All American Rundown Part 4: AIF Restructures, AAL Draft Approaches

The American Indoor Football Season winds on, and though it has been a difficult one, we believe they are laying the groundwork for a version of the AIF everyone thinks highly of. It is never easy to pick up the pieces of a broken league with a tarnished reputation and unregulated team facilities. Commissioner Foster and company are doing all they can to fix the current issues they are facing, and we hope you stick around as the standard rises. Let’s take a look back at the last game we saw and check out some changes and what’s to come.

AIF Week Four Breakdowns

West Michigan 59

Cedar Rapids 7

This was a result not many of us saw coming. Yes, West Michigan has dominated this tier of Indoor ball for the better part of the decade, but Cedar Rapids looked to have the team to challenge them. The damage caused from leaving two of your starters in Iowa (family emergency and personal matters) was evident early.

CJ Leggett, the Titans Running Back, would have the start at QB. He is capable of filling in at the position, but a lack of capable linemen would prevent him from really getting anything done. That lacking would lead to a ton of scrambling.

And that scrambling? Well, it would lead to a bone-crushing (clean) hit just a few minutes into the first quarter, sending Leggett out of the game for the remainder of the night. What followed just made you pity the Titans.

Even before going out of the game the wild scrambles led to turnovers for Leggett. This would be compounded after and just over three-quarters of all of the Ironmen’s points would come off of a turnover, or a pick-six.

The only bright spot would infact be the Titans’ defense that managed to intercept Carder three times. Carder continues to make risky throws, betting on the team around him to bail him out.

In the end, it is another mind numbing blow out that didn’t see Cedar Rapids score until there were 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Raising the Standard

You’ll see very soon that the schedule has been rearranged. This is in large part due to issues that were set in place before the current leadership came into the fold. While we won’t say exactly who or what caused it, American Indoor Football (leauge) has a standard, and that standard is the reason why the following is happening:

-Wyoming will only have one away game, at Cedar Rapids, and won’t travel to West Michigan on March 14th

-West Michigan won’t travel to Wyoming

-The CNY Blue Devils will be brought into the League as playoff eligible; Affiliate Travel Team. This is to help fill out  the schedule

-All Teams, including Pennsylvania and CNY are playoff eligible

As you can tell, there is a common theme here

Welcome the CNY Blue Devils

This was a move not many saw coming, but it is reasonable and makes sense. The Blue Devils have plans in place for the coming years to advance themselves as an Indoor team. That paired with the willingness to travel (the league will also provide help) makes them a perfect fit to help things along. 

Their next American Indoor Football game will be on March 14th at West Michigan! 

American Indoor Football Week 5 Game Previews

CNY at

West Michigan(-63.5)

Like nearly every game West Michigan has played in the past three years.. This one won’t be close. We love what CNY has going for them and the future plans, but don’t expect anything close from this. The Blue Devils are a building program with a revamped roster, they will fight, but the team cohesion won’t be up to par. The biggest Question we have is if they will travel well. If they don’t it will be a shut out, it they do, expect late TDs. Carder will be Carder, but the bone crushing West Michigan defense will make it a moot point.

Prediction 

West Michigan 76

CNY                 12

American Arena Leauge & American Arena Leauge 2

The Draft is fast approaching! If you’re a player and are reading this, get yourself to a tryout for an AAL2 team, it’s pivotal that you be on an AAL2  roster and registered in time to be in the AAL Draft in mid-April. Register at the link below.

https://www.americanarenaleague.com/aal-draft

Less than 55 Days till kick off!

Final Thoughts

Overall we are seeing growing pains out of the AIF, and we are hopeful. The communication from the league front office with us at Shady Sports has been refreshing, and we hope to see it even more as time continues on. Keep checking in for all the latest on the AIF, AAL, and AAL2.  Don’t forget to tune in every Saturday morning to Around the Indoor Football World for all indoor and arena football news!

Check out our latest articles

• Everything AAL Week 3
• National Arena League (NAL): Week 8 Review
• EVERYTHING AAL Week 2
• National Arena League (NAL): Week 7 Review
• National Arena League (NAL): Week 6 Review

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