American Football League - Fictional History

  As of the end of the 1950 AFL season, the American football landscape looks like this: American Football League (AFL) Chicago Hogs Cincinnati Rivermen Cleveland Crows Columbus Buckeyes Detroit Knights Tri-Cities Hawks Midwestern Football Championship (MWFC) Chicago Stars Fort Wayne Generals Indianapolis Flames Milwaukee Maroons Minneapolis Bears St. Louis Arrows St. Paul Angels New England Football League (NEFL) Boston Bards Boston Rebels Concord Wildcats Hartford Colts Montpelier Greens New Haven Lions New London Captains Portland Lumberjacks Providence Bears Springfield Knights Worcester Valentines New York-Pennsylvania League (NYPL) Baltimore Barons Bronx Bulldogs Brooklyn Kings Buffalo Hammers New York Dutch Lions Newark Tigers Long Island Islanders Philadelphia Americans Philadelphia Federals Pittsburgh Shamrocks At the bottom of this totem pole of American football is the New England Football League, or NEFL. Although it may be the oldest of the AA splinter leagues, it is n...

    Just because the league had made it to the end of their first season was not enough for the weather to be fair for the AFL’s inaugural championship game. Davenport, Iowa’s LeClaire Field had winds of 25 mph blowing on an already cold Thanksgiving Day, with field temperatures nearing -10°F with the wind chill. That didn’t seem to stop nearly 30,000 fans packed in like sardines into the stadium to watch their hometown Tri-Cities Hawks host the rival Chicago Hogs for the first AFL championship. It could potentially be a detriment to these two teams, who last played a game where the weather was around 50°F. Needless to say, it was going to be an interesting game between the two powerhouses this year, and many were anticipating a spectacle to end the year on a high note. All of those doubts were quickly put to rest once the game kicked off, to which Tri-Cities returner John McLean nearly returned the opening kick all the way for 6, but was wrapped up at the 21 by Defensive Play...

  Through the first four weeks of the inaugural AFL season, things were looking bright for the developing league. The Chicago Hogs were the team to beat, rolling out to a hot 4-0 start with help from QB Alfred Walton leading the charge on the offense and players like LB George Post and DB Vincent Kelly. The Hogs weren’t in the clear just yet, as the Tri-Cities Hawks were right on their tail with a high-powered offensive attack led by QB Gilbert Clay, RB Herman Gibbons, and WRs Stuart Kane, John McLane, and Dale Riggs. The Detroit Knights handed the Hawks their sole loss in week 2, but they don’t seem all right after losing 2 multi-score games to Cincinnati and Chicago. They started the year out strong at 2-0, but their lack of coaching skill is beginning to show as the Knights are starting to lose morale, with QB Roy Woodward and WR George Payne not looking like the stars they were made out to be. The team looking to take advantage of the Knights’ looming demise are the Cincinnati ...