AFA: American Football Association
- Thread starter Gass3268
- Start date
Good chapter titles.
As for Italy, Mussolini would do everything he could to get the 1934 World Cup into Italy's hands to help promote fascism. I would like it if the U.S. could give him a run for his money...
The changes to the international game is what I am looking forward to the most.
I'm not surprised at the presence of Jim Thorpe (the medals shouldn't have been stripped from him, IMO). At least he'll be one of the first inductees in the AFA Hall of Fame.
WWII is going to make the game more popular in other areas of the country and around the world.
Heck, this is probably the TL where the US becomes a soccer powerhouse...
In any TL, Papa Bear Halas is successful, it seems.
Is soccer popular in high schools across the country?
AFA Hall of Fame will be fun! It will be a battle between New York and St. Louis for who gets to hold the museum!
World War II won't be as important to the game as World War I, but it will still have an impact. Yes the US will become a soccer powerhouse, still thinking how many titles I want them to have won.
In this timeline, the world's best players will be playing for AFA teams. Can you imagine in ATL 2014 Lionel Messi playing for one AFA team versus Neymar playing for another AFA team? I can also see that every two years (one year before a World Cup and one year after this tournament), we have a 16-team international club tournament to determine the world's best club team, with the trophy named after Pelé, perhaps the greatest soccer player the world has ever seen with multiple championships, early in the pro career with Santos in Brazil and in his prime playing for New York FC?
By the way, in this ATL, a fast-growing sport with AFA sanction is futsal, which is essentially an indoor version of soccer.
By the way, in this ATL, a fast-growing sport with AFA sanction is futsal, which is essentially an indoor version of soccer.
Given that soccer players average around 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches tall, I could see someone like Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III become top-flight strikers. Alas, the likes of the Manning brothers, Tom Brady and Tim Tebow will be playing mostly goalkeeper, though.
One of the defining characteristics of American players is that they are slightly taller and larger than the average player from Europe and South America. Its not uncommon for the American National Team to average around 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Why assume they would play football? The Mannings are from Tennessee, Tebow has roots in Florida (though he lived in the Philippines for a time). If they didn't pursue careers in football, rugby...or gridiron...might be their most likely sporting destination.
This is a good point, I really need to map out what sports are important to folks depending on region, class, race. I mean its possible that OTL baseball and basketball players could be playing football. Also Manning's or Tebow could have ended up playing baseball or another sport.
I already know of one basketball star, who has stated that football (soccer) is his favorite sport, will be playing football star in TTL. First person to guess who I am talking about gets to pick the team he plays for!
This is awesome! Really looking forward to see where you take it.
The interesting part is that the US has the size to organize its leagues in such a way that it will likely become a AF powerhouse. It already has the history of organizing multiple leagues per sport, something that is happening here in TTL. So like Brazil in OTL, this US will likely organize multiple regional leagues that then compete against each other in a national cup. Spreading the development of talent across the whole board. Under the right circumstances it'll be easy to see TTL's US being a frequent World Cup finalist, and its regional leagues being some of the most developed in terms of play quality.
Those uniforms by Rubberduck3y6 are freaking awesome. I'm all ready rooting for the Baltimore Lords just cause the cool name and awesome shirts. Can't wait to see how the western teams develop.
Keep it going!
The interesting part is that the US has the size to organize its leagues in such a way that it will likely become a AF powerhouse. It already has the history of organizing multiple leagues per sport, something that is happening here in TTL. So like Brazil in OTL, this US will likely organize multiple regional leagues that then compete against each other in a national cup. Spreading the development of talent across the whole board. Under the right circumstances it'll be easy to see TTL's US being a frequent World Cup finalist, and its regional leagues being some of the most developed in terms of play quality.
Those uniforms by Rubberduck3y6 are freaking awesome. I'm all ready rooting for the Baltimore Lords just cause the cool name and awesome shirts. Can't wait to see how the western teams develop.
Keep it going!
I'm personally interested in how soccer will develop for the West Coast. I can't imagine that cities like LA, San Fran, Seattle, Portland, or San Diego will be left out of the growth of the game. We may see a set up similar to that of the Pacific Coast League in baseball which was nearly the 3rd major league in the 30's and 40's
Awesome jerseys! Agree with jycee that the Lords are the classiest, though I'm biased.
Also, if DC ever gets a second club or a name change, I've always thought it would be cool to name a local team after our favorite son, Duke Ellington. The Washington Dukes (also sets up a nice, weird, aristocratic rivalry with Baltimore.) Obviously wouldn't be able to happen until the '80s or '90s at the earliest.
To what extent will the US spread football to Japan and Korea? I suppose one has to look at the factors that made baseball take root there and not gridiron (I'm guessing it's mostly physical.) But what about football? More popular in those countries or the same?
Also, if DC ever gets a second club or a name change, I've always thought it would be cool to name a local team after our favorite son, Duke Ellington. The Washington Dukes (also sets up a nice, weird, aristocratic rivalry with Baltimore.) Obviously wouldn't be able to happen until the '80s or '90s at the earliest.
To what extent will the US spread football to Japan and Korea? I suppose one has to look at the factors that made baseball take root there and not gridiron (I'm guessing it's mostly physical.) But what about football? More popular in those countries or the same?
Steve Nash.
Now what are the teams ITTL, in 2014?
That's a good guess, but that's now who I'm thinking of. I don't even know what the teams are in 2014, so I can't answer that question yet.
I kinda allude to what is going to happen in my future chapter titles (Chapter 9)
Also, yes the US will be a power on the international stage with multiple World Cup Titles. Something like this will happen both out West and down South with their big teams being absorbed into the major leagues.
Awesome jerseys! Agree with jycee that the Lords are the classiest, though I'm biased.
Also, if DC ever gets a second club or a name change, I've always thought it would be cool to name a local team after our favorite son, Duke Ellington. The Washington Dukes (also sets up a nice, weird, aristocratic rivalry with Baltimore.) Obviously wouldn't be able to happen until the '80s or '90s at the earliest.
To what extent will the US spread football to Japan and Korea? I suppose one has to look at the factors that made baseball take root there and not gridiron (I'm guessing it's mostly physical.) But what about football? More popular in those countries or the same?
Baseball will still be king in Japan and Korea, but football will be more competitive in terms of popularity due to the American example.
Hopefully I can produce an update over the weekend. To hold things over, here are some more logos and kits!
FC Rochester
Kearny Scots
Long Island City FC (Queens, NY)
Newark Ironsiders
Paterson True Blue Rangers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Philadelphia City
Richmond 1898 (Staten Island, NY)
Again, big thanks to Rubberduck3y6!
FC Rochester
Kearny Scots
Long Island City FC (Queens, NY)
Newark Ironsiders
Paterson True Blue Rangers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Philadelphia City
Richmond 1898 (Staten Island, NY)
Again, big thanks to Rubberduck3y6!
This is a good point, I really need to map out what sports are important to folks depending on region, class, race. I mean its possible that OTL baseball and basketball players could be playing football. Also Manning's or Tebow could have ended up playing baseball or another sport.
I already know of one basketball star, who has stated that football (soccer) is his favorite sport, will be playing football star in TTL. First person to guess who I am talking about gets to pick the team he plays for!
Tim Duncan? He often credits his footwork to starting off with soccer, he didn't convert to b-ball until high school.
You've stated you're going to keep this sports-focused, which is cool and understandable. But it's still fun to speculate on some side issues. For example, I wonder if football's popularity might make for an easier time for immigrants in terms of assimilating. Certainly around the edges, in a million daily interpersonal interactions.
Though I also wonder if the more localized nature of football clubs in Europe (and at least it seems in the early days of the American sport ITTL) might not lead to quite a few "Old Firm" situations. The uneven housing policy of the US means that for much of the 20th century you could have teams with largely Italian-American fans or Irish-American, Polish-American, African-American, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Jewish (etc.) fan bases that mirror the social conflicts faced by these groups. LA, for example, might have a team white fans like and a team Latinos like, leading to expansive social consequences off the pitch.
Not that you should feel any pressure to, but you could have the tribulations of the 1960s play out in soccer riots.
Though I also wonder if the more localized nature of football clubs in Europe (and at least it seems in the early days of the American sport ITTL) might not lead to quite a few "Old Firm" situations. The uneven housing policy of the US means that for much of the 20th century you could have teams with largely Italian-American fans or Irish-American, Polish-American, African-American, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Jewish (etc.) fan bases that mirror the social conflicts faced by these groups. LA, for example, might have a team white fans like and a team Latinos like, leading to expansive social consequences off the pitch.
Not that you should feel any pressure to, but you could have the tribulations of the 1960s play out in soccer riots.