Tackling the World

There are many epic rivalries in sports: the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, the Lakers vs. the Celtics, the Knights vs. the Dragons. The Knights vs. the Dragons ?!?!

Sure, its not as old as the other match-ups. In fact, the series is only four games old. But the Yankees and Red Sox were young once, too, and someday this World League Football matchup may be one of the great ones.

Already, the rivalries are starting to intensify, as the World League moves into its second season, which began on March 21. New York's rabid football fans let you know where they stand on their team's, the Knights', opponents. "I hate Montreal," they grumble, cursing the Machine under their breath. "London's secondary ain't like it used to be," New Yorkers offer optimistically, looking for the edge that will push the Knights to the top.

Cross the globe to Europe and you'll hear more of the same. Yes, there are football fans proclaiming "No me gusta a Birmingham" and "Ich bin eine Galaxy fan."

From the Black Forest to Silicon Valley, from Quebec to Disneyland, fans are talking about--or at least noticing--the World League of American Football.

The World League made its debut in Europe and North America in 1991, becoming the first major sports league to operate weekly on two separate continents. In its inaugural season, the World League attracted 1.4 million fans to its games in North America and Europe, averaging more fans per game than either the United States Football League or the American Football League in their initial years. And last year's World Bowl drew 61,000 fans to Wembley Stadium to see the London Monarchs vanquish the Barcelona Dragons 21-0.

Call the World League a missionary for American football. The more Europeans who go to World League games, the more the National Football League (NFL) becomes a hot international commodity. In fact, the 28 NFL organizations recently approved a three-year, $50 million plan to support the World League.

And the NFL also agreed to provide 100 players this year from their rosters to play in the spring league. This doesn't mean you'll see Dan Marino in an Orlando Thunder jersey or Jerry Rice running post patterns for the Sacramento Surge, but you will see improved quality of play. In some cases, the NFL sends talented players--like Frankfurt's Mike Perez (Giants) and London's Stan Gelbaugh (Seattle) who aren't able to get the necessary game experience in the fall to continue their development. After leading the London Monarchs to the first World Bowl Championship, Gelbaugh signed with the Phoenix Cardinals and started for two games near the end of the season. In all, 19 players ended up on final NFL rosters.

Already, former college stars are sprinkled throughout the league. Avid football fans will recognize college stars like Barcelona's Tony Rice (Notre Dame), Orlando's Kerwin Bell (Florida), San Antonio's Tony Boles (Michigan) and London's Judd Garrett--who ran roughshod over Harvard during his Princeton career.

The World League is making a token effort to develop international athletes. Each international franchise--Montreal, London, Barcelona and Frankfurt fields 3 non-American players including 2 from the team's country. Players like Frankfurt defensive end Olaf Hampel give the hometown crowd one of their own to cheer for.

The World League has spiced up the rules a little to keep their product exciting and different from the NFL. For example, the World League offers the two-point conversion after a touchdown. And on kickoffs, a flat tee is used to make higher kickoffs more difficult, thus encouraging the Rocket Ismail-type return. The newest change is the overtime system. During the 10 minute overtime, each team gets to possess the ball of offense, at least once. The team that scores the most points wins. If the score is still tied after 10 minutes, the game ends in a tie.

If you want to get the full World League experience live, then you've got some road-trippin' to do. New England does not yet have a World League team, so the closet place to see the action is nearby Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Then, in early summer, it's World Bowl Weekend in Montreal, just a six hour jaunt up north.

But for those of you without a car, the World League is on television twice a week. There is a Saturday night game on the USA network at 7:00 p.m., and every Sunday afternoon Roger Twibell and former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil broadcast a game on ABC at 1 p.m.

Unless you like duckpin bowling, it's the best sports to watch on a spring afternoon.

If you can find cable, the USA network games are the ones to watch because they have the most wonderful invention to grace modern sports: the helmet-cam. Yes, some of the players have little cameras in their helmets. On occasion, the little camera will get a great shot like the ground slapping a quarterback in the face on a sack.

In addition to quality football in camera angles, the league has some dope gear. The San Antonio Riders may be ready to replace to San Jose Sharks as the logo of choice on caps and jackets. So the only place you can get the stuff these days is some firm called RAJ Manufacturing out in Tustin, California or at the stadium--give the League time and the gear will be every where.

Like most great things in Western civilization, people from Harvard are playing a significant role in the League. In this case, Harvard Business School alums Chief Operating Officer Joseph Bailey, who came from the Dallas Cowboys administration to help lead the World League, and financial analyst Damon Caldwell, who moved over from the Madison Square Garden Corporation to help the global spread of football.