If you thought football season was over and are positively jonesing for a fix of the good shit, oh boy, have we got a treat for you. Strap in for the thrills and spills of the Indoor Football League.
It looks like a cross between knockoff, third-rate versions of the XFL and the Arena Football League, with players rocking their Twitter handles on the backs of their jerseys. The ball is red, white, and blue, and teams can have multiple players in motion at any given time. Scores are as high as a college basketball game. Players have to avoid getting smashed into the pads on the sides of the field as well as flipping over the small barriers.
Tonight, the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles hosted the Nebraska Danger for their season opener and they ran a promotion where fans could help call the plays on the field by voting through the team’s app. I tried it out and dialed up a crossing route, which the team ran, only for ex-Ohio State QB Verlon Reed to throw a pick. So, sorry Screaming Eagles fans for cursing your dumb team.
Participatory democracy is just one of the incredible features of the Screaming Eagles experience, as the team’s broadcast featured none other than team owner Norm MacDonald. Norm hopped on and gave his takes on the team, football in general, his time on Saturday Night Live, and how to fix overtime (take one player off every few minutes). The play below has all the best aspects of the IFL: shitty drone footage, Norm, and an injury caused by the shoddy playing surface.
You can watch the whole thing here.