Week 8 in the European League of Football (ELF) was dramatic both on the field and off. The playoff race is now beginning to heat up, but the drama of the league appears to be dwarfing that. Here are our takeaways.
Philipp Haun aka Elastigirl
In 2004, the Disney film The Incredibles came out (for all those young enough to remember). One of the stars of the show was Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible’s wife, who was able to extend her limbs to outrageous lengths.
The film is now 20 years old and outdated, but we may have just found her replacement in Raiders Tirol receiver Philipp Haun following his beautiful one-handed grab.
Kenny Floret continues to lay the wood
Last week we featured Paris Musketeers safety Kenny Floret for laying the wood on Harlan Kwofie. The young Frenchman is at it again, but this time with a slightly bigger target in his sights.
As import receiver Reece Horn ran over the middle for the Frankfurt Galaxy, Floret once again came down and gave him one hell of a French kiss. Floret is quickly establishing himself as an imposing force in the ELF.
Scary times in the ELF
On Saturday, the Prague Lions announced that their game against the Enthroners would be canceled due to their financial woes. Just two weeks ago, the Leipzig Kings announced their mid-season withdrawal from the ELF. These are worrying times for pan-European football.
For all the issues that the ELF has, no real European football fan feels anything but joy that we have a professional league across the continent. However, recent events seem to be indicating that the ELF is not sustainable in its current model.
The league may have grown too fast and ventured into areas that were never going to be able to support a professional team. Not only will this impact future investors and sponsorship, but it also greatly impacts teams that are relying on home games for revenue, games that have now been canceled due to teams folding.
The resilience of the league and teams that comprise it in the coming weeks will undoubtedly determine the future of the sport in Europe.
Sometimes winning isn’t enough
In a shocking turn of events, the Raiders have cut quarterback Christian Strong. This in turn led to long-time teammate Jarvis McClam quitting the team in a show of unprecedented loyalty. Firstly, let’s give kudos to McClam for doing something that most would not.
What makes this situation so odd is that the Raiders are 6–2. They are considered one of the better teams in the league. Of course, Strong was not perfect, but despite his inconsistencies, he is still the third ranked passer in the league in terms of both touchdowns and yards.
Another point worth noting is that Strong was generally liked across the team. Switching quarterbacks at this point in the season will cause disruption among players along with a new quarterback needing time to acclimatize. Rumor has it that there will be a filler quarterback before the guy they actually want becomes available.
All things considered, this move, on the surface, makes very little sense. However, we are not inside the building, and sometimes, winning is not enough.
Can we get a Fire B team?
It’s become apparent that there are some teams in the league that will struggle to get a win this year (without games getting canceled due to folding teams). It is for this reason that we need another contender.
The Rhein Fire’s second team came onto the field against the Cologne Centurions late in the game on Sunday and drove down the field with ruthless efficiency for a touchdown. I think it’s time we split the Fire in half and get some more competition in the league!