The Official Dubsism Allliance of American Football Power Rankings: Round Two
Well…I didn’t see that coming.
With the reports swirling about the imminent folding of the Alliance of American Football, I’m penning this fully understanding this may be the last time. If so, I’m not going to cry that it over; rather I’ll be smiling because it happened.
Frankly, I think the reports of the demise of this league may be a smidge premature, but if I’m wrong, I can say with certainty that both Mrs. J-Dub and I found this to be an enjoyable league in terms of the product it put on the field and some of the innovations it brought to the game. But on the off-chance I’m right, I’m not going to go fully down the “eulogy hole;” let’s some some football while we still have it.
We are past the seventh week of the Alliance of American Football’s season. We are over two-thirds of the way through the regular season,; there’s only three and it’s time to look at the Who’s Who of this league one more time before we get to the end of the season. In other words, we are starting to get a clearer picture of the who this new league play-off contenders are.
For comparison purposes, the initial rankings can be seen here.
1) Orlando Apollos (6-1) ↔
Much like the league itself, the reports of the demise of the Apollos were premature after their loss to the Hotshots. This is the best team in this league, they are going to capture the top spot in the East, which should give them a home play-off game and the inside rail to the championship game. 1
2) San Antonio Commanders (5-2) ↑ 5
This team has reeled of four straight wins, which is why the Commanders have gone from 7th to 2nd in these rankings. They aren’t doing it in a aesthetically-pleasing fashion, nor are they overwhelming opponents. But they make plays when they are needed. Look for this weekends tilt with the Hotshots to set the pecking order for the play-offs in the West.
3) Arizona Hotshots (4-3) ↑ 2
The Hotshots could be called the “Yo-Yos,” because since the last time we did thesee rankings, the “Shots’ dropped three straight, then beat the best team in the league. As previously mentioned, this week’s trip to San Antonio likely spells what the rest of the season looks like for this club.
4) San Diego Fleet (2-1) ↔
Dropping their most recent game to Arizona may very well be the definition of “tough loss;”it is likely going to mean the difference between going to the play-offs and going home. While the Fleet aren’t sunk yet, they can’t lose again and need San Antonio and Arizona (or both) to take a tumble. This won’t be the last time I say this, but this team is better than it’s record, but they can’t keep things consistent.
5) Birmingham Iron (4-3) ↓ 2
I get that losing to Memphis in overtime was another example of the proverbial “tough loss,” but believing that overlooks the fact the Iron gagged away a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter to a team giving snamps to a quarterback who just got thrown out of the CFL. Birmingham is still likely in the play-offs, but this is the team which isn’t as good as it’s record.
6) Salt Lake Stallions (2-5) ↓ 1
The first time I did these rankings, I called the Stallions the AAF’s “hard-luck” loser. If eight total points swing the other way, this team is 5-2. While that may be true, and while I can keep shouting from the mountain tops about this team is better than their record, at some point you need to win games. Forgive my crushing level of “obvious,” here but that’s the difference between being “better than your record” and being a “winner.”
7) Memphis Express (2-5) ↓ 1
Speaking of “obvious,” when you have a team which benched the quarterback who started the season, lost faith in his replacement, and has found itself firmly in the “Betting on Johnny Fuckin’ Manziel” department, one doesn’t really need the FBI Crime Lab to figure out things aren’t working on Beale Street.
8 ) Atlanta Legends ↔
Even the dullest football fans know that turnovers will absolutely kill a team. Atlanta gives the ball away at a Legendary clip, which is a major factor in why they have given up an astonishing 117 more points than they’ve scored. To tell you how awful that really is, the next team in this category is Memphis at 39.
Got a question, comment, or just want to yell at us? Hit us up at dubsism@yahoo.com, @Dubsism on Twitter, or on our Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook pages, and be sure to bookmark Dubsism.com so you don’t miss anything from the most interesting independent sports blog on the web.
About J-Dub
The Man Behind Dubsism
Dubsism on Pinterest
Click On JoePa-Kenobi To Feel The Power Of The Jedi Photoshop Trick. Besides, you can get the best sports-related recipes ever. This is the sports-related content you are looking for.
Blog Directories
Dubsism 
What The Dubsists Thought…