Express & Goal

What an amazing week! We have gotten a lot of information from the AAF about the upcoming QB draft and AAF championship game and some special news regarding the philanthropic nature of HC Mike Singletary.

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Coach Mike Singletary is well known as “The Heart of the Defence” when he played for the Bears but now he’s showing heart in a different way. He is working with The Last Well to provide drinking want to Liberia.

“Just having a difficult time growing up when my parents divorced when I was young, and when you look back on those times, you think, ‘Wow, that was really difficult.’ And then you look across the world, you have a country of people — the forgotten people, who can’t even get a drink of clean water — you think again, ‘What the heck am I complaining about?’”

We may have a jersey leak. Instagram user, aafanalyst, posted what looks like a retail version of the Salt Lake Stallions jersey. It’s ugly. The bright side is that many believe this is a knockoff. I hope that is the case because it is that bad.

The AAF has lost another player to the NFL. Garret Grayson has been signed to the Denver Broncos’ practice squad after signing with the Stallions. A couple of key points to look at. While this may seem like a bad break for the Stallions, it could end up not being a big deal. It is possible for players to be signed to both an AAF and NFL team as long as said player is on the practice squad. As long as Grayson isn’t signed to the roster, he will be eligible to participate in the AAF training camp. I think. The QB draft is coming up at the end of November and I’m not sure how that will work yet. Stay tuned.

On a previous episode, we talked about the possibility of college players skipping their final semester to play for the Alliance of American Football in hopes of improving their draft stock. That has been refuted. The AAF will not allow players to sign until they’ve had a chance with the NFL.

New Era is the official sideline hat of the AAF. The guys over at The Shipyard Podcast did a deep-dive into this topic.

https://stupiddope.com/2018/11/05/field-style-new-era-is-the-official-sideline-hat-of-the-alliance-of-american-football/

The Express will be at the Crafts and Drafts event this Saturday so be sure to come by and meet them! While you’re there, be sure to swing by and visit Michelle as she will be selling her products.

https://www.memphiscraftsanddrafts.com/

After you leave Crafts and Drafts, why not join us for the Memphis Express fans meetup at The Arcade restaurant on main? We’ll be giving away some merch as well as a ticket to join me in The Hub for the Memphis home-opener! Let me know if you can make it at https://www.facebook.com/events/373571376519408/

The AAF has released their new promo for CBS! Check it out on YouTube.

Main Event

AAF Championship to be Played in Vegas

The Alliance of America football love Las Vegas. The upcoming QB draft and AAF championship game will both be held in Vegas.

The partnership is tight between the league and Vegas considering the partnership with MGM. The first two championships games will be played at UNL...

If you haven’t already, now is the time to get your Memphis Express season tickets. They are now on sale and will be the best value for tickets. Get your tickets today or you may miss out on the best seats!

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Johnny Manziel will not be making his Alliance of American Football debut anytime soon. He has been off to a rocky start for the Montreal Alouettes and it seems as if that will continue for the time being. There has been a lot of talk from the fans speculating that Johnny Football would want to make the switch to the AAF. It turns out that he will be playing out his contract in the CFL.

http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/johnny-manziel-plans-to-honour-final-year-of-contract-with-montreal-alouettes/

We will cover this topic in-depth next week; the Alliance will be playing the championship game in Las Vegas. We’re going to explore all the differing opinions and discuss whether it is a smart move by the AAF or not. Our very own, Isaac Simpson, will be covering this in an upcoming article, so be on the lookout for that. You won’t want to miss out on that episode, so make sure you are subscribed to the podcast! If you’re not, go to memphisaaf.com/subscribe.

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Breaking Down Memphis Express Season Tickets

We had the pleasure of speaking with the VP of Ticket Sales & Operations, Jacob Widerschein. We get to know who he is and where he comes from. This isn’t his first time in Memphis and he is excited to return. We go in-depth into all the options for Memphis Express season tickets and where the best value can be had. Tickets go on sale 10/25/2018, the day this episode drops. Be sure to get yours before it’s too late at https://aaf.com/memphis-express/tickets/. Spoiler alert: Team President Kosha Irby makes a surprise appearance!

 

Have you reserved your Memphis Express season tickets? We had the opportunity to go to the Liberty Bowl and select where we wanted to sit. Of course, we chose The Hub. It was an awesome experience to go down on the field and see where the Memphis Express will be playing.

Player Interview

Issac Gross was a DT at Ole Miss who ended up with 142 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and 4 fumble recoveries. He was an All-SEC player and is currently 10th all-time in tackles for loss at Ole Miss. Coming into college, he was the #1 ranked DT in Mississippi and #36 overall on ESPN’s top 150.

Be sure to follow him: Twitter | Instagram

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* Do you have questions for the Memphis Express’ VP of Ticket Sales? Season tickets will go on sale next week and we want to answer any questions you may have about them. Reach out on social media, leave a comment here, or send us a message at memphisaaf.com/contact.

* Hugh Freeze will be the OC for the Hotshots. Very interesting story considering his past. It seems like the AAF is willing to give second chances. We can only hope they will deal with new infractions seriously.

* The CFL and AAF will respect the others’ contracts. Players will not have the option to transfer leagues if they are under contract with the other. Unlike with the NFL where players can leave the AAF if they get a shot with an NFL team.

Main Event

Memphis Express Season Tickets

We had a lot of fun walking around the Liberty Bowl. We got to check out the Stadium Suites, the on-field First Class section and were able to check out The Hub where we’ll be sitting. The Memphis Express has a lot of awesome plans in the works to make these games an incredible experience. Be sure to get your tickets today so you can join us in The Hub! Just go to https://aaf.com/memphis-express/tickets/ and get your Memphis Express season tickets.

Click on the images for the full size.

Alliance of American Football 2019 Schedule

On Tuesday, the Alliance of American Football released the schedule for the inaugural season. We cannot wait for the season to start and it’s exciting to see the Alliance release this information. Please note, on the full schedule, the home team is listed first. For convenience, we’ve included the Memphis Express specific schedule which is what really matters. Click on the images for the full size.

We want to make sure that Memphis fans a truly represented and that our passion is on display. We are wanting to create a fan club for Memphis Express and need your help with it.

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We have added to our team on the podcast. Isaac Simpson will be helping on the website. So you will see some new articles and player profiles showing up on memphisaaf.com. Be sure to show him some support over at https://twitter.com/Isaac_Rivals.

There will be another spring league starting up in February. It will be called the American Patriot League.  I am cautious about this one because their website is poorly designed and doesn’t fully work. They have a long way to go in a short amount of time. However, if they can pull it off, it will be good news for players.

Ticket sales should be starting this month. They are working out the logistics, but we should be getting more information soon.

Also, be on the lookout for uniform designs. The league had some stock uniforms when they started as displayed below. Will that be the design for them all?

Memphis Express has announced some coaching hires. We’ll be covering them in a future episode.

* Dennis Thurman – Defensive Coordinator

* Tom Mason – Linebackers Coach

* Matt Singletary – Defensive Line Coach

* David Lee – Quarterback Coach

* Ty Knott- Running Back/Special Teams Coach

The Alliance of American Football continues to show their dedication to player safety and health. They have hired a Director of Nutrition. Amy Goodson is an expert in nutrition and has worked with sports institutions for over a decade including the Dallas Cowboys. Be sure to check out what she’s doing at http://amygoodsonrd.com/ as well as on social media on Twitter and Instagram.

There will be no practice squad in the Alliance. Instead, each team will have a “ready list” of players they can call up should the need arise.

Player Interview

Jacob Park is a QB from Iowa State. He was an exciting player to watch and was an integral part of the team. After the birth of his daughter, he took some time off to deal with the stress of being under so much pressure.  Unfortunately, that time away derailed what would have been an outstanding career.

Check him out: Twitter

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We need to create the Memphis Express fandom. We need a name to call ourselves, chants, cheers, and music. The success of the league will, ultimately, come down to fan acceptance. What better way to show the city that the Alliance is worth their support than by showcasing our passion.

We want the fans to show up in face paint, we want smoke, flags, drums, and pandemonium. We want to get into the heads of the visiting team and show them what real fandom is.

Give us your ideas of what that would look like.

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The shop is back online at https://shop.aaf.com. You can get all kinds of gear to support the Memphis Express. No jerseys yet, but we should get those soon.

The AAF has signed over 500 players! We’re about 85 guys away from every team being at their off-season max.

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We had an amazing interview with Nathan Shackleford. He gave us quite a bit of insight into what it means to be an agent. We also talk a lot of specifics about the league. We’re working on getting the interview summarized, so check back on that later. Be sure to read his article about contract structure.

If you are reaching out to someone, here is a great form to follow:

How you doing my Name is _____ from _____. I went to ______ college. And participated in the Houston AAF event my 40 time was _____, broad ____, height weight ____. Here are my college stats and links to my film. I would greatly appreciate if if you would take a look at my film and give me any feedback that you might have. I would also love to talk with you further about representing me as I continue in my future as well. Thanks again for your time – Player

Get in touch: Twitter | Instagram

We were invited to a get together with some folk from Memphis Express. It was great to meet the team behind the team.

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We reached 500 followers on Twitter. We will be doing a giveaway for some Memphis Express merch. For your chance to win, listen to the show for details on how to enter.

The last four team names and logos were announced. We have feelings about these… We give a breakdown of all 8 teams and how we feel about them. Take a look and let us know what you think, and which is your favorite.

Main Event

We had the amazing opportunity to attend a gathering of Memphis Express staff and supporters. We were invited because of our work on this podcast. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all of our listeners. It’s up to use to ensure Memphis Express and the Alliance of American Football is a success.

Not only did we meet some of the people that will assist the team and support the city.

Probably the highlight of the night was meeting Team President, Kosha Irby, and Head Coach, Mike Singletary. Personality-wise, they couldn’t be different. Kosha is full of energy and his passion is on his sleeve. He loves the city and loves the AAF. Being a former Tiger, he has great insight into the city to really understand the best way to support the city.

Mike is an ember. He Is quiet and unassuming, but the passion is apparent under the surface. He is an incredible person. Humility and heart are the best words to describe him. However, you know that once game day comes around, he’ll be that fireball we all know him for.

While the team they’re assembling is new and small, you can tell they are excited for the opportunity and are looking to make this a success.

The AAF have revealed the names and logos of the teams in the Eastern Division. This includes Memphis. From this day forward, the team will be called the Memphis Express. On this episode, we express our feelings about this name and the others.

Overall, we’re disappointed in the direction the Alliance decided to go with. The decision-making is questionable. Express doesn’t seem to really fit the city. Sure, we are the hub for FedEx (Federal Express), but is that really an identity for the city?

We may just be reeling from the revelation because our hearts were set on Memphis Kings and, with time, we’ll come around to the name. However, we still support the team and cannot wait for February!

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So AllianceORL Team President, Michael Waddell, got jokes. Over the past few days, the AAF has been leaking portions of AAF logos. After all the teams have been leaked, this guy starts making insinuations as to what teams they are. I truly appreciate this interaction between fans and a team executive. He went as far as to make a Dodgeball reference!!

BREAKING NEWS from #AllianceORL as we add the 8th member of our Front Office Staff this evening. First thing we do with every new member of Team #407 is take their ring size. #TakeDeadAim Congrats to VP Bobby Bridges @bbridges11 on another spectacular hire! pic.twitter.com/Bj320rPxnm

— Michael Waddell (@MichaelWaddell_) September 19, 2018

Fins to the Left… Fins to the Right. @jimmybuffett is from Alabama, but spends a lot of time in Florida, but #RiddlesInTheSand was recorded in Texas. I saw Jimmy once in San Diego, and one of his best songs is #MeetMeInMemphis 🤪 https://t.co/Wv7GI1yj3v

— Michael Waddell (@MichaelWaddell_) September 19, 2018

The AAF draft took place this past weekend. There isn’t a ton of information on it, big surprise, but we are lucky enough that our Team President, Kosha Irby, announce Memphis’ picks. Nobody I recognized, but after doing a little research, they look promising. Follow up on social media as we will be sharing their names soon.

The AAF received some unexpected publicity when Ashton Kutcher hit someone while wearing an AAF hoodie.

http://www.tmz.com/2018/09/19/ashton-kutcher-car-accident-scooter-manny/

According to Mike Martz, HC of Alliance San Diego, said in an interview that team names will be announce on the 25th. As we’ve mentioned before, this is something fans have been demanding for awhile now. On top of that, an radio station in Birmingham claims that they will announce a team name today.

https://www.mighty1090.com/episode/mike-martz-the-first-time-i-met-kurt-warner-i-thought-he-was-there-to-help-unpack-my-office/

There was a possible leak recently as to the name of an Alliance team. According to this person, he was told Alliance Atlanta will be the Lions.

Main Event

The AAF has been dropping parts of the new AAF logos. We’ll go over each one and predict which logo belongs to which team. If you want to play along, leave a comment on the website at memphisaaf.com/9.

Follow us on social media. We just hit 400 followers on Twitter. Once we reach 500, we’ll have a giveaway for some Alliance Memphis merch. Follow us everywhere because we’ll do similar giveaways for Facebook and Instagram. Maybe some tickets? We’ll see.

Another light week when it comes to the news, but the big story is about next-gen gambling as AAF partners with MGM.

Player Interview

Bubba Jenkins

Bubba Jenkins is a 3 down back. He excels in all phases of the RB position. He is an exceptional runner, has sure hands in the passing game, and can help out in pass protection. He’s the type of player that will elevate those around him as he’s done in high school and college. He was named the most underrated running back in the draft.

Check him out: Twitter | Instagram

News

Last week the AAF announce 37 new signings brings the total to 299, though it would appear there are 33 players that haven’t been announced making it 332. Memphis sits at 57 meaning we can only sign 18 players that were recently cut from the NFL. See the new Alliance Memphis players at memphisaaf.com/roster

Hines Ward alluded to some major signings but, as always, remains light on the details. Expect announcements soon on some major signings. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up-to-date.

Main Event

Next-Gen Gambling

The AAF will have in-game betting with next-gen gambling. They are partnering with MGM as the exclusive gambling partner of the league. This is the first time and sports organization has made this kind of deal. More and more, the AAF seems to go beyond a football league and into a tech company. From its app that will stream all games and offer fantasy football, to offering next-gen stats in a betting platform.

We see this in the NFL with their enhanced stats. Players wear tracking chips in their pads which is how we can see the routes they run and how fast they go. The AAF will also use this tech for next-gen gambling.

We’ve talked a lot about money on this podcast and how the AAF stacks up with other leagues. This is another way for players to boost their paychecks. They have the opportunity to earn more if bets are placed on them.

This comes at a pivotal moment in our country as a recent Supreme Court ruling leaves sports betting up to the states.

The biggest competition facing the AAF is going to be the XFL which is set to start in 2020, one year after the Alliance. Based on some recent leaked emails, it appears the XFL may feel a bit threatened by the AAF.