[AH Fiction] The Game of Driveball

When the World Football League started in 1974, the New York team's only option was Dowling Stadium. It was out of the way and difficult to get to and it contributed to the team moving mid-season south to Charlotte.
I'm guessing that will happen here too?
 
Two more rebel league teams have been revealed:

Tampa Bay Tortugas
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Memphis Hound Dogs:
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And thus that completes the Rebel League's Eastern Division.

EAST
Birmingham Magicians
Memphis Hound Dogs
New York Emperors
Tampa Bay Tortugas

WEST
Anaheim 55ers
Portland
San Antonio

The last slot in the west is still open. Now it's down to:
- Phoenix
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake​
 
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Two more rebel league teams have been revealed:

Tampa Bay Tortugas
sObHQW4.png


Memphis Hound Dogs:
Dxgm0M0.png


And thus that completes the Rebel League's Eastern Division.

EAST
Birmingham Magicians
Memphis Hound Dogs
New York Emperors
Tampa Bay Tortugas

WEST
Anaheim 55ers
Portland
San Antonio

The last slot in the west is still open. Now it's down to:
- Phoenix
- Sacramento
- San Antonio​
You mention San Antonio twice.

I like the Tampa Bay team jerseys. So 70's with it.

Actually, can you make either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City a team selection as well? I can't remember if Portland already have a Driveball team anyways?

Edit: Didn't see Portland for some reason. D'oh.
 
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You mention San Antonio twice.

I like the Tampa Bay team jerseys. So 70's with it.

Actually, can you make either Portland or Salt Lake City a team selection as well? I can't remember if Portland already have a Driveball team anyways?

Fixed.

Portland is guaranteed a team in the Rebel League.
 
Final rebel league team names revealed.

East
Birmingham Magicians
Memphis Hound Dogs
New York Emperors
Tampa Bay Tortugas

West
Anaheim 55ers
Phoenix Gila Monsters
Portland Chinooks
San Antonio Armadillos

Now I just need a name for the league itself.​
 
Final rebel league team names revealed.

East
Birmingham Magicians
Memphis Hound Dogs
New York Emperors
Tampa Bay Tortugas

West
Anaheim 55ers
Phoenix Gila Monsters
Portland Chinooks
San Antonio Armadillos

Now I just need a name for the league itself.​

Possible League Title: The World Driveball League
 
Possible League Title: The World Driveball League

Thanks for the suggestion, but it'll instead be called the International Driveball Alliance (IDA).

Here's the field design that'll be used by the IDA:
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The squares serve the same purpose as face-off circles and spots in ice hockey. Instead of line-outs and scrums, an Aussie style bounce-off will restart play if the ball goes out of bounds, after a penalty, or after a time out is called.

The new outer arc around the penalty arc is the Field Goal Arc.
- Over (over the crossbar): 3 Points
- Goal (under the crossbar and into the net): 6 points
- Behind (borrowed from Aussie rules): 1 point
- Field goal: 4 or 5 points​
 
1970 UDA Standings
The biggest story for the UDA this year has been the arrival of the Baltimore Barons.

The erstwhile Detroit Roadsters made their Baltimore debut on March 14, 1970. In front of a sold out Memorial Stadium, the Barons defeated the Washington Commanders in a 45 to 23 rout. Much to the chagrin of the fans they left behind in Detroit, the Barons would ultimately clinch a Wild Card spot in their first year in Baltimore.

While there was excitement in Baltimore, the same could not be said in Buffalo. After winning the Frosty Mug last year, the Lakers unwisely chose not to extend the contracts of the players that helped them get to the top.

Point differentials and key Houston losses helped the Pittsburgh Knights grab the lowest seed wild card in the Continental Conference. 1970 was also the Knights' final season at Forbes Field. They will share Three Rivers Stadium with the Pirates and Steelers, beginning in 1971.

1970 Regular Season Standings

National East
Miami Flamingos 12-2
Atlanta Aviators 10-4

New York Heroes 4-10
Philadelphia Brawlers 3-11
Buffalo Lakers 2-12

National Central
Cleveland Mad Hatters 8-6
Chicago Gaels 7-7

Cincinnati Gladiators 5-9
Milwaukee Voyagers 3-11

National West
Seattle Emeralds 10-4
St Louis Showboats 8-6

Oakland Squirrels 6-8
San Diego Admirals 5-9

Continental East
Washington Commanders 11-3
Pittsburgh Knights 9-5

New Jersey Rogues 6-6
Boston Unicorns 2-12

Continental Central
Minnesota Shockers 12-2
Baltimore Barons 10-4

New Orleans Revelers 6-8
Kansas City Rustlers 6-8

Continental West
Los Angeles Jaguars 10-4
San Francisco Dragons 9-5

Houston Marshals 8-6
Dallas Metros 6-8
Denver Majestics 3-11​
 
1970 UDA Playoffs
Wild Card Round

National
Atlanta 30 - St Louis 18 at Busch Memorial Stadium
Cleveland 27 - Chicago 9 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Continental
San Francisco 42 - Baltimore 36 at Memorial Stadium
Los Angeles 33 - Pittsburgh 27 at LA Memorial Coliseum

Semifinals

National
Atlanta 36 - Miami 27 at the Orange Bowl
Seattle 12 - Cleveland 6 at Husky Stadium

Continental
Minnesota 21 - San Francisco 18 at Metropolitan Stadium
Washington 18 - Los Angeles 15 at RFK Stadium

Conference Finals

Atlanta 24 - Seattle 15 at Husky Stadium
Washington 39 - Minnesota 29 at RFK Stadium

Twenty Third Frosty Mug at the Astrodome

July 12, 1970

TV: NBC
Announcers: Curt Gowdy and Bernie Berman

Washington 56 - Atlanta 48
MVP: Wayne Gunther (Forward; Commanders)

UDA All Star Game at the Astrodome
National 42
Continental 33
 
1970 CDL Results
Eastern Division
* Toronto Titans 10-4
* Ottawa Lumberjacks 8-6
Montreal Trappers 4-10
Les Castors de Montreal 4-10
Hamilton Maulers 3-11

Western Division
* Winnipeg Aces 13-1
* Vancouver Ravens 11-3
* Saskatchewan Stags 8-4
Edmonton Barons 5-9
Calgary Bighorns 4-10

* denotes playoff team.

Tiebreaker at Lansdowne Park
Ottawa was awarded home field advantage due to point differentials.

Saskatchewan Stage 27
Ottawa Lumberjacks 39

East Semifinal at CNE Stadium

Ottawa Lumberjacks 42
Toronto Titans 36

West Semifinal at Winnipeg Stadium

Vancouver Ravens 15
Winnipeg Aces 21

Dominion Cup at Ivor Wynne Stadium

Ottawa Lumberjacks 45
Winnipeg Aces 39

MVP: Jacques LaFontaine (Center; Lumberjacks)
 
So is there any relation between the Canadian League and the UDA? As in do they ever play each other?
Nope. Think it as CFL and NFL when it comes to Driveball. Would be cool to see a exhibition game between two team from each league.

Maybe have a return match for the Toronto Titans to US Driveball in the exhibition games?
 
Monday Night Football kicks off!

In the fall of 1970, the American Broadcasting Company debuted a weeknight experiment that would eventually grow to become a staple of American pop culture.

This daring new venture in sports television made its' debut in our nation's capital.

Art Modell (Owner of the Washington Potomacs):
"Nobody else wanted it. Nobody wanted to play it, fearing it would die at the gate. I said 'Lemme take a chance in Washington, just gimme the Giants.'

Largest crowd in Potomacs history. That started our sellout streak. Sonny Jurgensen put on a spectacular show that night."

hall-of-fame-quarterback-sonny-jurgensen-of-the-washington-redskins-picture-id104119299
 
1970-71 Offseason
September 23, 1970

The UDA holds its Board of Governors meetings in Indianapolis, Indiana. On the agenda this year is a plan for where the next six Frosty Mugs will be held.

The 24th Frosty Mug, which will be played in July of 1971, will be held in Boston at the new domed stadium that currently houses the Unicorns and NFL Patriots.

The 25th Frosty Mug will be held in Cleveland, Ohio for July 1972.

The 26th Frosty Mug is slated for Riverfront Stadium, the new home of the Cincinnati Gladiators. The game is slated for July 1973.

The 27th Frosty Mug is slated for Three Rivers Stadium, the new home of the Pittsburgh Knights. The game is slated for July 1974.

The 28th Frosty Mug is scheduled for July 1975 at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

The 29th Frosty Mug will be held in Philadelphia as part of year long Bicentennial celebrations in July 1976.
 
1970-71 Offseason Part 2
For the 1971 UDA season, NBC and CBS began to streamline their respective announcer pairings.

CBS (Continental Conference)
Ray Scott and Corky Liebowitz
Frank Glieber and Cap Maynard
Don Criqui and Alex Montague
Dick Stockton and Nick Harris
Lindsey Nelson and Chet O'Donnell
Tom Brookshier and Willard Huffman
Pat Summerall and Rudolph Lowe
Jack Whitaker and Everett Cooley

NBC (National Conference)
Curt Gowdy and George Bianchi
Charlie Jones and Jerry Rosenbach
Jim Simpson and Muggsy Russo
Ross Porter and Bob Odom
Bill O'Donnell and Milt Lange
Merle Harmon (previously the radio voice for the Rustlers and later the Voyagers ITTL) and Gene Hood
Jay Randolph and Cliff Potter

For the inaugural season of the Independent Driveball Alliance, ABC Sports boss Roone Arledge rolled out the following assignments at a meeting with network brass:

- Howard Cosell, Art Tempest and Bernie Berman
- Keith Jackson and Jimmy Pendleton
- Chris Schenkel and Dwight Taylor
- Frank Gifford and Carl Tanner
 
1971 UDA Standings
1971 UDA Standings

The 1971 season was the first for a few teams in new stadiums.

In Philadelphia, the 1971 season was the Brawlers' first at Veterans Stadium. Even though the facility is brand new, there are already issues with the stadium's Astroturf surface. This caused the Brawlers' scheduled home opener against the Buffalo Lakers to be rescheduled to the end of the regular season, delaying the playoffs by one week.

In Pittsburgh, it was the Knights first season at Three Rivers Stadium, which the team will share with the MLB Pirates and NFL Steelers. The Knights previously played at Forbes Field from 1954 to 1970.

In Cincinnati, it was the first season for the Gladiators at Riverfront Stadium after splitting time between Crosley Field and Nippert Stadium since 1968.

In San Francisco, 1972 will be the Dragons' first full season at Candlestick Park after about seven years of splitting time with Kezar Stadium. Dragons founder Buzz Fitzsimmons purchased the old Seals Stadium, saving it from the wrecking ball. The former baseball park is where the Dragons currently hold training camp, weekly practices, and serves as the club's corporate headquarters. The Dragons share Candlestick with the MLB Seals and NFL 49ers.

The Chicago Gaels temporarily moved to Comiskey Park for the first seven weeks of the season. This was to allow time for Chicago's Parks Department to install AstroTurf at Soldier Field. Starting in 1972, the Gaels will now share Soldier Field with the NFL Bears, who are moving out of Wrigley Field after roughly five decades.

National Conference
EAST
Miami Flamingos 11-3
Buffalo Lakers 10-4

Atlanta Aviators 6-8
Philadelphia Brawlers 6-8
New York Heroes 1-13

CENTRAL
Cincinnati Gladiators 9-5
Cleveland Mad Hatters 7-7

Chicago Gaels 4-10
Milwaukee Voyagers 4-10

WEST
Oakland Squirrels 11-3
St Louis Showboats 9-5

San Diego Admirals 6-8
Seattle Emeralds 6-10

Continental Conference
EAST
New Jersey Rogues 9-5
Pittsburgh Knights 9-5

Washington Commanders 7-7
Boston Unicorns 4-10

CENTRAL
Baltimore Barons 11-3
Minnesota Shockers 8-6

New Orleans Revelers 6-8
Kansas City Rustlers 4-10

WEST
San Francisco Dragons 11-3
Denver Majestics 10-4

Dallas Metros 6-8
Los Angeles Jaguars 5-9
Houston Marshals 4-10

Playoff teams in BOLD.
 
Bordered in red below is the land purchased by San Francisco Dragons owner Buzz Fitzsimmons.
The Seals Stadium site and surrounding buildings serve as both the Dragons' corporate headquarters and practice facility.
IOTL, the site is currently a strip mall with a Safeway grocery store.

CxV5CYk.jpg
 
1971 UDA Playoffs
1971 UDA Playoffs

WILD CARD ROUND
July 10-11, 1971
NATIONAL
At War Memorial Stadium
Buffalo Lakers
over St Louis Showboats
63-53

At Riverfront Stadium
Cincinnati Gladiators
over Cleveland Mad Hatters
53-50

CONTINENTAL
At Mile High Stadium
Denver Majestics
over Pittsburgh Knights
57-35

At Rutgers Stadium
New Jersey Rogues
over Minnesota Shockers
116-37

SEMIFINAL ROUND
July 17-18, 1971
NATIONAL
At the Orange Bowl
Buffalo Lakers
over Miami Flamingos
80-36

At the Oakland Coliseum
Oakland Squirrels
over Cincinnati Gladiators
50-29

CONTINENTAL
At Candlestick Park
Denver Majestics
over San Francisco Dragons
55-52

At Memorial Stadium
New Jersey Rogues
over Baltimore Barons
47-40

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 24-25, 1971
NATIONAL FINAL
At the Oakland Coliseum
Buffalo Lakers
over Oakland Squirrels
48-40

CONTINENTAL FINAL
At Rutgers Stadium
Denver Majestics
over New Jersey Rogues
45-44

24TH FROSTY MUG
August 1, 1971
At the South Boston Dome
TV:
CBS
Announcers: Ray Scott and Corky Liebowitz

Buffalo Lakers over Denver Majestics
55-41

MVP: Dexter Rooney (Forward; Lakers)

With their victory over Denver, the Lakers win their second Frosty Mug in three years.

ALL STAR GAME
August 8, 1971
At the South Boston Dome
Continental
over National
100-64
 
1971 IDA Season
1971 IDA Season

The Independent Driveball Alliance made its debut roughly one month after the start of the UDA season. ABC carried most of the marquee IDA matchups in prime time, at a time when the UDA played the majority of its contests on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

In an attempt to give the IDA a little bit of legitimacy, ABC assigned the upstart league to be part of the network's long running sports anthology series:
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EASTERN DIVISION
Birmingham Magicians 10-4

Memphis Hound Dogs 8-6
New York Emperors 6-8
Tampa Bay Tortugas 4-10

WESTERN DIVISION
Phoenix Gila Monsters 10-4

Anaheim 55ers 7-7
Portland Chinooks 6-8
San Antonio Armadillos 5-9

1971 IDA Grand Final
Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, California
August 15, 1971
TV:
ABC
Announcers: Howard Cosell, Bernie Berman and Art Tempest

The story of the IDA season had been the attempt by two of its franchises to land Driveball's biggest star at that time period. The Anaheim 55ers and New York Emperors both wanted the services of Australian born attacker Tony Malcolm. The problem was that Malcolm, 27, still had three years left of an extension he barely signed last season with the Cleveland Mad Hatters. Fearing the loss of their current marquee star, the Mad Hatters took the IDA to court, filing suit in Columbus with the Supreme Court of Ohio. A judge ruled in the Mad Hatters favor, leaving the Fivers and Emps to leave Ohio empty handed.

On the field, the fight to keep Malcolm under contract was a clear distraction for his Mad Hatter teammates. After starting 1971 at 4-0, the Hatters would drop seven straight and win only three more games. The Hatters slipped to second place while their cross state rival Cincinnati Gladiators grabbed the National Central crown. For the Emps and 55ers, the broken promises of trying to lure Malcolm to their side took the wind out of both team's sails.

The Phoenix Gila Monsters fought through adversity all season. The club was expected by many to finish dead last in their division. Others predicted the Gilas would run out of money before season's end. The hot weather forced the Gilas to play their home games exclusively in prime time. The only facility available to them was Sun Devil Stadium on the Arizona State Campus. Still, the Gilas used the heat to their advantage in a season that would see them win the West and qualify for the Grand Final.

The Birmingham Magicians thought they had stable ownership under the control of Birmingham native Marvin L. Warner. Born in Alabama, Warner had actually made much of his fortune in Ohio. He, along with George Steinbrenner, the Gund Brothers, Nick Mileti and Vernon Stouffer, was among many Ohio businessmen that attempted to purchase the Mad Hatters from the Scarfiotti family. When that didn't come to pass, he was briefly involved with the Cincinnati Gladiators until selling his minority stake to Taft Broadcasting last year.

The Magicians and Gila Monsters met in Anaheim for the first IDA Grand Final. It would turn out to be a sloppy, defensive struggle that was not decided until after the siren. When the horns blared, Phoenix forward Declan O'Shaugnessy, former Gaelic footballer of GAA side Limerick, kicked the over that won the premiership for the Gilas.

Final Score:
Phoenix Gila Monsters 18
Birmingham Magicians 15

MVP:
Declan O'Shaugnessy
(Forward; Gila Monsters)​
 
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