PowerSleds light up the scoreboard

WATSON, AL - Back in the day before computers and light-emitting diode (LED) Jumbotron screens, scoreboards at most football stadiums were full of light bulbs and back-lit panels to show the game clock, home, visitors, scores, quarter, down and distance for fans to reference during the games. In some ways, the old electric light bulb scoreboards were superior to those today in their simplicity and organization of information. Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1970s had two of these "old school" type scoreboards above the lower bowl in both the end zones (sponsored by The Birmingham News) and it seemed like they stayed broken for most of the decade. However, on some occasions when they were functioning correctly and the Alabama Crimson Tide was running Bear Bryant's version of the wishbone option offense, Bama used to "light up the scoreboard" on Graymont Avenue on a regular basis. The Auburn Tigers used to play a couple of games per season in the Magic City back then and the "Sullivan to Beasley" combination used to light up the scoreboard at the "Old Gray Lady" as well. In 1974, Alfred Jenkins and the World Football League (WFL) Champions - The Birmingham Americans "lit it up" in one of the most memorable seasons ever and in 1975 the WFL turned the lights off on the scoreboard at Legion Field, the league, Uncle Ronnie and the Birmingham Vulcans. In a crazy Week 4 in the BDFL, the PowerSleds struck again with vengeance to light up the portable scoreboard on "The Blacktop" at Mineral Springs and spank the Bomb Squad, 46-31. The Sleds have had the highest point total in the league for two weeks in a row and now lead the BDFL with 157 total points for the season. Amanda (Light Up My Life) by Don Williams (1973)

Final Scores

BUL

GAM

19

31

PS

GRE

46

31

BLZ

DOR

32

27

FRE

SM

21

12

WIL

JUG

17

25

DOG

BD

29

10

CHE

BEL

32

27

MAY

ARM

29

21

Complete 2020 BDFL scoring data from the Aladdin Scoring System (@$$)

Late substitutes for weekly starters

TITLETOWN - Due to the NFL's weekly Thursday Night Football (TNF) game, the BDFL's weekly starters are due each week by Thursday at 6:00pm. This is 60 hours before the bulk of the NFL games are played and a lot can happen during this time such as injuries, illness, suspensions, cancellations, postponements, etc.

The BDFL being a fair, equitable and understanding organization has developed a fluid system for handling weekly starter changes prior to kick-offs on Sunday (or Saturday late in the season) to facilitate what has come to be called a "last minute" change in a team's starting line-up. These substitutions are handled on a case-by-case basis by Iron Hand, The Commissioner of the BDFL and must follow a few common sense rules and guidelines to continue in the BDFL...

1. You must have a legitimate reason for making a weekly starter position substitution. This does not include, "I changed my mind", or "It's a bad match-up" type reasons. Injury, illness, suspension, cancellation, etc. are usually acceptable reasons for a "last minute" or "LM" starter change.  

2. The position and the position group you are substituting cannot have any connection to the TNF game whatsoever. Meaning, if you had a player who played in the TNF game, or could have played in the TNF game since he was on one of these teams, they nor this position group can be substituted for prior to the Sunday 12 noon kick-offs. No Monday night substitutions will be allowed.  

3. This courtesy is not designed to take the place of your weekly starters, but merely give you a later option for a player substitution due to unforeseen circumstances after the weekly starters have already been submitted.

This unwritten policy has been going on for years with no problems at all and we expect it to continue just the same. Again the spirit of the BDFL's "last minute" substitution policy is to fair and equitable to the team making the change, but at the same time it must be fair and equitable to your weekly opponent and to all the other teams in the league. Therefore, the BDFL reserves the right to deny these substitution requests as well in fairness to the league and all their members.