"Brad has tremendous enthusiasm and passion for economic and community development, and I am excited to see all that he will accomplish in this new role." -- St. Louis County Administrator Kevin Gray
How do you replace lost industrial base? How do you stabilize tax revenue? How do you bring consistent, year-round activity back into a hollowing downtown? Rochester, Cleveland and Pittsburgh leaned into medicine and were successful.
The lesson is not that every project will succeed. It is that progress requires participation — from developers, from institutions and from city leadership willing to remove obstacles rather than manage decline.
Howie is editor & publisher of 50-Yard Football The Indoor Football League, founded in 2009, enters its 18th consecutive season in 2026 as the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States and the sport’s de facto major league. With 14 teams across eight top-50 media markets,
“I want to be the greatest D lineman to play arena football. So that's why I'm still out here crafting and getting better every day because that's my goal, to be the best ever.” -- AF1 veteran defensive end Claude Davis
Arizona makes its season debut behind quarterback Max Meylor, the league’s reigning MVP. The offense includes receivers Arland Bruce, Isaiah Huston and Corey Reed Jr., with Ron Brown Jr. at running back.
If arena football stabilizes, history will trace it back to whether Jerry Kurz succeeds. Kurz understands the league’s past because he lived it. His challenge is preventing nostalgia from becoming policy. Expansion discipline, ownership vetting and media credibility all run through his office.
“Very few companies are fortunate enough to reach this moment. That we are approaching our 100th year is not an accident — it’s the result of talented people, shared values, and a commitment to building something that lasts.” -- George Goldfarb, CEO and Chairman of maurices
“We’re proud to continue building on our relationship with VICE TV, which is rooted in strong collaboration and a shared vision for delivering high-quality arena football to fans nationwide.” -- Jerry Kurz, AF1 Chief Executive Officer
“Downtown Duluth has needed attention for a long time. It’s become worse every year and I really don’t think it’s going to get any better.” -- Longtime Downtown Duluth businessman Nick Patronas, who pointed to regulatory and financial barriers that, in his view, continue to limit redevelopment.
The lesson of Sandstone is not nostalgia for a past that cannot fully return. It is a reminder of what is possible when people choose to engage with one another — when they know their neighbors, watch out for each other’s children and build something larger than themselves.
“I want to be the greatest D lineman to ever play arena football. So that's why I'm still out here crafting and getting better every day because that's my goal, to be the best ever.” -- Claude Davis, former New York Jets practice squad player
“The guys are expected to play fast, know what they're doing, communicate, make sure they stay in the weight room, eat well, and take care of their bodies because you can't make the club in the tub.” -- Minnesota Monsters head coach Daron Clark Jr.