The Arena Football League made a return this weekend after going through changes and ultimately disappearing in 2020. However, the return was not without complications. Despite being scheduled to be televised by NFL Network, the games were not aired. The NFL has not yet responded to requests for confirmation or comment regarding the failure to televise the games.
Despite the lack of television coverage, the Philadelphia Soul experienced a tough weekend. On Friday, many players were allegedly released and kicked out of the Super 8 motel where they were staying. Reports stated that their luggage was taken from them and locked in a room. This upheaval came after the league took ownership of the Soul following a potential buyer backing out, leading to chaos within the team. Head coach Patrick Pimmel stepped down on Saturday, leaving players from the Dallas Falcons of the American Arena League 2 to fill in as replacements for the Soul.
The game against Louisiana VooDoo ended in a blowout with a final score of 53-18 in favor of Louisiana. Despite this chaotic weekend for the Soul, there was no mention of it on their website. The website appears to be AI-generated and provides summaries of other games – a relief considering that there was no attention given to other games such as Billings Outlaws vs Wichita Regulators which ended with a score of 66-28