My father and I went to Baltimore to see the inaugural home opener for the newest team of the Arena Football League, the Baltimore Brigade. I’m a big sports fan. The month before, I went to the Verizon Center to see the other new team of the Arena Football League, the Washington Valor. This was exciting for me, as this was the first time in 27 years that Washington has had an AFL team. The previous Washington AFL team was the Washington Commandos, which spent the 1987 and 1989 season at the Capital Centre in Landover. Although I lived near Landover at that time, I was not able to get to live games, and regional television coverage of local games was not very good. Now, I can go to live games four or five times a year, and both TV and internet coverage are very good.
Both the Valor and the Brigade are owned by Ted Leonsis of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The Brigade was established in November of last year, eight months before the Valor was established. The Royal Farms Arena is home to the Baltimore Blast of Major Arena Soccer League. Before the Brigade came, the Blast was the only tenant at Royal Farms Arena. The addition of the Brigade is the first time the Arena Football League has given a franchise to Maryland’s largest city, in spite of the fact that Baltimore has many well-known football fanatics.
As Dad and I entered the arena I noticed the turf on the field. It was bright green – brighter and more even in color than the turf that used to be on this same field when the Baltimore Mariners played here. I also really liked the very large Baltimore Brigade logo in mid-field and the wordmarks on each of the end zones.
There are groups of fans who sit together in specific sections. One group of fans who are especially loyal to the Brigade enjoyed the game sitting at section 228. They shouted, “Brick by Brick,” which is the tagline of the Brigade. There was also a section for members of the Ravens’ Roost, the fan club of the Baltimore Ravens who came to support the Brigade. My father and I enjoyed the game and we liked our seats, which were near the corner of section 218. Technically these were the farther seats from the field as the 300 level seats were not used.
One special thing that happened for me at this event was that I got to meet Ted Leonsis. He was standing in the concourse near the entrance to our section of seats as I was returning from the restroom. My Dad noticed him and recognized him as the owner of the Brigade. When Dad asked me to get a photo of the Mr. Leonsis, I tried to sneak in front to take the picture. But he saw me, and said hello. I asked if he was Ted Leonsis, which he confirmed before asking if I wanted to take a selfie with him, which I did. I was sufficiently nervous that I did not talk to him anymore after taking the selfie. Dad and I went back to our seats to watch the rest of the game. While we don’t get to the stadium to see live games very often, I really enjoy going to games with my dad. Mostly, I watch at home on TV, so it was nice to have something special happen like meeting Mr. Leonsis when we were at the arena.
Despite the Brigade losing to the Tampa Bay Storm, having Arena Football in Baltimore has changed my enjoyment of the sport. Previously, I only focused on the Baltimore Ravens because it was the only local football team. But with the Brigade as an expansion team and playing at the Royal Farms Arena, I now can enjoy watching football year-round. I had hoped that Baltimore would get an expansion team years ago. In 2000, the NFL made an agreement with the AFL for NFL owners to have AFL teams in the same city market. Because of the enthusiastic football fans who lived there, I thought Baltimore would be an ideal city for such a team. However, no such team was created, and in 2009 that agreement dissolved. Now, Baltimore has an Arena Football team under ownership of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards. I think the Brigade may have been added to the region to create a local rivalry—especially against the Washington Valor, which Mr. Leonsis also owns. This kind of rivalry would generate some excitement for the league, which could use some help. Three of the eight teams from last season, have folded. Such a local rivalry could help Arena Football to survive. But until this rivalry grows, the Brigade and the Valor have a long way to go to generate dedicated fans that will attend live games and regularly watch on TV and the internet. Currently, these games are only broadcast on Monumental Sports Network, a subscription-based video streaming service. As viewership increases, broadcast revenues for the teams will increase. Bigger budgets will allow these teams to be more secure—potentially higher salaries for players and coaches, better equipment, and the stability to make long-term plans.
I am a supporter of both local teams, and have purchased a t-shirt from each team. If I get an opportunity to go to a game in which the Brigade and the Valor face off against one another, I’ll wear the shirt of the home team.
