There’s a lot of talk about how the XFL should proceed now that the sale is being finalized. Much of which still carries speculation of teams being relocated to different cities. Cities that used to be homes of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) have been in these discussions.
So, the question we’re asking is, should the XFL put exiting teams in those cities, or should they “merge” with the AAF.
Ownership of what is left of the now-defunct league (AAF) is a bit murky. The MLFB bought all of the football-related equipment, but the intellectual property doesn’t seem to actually have an owner.
When the AAF folded, they didn’t file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy like Alpha did, they filed what’s called Chapter 7. The difference is that Chapter 11 is used for restructuring debt, or selling the business-assets and debt-as a whole.
In Chapter 7, the business is sold in pieces. And bidders buy up whatever it is being sold, similar to any other auction out there.
So, what does this mean? Well, for starters, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), all of the trademarks for team names and logos from the AAF were abandoned in late 2019, and listed as “DEAD”.
Each division had its own filers, and separate lawyers listed for those filings. The West Division had Sharon R Smith representing Revolutionary Adventures, LLC, and the East Division had Rochelle Alpert representing the Historical Technologies, LLC.
All TMs for the names and logos from the AAF seem like they’re open for business. That process, however, isn’t an easy one. According to the man known by some as the Trademark Hog for his ownership of several options for the NFL’s Washington Football Team to use as new branding has told us, it can take up to 7 months for an application for a TM to process.
That’s if there is no objections filed. If there are, it could take longer.
All of this though, the process, and potential legal fees that would be involved, the fans have shown they would love to see the AAF names back in lights.
A “merger” would reignite many who didn’t make the jump to the XFL after the Alliance folded. Cities like Birmingham, San Antonio, Orlando, and San Diego have all have been in water-cooler discussions about hosting a team.
For me, I would love to see the Iron resurrected. I think having XFL teams in those AAF locations, with those AAF names and uniforms would be a monster move for the XFL.
One that could increase fans enough to make the cost worth it. But it’s gonna take time.
Let’s get 2021 kicked off first. And get back to the game we love.
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Joe
August 16, 2020 at 8:52 pm
first off, the AAF was an absolute joke. As for the XFL, with the
exception of St. Louis, they went for the larger markets to gain the
most exposure which makes sense. I know that greater Los Angeles is
much larger than the San Diego area but the hell with it…move the Wildcats
to San Diego. The Chargers screwed ’em good and I would love to see a
team move from L.A. to San Diego for a change……not that L.A. would even
care.
noah larson
February 9, 2022 at 1:04 pm
well, aaf had potential, and merging with the xfl would add more teams, and a lot bigger of a league, so there would be a lot more of a chance for profit. Plus, those teams in xfl and aaf were in cities without the nfl. So if they could pull off a legit season and post season, and everything in the offseason, they have the potential to kinda be like a minor league for nfl, but unassociated, so I feel like it would be really big if they could keep teams out of nfl cities, and just keep going, look for different ways to profit, have tickets in lotteries and such, they could really keep it up. I loved watching both, because they were different from the nfl, but not worse, and frankly, more entertaining at parts. They need to pull of a full season without canceling.
Claudio
August 16, 2020 at 9:05 pm
Also put teams in Portland, OR and Hartford, CT
John D. Smith
August 16, 2020 at 10:30 pm
Josh, I’m not sure that can happen but it’s nice to dream! I loved the AAF and was just as disappointed when it folded like the XFL. There are plenty of fans in Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego and Birmingham that would love to see this come to fruition. Dany Garcia likes expansion. Let’s make this happen!!
FireChief.Mike
August 16, 2020 at 10:56 pm
I’d love to see the San Diego Fleet and Arizona Hotshots come back. I cut my teeth as a wildland firefighter for 5 years, and spent 18 with the Marines out of SD in the FMF. While I wasn’t in either market, (Go Steelers), the logos and franchises were easy to root for and I know a lot of firefighters who still rock the Hotshot gear.
Joe
August 17, 2020 at 6:23 pm
Whatever happens San Antonio needs to be involved. They we’re tops in attendance.
Willie
August 16, 2020 at 11:45 pm
I see some merit in your idea. We can say this about the AAF, it showed there were markets out there that could support a team in the sizes targeted (roughly 20k_25k). San Antonio and Birmingham really come to mind.
Really it comes down to mascots that already exist(ed) and the fans can identify with. Not a big deal. I say no merger but at the top of the expansion/relocation lists.
Sean Carey
August 17, 2020 at 12:01 am
Keep the XFL teams where they are and maybe bring in a couple AAf teams. If not for COVID the XFL would’ve been fine.
Jerome Q Jackson
August 17, 2020 at 8:22 am
San Antonio was leading in attendance when it went under. San Antonio is a football town. Jerry Jknes would block an NFL team going there . So why not XFL!
Wallace
August 17, 2020 at 1:00 am
Other than moving teams into former AAF markets:
LA to SD
TB to Orlando
The XFL should steer away from any AAF connection.
My suggestion, which carries zero weight, is that the XFL sell franchises to individual buyers.
Marquis Valentine
August 17, 2020 at 7:42 am
They should merge it would bring longer season and more faceoffs agaisnt other teams more division it would be great more uniforms to where and what not
Jason
August 17, 2020 at 10:04 am
Desperate, desperate fanboys.
No, the XFL wouldn’t have been “fine.” COVID only kept them from embarrassing TV ratings in March. They were losing scads of money and not generating anywhere near the revenue they needed.
But no matter what, the alt-football brigade will keep insisting it was totally on the right track, and the guys running this site will keep churning out dreck like this.
Josh Davis
August 17, 2020 at 10:49 am
Everyone knew the first season was not going to end int he black. But they were ahead of their own projections. Where the league was losing the most money would have been remedied in year-2, the TV agreement. Every dollar made by Alpha via ad money and TV revenue was to be paid to ESPN.
The concept was proven. Were they’re flaws, absolutely. But they were expected.
Alex
August 17, 2020 at 10:35 am
The XFL-3 should look at playing in the top 10 markets from the AAF and XFL-2,
San Antonio, Seattle and St Louis had outstanding attendance and all would be must-haves. Orlando and San Diego a step down but also great attendance for minor league football. I’d add Birmingham who’s attendance was great except for 1 game during a tornado or some other crazy weather issue.
Then it’s trickier, Houston, Dallas, DC, Tampa all had decent turn out, about 15-18 thousand, may not want Tampa and Orlando or 3 Texas teams, you could do it, but that may look odd. Maybe you swap Memphis for a Texas team.
I’d avoid LA, they don’t care about football.
NY and ATL similar issues. Understand they want those markets for TV reasons but turnouts were abysmal relative to their size. You can maybe make NY work if you moved the team from the meadowlands to somewhere in the city, but not a lot of stadium options. Or take a page from the Hitmen, embrace New Jersey, and play at Red Bull Arena.
Salt Lake and Arizona didn’t do well in the AAF at all despite Arizona having a fun team to watch.
Josh Davis
August 17, 2020 at 10:45 am
What many are missing, and is the reason that I put merge in quotes, is that an actual merger is impossible. The idea is that when an expansion comes, and it will, to go to these cities that had AAF teams, and use those brands as the team names and logos. To engage the fans that loved the team that was there previously. Even if it was just for a few months.
That’s why I mentioned the equipment was gone, and the TMs were abandoned. They’d have to be assumed by the new XFL owners.
MT Robinson
August 17, 2020 at 1:24 pm
San Diego FLEET! bring it- i left the stadium after the last FLEET game and i am WAITING… FUCK DEAN (tiny brain)SPANOS… San Diego is the best football town in america, given a reason to show up…
Byron Tatum
August 17, 2020 at 5:04 pm
XFL 3.0 would be wise to go to 10 teams:
Hartford for NY
Orlando for Tampa
DC
St Louis
Birmingham
Houston
San Antonio for Dallas
Seattle
San Diego/Sacramento for LA
Omaha
this would be (IMO) great mix of big markets and good football areas for 3-5 year plan . . .
TardisCaptain
August 17, 2020 at 5:18 pm
I think Salt Lake would have done better if the season had started in April instead of February. It was the northern most market in the AAF. If the XFL brings a team to Utah, I’d watch them.
Shannon
August 17, 2020 at 6:57 pm
What about throwing Cleveland into the mix. I know everyone makes fun of Cleveland but when you sell out every home game, despite a 20 year losing record, that says a lot.
Steven Lomelino
August 18, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Basically this is talking about expansion in places where it’s already been done, making expansion somewhat easier. The AAF was so short lived it’s hard to tell what markets to avoid. Sometimes it takes a while for a team to build its fan base. Expand with caution. I don’t want to see the XFL fail because they bit off more than they could chew.
I’m thrilled that St. Louis has a professional football team that I can get behind no matter who they play. The only time I cheered for the St. Louis Rams in person is when they played the Broncos. I showed up in my Raiders gear and everyone knew that it wasn’t so much that I wanted a Rams victory for the Rams as a Rams victory for the Raiders. And God knows the Raiders have needed all the help they can get.
Lastly, thanks for thinking about the fans in terms of what they expect. Fans are so much more than a source of income.
A true Raiders and St. Louis Battlehawks fan.
One last note Battlehawks. Don’t move! Raiders fans are weird and would love their Raiders if they moved every year. The St. Louis Cardinals and Rams lost most of their fans moving to Phoenix and LA. Stay in St. Louis and be the region’s team.
Steven Lomelino
Springfield, IL
gregory crawford
August 19, 2020 at 1:26 am
What ever the XFL management does, there needs to be a team in Birmingham. BHM is a up and coming city with a new 47k seat state of the art open air (no covid19 problem like domes) stadium . I can say, without reservation, that there is not a better football region in the USA than Alabama. At 2.3 million people in the NFL blackout zone (75 miles), BHM is well positioned for tv. If the 2021 XFL season is successful, then, they should expand to 12 teams. If they drop Tampa for Orlando, then the new teams should be BHM, Oakland, San Diego, and San Antonio. These cities will form the basis for a new stand alone league. FORGE ON .
Dude
September 5, 2020 at 4:29 pm
Birmingham and Legion don’t make sense. It’s too big, the attendance is random and usually disappointing for the area with 15,000 being a good crowd. I’d hold off putting a team there, the new UAB stadium that will open next year and be ready for spring 2022 and holds 45,000. Fans would rather go to the new stadium, so you might get 25,000 average instead. Birmingham just doesn’t excite me for such a hotbed of football, but I think they’re spoiled with Alabama and Auburn being so successful, so any “mediocre” football doesn’t appeal to people. I’d rather see a team in Mobile than another in Legion Field.