The Arena Football League was facing some financial issues entering the 2016 season. There is no denying that. The league contracted two teams due to financial reasons and the defending arena league champion San Jose Sabrecats ceased operations, leaving the league seeking a new ownership group to keep the longtime franchise going.
That leaves the Orlando Predators as one of just eight teams getting ready for a 16-game schedule beginning in April. And then all eight teams will be in the Playoffs in August.
It is an awkward situation to be in — although the Predators like many other teams likely loaded up on all-arena players in the meantime.
The Arena Football League is repositioning itself. The Predators remain one of their stronger franchises. But it all feels on shaky footing. A good season is pretty important for them and the remaining franchises.
It makes financial sense with so few teams to have them all make the Playoffs. But it comes at a cost, Adam Markowitz of Arena Fan writes:
“Part of the pitch that was always made about the longer regular season and the fact that more teams were in the playoff discussion deeper into the season. Unfortunately, now the regular season literally means nothing beyond seeding in a tournament where anything can and will happen.
“Literally, if I’m the Arizona Rattlers, Philadelphia Soul or Jacksonville Sharks, I’m putting Nick Davila, Dan Raudabaugh and Tommy Grady in bubble wrap and not letting them on the field for the first time this year until just before the start of the playoffs. There’s just no sense in putting your quarterback into a position where he might get hurt when difference between going perhaps 12-4 with him and 8-8 without him is home or away for two games. You still have to beat the same teams to win the ArenaBowl anyway, and as Jacksonville proved last season, you can win road games to reach the summit. So why risk it?”
It is an issue.
Injured players certainly could be rested longer and teams can avoid answering those questions because the Playoffs are still there. Maybe there will be bigger fights for home field — the top teams in each conference will be seeded one and two and every other team will be seeded according to record regardless of conference — and the extra home game(s) that come with that. In a league hurting for cash, that can be critical to franchise survival.
The Predators may not quite be in that situation. They are one of the more storied and tradition-rich franchises in the league.
But it does bring an added layer to the upcoming season. Or it may take away something from the next three months before the playoffs being in August.
Pencil in Predators football from April through July into August for now. Beyond that, we will see how this season goes.
