Top 5 Ways the AFL can Improve Themselves

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Arena Bowl, and my disappointment in it. You may have gathered that I think there is a lot the league can do to improve itself. Some of these thigns are game-related. Some have to do with presentation. Here are five of the biggest ways the AFL can make themselves better.

1. More games nationally televised - This is an easy one. The NFL Network lost NFL Europa and in my opinion should be desperate to get some more original programming on the air, particularly in the NFL off-season. At least NBATV shows some NBDL, FIBA, and WNBA games. With the good will built between the two leagues anyway, I don’t see why the NFL Network can’t begin airing a Friday and/or weekend game. I think this would help both leagues out, and give more fans a chance to see what the Arena league is all about.

2. Better officiating - I can’t tell you how many times I watched an AFL game and saw a bad call made. These guys might actually be worse than NBA referees, although I’m not sure if it’s incompetence or lack of attention to detail. Whatever the reason, the AFL must do something so that the teams win the games, not the officials.

3. Acknowledge the past - If you watched any of ESPN’s broadcast, you would have had a hard time figuring out that this league has been around for just over two decades. And while ESPN Classic has shown a few classic games, I think the AFL should talk about the great legacy left by some of its best, be it on their website or during game broadcasts. By acknowledging the impact of former AFL alumni like Kurt Warner and Rashied Davis on the NFL, they will only make the AFL look better.

4. Focus on the other players more - This is also an easy one. A lot of time is paid to talking about how important the quarterbacks are to this league. And most of the time, those are the guys being interviewed on ESPN after touchdowns – Damien Harrell and Bobby Sippio are probably the lone exceptions. I’d like to see interviews with the defensive backs talking about having short memories after touchdowns. I want to hear linemen discuss how protections change and how a faster pace affects them. How ‘bout the fullback and what his role is with the offense? I would even talk to the kickers, because their role is a lot tougher. The crossbar coming off the ground is higher and the width of the goalposts is significantly smaller as well. Finally, this leads to…

5. More coverage of the AFL by the broadcast partners - I understand that the AFL is nowhere near the popularity of the NFL and is way short of MLB, the NBA, NASCAR, and probably the PGA, too. The least I ask for is pre- and post-game shows. A lot of these interviews with current players can take place here. People can also find out what’s going on around the league and see some highlights instead of having to flip over to ESPNews, who might not even show a lot of what went on. I need pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows completely devoted to the AFL; not a Sportscenter halftime show which spends most of the time discussing other sporting events that we could find out about elsewhere.

I’m not quite sure what the impact of these changes would be on the AFL; I don't know if it would increase the fanbase or not. But I certainly think it could give the league a more professional look and a fighting chance to gain some credibility in a crowded sporting world.