And no changes for the two-time champs from Ottawa

With Powell out and Aguirre in it’s the start of a new era for the Gold Stars. Hopefully this means less disappointment and sadness at the end of every season.

MyTeamIsDr.Pepper wrote:

You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, I'm not trying to change your mind on anything, but do you have a plan as to whether this stays a regional almost amateur league, similar to Section's MAHL or do you eventually plan for this to branch out and become similar to the NFL with teams across the country?

I have always planned this to be more of a nation (or "nations") wide league. Might not get to the size of the NFL but certainly, I want to get to a more national level. The world itself is in a regional mode at the moment due to a lack of a national league prior to WW2, and they have remained that way trying to rebuild post-war. The NAAF is the sole professional league that plays Hybrid Rules so it might allow it to move more than the regional leagues, but tougher because of the different style. That is the situation the story is headed into at the moment. 

Don't worry too much about changing my mind, honestly, everyone's comments have made me reconsider my plans a little bit, and the cities I was set on are not quite so set anymore. That is not a bad thing as I love the feedback on it all and different opinions on what the league should do and has allowed me to develop the plans more. 

At the end of the day, there is very little I have planned ahead outside of a rough outline of the number of teams over the years, so I have even considered remaining regional especially with the possibilities that are available. Everyone's support for Portland is a big note taken and will be in the mix no doubt. 

Honestly, a great question that I don't entirely have the answer to yet. 

Last edited by Wallflower (7/29/2020 11:13 pm)

Worcester Owner Passes Away
It was announced on a Tuesday morning that Richard Paul, the owner of the Worcester Athletics, has passed away due to a heart attack. Richard had been at the helm of the club since 1932. He managed to get the team through some of the toughest financial times with the Great Depression in full swing and saved the team from folding in '32. They would end up in a great place a few years later capturing a McCallister Cup in 1935. He helped get the team into the NAAF in 1951 to mark a return to professional football after several years following the war as a regional amateur team. They finally returned to the playoffs with this past season’s success. His final act as the owner was bringing the McCallister Cup game to Worcester for the 1956 season, something he was proud of accomplishing after several years of biding for it. His wife Marie Paul will take over the role of Owner, though she is expected to receive help from her son Chester.

Uniform Changes
The team was going to be making minor adjustments to the uniform this season and so they added one more piece. The new uniforms move the “W/A” logo from the chest to the helmet. They now become the 5th team with a design on their helmet. They also join the Raiders in adding TV numbers on the sleeves. It is expected that this will soon become more normal across the league. They moved the sleeve stripes down the arm a bit to make room for the numbers. The final touch is a heart added to the left side in place of the “W/A” logo. The heart will have Richard Paul's initials within to honour the late owner. 

Richard Paul's Legacy well be cemented in Worcester Football History.

Last edited by Wallflower (3/16/2021 1:31 pm)

Top 5 for the Final Stage of Expansion
A few days before the 1956 NAAF Draft, Ryan Jameson announced the final five cities that the league was looking into. The final 5 cities would get further visits from the league, which would include going further in-depth on the plans that each city is proposing and how the addition of the team will affect the league.  Those final five would be: Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Portland, ME, Quebec City, QC, and Rochester, NY.

The other 3 candidates would be dropped at this point, however, Jameson would touch on and answer questions about why the other cities did not make the cut.  

Grand Rapids, MI - We believe Grand Rapids is a prime opportunity to move westward into Michigan but at the moment, the ownership does not have full commitment to the NAAF. The NAAF is a strong family and we need those in the family to be on board and willing to be a part of this organization. Not to knock the ownership group, who are good people, but for us to succeed we need people who have full confidence in the league itself. We shall keep our tabs on the city for further expansion, but for now, we have decided that right now is not right for Grand Rapids.  

Springfield, MA/Hartford, CT - There were a lot of concerns from this bid, from not only the two-city plan but also the lack of a plan from Hartford. While the bid shifted more and more towards Springfield, we felt that the bid was just not strong enough to give us confidence in the success of a team in the city. We would love to return to Hartford at some point, but they still have not proven to us the ability to support a team and give them the best chance to succeed. 

Syracuse, NY - Most concerns are over the old hybrid stadium which we aren’t sure will suit the slightly larger field size of the NAAF. We also feel that Rochester’s bid has remained stronger throughout the process and we feel comfortable in moving a second-team away from upstate New York, especially if Rochester becomes a member of the NAAF. 

The final decision on the expansion cities will come later in the offseason as the league travels to the cities over the next few months.  

Gonna be a double post today with the Draft Preview coming later, but feel free to give your thoughts on the next stage of expansion.