AAFL already losing credibility?

[tops804]

Are these the types of stunts this league will allow to be pulled, in order to get noticed?

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=2e898133-a717-4f8c-9a19-00b3f3f90cea

Delamielleure, 56, hopes for comeback in AAFL
Bob Duff, The Windsor Star
Published: Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Joe Delamielleure is the first to admit he's a passionate man.

Delamielleure, 56, so believes in the new All American Football League football that he's prepared to become the Gordie Howe of the gridiron.

"If I get medical clearance and pass my physical, I might play one series for Team Michigan," said Delamielleure, a Pro Football Hall of Famer best known as one of the guards for the Electric Company, the Buffalo Bills offensive line that blocked for O.J. Simpson in 1973 when Simpson became the first National Football League running back to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

What possible reason could one have to want to see this???

[logoguru]

He can WANT to do whatever he wants to, no one said its going to happen and if it does big whoop.

[patmc16]

The IHL didn't lose credibility when Howe played a shift for the Detroit Vipers in 1997.

[nksports]

Are these the types of stunts this league will allow to be pulled, in order to get noticed?

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=2e898133-a717-4f8c-9a19-00b3f3f90cea



What possible reason could one have to want to see this???

Watching Brett Farve the last two seasons struggle along, all I can figure is maybe he wants to die by being pounded into the turf by some DE or LB when somebody misses a block.

[tops804]

Watching Brett Farve the last two seasons struggle along, all I can figure is maybe he wants to die by being pounded into the turf by some DE or LB when somebody misses a block.

...or a quarterbacks attempt at a career could be ended if he misses a block
and has a lineman or linebacker go right past him and throws the young
quarterback on the turf.

[tops804]

The IHL didn't lose credibility when Howe played a shift for the Detroit Vipers in 1997.

:( No, it had already been damaged by it's expansion into such cities as San Francisco, Los Angeles,
and Orlando. That would be for another thread though...

[Sam Hill]

The IHL didn't lose credibility when Howe played a shift for the Detroit Vipers in 1997.

No, but Gordie did.

And first the Vipers and then the league were out of business not long thereafter.

I think Joe D was just talking. It's good that he's still fit. But unless he was going to be making a comeback to actually play long-term (more than one series), I don't think it's a big deal.

The AAFL has many more things to worry about.

[patmc16]

No, but Gordie did.

And first the Vipers and then the league were out of business not long thereafter.

I'm usually right there with you, Sam, on your basketball takes but your wrong here.

Gordie Howe is still the icon in these parts that he has been for decades and will be long after he is gone. Most people probably don't even remember he played in that game. His image did not suffer at all for having done so.

If you are making a connection between the Howe game and the demise of the team and league..... I don't even know how to respond except to say there were many reason that contributed (the overexpansion that tops mentioned being a primary one) but this was absolutely not one of them.

It was a gimmick, as is the case with this AAFL move, and it served it's purpose. The Vipers received more media attention then they could have ever hoped for (remember the Red Wings were starting the season as Stanley Cup champs for the first time in over 40 years) and they sold out the Palace shortly after the tickets went on sale.

BTW, The Vipers died because they became affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning (same owner for both franchises at the time) who were horrible at the time and made the Vipers even worse. No one came to see them when they sucked. Ownership used the demise of the league as an excuse to fold the team (ignoring the fact 6 teams made the jump to the AHL). They would have folded even if the league had went on.

[Sam Hill]

I didn't say there was a connection.

And I've met Gordie Howe. Great man. I admire the hell out of him as a player and as a guy.

But he lost a bit in my eyes (and in the eyes of others) by this completely unnecessary stunt.

It's not that I'm "wrong." It's that your opinion differs from mine. That's cool.

But what was accomplished? He didn't really "play" in five decades. He skated one 49-second shift in the last one. That was completely unnecessary to do anything to extend his legacy and he could have been seriously hurt.

[tops804]

...that I have in both cases, is that national media outlets tend to make only
sarcastic references to these types of things.

In Howes case, Sportscenter covered it. But with the usual back page timeslot
and anchors sarcasm.

With the XFL, ESPN made little reference to it's upstart. Unlike the USFL, which they
had a contract with. After the XFL's first week; good crowds and TV ratings, ESPN
jumped on the bandwagon with positive Sportscenter coverage, interviews, etc. Then
when it proved to not last, the lack of coverage and sarcasm came right back to light.

In the IHL, I seem to remember an incident where a Detroit Vipers coach
dumped a can of garbage, on or intended, for a referee. That, and the lousy
video tape coverage of it were covered by ESPN. The negative type, "this
is the minor leagues idea of entertainment." kind of humor.

The point I'm trying to make is if Joe Delamielleure does make this "comeback".
It would only serve as fodder for national outlets to show "New league tries
anything for promotion.", type of story.

Other things to consider before I would question the leagues intention. Are
they for this idea? Secondly, the article says he wants to do this.
It doesn't mean it will or could happen.

[TheHulk]

It's not going to happen. I'm sure the league has more sense than to let an almost senior citizen strap it on one more time.

[rams80]

It's not going to happen. I'm sure the league has more sense than to let an almost senior citizen strap it on one more time.

I don't know-given their general lack of marketing sense thus far, nothing they do would surprise me.