AFA Expected To Announce Regional And National Tournament Details Soon

June 14, 2004 -- The ‘Tournament of Champs' will give qualifying league champions from the AFA's regional areas an opportunity to advance and play for the Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup in Sarasota, Florida this December. The national title game will be the 25th since the AFA's inaugural battle for the Cup in Yuba City, California in 1980. The first AFA National Championship was won by the Twin Cities (Calif.) Cougars as they defeated the Delevan (Wisc.) Red Devils by a score of 37 to 20. Last years 24th annual AFA semi-pro football title went to the Brooklyn (NY) Mariners as they beat the St. Paul Pioneers 28 to 21 in the Minneapolis Metro Dome. The win was number 501 for the legendary Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Pudgie Walsh.

The national tournament committee is busy putting together suggestions on how to package the 2004 Nationals (post season tournament) that makes sense from both an economical and geographical standpoint. The AFA national office has reminded the tournament committee members that they must look at the big picture when putting their ideas together of how the national postseason tourney should be conducted and give serious consideration to the fact that the 62 different leagues are now divided into two different seasons (spring/summer and fall) and have teams in 3 different categories (AAA-AA-A). Currently there are 24 leagues playing a S/S schedule and 38 leagues that have their playoffs in the fall.

"This post season ‘tournament of champions' project is a major undertaking for this committee", says AFA President Ron Real. "Members serving on this committee were selected because of their dedication to the advancement of the semi-pro football level and their desire to foster a national postseason tournament that takes into consideration leagues operating from San Diego to Maine and from Miami to the state of Washington. The committee has representation covering both Spring/Summer and Fall leagues."

During the 2004 semi-pro seasons the AFA will monitor and ‘power rate' 718 teams playing in 62 different leagues from coast-to-coast. "The AFA National Playoffs is for league champions only", added Real. "We're hoping to put more meaning back into the term ‘League Champion' by allowing only those teams who have won their league's playoff championship an opportunity to advance to the AFA ‘Nationals'.

There's plenty of places (postseason tournaments) for teams not wining their league titles to go to at seasons end - for those teams wanting to extend their playing season - but none so prestigious as the AFA Nationals and a shot at participating in the Super Bowl of Semi-Pro Football - and an opportunity to have their names engraved on the Arkush Memorial Cup.

The Arkush Cup now stands 4 1/2 feet tall, is 2 feet wide and weighs about 85 pounds. There are more than a thousand names engraved on the Cup of players (and coaches) who have won the 24 previous AFA National Championships. During last year's Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in Sarasota, Florida the AFA's Hall of Fame Alumni Club donated a lighted, glass enclosed trophy case to house the Arkush Cup. The beautiful 4 sided glass display case stands 6 1/2' tall and allows viewers to read the names of those who have won AFA National Championships in the past.

Just a reminder . . . the AFA is now taking orders for the 2004 Semi-Pro Football Media Guide - facts and records book. The 342-page media guide can be purchased through the AFA National Office for $19.95 (plus $4 postage and handling). To place your order send a check or money order to AFA Media Guide, P.O. Box 2400, Sarasota, FL 34230. Credit card orders can be taken by contacting the AFA News marketing department via e-mail at AFNmarketing@sbcglobal.net and leaving your phone number so a staff member can take your credit card information.

The AFA Media Guide order form can also be downloaded by clicking
http://www.eteamz.com/americanfootballassn/files/MediaGuideOrderForm2.pdf

For AFA logo merchandise click http://www.cafeshops.com/amerfootball/58394

Media - contact Dave Burch at AFA National Office
(877) 624-4485 or (941) 388-3510
(e-mail) amerfoot@aol.com (or) usafoot@aol.com
(website) http://www.americanfootballassn.com/





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