Media – contact Dave Burch at AFA National Office (877)624-
AFA PRESS RELEASE: (PRWEB) September 9, 2000
4485 or
(941)388-3510; e-mail amerfoot@aol.com (or) usafoot@aol.com
AS THE NFL KICKS OFF ANOTHER PRO FOOTBALL SEASON . . .THE AFA IS LOOKING FOR THOSE NON-PROFESSIONAL TEAMS WHO ARE “SEMI-PRO and PROUD” . . . TO STEP FORWARD
“Its all about being the best you can be playing at the level that
you’re at – at the present time”, says the AFA national association
president, Ron Real. “Sure most of the players and even some of the
coaches on our level think they have what it takes to make that step up to
the next level. The truth of the matter is that they dont – and the few
that slip between the cracks of the sophisticated professional football
scouting programs in place these days – are few and far between”, Real
added.
So why isnt the AFA national association for semi-pro football programs
across the country doing more to get the players on this level a better
opportunity to play pro ball? Because, actually (for the most part) the
best players on the semi-pro level are playing at the top of their game as
it is and making it to the show is reserved for a whole different level
of talent.
But dont knock em if you havent seen any of these guys play. Playing
for the love of the game, and not a big pay check, puts these athletes in
a category of their own. “Its amazing how a level of football, that is
nearly as large as college football in the number of participating teams,
can take the knocks it takes from the football purist and keeps coming
back year after year for more”.
“Now thats grass roots football. Ever think of where the NFL would have
wound up if the early pioneers of the pro game got discouraged because the
media called them semi-pros (as the NFL was known before they were the
National Football League). Yes, they (NFL) elevated themselves to a level
of professionalism that has become the envy of all sports. They left
behind a residue that was considered then, and still is, unwanted baggage
in the form of the semi-pro football level”, added the AFA president.
“Its time for our teams and leagues to recognize that we are the top rung
of the senior amateur level of Americas sport, football. If its a known
fact that the NFL got its start with a bunch of semi-pro players, why then
should we be ashamed to be associated with the term semi-pro football”?
Some say the term semi-pro football has a negative connotation and the
level of play has a bad track record. Others say its reputation is
somewhat tarnished in semi-pro type communities who may have extended
lines of credit to previous organizations who fell short of fulfilling all
their financial obligations to the local playing venues, sporting goods
companies and/or purveyors of special promotional services such as
newspaper, radio and TV advertising. Yes, a few bad apples might spoil the
barrel, but when that happens the fruit farmers dont throw out the
barrels – just the bad apples. Barrels cost money.
Funny isnt it, that when a professional football venture goes down the
tubes – and theres been several in the past 20 years since the AFAs been
around – it usually leaves a wake of financial disaster in the area of
millions of dollars. No negative connotations engraved here – because its
professional football. Its just an unfortunate situation that cost
cities, businesses and season ticket holders millions. Thats all right
because before you know it another promoter with a brand new idea for a
professional football league will come around the corner (sometimes in the
same failed cities) and convince everyone they have what is sure to be the
next league to rival the success that the NFL has enjoyed for so many
years. Because its pro football it stands a chance at being successful.
The media will see to it that it gets its share of sports ink – again. But
when it comes to semi-pro-football the media seems to be ignore the
efforts of those promoting community senior level football.
Whos fault is that? Surely not the media. And dont try to pin semi-pro
team and league failures on the NFL – after all they outgrew the
semi-pro syndrome many years ago when they decided to do something about
what the media and local football fans thought of the sport of semi-pro
football.
Why is it so important for semi-pro team owners and league administrators
to want to duck the responsibilities of polishing up the image of semi-pro
football versus trying to call it something its not. Our level is
Semi-Pro. Not minor league or minor professional (that moniker will come
around only when and if the NFL decides it needs a complete farm system
like those enjoyed – and financed – by other pro sports). Without a major
league affiliation it hardly makes any sense to refer to our level as a
minor league.
What are we afraid of by using the term semi-pro football? Who are we
trying to fool? Instead of trying to convince the media and the
professional football leagues that our level is just inches away from
being established as development leagues – why dont we simply take
advantage of the fact that our teams and leagues provide opportunities for
senior level (post college age) players to continue playing the sport they
have come to love ever since their youth football days? What about the
opportunities our level provides for players who never played college
ball, for one reason or another. Where does a high school player go to
continue playing if he doesnt get a football scholarship after graduating
from senior high?
If some of our players get the chance to go pro from our organizations
efforts, thats great! But thats not the reason we do what we do. Why
dont we all pull together and take advantage of the fact that semi-pro
football has been around longer than pro football and its time we take
our place in the sports world by challenging those who doubt our reasons
for providing good community football programs for fans to enjoy at
affordable entertainment prices. Remember, our level is the survivor of
the grass roots football program that the NFL grew out of. Lets take
advantage of that fact.
Before we challenge the media and professional football, we have to
challenge ourselves. Attention team owners, coaches, players and league
administrators – think you have what it takes to promote the fact that
those on our level are committed to proving they are “SEMI-PRO and PROUD”?
. . . Well see.
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