Tales from the American Football League
Preserving the legacy of the AFL
A couple of weeks ago I sent out a request for AFL team photos. I would like to make a separate section of the site dedicated to team photos for each team, each season. Several readers have responded, sending scans that they have had in their own collections, or that they have found just [...]
More AFL trivia from our friend, Dave Steidel. Dave sent over the 500 trivia questions that are included in the print version of his book, Remember the AFL. Steidel says that the trivia section is not included in the ebook version of his work, so this site will be the one place that you will e [...]
One of the great sources for AFL articles and information is the Kansas City Chiefs web site. The Chiefs have a Hall of Honor museum, employ a team historian (Bob Moore, who has been very helpful to me and this site), and take the business of documenting their history seriously. In this recent article, brought [...]
There is a feeling among AFL fans that the American Football League players are consistently overlooked for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In truth there are many players, the bulk of whose careers were spent in the AFL, that deserve serious consideration, if not outright induction. In an effort to spark some [...]
I picked up a neat old wire photo the other day. The photo is from the December 4, 1960, game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders at Candlestick Park. The caption reads: “Oakland Raiders’ Bill Reynolds (HB-40) is smothered by Los Angeles Chargers’ Emil Karas (LB-56) after taking a pass from quarterback Tom [...]
One of my greatest pleasures in my football dealings is connecting with fellow AFL fans and collectors. I am always interested in hearing how fellow fans connect with the AFL. Some like to collect memorabilia, while others prefer to research the league. I have also met fans who collect AFL videos, make custom AFL McFarlane figurines, [...]
Several years ago I put together a chart showing year-by-year team offensive numbers for each team (AFL & NFL) and totals for the decade. I found it to be pretty interesting. The most illuminating bit for me was how it dispelled the notion that the AFL was a pass-only league, while the NFL was all about the proverbial [...]
Several years back, I was able to attend the estate sale of Phil Barile, the Los Angeles and San Diego Chargers first ticket manager. Barile joined the Chargers in 1960, and stayed with the team through the 1979 season. Barile lived in a small retirement community near San Diego State University, and had just moved [...]
Thanks to reader, Tex Noel, for passing along this information. Former New York Titans defensive back, Fred Julian, passed away on May 4. He was 75 years old. Fred Julian’s obituary can be found HERE.
