BREAKING: MLFB On Brink Of Collapse Before Season Opener
Seth Lessans - @TujuMaster
NewsColumnsMLFB

BREAKING: MLFB On Brink Of Collapse Before Season Opener

·

Well, the world of alternative football never ceases to create drama. Major League Football (MLFB) is extremely close to shutting down their 2022 season indefinitely. This comes as a surprise to some, considering the league was very optimistic about their goals for this year.

However, our sources are telling us a very different story. Today, it was revealed that the hotels the MLFB were using for their training camps have kicked players out, due to unpaid bills. Now, they’ve been left stranded – without any direction at all.

Everything is unfolding in such a strange way, it’s difficult to decipher it all. While the MLFB itself is almost completely silent, players are revealing the truth: the league is about to collapse, entirely.

Infrastructure: A Mess

These issues started weeks ago. Sources have brought to light that the league hasn’t been paying their players, or hardly paying them at all.

It appears that the MLFB was simply trudging through training camps, without paying anything outside of the stadium fees themselves. Simone Eli, a local reporter for WKRG, has been doing research throughout the day to learn more about what’s going on.

Interestingly enough, the league still refuses to comment on what’s happening, despite Simone’s best efforts.

On Thursday, the hotel kicked players out – and are holding their luggage/equipment hostage to an extent. This is because the league did not pay their dues to the hotels, which was a part of the deal with the stadium.

Players Left To Dry

The athletes in the MLFB aren’t staying quiet, that’s for sure. Cecil Cherry, a defensive end in the league, gave more details on the situation. In fact, he spoke to Frank Murtha, and that conversation didn’t seem to go well.

Players close to the situation have shared with us that the overall attitude is a bleak one. Coaches and personnel seem to have pulled the plug, and trainers have already left. We’ve heard that players were not given money for food, transportation, while still practicing multiple times per day.

On top of that, their contracts have not been fulfilled. According to a member of the Alabama Airborne (who will remain anonymous), the contract stated that he would be reimbursed for gas that he used to drive there. Now, he’s being sent away – without any compensation.

Thankfully, some coaches are stepping up in the league’s absence. Terry Shea, coach of the Virginia Armada, reportedly is covering players’ hotel rooms for the time being.

See also

That being said, for the most part, athletes from all around the country are stuck, with nowhere to go. This entire situation is a disaster, and quite reminiscent of the AAF’s downfall back in 2019.

What’s Next?

While we wait for an official statement made by the MLFB, the stars are certainly aligning – and they are not in the league’s favor. First and foremost, they are burning bridges very quickly with their players, by leaving them stranded.

Secondly, the MLFB hasn’t done much to set themselves up for success, at all. Not many people know that this league even exists. This entire dumpster fire of a situation is the largest press coverage the MLFB has had in years.

Of course, this isn’t to say that we don’t want to see the MLFB succeed. The more football, and the more opportunities for these players, the better.

That being said, it’s hard to view the MLFB as having a sustainable future. With all of the drama that has unfolded over the past 24 hours, the odds of them kicking off in time are very low.

This is a shame, considering they were so close. Players were already at training camps, preparing for the inaugural kickoff in early August.

Now, the entire operation is at a stand still. If anything, it’s gone backwards. Will the coaches, players, and personnel trust the league to still play a season? The odds are low. While the MLFB is trying to maintain that image, the more these reports come out, the quicker their legitimacy declines.

Hopefully, things change for the better soon. In a best case scenario, this was just a “bump in the road” – but, they will likely lose a lot of players from this entire escapade. Can they even have a season this year? Only time will tell.

MLFB Statement Coming Soon

UPDATE: We were able to confirm with Frank Murtha, CEO of the MLFB, that a statement is coming as soon as possible. Expect news to come soon.

As more information makes itself known on the current situation in the MLFB, we will report it as quickly as possible. To stay up to date with everything going on surrounding the MLFB, and spring football in general, make sure to follow us on Twitter.

What do you think of this ongoing scenario with the MLFB? Is this the end for the league, before they even started? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!