Yes, I know. The Steel City already has the RiverRats. However, the team is the equivalent of the Riverhounds. Yeah, they’re a team, but they don’t get the recognition they deserve/need. ESPN bought in to the AFL, and continues shoving in our collective faces, so it must be good. I occasionally like to watch AFL games, but not to the point that I need to know the players and teams. ESPN would just rather show something that they own a share in, rather than say, hockey highlights on Sportscenter. But enough about tWWL.
PSaMP is a bit excited about this news. With all the support for the new Penguins arena, it was only a matter of time before the city talked about expansion possibilities. And why not the AFL. Pittsburgh played host to the first AFL game, with the Pittsburgh Gladiators, an inaugural AFL team beating the Washington Commandos 48-46 on June 19, 1987. That’s 20 years to the day of this announcement, in case you were counting.
When the Gladiators left, they changed names to become the Tampa Bay Storm. That team was the epitome of success in the 1990s. 15 straight years in the playoffs with 5 Arena Bowl titles.
Pittsburgh has been longing for a team to step up and grow with the 3 current big boys, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates. PSaMP counts the Passion as the 4th team, and the NBA and MLS would never be a possibility. Maybe the AFL is the way to go.
Possible owners are said to be very recognizable. I’m guessing Mark Cuban. That would be sweet.
And who knows? Maybe the next Tommy Maddox will come from the Pittsburgh Gladiators Part II.
