New Football League puts fans in charge

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore, Wikipedia

 

With the latest NFL season coming to a close thanks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win, football fans should look to the FCF League to get their continued football fix. Instead of going through a football drought, sports enthusiasts can turn to this new league to interact with the sport like never before. 

What is the FCF?

The FCF stands for “Fan-Controlled Football.” According to their official website, the league is “pro football reimagined for the modern digital world.” Through their desktop or mobile device, fans have control over the entire football game. 

Each week, fans choose which players will start, and the plays coaches will call. In past votes, fans even chose the names and colors of their respective teams. Think of it like the “Madden” video games, but controlling real players in real-time. Games are broadcasted Saturdays on Twitch.tv/fcf. 

These interactive and intense games take place at the Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth, GA. The indoor sports facility is fitted with multiple VR cameras, drones and microphones to create an immersive viewing experience for fans. 

The sponsors of FCF include Champion, Verizon and Gatorade. 

History of the FCF

The FCF was founded by Commissioner Ray Austin, Chief Executive Officer Sohrob Farudi, Chief Growth Officer Grant Cohen and Chief Gaming Officer Patrick Dees. In 2015, they began discussing their crazy ideas of an interactive football team where fans make all the decisions. 

They started executing this dream football experience with the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles football team. Like in the FCF, fans picked the team name, team colors, players and coaches. The Screaming Eagles acted as their guinea pig, proving that fan interactivity can be implemented successfully into the sport. 

Meet The Teams

The FCF currently has four different teams. Upon making an account on their official website, fans can choose from the Wild Aces, the Beasts, the Glacier Boyz or the Zappers. Once a user picks their team, they are unable to change it unless they create another account. 

The owners of the Wild Aces are gaming personality Greg Miller of Kinda Funny Games, Jack Settleman of Snapback Sports and Austin Ekeler of the LA Chargers.

The owners of the Beasts are NFL star Marshawn Lynch, professional wrestler Miro and Renne Montgomery of TMZ Sports. 

The owners of the Glacier Boyz are rapper Quavo Huncho, NFL star Richard Sherman and internet personality Donald De La Haye. 

The owners of the Zappers are internet personality Bob Menery, digital marketer Ronnie Singh and Trevor May of the New York Mets. This team made headlines when they signed former NFL player Johnny Manziel to play for them. 

What is Unique about the FCF? 

The FCF does several things differently than the NFL or traditional football. By switching up the rules, the FCF skips any waiting around. A focus of the league is fast-paced action for the fans. 

Taking inspiration from the WWE, each team will have special entrances with hype music. To decide who will have the first possession of the ball, both competing teams will play rock-paper-scissors in place of a coin toss. 

Instead of playing with 11 players per team on the field, the FCF only plays with seven players on a 50-foot field. These games last 40 minutes each, divided into 20-minute halves. 

The FCF also does away with kickoffs, field goals or punting at the 4th down. In place of field goals, one player from each team (a wide receiver against a defensive back) will duke it out for the extra point. 

The FCF is an extraordinary opportunity for football fans to further engage in the sport. If you are an avid fantasy football player or someone that screams at the TV when you disagree with a team’s play call, then the FCF is perfect for you. 

The FCF begins their first season on Feb. 13, 2021, with the Glacier Boyz versus the Wild Aces. For more information about future games, check out their official website.

 

jwhelan1@ramapo.edu