[AH Fiction] The Game of Driveball
- Thread starter OldNavy1988
- Start date
I’m sure they’d try to squeeze in some acorn/oak puns in too, since they’re in Oakland. (Sidenote: that‘s why I think Squirrels is such a good name for the team, since squirrels like to collect acorns and Oakland is named after the oak trees that were in the area when the city was founded.)
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And lets not forget that at the moment, the Squirrels are facing tougher competition with the Raiders for eyeballs in Oakland.
ITTL, here's how the Raiders' field is laid out.
The Squirrels' field is laid out similar to what the Invaders would have later if the USFL comes to fruition:
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1976-77 Ownership changes
The Oakland Squirrels are sold to Sacramento-based lumber executive Fred Anderson.
The Boston Unicorns are sold to Howard Baldwin, majority owner of the WHA New England Whalers.
In the months since Marshals' founder Cotton Leavelle received a lifetime ban from the UDA, the franchise was unable to find a Houston buyer. At the moment, the team is entertaining two competing bids. One bid is being made by San Antonio-based car dealer Red McCombs, who owns the ABA Spurs. The second bid is from Canadian businessman Nelson Skalbania.
As of February 14, 1977, only the Pittsburgh Knights have yet to find a new owner.
The Boston Unicorns are sold to Howard Baldwin, majority owner of the WHA New England Whalers.
In the months since Marshals' founder Cotton Leavelle received a lifetime ban from the UDA, the franchise was unable to find a Houston buyer. At the moment, the team is entertaining two competing bids. One bid is being made by San Antonio-based car dealer Red McCombs, who owns the ABA Spurs. The second bid is from Canadian businessman Nelson Skalbania.
As of February 14, 1977, only the Pittsburgh Knights have yet to find a new owner.
It is likely that Baldwin will have someone else run the actual Unicorn front office while the Whalers remain Baldwin's focus at the moment.
In OTL, Fred Anderson if you recall, owned the Sacramento Surge of the WLAF and the Gold Miners of the CFL.
Celebs who played Driveball as of 1977
Chuck Connors (actor)
- Played 3 games for the Cleveland Mad Hatters in 1950.
Ron Miller (film executive)
- Played two and a half years with the Jaguars between 1954 and 1956. The same Ron Miller who happens to be the son in law of Walt Disney.
Dave DeBusschere (basketball legend)
- Played 1962 season for the former Detroit Roadsters.
Robert Kraft (future sports executive)
- Signed with the Unicorns as an undrafted free agent in 1964 and spent five seasons with the club as a backup midfielder.
Phil Robertson (future Duck Dynasty star)
- After backing up Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech, Robertson spent two years as a halfback for the Revelers before injuring his knee in 1975.
Dave Winfield (MLB player)
- Played four games for the Shockers before deciding to concentrate solely on baseball during his rookie season.
Bobby Douglass (football player)
- Played for the Chicago Gaels in the summertime while under contract with the NFL Bears.
- Played 3 games for the Cleveland Mad Hatters in 1950.
Ron Miller (film executive)
- Played two and a half years with the Jaguars between 1954 and 1956. The same Ron Miller who happens to be the son in law of Walt Disney.
Dave DeBusschere (basketball legend)
- Played 1962 season for the former Detroit Roadsters.
Robert Kraft (future sports executive)
- Signed with the Unicorns as an undrafted free agent in 1964 and spent five seasons with the club as a backup midfielder.
Phil Robertson (future Duck Dynasty star)
- After backing up Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech, Robertson spent two years as a halfback for the Revelers before injuring his knee in 1975.
Dave Winfield (MLB player)
- Played four games for the Shockers before deciding to concentrate solely on baseball during his rookie season.
Bobby Douglass (football player)
- Played for the Chicago Gaels in the summertime while under contract with the NFL Bears.
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The new Mad Hatters crest (above).
1977 marks the 30th season for the Cleveland Mad Hatters and the other six charter franchises that still remain from the UDA's predecessor, the National Driveball Alliance. As the sport's marquee franchise, the Hatters have won five Frosty Mugs, the most of any club.
Mad Hatters owner and founder Bruno Scarfiotti (b. 1919) was an heir to his father's lucrative menswear empire prior to being drafted to serve his country during the second World War. During his years in the service, he would fight alongside future UDA Commissioner Cubby Dempsey during World War II, serving mostly in the Pacific Theater. After the war, Dempsey and Arch Ward, then the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune spent the immediate months of the postwar period concocting the rules of what would eventually become Driveball. Finally, on October 6, 1947, Scarfiotti, then 28, would pay Dempsey and eventual NDA commissioner Tobias Irwin as little as $5,000 (USD) to bring the newborn sport to Northeastern Ohio. After being accepted into the NDA, Scarfiotti vowed to build a fanbase for Driveball. At the time, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer claimed Scarfiotti was "mad as a hatter," hence the team's nickname. In the Plain-Dealer's defense, most sportswriters of the era were skeptical of Driveball's viability, claiming it would only last two years at the most before fading away.
In the future, I can see TTL's Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock) playing Driveball--IOTL, he was a football player at the University of Miami before he was a pro wrestler (1) (he came from a wrestling family, BTW)...
Another player of Driveball in this timeline could be Rick Scherr (IOTL, he's considered one of the greatest softball players of all time and he's the father of pro wrestler Braun Strowman (here's Braun's Wikipedia page for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braun_Strowman))...
(1) IOTL, many pro wrestlers were athletes in other sports--The Rock played college football, Bill Goldberg (who I can also see playing Driveball ITTL), was a pro football player, Kurt Angle was an Olympic wrestler, Bad News Brown (aka Allen) was a bronze medal judo Olympian, etc.)...
Another player of Driveball in this timeline could be Rick Scherr (IOTL, he's considered one of the greatest softball players of all time and he's the father of pro wrestler Braun Strowman (here's Braun's Wikipedia page for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braun_Strowman))...
(1) IOTL, many pro wrestlers were athletes in other sports--The Rock played college football, Bill Goldberg (who I can also see playing Driveball ITTL), was a pro football player, Kurt Angle was an Olympic wrestler, Bad News Brown (aka Allen) was a bronze medal judo Olympian, etc.)...
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I dunno if you guys remember Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, but they might pop up in Driveball once I get to the 90s. Also a possibility would be Brian Jordan (MLB/NFL) or Charlie Ward (College Football/NBA).
Professional Sports as of 1976-77
Professional Sports as of 1976-77
United Driveball Alliance
National Conference
East: Atlanta Aviators, Buffalo Lakers, Miami Flamingos, New York Heroes, Philadelphia Brawlers
Central: Chicago Gaels, Cincinnati Gladiators, Cleveland Mad Hatters, Milwaukee Voyagers, St Louis Showboats
West: Oakland Squirrels, Portland Chinooks, San Diego Admirals, Seattle Emeralds
Continental Conference
East: Baltimore Barons, Boston Unicorns, Pittsburgh Knights, Washington Commanders
Central: Detroit Thunderbirds, Indianapolis Drivers, Kansas City Rustlers, Minnesota Shockers, New Orleans Revelers
West: Dallas Metros, Denver Majestics, Houston Marshals (1), Los Angeles Jaguars, San Francisco Dragons
(1) New Marshals owner Red McCombs has notified the UDA league office of a possible name change for 1979.
Major League Baseball
American League
East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians), Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays
West: Chicago White Sox, Denver Zephyrs, Los Angles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Oaks, Seattle Rainiers, Texas Rangers
National League
East: Atlanta Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St Louis Cardinals, Washington Grays
West: Houston Astros, Kansas City Monarchs, Los Angeles Lancers (formerly Hollywood Stars), Minnesota Twins, Portland Beavers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Seals
Expansion
Montreal Expos
Vancouver Mounties
National Football League
AFC
East: Baltimore Colts, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets
Central: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers
West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers
NFC
East: Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Potomacs
Central: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
West: Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, St Louis Cardinals
Expansion
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
National Basketball Association
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
Boston Celtics
Buffalo Braves
New York Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Federals
Central
Atlanta Hawks
Cincinnati Royals
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Kentucky Colonels
Midwest
Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Lakers
New Orleans Jazz
San Antonio Spurs
Pacific
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Stars
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle Supersonics
National Hockey League
Clarence Campbell Conference
Smythe Division
Colorado Rockies
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets
Norris Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota North Stars
St Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
Atlanta Flames
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
New England Whalers
Patrick Division
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
North American Soccer League
East
Chicago Sting
New York Cosmos
Rochester Lancers
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Toronto Blizzard
Washington Diplomats
West
Los Angeles Aztecs
Portland Timbers
San Diego Sockers
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders
Vancouver Whitecaps
Canadian Football League
East
Hamilton Tiger Cats
Montreal Alouettes
Ottawa Rough Riders
Toronto Argonauts
West
British Columbia Lions
Calgary Stampeders
Edmonton Eskimos
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
United Driveball Alliance
National Conference
East: Atlanta Aviators, Buffalo Lakers, Miami Flamingos, New York Heroes, Philadelphia Brawlers
Central: Chicago Gaels, Cincinnati Gladiators, Cleveland Mad Hatters, Milwaukee Voyagers, St Louis Showboats
West: Oakland Squirrels, Portland Chinooks, San Diego Admirals, Seattle Emeralds
Continental Conference
East: Baltimore Barons, Boston Unicorns, Pittsburgh Knights, Washington Commanders
Central: Detroit Thunderbirds, Indianapolis Drivers, Kansas City Rustlers, Minnesota Shockers, New Orleans Revelers
West: Dallas Metros, Denver Majestics, Houston Marshals (1), Los Angeles Jaguars, San Francisco Dragons
(1) New Marshals owner Red McCombs has notified the UDA league office of a possible name change for 1979.
Major League Baseball
American League
East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians), Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays
West: Chicago White Sox, Denver Zephyrs, Los Angles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Oaks, Seattle Rainiers, Texas Rangers
National League
East: Atlanta Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St Louis Cardinals, Washington Grays
West: Houston Astros, Kansas City Monarchs, Los Angeles Lancers (formerly Hollywood Stars), Minnesota Twins, Portland Beavers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Seals
Expansion
Montreal Expos
Vancouver Mounties
National Football League
AFC
East: Baltimore Colts, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets
Central: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers
West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers
NFC
East: Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Potomacs
Central: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
West: Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, St Louis Cardinals
Expansion
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
National Basketball Association
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
Boston Celtics
Buffalo Braves
New York Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Federals
Central
Atlanta Hawks
Cincinnati Royals
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Kentucky Colonels
Midwest
Chicago Bulls
Houston Rockets
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Lakers
New Orleans Jazz
San Antonio Spurs
Pacific
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Stars
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle Supersonics
National Hockey League
Clarence Campbell Conference
Smythe Division
Colorado Rockies
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets
Norris Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota North Stars
St Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
Atlanta Flames
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
New England Whalers
Patrick Division
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
North American Soccer League
East
Chicago Sting
New York Cosmos
Rochester Lancers
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Toronto Blizzard
Washington Diplomats
West
Los Angeles Aztecs
Portland Timbers
San Diego Sockers
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders
Vancouver Whitecaps
Canadian Football League
East
Hamilton Tiger Cats
Montreal Alouettes
Ottawa Rough Riders
Toronto Argonauts
West
British Columbia Lions
Calgary Stampeders
Edmonton Eskimos
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Any chances for the Atlantic Schooners to exist in this TL, unlike OTL?
Also...
Guess Major League won't happen in this TL. Long live Chief Wahoo.
Also, yes I am okay with the name change and the dropping of Wahoo. Just kinda in odds with the name. Idk why though.
Major League will probably still be made though the uniforms will be different ITTL.
The new name comes from the Guardian statues which are part of the Hope Memorial Bridge:
1976-77 UDA Offseason Part 3
After the UDA approved his purchase of the Houston Marshals, new owner Red McCombs notified the league office of a potential name change for the franchise beginning with the 1979 campaign.
Apollos
Drillers
Force
Jackalopes
Railmen
Sorcerers
Starfighters
Starfleet
Starships
Wizards
Apollos
Drillers
Force
Jackalopes
Railmen
Sorcerers
Starfighters
Starfleet
Starships
Wizards