Appreciate the support so far! Here's team number 2!

Cincinnati Rivermen

Cincinnati is one of the newer teams in the AFL, with the team starting play in the MWFC’s inaugural 1926 as an expansion team. Football had already existed in Cincinnati for a bit, with its original team, the Warriors, briefly playing in the final season of the AA, but folded only a few years later due to poor play and financial instability. The city’s lack of success didn’t stop the Championship from still wanting a team there, and local steamboat businessman Dennis Delaney took charge and named his team the Rivermen after his operations that helped the city grow to what it is now. They got off to an incredibly great start, finishing runner-up in 1931 and 1933, before finally winning it all in the MWFC’s first ever championship game. Since then, they’ve been on the decline, having moderate success in the latter half of the 30’s (making only 1 more championship appearance in the decade), but quickly falling off in the early 40’s. They’ve climbed back to a more mediocre position in the league table, where they are alright but not quite good enough to make a push for a title. They have seemed a bit more competent lately, but that will not be enough for them to bring home another piece of silverware. They currently play in River Field, which will hold the first AFL game, and can seat 29,890 people.

The Rivermen have a couple of solid players, but by no means have enough to compete at the top of the table. QB Lee Christian is beginning to decline at the beginning of his 30’s, but is still the charismatic guy that almost everyone likes. He’s starting to rely on the veteran RB Elmer Carson to make progress down field, who’s not in the best shape either. He’s above average, but they can only go so far with an above average QB and RB. Their receiving options aren’t that great either, with WR’s Stanley McIntyre, Sidney Conklin, and Brian Robertson all being fairly young and fairly average, and TE Jerry Horton not being much better. They at least have some great defensive options, led by DB Jim Farmer as one of the best secondary players in the league, and S Tom Silva providing great coverage in the backfield. LB Jim Norman is the best player in their front 7, stuffing players up the middle, or anywhere else his linemen couldn’t get. DL’s Warren Dwyer and Frederick Gardner are definitely past their prime, but they’re the best linemen Cincinnati has, so they’re stuck on the line until newer recruits come in. Head Coach Dean Perkins is aware of the trouble the team is leading to, but he will try almost anything to get the Rivermen over the hump and back into contention. He knows that the team is solid enough to maybe stave off a losing record, but it will be a rough ride for them if they can’t figure out what to do for their future.

The Rivermen sport blue and gold for their color scheme, with their primary logo being a steering wheel from a steam ship that sails down the Ohio with “Cincinnati” overlaid on top of it. Their uniforms are relatively simple as well, having two thick stripes on the home and away, and a lack of white on the home uniform in favor of the gold.
 
(Players shown: DB Jim Farmer (23) and OL Wilbur Nielson (56))

C&C appreciated as always! Team 3 will either be out sometime tonight or tomorrow!
 

Looking good! Love the colors and the ship wheel logo, so far one of my favorites.

Glad that people are liking what we've got so far! Team 3 is up to the plate now:

Cleveland Crows

Cleveland has had a turbulent history to say the least. They began their journey in 1920 as the Akron Rubber Kings, the company team of the Whitmarsh Rubber & Tire Company. They were a barnstorming team for a few years before joining the MWFC in 1926, taking the runner-up position before winning their first trophy a year later, and gained another piece of silverware a few years later in 1932. However, that was the beginning of the downfall for them. They could never duplicate the success of their early heyday, and fell into a constant state of championship hangover. The Great Depression didn’t help them out either, as less fans started showing up along with the lack of their success. The Rubber Kings met a dramatic end during the 1936 rubber strikes, with Whitmarsh withdrawing the team from the 1936 season with no anticipation of bringing them back in the future. However, oil executive Ike Schwann bought the team off of Whitmarsh’s hands and moved them to his hometown of Cleveland. People called him crazy for moving the Rubber Kings to Cleveland, calling it a death sentence for the dying team. Schwann was still deciding what to name the team, and went with what people were calling them even before they hit the field again. And thus, the Cleveland Crows were born. His investment worked off, as they made 4 straight Bradshaw Cups, finally winning their first title in Cleveland on their final attempt in 1943. Currently, the Crows play out of Municipal Stadium, seating 37,707 fans.

Those days of success for the Crows are behind them, but still remain relatively solid. QB Ray Hoffman was the main man for their run during the early 40’s, but now he’s on the wrong side of 35. RB Tom McGee is the current lead back, but he’s definitely not the long-term option for the team. WRs Lonnie Ware and Peter Crouch are solid options, but their ages are beginning to show, especially the latter who is currently 32. WR Christopher Walsh is their third option at wideout, but he’s not near the caliber of the other two receivers. Their defense is slightly better than their offense, with their defensive line being one of the better ones in a league. DL’s Leon Costa and Glen Conrad are nearing the end of their prime, but are still solid players. Their linebacking core is pretty average (and old), with their best 2 are Stuart Sloan and Karl Stark, both at age 35. Their secondary is young and solid though, with DB’s Jerry Pruitt and Nicholas Lamb both at 22 and still show plenty of potential. Ike Schwann is still coaching the team like he was when he bought it, but he’s no football genius and many are demanding he step down and have someone else lead the Crows back to the promised land. But for now, they are very much average and don’t really have any expectations put upon them. 

Cleveland’s logo is a perched crow on a football with an arched “Cleveland” above it. They originally were going to be dark purple and white, but Schwann didn’t like any of the darker shades of purple and went with a black and white color scheme. He wanted the team to be unique, so he kept the 4-stripe design and striping mismatch from the former Rubber Kings.

(Players shown: DL Leon Costa (93) and OL Alexander Hunt (57))

C&C Appreciated!

Really like the Crows, can't wait for the rest.

Hey, new DireBall? Fantastic.

The initial identities look good for the era. I dig the Crows a lot.