With all this talk of “enhancing” the NFL season from 16 to 18 games, another pro football league was apparently paying attention.
The Arena Football League has announced that it has expanded its regular season from 16 to 18 games. (Unless the press release is a hoax. I should probably call the AFL and ask them if they’re engaged in a social experiment aimed at proving that people rely upon the accuracy of information disseminated by a sports organization.)
“There has never been a better time for the Arena Football League,” Commissioner Jerry Kurz said in a news release. “The product is exciting, our economic model is sound and fans are demanding affordable family entertainment. Extending our season is a great decision, both from a business and fan perspective.”
One of the reasons that it’s a great time for the AFL is that the league went through bankruptcy a couple of years ago, wiping out the debts and, in turn, sticking it (at least partially) to the creditors. Armed with a new lease on life and a balance sheet that has yet to fill up with red ink, the AFL can continue to play games that most of the country won’t really notice.