American Football Association Has Ties To Binghamton

If you're ever looking to have a conservation, you can talk about the weather, politics, or sports. I prefer to talk about sports so here it goes. Did you know that the American Football Association has ties to Binghamton?

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Me neither. The American Football Association (AFA) was founded in 1980 by Ronald J. Real under the name Minor Professional Football Association (MPFA). Real's idea was to have an annual post-season championship tournament for teams that called themselves minor league.

Real was hoping the league would develop along the lines of minor league baseball and ice hockey. In the beginning, five leagues joined and the league champions would play in the first national play-off series on that level.

The AFA is committed to keeping alive the memories of those who have played, coached, officiated, and managed at their level of the game. They want to make sure that semi-pro/minor league football participants are remembered by their fans, family, and teammates.

Binghamton Ties To American Football Association

So how does the AFA tie into the Binghamton area? Its president is Dave Burch from Endicott. Burch is an ex-TC Jets player and is also enshrined in the AFA Hall of Fame. There are many TC Jets players and coaches that have been enshrined in the AFA Hall of Fame including Ray Stanton and Joe Greco.

AFA Hall Of Fame Minor League Football Induction Dinner

This year's group of AFA Hall of Famers will be enshrined as the "Class of 2022" during the AFA's 40th Annual Minor League Football Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. The induction dinner will be part of a 2-day event at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton, Ohio.

It'll run from Thursday, June 23rd to Friday, June 24th. It's the ninth year at the venue and the first one since their last 2019 pre-covid event. Details for the Hall of Fame Induction can be found here.

Burch is not only the AFA president but he's a part of the selection committee for the Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame. If that's not impressive enough, he also serves as a board member of the NFL Alumni's Upstate New York Chapter.

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Do you remember when semi-pro football was right here in the Southern Tier? The Triple Cities Jets were the talk of the town back in the day, and we're taking a look at some of the best bits of memorabilia from the Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame.

Road Trip! Sports Halls of Fame and Museums Are Everywhere in Upstate New York

Warm weather means road trips. And there is no better road trip in Upstate New York than to visit the many sports halls of fame and museums in the region. From the Hudson Valley to Western New York you will find museums and halls of fame dedicated to boxing, horse racing, baseball, stock car racing, fly fishing, and many other sports. Here are 8 of the best in Upstate New York.