1958-59 Champions Bowl - Chicago Zephyrs vs Cleveland Rangers 

The 13th Champions Bowl was a matchup between a team seeking their 2nd straight Champions Bowl victory, and a team in their second ever season.
The game played out much like you would’ve expected.In the first quarter the Zephyrs showed off their incredible offense, and led a brisk 4 minute drive down the field and scored with relative ease. Hogg handed it off to his MVP running back at the 6 and Raschall carried 2 Rangers in with him as he scored the 7. In retaliation the Rangers, led by Pearson, mounted a less than outstanding drive, getting caught up in no mans land and failing to convert a 4th and 2. Cleveland offense wasn’t their star unit however, it was their defense. And although it didn’t show on the first drive, it showed later on. Chicago managed another formidable drive and set themselves up within the 15 as the quarter ended.
However as the second quarter started, so did Cleveland’s defense. They stopped Raschall on 1st and 2nd and almost picked off Hoggs toss into the end zone on third, resulting in the Z-Men only getting 3. Chicago kicked the ball back to Cleveland and prepared themselves for good defensive hold. After a couple first downs; DT James Carpenter, who is the reigning Champions Bowl MVP, rushed Pearson and forced, recovered and returned a fumble to set the Zephyrs up within the 30. Hogg and the Chicago offense failed to take advantage of the situation however and had to settle for another 3. As Cleveland stepped back onto the field down; 13-0, and less than 4 minutes left on the clock, they kicked their offense into overdrive and put together a solid drive that took up a good chunk of the remaining time and ended in RB Mohammed Lowe finding the end zone. This at least put a score on the board for them as they went into half only down 13-7.
As both teams jogged out for the second half a steady rainfall had picked up, creating a bit of a muddy scene in St. Louis. Cleveland received the ball to start but the kick returner dropped the wet ball due to its slickness. Although he managed to fall on it, it cost them a return and stuck them at their own 11 to start the half. This didn't seem to affect them much however as Pearson and Lowe put together a long nail bitter drive that included 2 fourth down conversions. It all concluded however when Pearson eluded a sack and ran the ball in himself to give Cleveland a tie. All they needed was the extra point. The rain had really started to come down now though, and this caused the holder botched the snap and the kick was blocked. This meant the game was stuck at a 13-13 tie. The powerful Chicago offense however had fresh legs and made quick work of this tie and went down and let Raschall run in his second TD of the night. 
Their defense stepped up too and stopped a potential game re-tying drive by Pearson and his Rangers at the beginning of the fourth which then turned into Hogg and crew going down and taking a 27-13 lead with only about 8 minutes to play. Cleveland couldn’t do much which the ball and punted it back after a 3 and out by the Zephyr defense. Following suit, Chicago could only manage 1 first down before having to surrender the ball back over to Cleveland. Pearson then took this chance to put some points on the board and led a surmounting 89 yard drive, that included an incredible 19 reception by WR Matthew Romanov, and ended in 7, when Pearson found his running back Lowe for the score. This put Cleveland within 1 score with 3 minutes left in the game. After a successful onsides kick and recovery, they would get their chance, they just needed to get down the field and score. This however proved difficult, As they made their way downfield, watching time tick away slowly, Chicago and the defense became hungrier and hungrier. All this built up until Pearson took a snap and was rushed by none other than Carpenter again. This time to prevent getting sacked he quickly tossed one downfield, however, the man was deep in double coverage, and it made it easy for Zephyrs S Pat Connerly to pick off. This sealed the game for Chicago, as Cleveland had only 1 time left and the Zephyrs just needed to run out the clock. They would do just that and go on to win the game, 27-20, securing the Zephyrs their 3rd Champions Bowl Victory. Alfie Raschall won the MVP with his 2 touchdown, 98 yard performance.

Here was the field:

And he is the final look at the bracket:


C&C Appreciated, how'd your team do?

Wallflower wrote:

Congrats to Chicago on the win.
Probably gonna start following the Blue Ox going forward

That counts as two of you then! Maybe the biggest fan base in the NFA on this site?

1959 Offseason
7th Annual NFA Draft
1st- TE Frank Harris - Bell University*- St. Louis Tigers
2nd- WR Joe Winslow - Virginia State University*- Boston Gaels
3rd- G Bernie Martin - Detroit State University*- Philadelphia Hornets
4th- QB Pete Blair - University of Missouri*- Pittsburgh Ironmen
5th- DB Monty Jones - Bell University*- Washington Pirates 

Other Notable Picks:
11th- QB Richie Spikes - Northern University*-St. Louis Tigers
18th- RB Carl Horner - Indiana-Lafayette University*- New York Cannons
30th- QB Marvin Tamer - Kentucky State University*- Chicago Zephyrs 

Roster Changes
-The biggest winner this offseason was the Gaels. They didn’t necessarily pick up anyone great, but just strengthened the areas that needed it. Highlighted by signing MLB Roger Clark and WR David Noel and drafting a couple more wide receivers to pair with young promising QB Donald McCloud.
-The Blue Ox traded for vet DE Julius Farmer, giving up two late round picks to Washington in exchange for him.
-The Detroit Bombers trade RB James Barnes for a younger RB, Mark Jackson from Philadelphia. Coupling him with a 3rd rounder to complete the deal.
-Philadelphia makes another move, seeing the end of the tunnel they shed off some older talent. Most notably they released WR Patrick Doyle. He signed with Washington, who’s loading up to make another run at the East Championship. 

Coaching Changes
-The only head coaching changes came in New York and Minneapolis. Greg Hubbard was fired by the Blue Ox at the end of the season after sideline drama wrecked the last couple weeks of the season. He was replaced by Emmett Petty, former athletic director and offensive coordinator for South Carolina State. The Cannons parted ways with Wilson Cursoe after a long tenure in Brooklyn. This came somewhat surprisingly after some decent seasons the past few years and a postseason appearance just last season. His replacement is actually Minneapolis’ offensive coordinator Roy Lynch. Lynch was actually supposed to be the Blue Ox head coach but New York pulled him away. Lynch worked really well with Minneapolis’ young QB; Burt O’Conner. They hope he can help out Jim Sandusky and improve his game. Minneapolis replaced Lynch with Ray Grant.
-The Pirates also changed OC’s. Replacing Authur Reich with Pendalton Johnson, who was promoted from deeper inside Washington’s coaching staff. 

League News
-On April 10th 1959, the St. Louis Tigers were bought by St. Louis Olympians owner, and Olympians Park owner, Garfield Morgan with the intent to sell the team to the league so that they can relocate them to Los Angeles. Morgan has been friends with the Tigers previous owner since their days in Buffalo. Originally, Morgan invited the Tigers to play in the same stadium as his baseball team. However, as the years have gone by, the two men have grown a divide, and with Tigers losing money almost since day 1 in St. Louis, their previous owner has decided to move on. Morgan, wanting to profit off of his former friend’s failure, bought the team from him, saying he’ll keep them in St. Louis. A few days later however, in a twisted turn of events, he sold the team to the league. After talking with several investors since before he had even bought the team he settled on selling the team to the league who were desperate to expand west, and offered the highest bid. The NFA, now in control of the Tigers have come out and said that construction has been started on a 55,000 seat stadium in the Los Angeles metro area, and the team will officially relocate there after the upcoming 1959-60 season.
-As expected this offseason, Wayne Pearson retired. After a hefty 12 year career, split between the Tigers, Rangers, and the Hartford Reds of the old NEFL the 34 year old will put his helmet down for the last time. He went to 4 Champions Bowls, winning it once with the Tigers in Buffalo, and winning 2 NEFL Championships with the Reds. His number 10 hasn't been worn by any Tiger since his trade to the Rangers ‘58, and it seems as though it'll stay that way. Joining him are two Ironman greats, especially the latter, Gabriel Coleman and Micheal Bennett. Coleman played from 1946 to 1955, before signing with Detroit for the ‘56-’57 season. He played in all 3 Ironmen Champions Bowl appearances from ‘50-’52 and made an appearance again with the Bombers in the ‘56 season. Bennett played all 15 years of his career with Pittsburgh, and was the leader of their defense for most of that time. He also won 2 Champions Bowls with the Ironmen at their peak, and even won the 1943 CFA Championship his rookie year with the team. Not to be confused with Mike Bennet who retired 3 years ago, and also played a long accoladed career with Pittsburgh. 
-Finally Commissioner Wagner announced that along with the Tigers moving to LA in 1960, two expansion teams would be joining them. He made emphasis on trying to accompany the Tigers with 2 western markets but not every listed bid is a western market. That being said, Wagner has requested every council member (you guys) to submit the following:
Name:
Age:
Bio:
Favorite Team:
Choices for Expansion:
Team Identity Ideas: (Colors, Logo Ideas, and Names)

Identity Changes
-There were no identity changes this offseason. 

Expansion Council
San Francisco, CA 

Bio: San Francisco is the second biggest city out west, and an obvious pick for western expansion. Currently, the local university; Northern California University, has a powerhouse football team with a strong fanbase all across the region, so, undoubtedly, many would be drawn to the opportunity to get a professional team. 

Metro Population: 〜740,000 

History of San Francisco Football:There is no prior history of professional football in the Bay Area. 

Potential Owner: West Coast based, fast food chain owner and San Francisco businessman, Otis Strong (age 51) has been a big supporter of SFU’s football endeavors, as he is friends with the university’s president. He sat on the original ASCA (American Collegiate Sports Association) council back in the 40’s but stepped down after a short tenure and has been a big contributor to the NFA since its founding.  

Potential Stadium: Redwoods Stadium is the current stadium of SFU’s football program, it’s currently planned to be the home of the Bay Area’s team if the bid were successful, planned renovations would add 〜10,000 more seating onto the current 28,000 capacity. 

Ranking: Definitely the best looking bid out of them all, with the Tigers planned relocation to Los Angeles, San Francisco would provide a great rival to join them out west, not to mention one of the more promising potential owners out of all the bids, and proof that the city will have a strong fanbase for any future teams. 5 Stars.


Seattle, WA 

Bio: Much like San Francisco, Seattle is another strong western candidate. Currently the third biggest west coast city by population, it’s a great market to tap into. 

Metro Population: 〜557,000 

History of Seattle Football: There is no prior history of professional football in Seattle. 

Potential Owner: Anthony Knox (age 58) is a businessman originally from the Los Angeles area but was drawn to the Seattle area after visiting during his time in university. Quite a big football fan, he tried buying the St. Louis Tigers and moving them to Seattle before the NFA stepped in, and tried to put up a bid for the last expansion council to place a team in Los Angeles.  

Potential Stadium: A plan to build a 44,000 seat outdoor stadium has been put forward, it would be completed in time for the 1960-61 season start. If needed the team can also play at the 17,000 seat Washington University Stadium until the planned stadium is built. 

Ranking: A great opportunity for NFA westward expansion, although it’s geographical location would be a little worrying for travel unless San Francisco was also admitted. 5 Stars.


Kansas City, MO 

Bio: Kansas City isn’t as western as some of the previous candidates, but it would still be the most western city in the NFA. Kansas City has been a home to several football teams and has had some pretty strong fanbases. 

Metro Population: 〜475,000 

History of Football in Kansas City: Whilst KC never had an AFA team, they’ve had a few team in the past, such as; Kansas City Mustangs of the Champions Football Association (1932-1937) and the Kansas City Bulls of the Heartland Football League (1920-1930) 

Potential Owner: Richard Cunningham (age 60) is an investment banker and WWII vet who grew up wealthy. He is known for his efforts to support people through the great depression and for using his inherited wealth to improve the lives of those around him. After hearing many Kansas City residents wanting a return of professional football, he’s funded the building of a new stadium and set up this bid. 

Potential Stadium: Currently a 43,000 seat outdoor stadium is being built currently that would be one of the biggest stadiums in the NFA.  

Ranking: A great potential stadium, and owner, and a city yearning for a new team means shows how great this possibility is. 5 Stars.


Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 

Bio: Whilst not the biggest populated city in Texas, it’s the biggest TV market, and the only Texas city to make a bid. Texas is an untapped market waiting for a team. 

Metro Population: 〜 679,000 

History of Football in Dallas: Dallas has had only one previous professional team; the Dallas Hawks who played in the Heartland Football League (1929-1930) 

Potential Owner: Clifford Armstrong (age 70) is a retired resident of Dallas. A former real estate agent who is leading a group of 12 investors looking to put a team in the great state of Texas. Armstrong labels his group of guys as fans of traditional football and the NFA who want to bring the great game to the people of Texas. 

Potential Stadium: The Texas Bowl is the current stadium for Texas State University’s football program and recently got a 10,000 seat expansion of the 28,000 capacity. 

Ranking: While the market is potentially very good, with good chances to find a very big fanbase, the owner group isn’t the most financially stable and the Texas Bowl has been around for a long time and could be needing complete renovation to keep up with the rest of the league’s stadiums. 4 Stars


Baltimore, MD

Bio: Baltimore is running for it’s second franchise after losing the Bulldogs back in 1950. The city is craving for football and this is the second straight time they’ve made a bid for a team. 

Metro Population: 〜939,000 

History of Football in Baltimore: As mentioned above, the Bulldogs existed in the NFA from 1946-1950. Baltimore has also been home to the Anchors of the AFA (1919-1937) and several other teams from the NEFL and APL. 

Potential Owner: William Hodges (45) is the same man who helped set up the last expansion bid. Former finance manager for the NFA and the New York Cannons and New York businessman, the Baltimore native is looking to bring his city a new football team! 

Potential Stadium: Baltimore Field has been around for a while and Hodges has proposal to build a new stadium, however it’s currently unlikely that this proposal will be permitted. In case of that happening, he also has a proposal to extend the current capacity of Baltimore Field from 26,000 to 32,000. 

Ranking: While Baltimore is waiting for a team to return, the current stadium situation isn’t very promising. 3 Stars.


Cincinnati, OH

Bio: Cincinnati, much like Baltimore is making their second straight bid. Once a hotbed for football, has been without a team since the fall of the AFA and the city is ready to get one once again. 

Metro Population: 〜502,000 

History of Football in Cincinnati:Cincinnati has had a slew of short lived football teams, but some major ones have stuck out, in particular; the Cincinnati Knights/Gladiators of the AFA (1921-1935) and the Cincinnati Royals of the Heartland Football League (1920-27) 

Potential Owner: Making his return is inherited millionaire; James Madison (29). He’s a former college football star; playing at the University of Lake Michigan, so naturally he loves football, and as an Ohio guy who’s made his roots in Cincinnati, he’s trying to bring the pros to his home. 

Potential Stadium: Cincinnati University Stadium is a 39,000 seat stadium which was recently completely remodeled, renovated and expanded upon, it’s currently the planned home of any future Cincinnati pro teams. 

Ranking: While the owner isn’t known to be a great guy, he knows his way around football and will definitely strive to make sure his team is the best. Pair that with a brand new stadium and the only thing holding this down is the lack of a current fanbase for a team. 4 Stars. 

C&C Appreciated, I'm excited to find out the new members of the NFA!

Name: Ryan Jameson
Age: 40
Bio: Former hockey player and college football player, currently works within the hockey world (yes this is the character that is the commissioner of the NAAF just in a world where the NAAF doesn't exist)
Favorite Team: Minnesota Blue Ox and Detroit Bombers
Choices for Expansion: Seattle and San Francisco
Team Identity Ideas: Seattle Evergreens/Olympians(Olympic Mountrains)
San Francisco Wild/Quakes 

Last edited by Wallflower (4/10/2020 11:28 pm)

Name: Aengus Lynch
Age: 37
Bio: Aengus runs a fishing and canning conglomerate that runs up the New England coast, he's been an avid support to the Smiths.
Favorite Team: Boston Gaels
Expansion Choices: San Fransisco and Seattle
Team Name Suggestions: San Francisco Peacekeepers (Post WW2, the conference that created the UN was in San Francisco) Seattle Lumberjacks