Model Train Layout Football
I want to write about a concept rather than NEC football for a minute.
Don't worry, that's coming. Power rankings will be back tomorrow before the weekend starts.
The concept is what I've described as a "Model Train Layout" approach to enjoying football. Specifically, the idea that you can make your own league, enjoy your own games, and follow your own players as opposed to what's actually happening in, say, the NFL. For my part, I've been looking back lately and missing when football was, well, "football." I don't mean when helmet to helmet hits were legal or anything. Just when linebackers were larger than life, intimidating figures and fullbacks delivered crucial blocks to spring tailbacks from the I Formation.
This is why I've been leaning so heavily into Second Season Football lately. I got the official 1990 set in a PDF from the website and printed it off. Using the book and dice, last night I played the first half on stream of my own 1990 season's Week 1 Monday Night Football game in an AFC West tilt between the Raiders and the Seahawks. Man, it was a blast playing with these teams and just seeing the action in my mind. And imagine what you could do. There's a How To book to make your own teams based on stats. You could easily make cards based on the season you played, run your own free agency and draft, and just... keep moving on.
I really think this is the way things are going to start moving in the future, believe it or not. It's only crazy until it's true.
For my part, I'll continue my 1990 NFL season and keep going from there. There's no reason the game has to move away from the power concepts that enthralled me growing up. Not when it's your own league. Second Season is honestly the best way I've found to enjoy that style of football simulation so far, which is why I talk so much about it here.
I do want to quickly mention that there's a "Football America" set that Plaay puts out that does this exact concept- an alternate reality league- but I haven't really played it yet, so I don't know how often they use fullbacks.
Anyway, you can follow the 1990 season's crucial games on the NECBlitz YouTube page, where I'll keep going... and going... and going... like the old Energizer bunny commercials that totally play during my league's season. Why not? If you're building a model train layout, you go all the way. Shouldn't you do that for football, too?
