The Atlanta franchise in the new Alliance of American Football, which will kick off its inaugural season in February, will be named the Atlanta Legends.
“Atlanta makes legends — that’s what the city does,” league co-founder Charlie Ebersol said. “It does it historically, it does it in terms of sports. When I think of the word ‘legend’, there was a quote ... someone used to say when I was little. They said, ‘Players come and go, but legends live forever,’ and it was literally in reference to Hank Aaron...
“This is a city that’s built on legends and built for legends.”
- Michael Vick will lead offense of new pro football league team in Atlanta
Ebersol, a TV and film producer, co-founded the AAF with Pro Football Hall of Fame member Bill Polian with the intention of providing former college and NFL players a second chance to show off their talent and play the game they love.
Ebersol, whose first job in sports was at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, said the AAF wanted to have one of the league’s eight teams in Atlanta not only because of the legacy the city and state of Georgia carry with regard to leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and major contributions such as the Civil Rights Movement, but also because of the city’s impact on the world of sports.
“There’s a passion and energy for sports in Atlanta that I don’t know many cities across the world have let alone many cities across the United States. ... To me, Atlanta represents this different type of approach to sports, and we want to be a part of that,” Ebersol said.
The AAF is working to recruit not only players fans will recognize, but also coaches. The league announced in April that former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will join Alliance Atlanta as offensive coordinator and legendary college football coach Steve Spurrier will serve as head coach of Alliance Orlando.
“The people that we’re able to draw through with the regional allocation of players, they’re going to be names that people have heard of and maybe have a rooting interest in whether they come from Georgia or Georgia Tech or Clemson or South Carolina or right out of the smaller schools there in the Atlanta area,” Legends coach Brad Childress said.
The biggest change in the AAF from college and professional football that will appeal to fans is the intentional shortening of the game’s duration. With several of the AAF teams adopting a no-huddle offense and league plans to implement a 35-second play clock, league officials expect games to last a little over two hours in contrast to a college game that sometimes lasts four hours.
- New pro football league to debut early next year
The AAF also hopes to attract fans by pricing ticket prices at reasonable rates, limiting commercials during broadcasts and providing several chances for players to interact with fans.
“I think any time you’re able to get guys that are first-time guys or second-chance guys, you got a chance to have guys that are excited and (interact with) the audience,” Childress said. “Let’s face it, they’re trying to take the next step they have to be noticed on the film they put up. Their film is their resume, so I would expect to have an energetic, high-tempo group of guys.”
Childress, who most recently served as an offensive analyst for the Chicago Bears, has 40 years of coaching experience in college and professional football, including stints as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.
The AAF will kick off its inaugural season in February 2019 when the Legends, who will play at Georgia State Stadium, will be joined by teams located in Orlando, Memphis, Salt Lake City, Tempe, Ariz., San Diego, Birmingham and San Antonio. Names of other AAF franchises have not been formally announced.
About the Author
