2020 UFFL Season

The 2020 UFFL season would have been the seventh IC/OOC season of the United Furry Football League, taking place between late summer and winter 2020-2021.

For a variety of reasons, the start of the season was delayed. At the end of November 2020, the season was canceled altogether.

Out-of-canon (OOC) Reasons

The 2018 and 2019 UFFL seasons started late, and the 2019 season was "sped up" to get back to a somewhat manageable schedule. This prompted discussions about whether those seasons should have been run late, or canceled altogether. Combined with a lack of motivation and real-world factors, the 2020 season was yet to kick off by November.

At that time, the Commissioners of the league discussed and decided to cancel the season. This allowed them to 'catch up' in time for the 2021 season to start at the expected time frame, and for many structural improvements to be made.

In-canon (IC) Reasons

Players are advocating for a better work-life balance, higher wages, and general improvements to the treatment of their species within the league. For example, is your player a reptile? Why must they freeze to death in cold Fargo/Grand Rapids games? Isn't that sad? General Managers are furious about the greediness of these players, and the League Commission has been eerily silent on the matter.

To explore the situation in-canon, contributors were encouraged to share how their player(s) reacted to the news with the following prompt:

"It is August 2020. Your character just received an email/text from your manager or agent. It says "Labor strike official. Check news." Indeed, the media confirms that the UFFL has failed to settle a dispute between owners and players to incrementally increase the salary cap over the next five years. Not only does this mean the season is in jeopardy, it also means you're not playing any football; you're left at home until the strike is over."

Player Reactions

Dean Workington

When he first saw the news on TV, he thought: "What the hell's going on?" Then he got a call from coach and some of his teammates. He was not happy, believing the salary cap was already "too high"!

Tyron Appleby

- What was your character doing when they learned about the strike?: He was with his boyfriend and future fiance, Kassius Waterson when the news broke about the UFFL going on strike. Tyron had been one of the major player reps for Montreal in the Players Union but wanted to take a break from the tense renegotiation of the CBA to help with Kaz's move to Albany in the FBA.

- How does your character react to news of the strike?: Tyron was shocked when the negotiations for the CBA broke down but he was not surprised. The UFFL Players Association wanted a few more concessions relating to benefits along with the increase in salary cap but didn't know if that was still on the table after the time he left the meetings.

He hopes that the players and owners can come to an agreement so the 2020 season can be played but also hopes the players can hold out for their deal and not crumble in the way of the owners.

- How will your character feel if they don't play/coach/have a 2020 season?: He wouldn't like it but he feels that the players should get more benefits for playing due to putting their bodies on the line and if that means that the 2020 season is not played, Then that is the price that must be paid for better conditions for the players.

George Oumauk

- What was your character doing when they learned about the strike?

George was enjoying a hearty dish of jambalaya at one of his new favorite bars off Bourbon Street. Just coming off his rookie season, he was not involved in negotiations between the league and players, but he had heard enough from his agent and those within the Corsairs organization that these talks were not going terribly well.

Despite that tension, he was going about his offseason like any lineman would. Hanging out at home, workouts at the team facility, and satisfying a larger than life appetite. He didn’t have much trouble satisfying said appetite either, in the culinary mecca that is the Big Easy. ... - How does your character react to news about the strike?

George could hardly believe it. As previously mentioned, he was generally aware renegotiation of the CBA was at an impasse. But the thought of a strike, putting the season in jeopardy, didn’t seem like a real possibility.

Until now, that is. Turning his attention to one of the TVs over the bar, he saw the news break live on UFFL Network... “BREAKING: UFFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION GOES ON STRIKE” read the bright red chryon.

He couldn’t deny the reality of the situation... but he also couldn't quite come to grips with it. Since high school, the hulking otter-bear had focused on one thing and one thing only: being the best blindside protector of his quarterback he could be. He was only just establishing himself as one of the better tackles in the league, taken with the first overall pick of the draft last year. What the hell was he supposed to do with himself, without games to play on Sundays in the fall? ... - How will your character feel if they don’t have a 2020 season?

As the strike has worn on, George has grown increasingly discouraged that there will be a season at all. He has mostly tried to continue as if it were just the offseason, though he’s been eating and drinking more than he probably should. The party atmosphere of the French Quarter has helped him cope somewhat, but he can’t shake the nagging feeling that’s he caught in the New Orleans version of Groundhog Day. … George to Tyron: Look, I’m not going to pretend I understand what the dispute between the Union and the owners is about. But is it really worth it, to put the season on hold? Possibly not have a season? I was only a rookie last year, man. I just want to play.

Jacqueline Knight

"Considering my brother is a team owner, I got no idea where I stand in this strike.”