The Alliance of American Football kicked off last night with two games on CBS, and co-Founder & CEO Charlie Ebersol said attendance for both games in San Antonio and Orlando were "way above expectations." The San Antonio Commanders were "greeted by 27,857 fans" for their 15-6 win over the San Diego Fleet at the Alamodome. AAF co-Founder Bill Polian said he was “thrilled” with the fan support and “great atmosphere" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/10). Steve Spurrier's "entertaining style of offense didn't disappoint an announced crowd of 20,191" for the Orlando Apollos' 40-6 win over the Atlanta Legends at Spectrum Stadium. But in "stark contrast" to the festive atmosphere before UCF games, only a "smattering of fans mingled in a plaza near the 44,000-seat stadium" (AP, 2/9).
It "didn’t take long for the fledgling league to win over fans on Twitter." Commanders LB Shaan Washington took off Fleet QB Mike Bercovici’s helmet with a "massive hit that, incredibly, was deemed entirely legal." Fans expecting a penalty flag were "pleasantly surprised." Another innovation "got rave reviews." During a review, the broadcast "shared the audio between the referee on the field and the official in the booth, giving fans an all-access look at the process" (USATODAY.com, 2/9). AAF organizers have "torn a page out of the MLS playbook and realize that if they want to lure today’s sports fans," games "not only have to be fun, they have to be fast" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/10). Two more games are set for Sunday: Memphis Express-Birmingham Iron at 4:00pm ET, and Salt Lake Stallions-Arizona Hotshots at 8:00pm (THE DAILY).
ESPN’s “SportsCenter” first showed coverage from last night’s AAF action 30 minutes into its broadcast this morning, teasing the highlights before going to commercial with the headline “Welcome to the AAF,” while the midnight edition showed highlights roughly 45 minutes into the show. Meanwhile, “Sunday Today with Willie Geist,” “GMA,” or “CBS News Sunday Morning” never aired any highlights or even teased or touched on the league’s opening night (THE DAILY).
