The Arena Football League season has ended. Not with the remaining teams folding. With a championship game. Played in a mall.
It’s fitting, we suppose, that a couple of relics from the ‘80s and ‘90s would find a way to come together. Regardless, it was jarring to see images of an arena football game being played in a place other than an arena.
At the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, the Billings Outlaws defeated the Albany Firebirds, 46-41, to claim the 33rd AFL championship.
The season ended with eight teams. It began with perhaps twice that amount. They started to disappear from the moment the season started. Eventually, former NFL coach Jeff Fisher became interim Commissioner and helped hold things together.
The bigger question is whether there will be another season. Fisher, in comments to the league’s website, suggested there will be.
“This game had all the hallmarks of a true championship showdown — hard-hitting action, fast-paced play, high scoring, and incredible passion,” Fisher said regarding the title game. “This is the level of competition we expect to see in the AFL every game as we move into next season.”
Perhaps the most encouraging development comes from the fact that the AFL found a TV partner for the final contest; the game was televised by CBS Sports Network. When the season began, a deal with NFL Network imploded. Then the league almost did. It’s kind of amazing that they made it to the finish line.
But not as amazing as the finish line happening a stone’s throw from a Finish Line.