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Atlanta Legends at Birmingham Iron
Week 9
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Salt Lake Stallions at Atlanta Legends
Week 10
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Atlanta Legends at Memphis Express
Read more: Another Whole Foods is popping up in Midtown