RE: AAFL Team Tennessee Newsletter: January 23, 2008

 

What a great game the University of Tennessee had down in Tampa. Lots of guys from our Tennessee team were involved in the TV and radio coverage. And we have our first draft coming up this weekend.

So let's get busy with some news:

I was able to go down for the Outback Bowl preview show for a local network affiliate and it was very exciting. My day started off with me getting up at 5:15 AM to catch a flight to Tampa that arrived at 10:30. I rented a car and went to the Pier in St. Petersburg. I went to a restaurant for lunch and ran into John Adams, who is a sports writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel.

We talked about college football for awhile and then we got into the conversation of the AAFL. I told him a little more about the league and he seemed very impressed with the concept of this league. He agreed that the passion of college football fans is something that doesn't end when a player graduates.

There are fans from Tennessee that refuse to cheer for Florida or Georgia no matter who they play in a bowl game. I personally cheer for the SEC in bowl games but passionate fans like that are what will make this league a success. Tennessee fans love to cheer against Florida or Alabama and they will get that opportunity this spring to do it again starting April 12 when we play Michigan in Neyland Stadium.

Did lots of interviews and saw lots of fans.

Also spent two hours on WLAC radio in Nashville. Lots of interest from the fans in my old hometown, Music City USA.

Meanwhile, Tee Martin is everywhere. Or it least it seems that way from all the TV and radio shows he did in and around the Outback Bowl.

Here's a great article on him from a Tennessee paper as well: http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/gladesun/local_story_340195114.html.

The team is getting lots of attention from the bloggers. Here's a pretty good one: http://tennesseefootballvsm3.blogspot.com/2007/12/aafl-might-fill-void.html.

And down in Georgia, people are also interested in Tee Martin and our team in Tennessee. http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/977/Everybodys-AllAmerican.aspx

Now we just have to fill out our roster. And that begins this Saturday, Jan. 26 at the first AAFL draft.

There's going to be lots of local and national TV coverage. Television and online broadcasts of the AAFL Draft will begin at Noon EST / 11 AM CST / 9 AM PST on Saturday the 26th.

The AAFL draft will be broadcast live on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS): CSS will broadcast to 5.8 million households across the following 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

You can also see the entire draft live on the web at www.aafl.com.

I may have an even better option for you than watching the draft live at home...if you want, you can watch it with us at our draft party. The draft party is being held at the Knoxville Marriott at Noon on Saturday, January 26th. Click here for event details (see bottom of that page) and to RSVP.

More later.

James Wilhoit
Team Tennessee
All American Football League